Will it work? Yes or No!!!

[Philip Nothard 26]

http://www.motortrader.com/automotive-news/carcraft-brand-acquired-ahead-relaunch-online-classified-site/

 

Carcraft acquired ahead of relaunch as online classified site

The Carcraft brand has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by Reg and Louis Rix (pictured), the motor trade entrepreneurs who launched Netcars, and will be relaunched as an online used car classified business.

Carcraft, the sixth largest supermarket in the Motor Trader Top 50 Independent Dealers, closed all 10 of it outlets in April with the loss of 550 jobs. The loss-making business had operated for over 60 years and had a turnover of £124m before going into administration.

The Rix brothers are the co-owners of Carfinance247, the online car finance broker, but are best known as the founders of Netcars the online classified site which was sold to the RAC and rebranded as RAC Cars in 2013. Reg Rix

The new owners will relaunch Carcraft as an online classified site which will adopt Netcars’ free to advertise model.

“We intend to re-launch the Carcraft brand as an online used car classified business. The site will be free to advertise on for dealers nationwide and offer consumers an excellent shopping experience with an abundance of choice,” said Reg Rix, managing director.

“It will support our Carfinance247 business that, through our partnerships with some of the UK’s leading lenders, gives customers the best rates of finance to match their personal circumstances and credit rating. Our acquisition follows a phenomenal year of growth for Carfinance247 and is part of our advancement strategy.”

The Rix brothers are confident in the strength of the Carcraft branding despite its administrators Grant Thornton attributing part of its failure as a supermarket chain to its “poor market reputation”.

“Having worked in the motor trade for many years, the Carcraft brand means a lot to us personally as well as a brand we see big potential in going forward. In its heyday Carcraft was a highly successful business and the brand name still attracts a large amount of natural web traffic. We will work hard to re-invigorate consumer confidence in the name by creating a reliable, trustworthy car classified website, delivering the same high levels of technology and service that’s helped us build the Carfinance247 name.”

The Rix brothers started their car retailing career at their father’s dealership, Rix Motor Company, in Warrington, Cheshire.

 

 

[Steve92 80]

So it's going to be web only and keep the worst thing about it, the name......

[Phil H 124]

If they are not Retailing their own cars then they must be hoping to make money from selling finance, therefore will it not affect our ability to earn finance commission from our sales? Someone else trying to erode our ever decreasing margins give something for nothing in one hand to take away with the other.

[umesh 336]

I did wonder why you'd keep the name ? maybe I'm missing something ? with so much negative posts about 'carcraft' on the internet it a tough challenge to change it all into positives - I wish them good luck but for me the name has been tarnished !

As said free advertising but is this really a hood  to sell the finance ? 

Lets all wait and see ..

[c_cars 56]

'Free to advertise for dealers' 

As long as you are a supporting dealer of CarFinance247?

If they are pitching it to rival AutoTrader maybe they need to speak to GreenGiant... 

[James Bush 95]

Netcars was a decent free to advertise with site, sadly RAC took it over tried to charge franchise dealers a fortune, then car supermarkets, then general used car dealers and then realising they had no traction in the market place went full circle and now anybody can advertise with them for free.

Netcars was a pay per enquiry business model which worked well so I presume this will be the same business model?

I think free to advertise is the way forward and the only way a new site could get a good amount of cars on quick and make AT sit up and take notice. I had a lovely letter from AT warning me my discount package had come to an end and my prices would rise again - what happened to AT's transparent packages and invoicing?

Edited July 30, 2015 by James Bush

[Gavin@Rousdon 137]

I did a deal with CarFinance247 about 6 weeks ago, after the rep offered me the chance to advertise my cars on their website, the deal was that I pay £150 if I sell a car to one of their customers who is taking finance with them. It seems they are now pushing this under the 'Carcraft' banner. I guessing they want customers to view the cars and apply for finance online where they deal with the application. I theory not a bad idea, their customers are normally sub-prime so on a higher APR plus they get £150 from the dealer, in return the dealer gets a hassle free (hopefully) sale. In my experience CarFinance247 customers seem more concerned about getting the finance and just pick up the car and drive away.