Carwow....any scams?

Carwow....any scams?

Author
Discussion

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

56 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
So we’ve found a good deal on our intended next car through Carwow, which I never really thought much of but had very good recommendations from a couple of friends, so gave a try.
Found the car we like at a very competitive price from a dealership on the south coast.
Contacted them via the site, and got a reply asking me to phone them to progress the purchase but also saying they’ve been “having problems at the showroom with power cuts and phone lines”, and the phone number they’ve given also comes up as a South Wales number.
Scam? Or do Carwow host operations from Wales?

33q

1,562 posts

125 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
We have ordered our Arona through carwow....seems to be going ok

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

56 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
33q said:
We have ordered our Arona through carwow....seems to be going ok
Out of interest, what was the area code of the number you were given to call them?

Pistonheader101

2,206 posts

109 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
It’s legit - I’m part owner of carwow

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

56 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
Pistonheader101 said:
It’s legit - I’m part owner of carwow
Ah but how do I know that? smile

KungFuPanda

4,347 posts

172 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
I’m also a part owner.

RammyMP

6,826 posts

155 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
Crossflow Kid said:
Pistonheader101 said:
It’s legit - I’m part owner of carwow
Ah but how do I know that? smile
Proof is needed, picture of you, Mat Watson and a time of custard.

Griff74

144 posts

63 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
I bought my current Polo GTi + through Carwow, got almost 3k off (on a car which had a 12 month wait on new orders at the time, I snagged one in the order queue already), is a good service and only seemed to be genuine main dealers on there.

Sheepshanks

33,179 posts

121 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
You don't talk to CarWow - at least I didn't. They host the initial email type discussion but then I spoke to the relevant dealers - was talking to two and played them off against each other.

I wouldn't be phased by a dealer phone number being somewhere else - they often have centralised operations. Ask them to explain if you're bothered.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

56 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
You don't talk to CarWow - at least I didn't. They host the initial email type discussion but then I spoke to the relevant dealers - was talking to two and played them off against each other.

I wouldn't be phased by a dealer phone number being somewhere else - they often have centralised operations. Ask them to explain if you're bothered.
Yes, was aware Carwow are simply hosts.
I have asked the dealer why their phone area code is hundreds of miles from where they are - no reply yet which simply adds to my suspicions as they were amazingly prompt up to that point.

Sheepshanks

33,179 posts

121 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
Crossflow Kid said:
....as they were amazingly prompt up to that point.
I was staggered by how quickly the dealers responded - an utter revelation compared to what dealers are normally like. That was the best part of using CarWow. I think five came back, and with the two I focussed on it was almost like chatting. One of the garages I called and it was the guy's day off!

The dealer I bought off told me CarWow rates them on speed of response.


TooLateForAName

4,773 posts

186 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
google the dealership, check them out (ie make sure they come up as a dealer on the mfrs site) then call them on whatever number their web site gives.

33q

1,562 posts

125 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
Crossflow Kid said:
33q said:
We have ordered our Arona through carwow....seems to be going ok
Out of interest, what was the area code of the number you were given to call them?
I emailed in the first instance. Dealer was fairly local....being SEAT it was one of the closest so we had telephone conversations then visited to finalise the deal

T-J-C

128 posts

97 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
Having invested in the company last year I'd certainly hope it's not a scam. smile
I know someone who bought their car through them and had no issues.

PorkInsider

5,952 posts

143 months

Wednesday 11th March 2020
quotequote all
KungFuPanda said:
I’m also a part owner.
And me!

jjr1

3,023 posts

262 months

Thursday 12th March 2020
quotequote all
PorkInsider said:
KungFuPanda said:
I’m also a part owner.
And me!
I saw that offer to buy in last year and just can not see how the business model is both sustainable and profitable. I imagine that they are haemorrhaging money and just as all these new tech ideas have a once in a lifetime rate of return, the majority will fall by the wayside.

Good luck but for me I am out.

Baldchap

7,804 posts

94 months

Thursday 12th March 2020
quotequote all
I have had two cars through Carwow and I know of one other. Not a scam at all.

Truckosaurus

11,521 posts

286 months

Thursday 12th March 2020
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jjr1 said:
...can not see how the business model is both sustainable and profitable.....
I'll make no comment on the profitability or not, but someone in another thread on here suggested that Carwow provided something silly like 20% of all sales to dealers, so they've certainly got some income coming in...

HTP99

22,734 posts

142 months

Thursday 12th March 2020
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They are changing their charges to dealers, currently a dealer pays CarWow £360 for a sale, they are changing to £40 per enquiry regardless of a sale or not, I think this will result in many dealers dropping them.

ACCYSTAN

877 posts

123 months

Thursday 12th March 2020
quotequote all
There is no way dealers will stomach £40 per enquiry , it’s bad enough they give car wow £360.

I have purchased 2 cars via car wow, it a useful tool although in the past 12 months I’ve made enquires for vehicles for extended family and have found far better prices elsewhere.

I do know a friend who purchased a Peugeot after using car wow to find the best price dealer, he knew about the £300 car wow charged the dealer so he drove down to the showroom with his part ex and they did the deal with a nice addition of sharing the £300 charge.