How to buy a car...from your sofa!

Drivers who “hate being sold to” can now buy a new set of wheels without even speaking to another human being.

Online dealer Fair Square’s automated system lets motorists choose their dream car, select a finance provider and have the vehicle delivered - all from the comfort of their sofa.

The company hopes to attract legions of car buyers who cannot stand the “pressure” of haggling with dealers and fending off attempts to force favoured lenders on them.

Ian Willetts, operations director at fairsquare.com, says: “The whole system is automated from start to finish.

“Around half of our customers will know exactly what car, colour and spec they require and may well have test driven the same model before lockdown.

“We aim to give them as much information as possible at the buying stage, including multiple photos on the website.

“They can also apply and be approved for finance, and arrange the delivery date.”

Motorists who are unsure of what they need can get help from Fair Square’s team of UK based customer service advisors.

Buying a car online without even kicking the tyres first is a burgeoning trend that has been amplified by the closure of car showrooms because of Covid-19.

Some motorists might find the concept “scary”.

But Ian says that buyers have more protection than they would from a local dealer because of the distance selling regulations.

“There’s a 14-day money back guarantee,” he says. “If you don’t like the car or you think you have made a mistake you can simply return it. That gives peace of mind.

“There are certain rules - you can’t just borrow a car to go on a 2.000 mile holiday to the south of France!”

Fair Square has around 10,000 nearly new vehicles for sale, sourced through main dealers.

When a customer buys through the company it purchases the “Grade 1” quality car from the dealer and negotiates a minimum six-month warranty or extended manufacturer’s guarantee.

The ownership of the car is then transferred to the finance company, as is usual under HP or PCP contracts.

“We only supply cars that are less than five years old and with no more than 50,000 miles on the clock,” says Ian.

Fair Square’s cars must be bought on finance, although the customer can choose from a list of approved lenders. The company’s commission is exactly the same from all finance companies.

Buying cars online is “the future” according to Stuart Masson, editorial director at The Car Expert (www.thecarexpert.co.uk), which says it is an impartial, independent website specialising in advice on car ownership.

“It is the way everyone is going,” he said.

“When you buy online, whether it is a pair of socks or a Lamborghini, you are protected as a private buyer by the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations.

“You have 14 days when you can return your purchase and get a full refund - for any reason at all.

“When you go into a dealership and sign on the dotted line you don’t have that cooling off period.

“Nothing beats actually seeing the car you are interested in, having a test drive, and being able to talk to someone face to face. That is what we would all like to do, but obviously at the moment we can’t.

“But when the virus is finally gone and the world reopens people are going to get savvier about this.

“I knew full well that by buying my latest car online rather than from the local dealer I actually had more rights.

“That was my preferred way of doing it, although I recognise that for a lot of people that is a scary concept.”