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Starting today and continuing through September 8, General Motors is implementing a test program in California that will allow buyers to shop for vehicles online using eBay. In a partnership first announced in early July when GM emerged from its bankruptcy procedures, the pilot program enables shoppers to browse hundreds of online showrooms, ask questions, negotiate prices, and arrange financing and payment options to buy a new 2008, 2009, or select 2010 car, crossover or truck -- and can even determine the value of their trade in through the site.
"Together with eBay Motors, GM and our dealers are reinventing the car-buying experience for our California customers," said Mark LaNeve, GM sales vice president in a statement released by the automaker. "As the dealer showroom expands from the parking lot to the laptop, this makes it easier for a customer to browse available new-car inventory, make an offer, buy it now, or send a message asking for more information from a dealer - all at the customer's convenience."
With more than 225 General Motors dealers participating in California, shoppers will discover as many as 20,000 new vehicles at what General Motors says are "very competitive prices." Shoppers can bid using the traditional eBay options "Buy It Now" (if they agree to the advertised price) or "Make Offer" (if they want to try to negotiate the price down further). Shoppers can use the site to compare pricing across models or participating dealerships, and eBay also provides expert tips and advice with a buyer checklist.
"With 12 million individual car shoppers visiting our site every month, eBay Motors has unique insight into how people prefer to buy their cars," said Rob Chesney, vice president, eBay Motors. "Through this program, we are helping GM dealers to extend their physical showroom while at the same time delivering to our buyers the great deals and broad selection they expect from eBay."
Complete program details, including participating GM dealer inventory, are available through individual GM brand websites that can be found at gm.ebay.com, chevrolet.ebay.com, gmc.ebay.com, buick.ebay.com and pontiac.ebay.com. If this pilot program works well in California, it could prove to be a whole new model for how General Motors sells vehicles across the United States.
Would you be inclined to shop this way? Take a look at the sites mentioned above, and let us know what you think!
Jody DeVere
President and CEO
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http://www.carblabber.com
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