Amazon May Soon Wade Into the Online Used Car Sales Business

Amazon currently sells new Hyundais in 68 markets and has said it would be interested in working with other OEMs. Jin said, “We’re adding more dealers, and we’re excited to add not just new inventory for those dealers but also used inventory.” The Amazon program lets shoppers view vehicles and progress through the buying process digitally, but the cars come from local dealers’ inventories.

Amazon believes its service will give dealers another avenue to sell cars using a “fully e-commerce transaction,” according to Jin. She noted that customers are increasingly looking for a fully online car shopping experience but also said that many still want the ability to see and touch vehicles in person. They can then finish the purchase at the dealer or online.

While the experience will be different, shopping for used cars on Amazon will likely come with many of the same annoyances, including a sales pitch for extended warranties and other products. Amazon will avoid putting a hard sell on some of those things, though it recognizes that add-on products are a significant revenue stream for some dealers.

[Images: Sundry Photography, Danille Nicole Wilson via Shutterstock; Hyundai]

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