Covid-19 took its toll on the car industry in 2020 but we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.
With just over one month to go until car dealership properly reopen, we've given you the rundown of how the click and collect model works, if you really, really, want that new car today.
The car-buying model has been adapted, and buying a car is not only safe but also more convenient than ever before thanks to the introduction of click and collect.
Click and collect works just like you would expect from any other retailers who are operating through the pandemic. Car dealerships are only allowed to facilitate the handover of cars that have already been sold prior to the customer’s arrival at the showroom. So you can’t just walk in, have a look around and start talking with a car dealer - as most of us would typically expect.
Instead, car buyers must now browse a dealers stock from the comfort and convenience of their own home before ordering the car that takes their fancy and then booking in an appointment that suits their own schedule. It’s really as simple as that.
Arnold Clark, for example, have over 20,000 of the UK’s best used car deals available online and you can buy one with a refundable £99 deposit. Typically, if you get your finance approved, you can expect to be able to go and collect the car from the dealership within just 48 hours.
Alternatively, for £99, Arnold Clark will move the car from one dealership to a dealership closer to you within a week of your finance being approved. So you really do have their stock at your fingertips.
Lastly, and most impressively, Arnold Clark also offers a free home delivery service (which is subject to availability) - meaning you can, in theory, find a car, finance a car and have it delivered to your driveway without moving a muscle. That old fashioned car buying model already seems a bit out of date, if we’re honest!
The rules say that cars cannot be handed over inside dealership showrooms and cars must be sold remotely either online or via telephone. Essentially this means that as long as the deal is done before the customer sees the car, then dealerships have a little bit of wiggle room to ensure a safe and smooth handover.
If you’re in the market, don’t be put off by the fact you can’t waltz to a dealership and start test driving cars. A sales representative is only a phone call away and the car buying process needn’t be any more complicated than it was before the pandemic, so why not launch your enquiry today and buy your car in a quick and COVID secure manner?