Amazon Autos is open for business
You can now buy new vehicles and trade-in old ones via Amazon Autos
It’s initially available in 48 cities across the US
More automotive brands are set to join the platform next year
The world’s leading online shopping marketplace announced that it was teaming up with Hyundai to start selling its vehicles at the tail end of last year, with Amazon users able to browse models and register interest, but not physically purchase them.
Now, Amazon has announced that Amazon Autos (Beta) is now open for business in 48 US cities. The service allows buyers to browse vehicles at leisure, pay with a customized finance option (or pay cash, if you’re a baller), or select optional protection products. You can either head to a local dealership for collection or arrange to have the shiny new car delivered.
The general idea is to beat Tesla at its own Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) game by offering a convenient sales channel that circumvents the need to sit in a stuffy dealership and haggle with a salesperson over the sometimes inflated price.
According to numerous Cox Automotive studies, which ask customers about their car-buying experience, overall satisfaction with the traditional dealer model is on the wane in the USA.
