LONDON, September 10 /PRNewswire/ --

- A Third of Autoquake.com Customers Buy Unseen

Autoquake.com (http://www.autoquake.com), the UK's largest online used
car retailer, has discovered that nearly a third of its customers choose to
have their car delivered. That means more than three out of ten (30.5%) buy
the car unseen.

The proportion of buyers choosing delivery rather than collection from
Autoquake.com's handover centres in Leeds and Birmingham has steadily
increased, suggesting buyers are becoming happier to spend thousands of
pounds over the internet. Looking back over the past six months, in March
just over a quarter of Autoquake.com customers opted for delivery. In August
that had risen to over 35%.

"Used car buyers are becoming more comfortable shopping online," said
Autoquake.com CEO, Garry Hobson. "With full descriptions of every car, and 40
high quality pictures showing the interior and exterior in detail, there's no
need to see the vehicle before taking delivery. Every car comes with
Autoquake.com's 7 day money back guarantee, so shoppers can buy with
confidence."

Visitors to Autoquake .com also benefit from the condition viewer, which
shows up any cosmetic blemishes. Unlike a conventional car showroom,
Autoquake.com is open for business 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so
visitors can shop at a time that's convenient to them from the comfort of
their own home.

"Buying from Autoquake.com is an entirely different experience from
visiting a main dealer or car supermarket," explained Hobson. "There's no
need to travel miles to see the cars, and since we don't employ salesmen,
there's no pressure to buy. It's a simple, straightforward way to find a
great used car (http://www.autoquake.com/used-cars), so it's no surprise that
many customers choose to buy from us without seeing the car first."

Those who do choose to buy unseen are usually very happy with their
purchase. Over 98% of customers decided to keep the car rather than return it
using the 7 day money back guarantee in the last quarter. What's more, price
seems to be no barrier to buying unseen. The average price of cars delivered
over the past six months is GBP7,349, but one buyer paid GBP24,185 for a BMW
320i Convertible.

The cost of delivery varies depending on where the customer lives and
which Autoquake.com handover centre has the car in stock. Typically, car
delivery (http://www.autoquake.com/used-car-delivery) from the Birmingham
handover centre to an address in London costs just GBP100, little more than
the price of travelling up by train and fuel for the drive home.

For many, delivery is simply a more convenient way to buy. Customers in
the Midlands live within easy striking distance of the Birmingham handover
centre, but 15% still choose the hassle-free option of having the car brought
to them.

Table: Autoquake.com cars delivered as a percentage of total sales per
region.

Region       %
    East Anglia 45%
    Midlands    19%
    North East  34%
    North West  28%
    Scotland    33%
    South East  43%
    South West  41%
    Wales       38%



About Autoquake.com

Autoquake.com's proven online retail model sells high quality used cars
on behalf of large corporate fleet and leasing companies direct to consumers
through its website www.autoquake.com. Autoquake.com has pioneered the
concept of enabling consumers to buy a used car from the comfort of their
home. Cars are displayed in Autoquake.com's virtual showroom with
descriptions including 40 high quality digital pictures. The breadth and
transparency of information about the vehicle dramatically improves the
purchase experience for the buyers who are enthusiastically embracing the
Autoquake.com model which includes low, no haggle prices. All cars go through
a 141 point inspection and come with a 100% money back guarantee. Car finance
(http://www.autoquake.com/finance), warranty, insurance, and delivery are
supplementary options that buyers can benefit from.

Fleets typically remarket cars through trade channels such as wholesale
auctions where cars are sold at trade prices to car dealers. For fleets
Autoquake.com is an attractive disposal channel that gives them a slice of
the retail margin whilst delivering days to sale that are similar to
auctions. Autoquake.com sells used cars on behalf of large fleet and leasing
companies. The ex-company cars are taken directly from the UK fleet
operators, prepared to retail condition and sold via the Autoquake.com
website. Because Autoquake.com takes out a step in the value chain, it can
provide higher returns for fleets while still saving consumers money. The
company is funded by leading venture capital companies Accel Partners
(http://www.accel.com/company/sector.php?sector_view=2) and Highland Capital
Partners (http://www.hcp.com/autoquake) who investor in companies such as
Facebook, Digg and Real Networks.

Press Contacts

    Max Peile
    T: +44(0)20-7170-4137
    M: +44(0)7830-254-952
    E: max@autoquake.com

    Karen Parry
    T: +44(0)1784-456-526
    M: +44(0)7903-955696
    E: karen@prandmediaworks.com