Match! makes it easy, convenient to sell your vehicle to a dealer – and it’s free
The national lockdown has affected the South African automotive market in a multitude of ways, but not only negatively. As buyers and dealers adapt to doing business amid “The New Normal”, it’s most convenient – and socially responsible, given the impact of Covid-19 – to utilise the internet to facilitate business transactions, including when you sell your vehicle to a dealer.
It’s for that very purpose that Cars.co.za – the country’s biggest online automotive platform and one of the most respected, recognisable brands in the vehicle-retail space – created Match! It’s a service that empowers consumers by offering them a simple alternative to selling their vehicles privately, as well as a way to get the best possible market value for their cars.
Match! represents a quick, simple and safe way to offer a vehicle to hundreds of dealers (who are looking to increase their inventory) and, best of all, it costs the seller absolutely nothing. Plus, dealers contact owners directly, which saves time and effort. The service demonstrates that Cars.co.za – now in its 11th year – is further closing the loop between buyers and retailers.
Consumers can upload their cars’ details to Match! via any Cars.co.za platform (desktop or mobile site, the latter also via the app). What’s more, by filling in the particulars of the vehicles they hope to sell, in addition to stipulating details of the cars they’d like to buy next, consumers can be matched with the dealers that could best facilitate the replacement of their vehicles.
Since Match! went live nationwide, more than 10 000 vehicles have been uploaded by consumers and literally hundreds of dealers have activated the service. Sellers on Match! can receive multiple offers on their car from trusted dealers in 48 hours, whereafter they are provided with a choice with regards to which offers (and dealers) they’d wish to connect.
Importantly, only once a seller and dealer have established direct contact are the former's personal details revealed to the latter, thereby protecting the seller from any spam-related communications. If both parties reach an agreement on the sale price of the vehicle and subsequently strike a deal, Cars.co.za charges the buying dealer a nominal commission fee.
How it works
Once a seller has successfully uploaded details and images of their vehicle on Match! it will appear on participating dealers’ systems for a period of 48 hours, during which retailers can make offers on the vehicle. Those dealers will receive stock alerts that notify them when a prospective model that meets their stock requirements has been loaded on the system.
Should the seller receive one or more offer(s), an email and SMS will be sent to them with a link to a dashboard that contains a consolidated, ordered list of offers. The seller then has 48 hours to "connect" with an offer once the car is no longer active on the system (or offers expire). Upon connection, the seller’s details are shared with the dealer and vice versa.
Sellers can contact dealers directly from the dashboard once a connection is established.
Sellers are under no obligation to sell their vehicles. They can reject offers and provide feedback as to why they rejected them, which provides dealers with feedback on their offers.
Furthermore, a seller has an opportunity to re-activate their vehicle if they wish should they have not received offers or did not like the offers they received (and those offers expired).
