Online used car platform tootle has launched a service enabling dealers to source used cars directly from private sellers.
It said by matching dealers directly with private sellers it cuts out fees from auction houses and car buying services. Dealers can view sellers’ profiles and make offers on cars they would like to purchase. These offers are relayed to the private sellers, who will then contact their preferred dealer directly to complete the sale.
Tootle will charge a commission fee to dealers for each car purchased through the service. The fee is based on a sliding scale dependent on the value of the car purchased. Tootle estimates the average fee will be £150 per car.Around 100 dealers are now on board and this is growing.
Tootle’s platform will incorporate a review process so private sellers can see which dealers have provided the best and worst service. It envisaged that this along with price will affect which dealer’s offer a seller will opt for – thereby providing self-regulation for the platform as a whole. It also has its own checks in place.
The new dealer platform has been live for just a couple of weeks but tootle said generally it is getting around 20 people a day signing up to sell their car. Al Taylor, tootle CEO, said: “Matching a private seller of a car directly with a dealer who wants to retail that car makes a lot of sense for everyone.
“We hope we can save dealers and private sellers both time and money through the new service.” Tootle launched online in 2015 as a platform for consumers to buy and sell used cars privately. Stock listed has to have less than 80,000 miles on the clock and be under 8 years old.
