carwow Review: Why I‘ll Never Buy or Sell a Car the Old Way Again
Hey there, fellow car enthusiasts! If you‘re anything like me, you know that buying or selling a vehicle can be a real headache. Spending countless hours visiting dealerships, haggling with pushy salesmen, and never knowing if you‘re actually getting a good deal – it‘s enough to make you want to stick with your old clunker forever.
But what if I told you there was a better way? A way to easily find your dream car at an unbeatable price or sell your current ride to vetted dealers with just a few clicks? Enter carwow.
What is carwow?
carwow is an online comparison site that helps you buy or sell a car at the best price without any of the usual hassle. By partnering with a network of over 3,000 trusted dealerships across the UK, they give you access to upfront, discounted offers from official manufacturers and top-rated local dealers.
Whether you‘re looking for a shiny new BMW or want to sell your used Ford, carwow empowers you to compare your options and find the perfect deal in minutes – all from the comfort of home. And the best part? It‘s completely free to use.
Founded in 2010, carwow has quickly become the go-to destination for savvy car shoppers and sellers alike. To date, they‘ve helped over 2 million people find their perfect vehicle, generated over £5 billion in car sales, and won numerous awards for their innovative platform and excellent customer service.
How carwow Works
Buying a Car
As someone who has purchased multiple cars through carwow, I can confidently say the buying process is an absolute breeze. Here‘s how it works:
-
Search: Use carwow‘s search tool to easily filter available vehicles by make, model, price, fuel type, and more. You can browse their huge selection of new and used cars from virtually every major manufacturer.
-
Compare Offers: Found a few cars you like? Great! Click "View Offers" to instantly see upfront, discounted prices from carwow‘s network of vetted dealerships. You can compare each dealer‘s price, location, and customer reviews to find the best deal.
-
Customize Your Car: Found an offer that piques your interest? Now the real fun begins! Use carwow‘s configurator tool to customize every aspect of your dream car, from the color and wheels to the interior trim and optional tech packages. As you build, you‘ll see your savings vs. MSRP rack up in real time.
-
Contact the Dealer: Once you‘ve built the perfect car at an unbeatable price, it‘s time to get the ball rolling. Either click "Contact Dealer" to send them a message through carwow‘s secure messaging platform, or give them a ring directly. Confirm your vehicle specs, financing options, and any lingering questions you may have.
-
Complete Your Purchase: With the details sorted, it‘s time to seal the deal! Pick a convenient date to collect your shiny new ride, or have the dealer deliver it directly to your doorstep. All that‘s left is to sign on the dotted line and start planning your first road trip!
The whole process is incredibly intuitive and pressure-free. In most cases, you can go from search to signed deal in less than an hour without ever setting foot in a dealership. And if you have any questions along the way, carwow‘s dedicated customer service team is always just a call or click away.
But the real proof is in the pricing. On average, carwow customers save $3,600 off the list price of their new car. When I bought my last car (a Volvo XC40) through carwow, I ended up saving nearly £5,000 compared to the best offer I received from my local dealer. Talk about a no-brainer!
Selling a Car
Equally impressive is carwow‘s car selling process. As someone who has sold multiple vehicles through the platform, I can vouch that it‘s by far the quickest and most painless way to turn your old car into cold, hard cash. Here‘s how it works:
-
Get a Valuation: Enter your car‘s registration number or basic details like make, model, year, and mileage to instantly see how much your car is worth. carwow‘s powerful valuation engine analyzes live sales data and the latest market trends to give you the most accurate estimate.
-
Create Your Listing: If you‘re happy with the estimate, it‘s time to create your carwow listing. Upload some photos of your car, provide details on its condition and service history, and choose your asking price (hint: setting it slightly below market value can help you sell much faster!).
-
Wait for Offers: With your listing live, all that‘s left to do is sit back and let the offers roll in. carwow will present your car to their nationwide network of over 3,000 vetted dealers, and interested buyers will send you their best offer. When I sold my BMW 3 Series through carwow, I received 5 offers within the first 20 minutes.
-
Accept the Best Offer: Once the offers start coming in, it‘s up to you to decide which one to accept. I always recommend considering a range of factors beyond just the price. Is the dealer local? Do they have positive reviews? Are they offering free collection? Luckily, carwow makes it easy to compare your options side-by-side.
-
Complete the Sale: After you‘ve accepted an offer, the dealer will reach out to arrange payment and collection of your car. Most dealers will handle all the paperwork for you and can even transfer the funds same-day. When all is said and done, you‘ll have cash in your account and one less vehicle to worry about.
Having sold 3 cars through carwow over the years, I consistently received around 10-15% more than the best offer from local dealers or other online car buying sites. And the whole process was just so much more convenient and stress-free. No low-ball offers, no flaky buyers, no crossing my fingers that my Gumtree listing would get a legit response. Just a streamlined, modern approach that simply works.
Is carwow Legit?
At this point, you might be wondering: "This all sounds great in theory, but is carwow actually legit? Can I trust them with such a major purchase or sale?"
I totally get the skepticism. Buying or selling a car online can feel like a big leap of faith, especially when you‘re used to doing things the traditional way. But after using carwow extensively over the years (and reading hundreds of reviews from other users), I can confidently say that the company is the real deal.
First of all, carwow is officially accredited by the Motor Ombudsman, the automotive dispute resolution body that holds garages and dealerships accountable. This means they uphold the highest standards of service and workmanship.
Additionally, carwow hand-picks every dealership in their network through a rigorous 21-point vetting process. Only official manufacturer franchises and top-rated independent dealers make the cut. And once they‘re in, dealers are regularly monitored and mystery-shopped to ensure they continue providing a top-notch customer experience. Any that fail to meet carwow‘s strict criteria are promptly removed.
This commitment to quality and transparency clearly pays off. On the review site Trustpilot, carwow boasts an "Excellent" rating with an average score of 4.7/5 stars from over 12,000 verified customers. A whopping 97% of reviewers had a positive experience with the company.
Of course, no company is perfect. As with any online marketplace, the quality of your carwow experience can vary slightly based on which dealer you end up working with. While carwow does an excellent job at vetting their partners, there will always be some variation in customer service, processing times, and adherence to the "no-haggle" philosophy.
However, the beauty of carwow is that you get to choose which dealer you want to move forward with. Between the extensive dealer ratings/reviews, the secure messaging platform, and carwow‘s dedicated customer service team, you have all the tools you need to make an informed and confident decision.
At the end of the day, I believe carwow is hands-down the most trustworthy, transparent way to buy or sell a car online. By empowering customers with unbiased information, pre-negotiated prices, and a user-friendly platform, they‘ve flipped the script on the outdated dealership model.
carwow Pros and Cons
Now that you have a solid overview of how carwow works and why it‘s legit, let‘s dive into some of the key advantages and disadvantages of using the platform:
Pros
✔️ Huge selection of new and used cars from virtually every manufacturer at pre-negotiated, discounted prices. On average, carwow customers save $3,600 off the price of a new car.
✔️ Compare offers from 100s of vetted dealers to ensure you‘re getting the best deal. No more haggling or driving from dealer to dealer!
✔️ Customise every aspect of your ideal car, from the wheels to the entertainment system. As you add options, you‘ll see your savings vs. RRP in real-time.
✔️ Sell your car in as little as 1 hour by instantly sending your listing to 1000s of certified dealers. On average, carwow dealers pay £480 more than other online car buying websites.
✔️ Advanced search tools make it easy to filter your options based on what matters most to you – price, fuel efficiency, tech features, safety ratings, and more.
✔️ Extensive dealer reviews give you peace of mind that you‘re buying from a trusted, customer-focused source. carwow removes the lowest-rated dealers from their network.
✔️ Dedicated customer support available 7 days a week via phone, email, and livechat to answer any questions and help you find the perfect car.
✔️ Guides, calculators, and expert reviews help you navigate every step of the car buying or selling process.
✔️ 100% free to use with no hidden fees for buyers or sellers. You‘ll never pay a penny more than the discounted price you see on carwow.
Cons
❌ Only available in the UK. While carwow has plans to expand internationally, they currently only operate within the United Kingdom.
❌ Limited stock and longer wait times for some models. Due to supply chain issues, Brexit, and COVID-19, certain popular models may have very limited inventory. If you want a specific configuration, you may have to wait a few months for delivery.
❌ No physical showrooms. While you can book a test drive through carwow, you won‘t be able to browse cars in person like at a traditional dealership.
❌ Complete online experience can be overwhelming. With so many configurable options, making your final selection can be a bit daunting. But carwow‘s filters and comparison tools definitely help narrow it down!
❌ Potential delays in dealer responses. Although most dealers are very responsive, some may take a bit longer to reply to your questions, especially on weekends or holidays. But 90% of dealers respond within 4 business hours.
As you can see, the benefits of using carwow far outweigh the drawbacks. Put simply, I believe carwow is the smartest, safest, and most enjoyable way to buy or sell a car in the UK. No other site comes close to matching their selection, savings, transparency, and customer support.
The Bottom Line
Well there you have it, folks – the most comprehensive carwow review on the internet, from a true car fanatic and long-time carwow user. I‘ve walked you through exactly how carwow works, why it‘s legit, and the key pros and cons to consider.
By now, it should be clear why I‘m such a raving fan of this game-changing service. Here‘s the TLDR:
- Unbeatable savings on a huge selection of new and used cars from all the top manufacturers and dealers
- Sell your car lightning fast for £100s more than trade-in or other online car buyers
- 100% free and incredibly easy to use
- Trustworthy and transparent, with extensive dealer vetting, customer reviews, and dedicated support
If you‘re in the market for a new motor or looking to offload your old wheels, I can‘t recommend carwow enough. It‘s simply the most enjoyable, efficient, and cost-effective way to buy or sell a car in the UK.
So what are you waiting for? Head to carwow.co.uk now to find your perfect car at an unbeatable price, or turn your current vehicle into cash in just a few clicks. Trust me, once you experience the carwow difference, you‘ll never want to set foot on a forecourt again!
Happy car shopping!
