Car deal takes eBay approach to sales
Published February 3rd, 2007
The car-dealership chain — which has 65 locations throughout D.C., Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania — is launching an online buying program it says is similar to eBay, the massive online marketplace where customers can haggle over sticker prices virtually rather than standing on a showroom floor.
The site is expected to go live within the next 60 days, says company spokesman Brian Williams. “We’re using the eBay mentality to generate sales leads.”
Like many car dealerships, Mile One will make information about its vehicles available online. If a customer wants to bid on a car, a sales representative will contact the potential buyer via telephone or e-mail to accept or decline the offer.
Customers have the option of buying the car before seeing it, Williams says. The company is working with Auto Bid Systems, an online vehicle sales firm, to power the site.
