Cazoo

Unlikely. I've been looking at web based business models since pre-dot com boom and each time someone has said "this is the death of the dealer"

Now the internet changes the nature of the interaction with the brands in terms of research, but ultimately when people are buying the second highest value item in their lives (generally) they want physical interaction with the proposed car and dealer...?

The business model isn’t why they failed, they scaled too quickly and Chesterman couldn’t run a bath but is excellent at raising funds for projects.

Did they need to sponsor several premier league clubs?

A better MD and it’d be here now.

This is quite right IMO. Great idea, first class fundraising, woeful operations.

There are plenty of punters who would happily buy a car online in return for a no quibble 14 day money back guarantee.

Not everyone wants a test drive, or to kick the tyres. And especially not to have to negotiate with the sales bods.

Some fast follower will probably come along and do it right, second time.

ETA someone upthread said that car sales don't scale like a tech business. That's also spot on and one of the key traps that Chesterman, with his tech background, fell into.

I've bought unseen, two motorbikes privately, one dealer.

Whats wrong with a unseen purchase?

Plenty of pics did it for me.

It's very hard to buy a tired knackered full main dealer history car/bike though..

People like superbikefactory etc sell bikes with one/two stamp and it shows.

I know that's bikes but I've found the same with cars..

It feels to me that their popularity shows that there may be enough people who *don’t* like the traditional car buying experience to make a version of Cazoo viable. Being able to see the car is good, but for people buying cars as white goods, then an honest description is better than trawling round multiple dealerships. Then remove all of the haggling and a nagging feeling you are being ripped off…

It’s a shame for the consumer imho.
But the business seemed to spray money around instead of knuckling down to the basics. And got what generally comes to those who do that.

Isn’t this basically where Cinch are sitting in the market, buy online deliver to door. They of course have the backing of Constellation group that also own BCA, WBAC and Marshall’s.