Amazon Autos is opening up its sales channels to include used cars, though it’s not available everywhere yet.
Quick poll: How many of you guys bought something off Amazon in the past little while? The results likely lean heavily toward folks who have, and that’s the idea behind Amazon Autos’ recent presence in online car sales. It started off with the e-commerce giant shaking things up by offering new Hyundai buyers the opportunity to buy their next Santa Fe as they would their next coffee maker. Now, though, it’s opening up used and certified pre-owned sales too, although with one temporary caveat.
Participating dealers will ultimately be able to list their used and CPO vehicles on the site, much the same as new Hyundai products. Prospective buyers can then browse inventory just as they would on any other listing site, though here they can sort out payment and financing through the Amazon Autos site as well. Then, the only time you’ll actually have to physically go to the dealer is after you’ve locked in all the documents to purchase the car or truck.
For now, Amazon’s decision to include used and CPO cars in the equation is only rolling out to Los Angeles. More cities will eventually come into the mix in the coming months, so at the moment this is more of a pilot program. It’s also worth emphasizing this applies to dealership listings, so it’s not a forum for private sales like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.
Amazon’s process for purchasing new vehicles also includes trade-in values. The company stresses it is “streamlining the upgrade process” by bringing in valuations from an independent third party, which shoppers can then apply toward their new vehicle. While you can’t kick the tires before buying your vehicle this way, Amazon does include a 3-day/300-mile return policy as well as a minimum 30-day/1,000-mile limited warranty on all vehicles for some protection. It also touts “seamless integration” with participating dealers for test drives.
What do you think — would you go this route to buy your next used car over a dealer or private party seller?
