Buying a Car Online: Ford Offers a New Shopping Tool

Many consumers really dislike the process of shopping for cars, and for good reason. Having to go to car dealers and try to find the right vehicle at the right price can be a big hassle. And, even when you think you've purchased a car you'll love, that vehicle can turn out to have serious defects. If it does, California lemon law attorneys may be able to help you pursue a legal remedy.

Because car dealers realize that many consumers are tired of the traditional car-buying process, different dealers are experimenting with various approaches to make shopping for a vehicle more pleasant. For example, Cars.com recently wrote about new online shopping tools made available by Ford.

Ford's Online Shopping Tools Aim to Improve the Process for Car Buyers

According to Cars.com, Ford's new program is called Ready.Shop.Go.  The program allows car buyers to search available inventory of vehicles, to view the pricing of different cars, and to see what incentives are available.  Car buyers can select the vehicle that they want and can then lock in a deal on that car that will remain in effect for 48 hours.

Using the online service, car shoppers can also get an estimate of the value of their trade-in, apply to get a loan through Ford's credit service, and schedule a test drive of the vehicle that they are interested in.  They can do this before ever leaving home or making contact with a dealer so by the time they go to a dealership to check out the car or complete their transaction, almost all of the other pieces of the deal are already in place.

Ford has created this new online service because surveys show that there is a strong demand for it. A 2017 survey revealed that 57 percent of people between the ages of 30 and 44 are more impatient than in the past, and among people ages 18 to 29, a full 63 percent are more impatient. These impatient consumers don't want to spend hours in the dealership getting pricing information and completing paperwork when they can do all of this quickly from the comfort of their home. This is especially true since 54 percent of respondents to the same survey indicated that it is a productive use of time to browse the Internet.

Ready.Shop.Go allows car buyers to spend only a very small amount of time at the dealership so they can get their car much more quickly. Participating dealers who take part in the Ready.Shop.Go program set the vehicle pricing that is available to online buyers and it includes taxes and fees so consumers have a clear idea of total costs.  The specific vehicles involved in the program will depend upon dealer inventory though.

While this tool makes it easier and faster to shop for cars, buyers are still at risk of getting a vehicle that turns out to have unexpected defects.  California lemon law attorneys can provide assistance to consumers who buy cars that turn out to have serious problems.