Tesco to start selling second hand cars

Not content with having substantial stakes in the supermarket, mobile and insurance sectors, supermarket giant Tesco has announced its first forage into the second hand car market.

Keen to make a mark on the competitive industry, the firm launched its new website, www.tescocars.com, on Sunday. Tesco says the new site will provide customers with a choice of up to 3000 used cars every week but unlike traditional used car websites, customers won't be given the chance to see or test drive the vehicle before they buy it.

It's thought that a large majority of the vehicles on the site will be ex-lease vehicles which are between 6 months and 3 years old. Tesco are promising that all models will come with a full service history, a stamp of approval from the RAC and HPI, a one-month RAC Platinum warranty and 2000 Tesco Clubcard points.

Each customer will be given their own personal sales advisor to help them with the purchasing process and will be able to pick their new car up from a handover centre once the deal is complete. An alternative £149 home delivery service for UK addresses is also available. 

Enjoy haggling over the price of your new motor? Forget it! Tesco says there will be strictly no haggling on their site, although there are two payment options available for customers. Customers can either 'Buy It Now' or 'Pre-Order' - the latter option reserves the car while it is being returned to the vendor but does require a £99 deposit which is refunded if the customer decides to opt out of the purchase.

Chairman of Tesco Cars, Sir Trevor Chinn, said the firm decided to enter the used car industry after seeing a clear gap in the market.

'When buying a used car, consumers want to know they can trust the information supplied, that they are getting value for money and a good product, all supported by good customer service. Importantly they also want to be able to take their time to make the right purchase for them,' he commented.

'By marrying these principles, the success of the Tesco brand, and the transparent and unpressured online sales environment, we believe we will be delivering a positive new experience for today's car buyer.'