31 Mar BuyaCar doubles down on help for NHS staff and other essential workers
HELPING NHS STAFF and Britain’s other essential workers during the coronavirus crisis is now the priority for online car marketplace BuyaCar.co.uk – even if it means selling cars at a loss.
Although normal trading has inevitably slowed for BuyaCar, 18 of the company’s most recent 27 ‘key worker’ sales have been to health professionals, with the rest ranging from food supply workers through police and armed forces to a prison officer.
One car was delivered 283 miles from Newcastle to London for a consultant anaesthetist while the average delivery distance to all 27 key workers was 206 miles.
The announcement to double down on help for key workers was made by BuyaCar Chief Executive Andy Oldham, following a review of operations to ensure the business can continue to supply cars while guaranteeing the safety of staff and customers.
As a vast majority of dealers across Britain temporarily close their doors, some essential workers who urgently need to change their car – often simply to avoid public transport where they are more at risk of coronavirus – face mounting difficulties in staying mobile.
Last week BuyaCar announced that it had axed delivery charges, implemented ‘contactless handover’ to customers and is donating a free two-year warranty to any new customer on the UK government’s list of key workers.
Although the offer, worth almost £700, means temporarily selling cars at a loss, the company has vowed to continue for as long as it can maintain viable supplies of clean and properly prepared cars and deliver them without risk to customers or staff.
This week BuyaCar secured supply of 13,500 additional cars which can be bought and financed by customers from the comfort and safety of their own home and delivered to their door.
Andy Oldham, Chief Executive of BuyaCar.co.uk, said: “Like any responsible business we constantly review the feasibility of continuing to trade during this crisis and we remain determined to do what we can to help in the fight.
“Many dealers continue to maintain their behind-the-scenes operations. As long as we are able to maintain reliable supplies of cars from them, help customers to finance them and receive them cleanly and safely, we will do so.
“For the moment our guiding principle is that essential workers don’t just want a new car – they often need a new car and our mission is to do whatever we can for those people until the coronavirus crisis is under control.”
