Buying a car in lockdown: Everything you need to know about remote inspections, click and collect, home delivery and more. Malcolm Flynn, CarsGuide Editor As published on CarsGuide.com.au 22 August, 2021
Despite the challenges most of us are facing at the moment, many of us still need to, or at least want to buy a car. You might have a baby on the way, a dog that’s outgrown your current car, a lease that’s about to expire, or need some solid retail therapy after plans for The Big Trip to Europe evaporated. Can I buy a car during lockdown? The short answer is, yes. As long as dealerships are permitted to trade, or logistics companies are still permitted to deliver vehicles, you will still be able to buy a car. But as we’re all experiencing, the definition of ‘lockdown’ is very fluid, so it’s important to check the specific restrictions for your area or where the car you’re buying is located at any given time and ensure your actions are mindful of everybody’s wellbeing. Based on the restrictions in Sydney and Melbourne at the time of publishing, there’s plenty of safe ways for all types of car purchases. Buying a car in lockdown We spoke to a number of dealers this week, representing metropolitan and rural areas, which sell new cars, used cars and classic cars. 52
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While traditional visits to the showroom or dealer yard are not currently permitted, these dealers have embraced technology, and in many ways boosted buyer convenience, to enable the car buying process to happen remotely and safely. It’s also important to note that service departments currently remain open. It’s rare that any used car isn’t advertised online via the likes of Autotrader or Gumtree these days, but numerous car brands have also launched online car purchasing options for new cars in recent times, but delivery is still generally handled by local dealers. It’s common for these dealers to create short videos of all cars in stock, which show all significant details and once shared, they allow interested buyers to get up close and personal with a particular car without leaving their home. It’s also fair to assume live video chats are possible, but none of the dealers we spoke to had received such a request to date. You’ll find most, if not all dealers are happy to organise test drive opportunities delivered to your home within a safe and reasonable distance, with all loan paperwork aside from a signature handled digitally. The vehicle
can then be collected by the dealer when the test drive is complete. Further peace of mind can be added via a professional third-party inspection and detailed vehicle history report, which some dealers are offering freeof-charge. There’s always a degree of risk when buying any used vehicle, but these will likely mitigate this risk well beyond your own tyre-kicking capabilities. Beyond this, you’re generally protected by a statutory warranty under Australian Consumer Law, which generally covers all vehicles under 10 years old with less than 160,000km on the odometer, with protection lasting three months or 5000km. The normal negotiation process can then be had over the phone or video chat, so you can still try your luck haggling for floor mats or a cheaper price, as you should. Can I travel to buy a car during lockdown? Can I pick up a car during lockdown? There’s no solid answers to these questions either, and while you may find you’re technically permitted to travel and collect a car at the moment, it’s far from essential when it comes to collecting your new car. Traction
