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Most people don’t want to sit around a car dealership all day. That’s become a well-worn, recurring pitch of many car-selling websites and mobile apps, but mainstream automakers such as Hyundai have been taking note, too. In introducing the new Shopper Assurance program, Hyundai North America chief marketing officer Dean Evans said the company’s own research shows that 90 percent of people report “major frustration” when buying a car or truck. We suppose not everyone can get giddy at the prospect of being in the market for new or used vehicles, and that’s okay.
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Evans said Hyundai’s survey shows it takes shoppers an average of 15 hours to research and buy a vehicle, and about five of those hours are spent at a dealership. “That’s way too long, way too involved. I don’t think there [are] any surprises there,” Evans said. “But this may surprise you: Today 75 percent of those surveyed said if given the opportunity, they would consider transacting some or all of the process online.”
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Hyundai said its new Shopper Assurance program aims to solve vehicle-shopping woes in four ways. First, participating dealers will post “transparent pricing,” which is the vehicle’s actual cost to the buyer—MSRP minus available incentives and dealer discounts—on their websites so consumers have a clear starting point for negotiations. Second, customers can schedule a test drive online through a platform called Hyundai Drive, and participating dealers will bring the test vehicle directly to customers at a location of their choosing such as home or work. Third, the majority of the purchasing paperwork can be done online, including applications for financing, credit approval, payment calculations, and trade-in valuations. And finally, Hyundai is offering a three-day, 300-mile money-back guarantee allowing buyers to return new-vehicle purchases if they change their minds.
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- Send a Text, Get a Car Loan? Now There’s an App for That
- Dealers: Internet Be Damned, People Still Want to Buy Cars in Person
- Is Online Car Buying for You? Depends Which Kind of Shopper You Are
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Shopper Assurance is rolling out now for new Hyundai models in the Dallas, Houston, Miami, and Orlando markets, and it will be extended nationwide in 2018.
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