‘World first’ group buying site Carjoy.com.au launches
Car Joy – a group buying site for cars has recently opened its doors in what it claims is a ‘world first’ for the group buying industry.
The announcement:
Australia‟s passion for group buying continues with people now able to buy some of the most popular makes and models of cars at unbeatable prices with the launch of CarJoy, the world‟s first group buying site for cars.
CarJoy offers a brand new way to buy a car and the resulting savings are substantial. CarJoy takes the hassle out of buying cars by negotiating bulk buying discounts with the biggest car dealers and manufacturers in each city and then advertising the discounted price on their website. CarJoy has already partnered with Tynan Motors and West End Mazda and has 15 brands of cars ready to be discounted.
CarJoy founders Adam Trouncer and Robbie Rankin said, “Instead of using group power to purchase small products, CarJoy focuses on a much bigger ticket item and can save customers thousands of dollars when buying a new car”.
The pair, friends from Sydney University where they both studied, were inspired to launch CarJoy after Robbie noticed the stress and negative experience his mother had in buying a new car.
“Mum was getting the run around from all the dealers she visited and the idea just clicked. My friends and I were major fans of group buying and daily deals and we knew we could use that model and offer something even bigger…I mean, saving 60% on a dinner is great but I think saving thousands when buying a new car is even better!”.
Claire Tynan, Automotive Authority and former CEO of Mahindra Australia states that “leveraging the internet to create value for the end consumer is one of the ways forward for car manufacturers. By enabling consumers to become bulk buyers via the internet the consumer is able to enjoy savings that were previously not possible”.
The first deal will run in NSW for 15 days from Friday 1 July and will feature one of Australia‟s most popular cars, the 2011 Mazda 3 – Neo. When 10 people sign up, each customer can save $4500 off the retail price. This price is about $2000 better than the listed price on any major car advertising website. CarJoy is passionate about getting the best price possible for their customers, so if you happen to find a better price on the advertised deal, CarJoy will beat it by $500.
Juliet Potter, the founder of Autochic.com.au – Australia‟s number one car buying website for women states that “CarJoy is particularly useful for female car buyers given they understand and love the group buying phenomenon. Traditionally, the car buying process is unchartered territory for women; so anything that can make this process easier, particularly using the online platform, along with allowing the consumer to obtain the best price and have the best price guaranteed has my approval!”. Ms Potter also states that “girls love a bargain yet still find car buying stressful and somewhat confusing. With CarJoy, it appears women really can get the best of both worlds”.
The CarJoy team intend to roll out deals in other states as demand from customers grows Australia wide.
HOW DOES CARJOY WORK? Step 1. Check out the website
Visit www.carjoy.com.au to find out what make and model is available that 2 weeks.
If your choice of car isn‟t advertised, CarJoy can also place you in a group with other people from across your city and put the wheels in motion to get you a great deal.
Step 2. Sign up
Show your interest by providing your email address and purchasing a $299 bond. This bond locks in the discount and comes off the total price of the car. The bond won‟t be deducted from your credit card unless the deal is on and financing is approved. CarJoy customers can call „1800 CarJoy‟ or enter their email address to organize a test drive. When booking a test drive, the customer has the option of either having the car come to them or going to the featured Dealership.
Step 3. Enjoy the savings
When the deal has reached the minimum number of customers needed to get the bulk discount, those who signed up will receive an email notifying them that the deal is now on. The $299 bond will be deducted from the price of the car and deducted from their credit card. Customers will then be sent a unique code via a certificate.
Step 4. Finalise the purchase
The customer then brings the certificate to one of the numerous Dealership locations (that have been advertised on CarJoy) where they can finalize finance, select their colour and if required add any other additional options they require (for an additional discounted cost).
Step 5. Enjoy your new car
CarJoy customers have 21 days to claim their discount from the Dealership. The delivery of the car is quick and easy as the car is already on the ground floor of the manufacturer.
Even if customers aren‟t interested in the current deal they are encouraged to sign up and become part of the CarJoy website to keep updated on future deals as they launch.
CarJoy also uses a unique tracking system which offers $150 to anyone who shares a deal through their social networks and one of their friends purchases a bond through CarJoy.
Please visit www.carjoy.com.au for further information. The CarJoy customer service number is 1800 CARJOY and is open from 8am to 8pm daily.
Source: Carjoy.com.au press release
Not a world first unfortunately, 123cars.com.au has been operating for quite some time.
User ID not verified.
I hate to burst the bubble here but have to agree with George – this just seems like a very poor imitation of 123cars.com.au – world first… hardly!!
User ID not verified.
Journalism at its worst – “world first”?
Talk about a puff piece.
User ID not verified.
I really think this is a great idea.
I wish I had seen this before I bought my new car!
User ID not verified.
While others may have tried it, I think that if they could get it to work and execute it properly, they might really be onto something here…..
Think about if you could get $2000 on your next car….I’d do it for sure.
User ID not verified.
I like it.
User ID not verified.
I am Adam Trouncer, one of the Co-founders of CarJoy.com.au.
Thanks for all the comments.
While we acknowledge that cars123.com.au do offer a similar model, CarJoy’s point of difference is the formation of individuals into groups prior to purchasing and the personal service to our customers.
We guarantee the best price and are so passionate about saving our customers money that we will beat any advertised deal by $500.
User ID not verified.
Poor imitation CarJoy – 123Cars group individuals too. The difference is that one CarJoy there’s only one model at a time, whereas 123Cars offers a range of models but with a longer ‘deal’ cycle. In essence, it’s the same concept of group-buying cars, which hardly makes CarJoy a “world first”.
User ID not verified.
Agree with most here. CarJoy is a poor imitation of 123cars.com.au. Not only that, looks like a complete copy of US site carsgroupbuy.com. CarJoy can’t even claim to be ‘world’s second’ as both of these sites launched a couple of months ago.
User ID not verified.
Does it bug anyone else that we read stories about websites and yet there is no link to those websites in the story.
User ID not verified.