German premium car maker Mercedes-Benz on Thursday rolled out a 'direct customer to customer' selling platform, 'Marketplace,' which provides multiple benefits to both buyers and sellers of the used luxury cars.
The new offering is an ideal platform for sellers who seek the best value for their existing cars and are looking for an upgrade to a Mercedes-Benz. Besides, it will offer the best price to the seller with a hassle-free experience, Mercedes-Benz India said in a release.
The benefits come in the form of best price guarantee, enhanced inventory of certified vehicles available online, ease of transaction, and complete transparency, among others, in the entire process, it said.
The platform is expected to boost pre-owned car business and online penetration for used cars, which currently remains at 20 per cent, the company said, adding with its introduction, the penetration is expected to go up to 50 per cent.
"Marketplace's direct customer-to-customer model will provide discerning sellers and buyers the most transparent, hassle-free, and convenient platform to sell existing cars and upgrade. With this initiative, we create a win-win scenario for customers and an opportunity for our franchise partners to scale up their pre-owned and new car business by offering a luxury brand experience," said Martin Schwenk, Managing Director, and Chief Executive Officer, Mercedes-Benz India.
Marketplace will continue to set new benchmarks in terms of transparency, efficiency, and customer-centricity in the entire luxury pre-owned car business, he added. The platform will offer potential growth opportunities for both new car and pre-owned car business, with possible upgrade to a new or pre-owned Mercedes-Benz and an opportunity to provide a luxury brand service to both the seller and buyer, so far unavailable to customers in the unorganized market, the company said.
At the same time, it will create customer loyalty by offering the best possible price, larger inventory, transparency, hassle-free process, and a seamless luxury experience besides an opportunity to scale up the new and pre-owned business, by procuring very high-quality pre-owned Mercedes-Benz cars from existing owners, according to the carmaker.
