How heycar has stepped in to support our dealers and customers in Lockdown

Back in March 2020 when the first lockdown came in, everyone at heycar was set an immediate challenge: how can we support our dealers and customers at the moment? At the time, we didn’t know how long that challenge would last - but it’s fair to say it hasn’t really gone away. As restrictions have changed around the UK, we’ve been constantly thinking about how best we can support our partners.

The announcement of the latest lockdown in England was disappointing news, but with the industry being better prepared, we knew we could work fast to support our dealers. From the last lockdown, we know that free delivery is an important addition to convert customers - but an added expense for our dealers at an already difficult time. So we’ve decided to cover it. From Monday 16th November until the end of February 2021, delivery is on us.

But that’s not all we’re doing. Early indications of the second lockdown are that marketing spend in the category is reducing, as many businesses are taking a cautious approach. But we’re holding firm - we all feel more ready to weather this lockdown period, and we know that our dealer partners - you - are better set up for online customers. So we think it’s important to keep those customers coming to you, to help you have a strong finish to 2020.

We also know that the last thing our dealers need right now is more admin, too. So practically - we’ve kept it as simple as we can. If a dealer arranges delivery with a heycar customer then we reimburse them at £1 per mile travelled, no ifs, no buts.

You can find the full terms and conditions here.

What our dealers have said:

John O’Hanlon, Chief Executive of Waylands Automotive, says: “Despite everything, we are open for business, so being able to engage meaningfully with customers online is vital. The reassurance of contactless collection and free delivery is such an important step for customers.”

Tom Cummings, Creative Director at Vertu Motors, says: “This has been a year for trying new things and it’s great to work with a partner that is finding different ways to stimulate demand in the market through the introduction of new propositions.”

FAQs

Will this apply to all leads generated on heycar or just customers that request delivery when they enquire?

This will apply to all leads generated on heycar.

Does this also apply to new (consigned stock) cars listed on heycar?

Yes, it applies to all leads on all cars on heycar, which includes dealer stock, virtual stock from OEM programmes and consigned new car stock.

I’m not currently live with heycar, if I started displaying my stock with you today, will I benefit from this?

Absolutely, simply sign up here and one of our account team will be in touch to talk through getting you set up and selling with heycar.

How do we claim the delivery costs back from heycar?

Follow the link to this claim form. It takes just 2 minutes to fill out the questions and you’ll receive confirmation whether your claim is eligible within 7 days.

When will we receive the support?

Support will be paid to your dealer group monthly, we’ll raise an invoice for you and settle it against your outstanding balance with us. Details of each claim will be sent to your group so that they can reimburse you for any cost incurred.

Will you always offer free delivery?

We’re offering this for leads made until 28th February 2021, but we reserve the right to amend or withdraw the heycar free home delivery offer at any time on reasonable notice provided that no such amendment or withdrawal will affect your rights in relation to vehicles already purchased at the time the amendments or withdrawal comes into effect.

What about distance selling regulations?

If a customer places a deposit on a vehicle at a distance, either online or over the phone, then they are entitled to cancel their order within 14 days and receive a full refund of their deposit, regardless of their reasons. We recommend that dealers familiarise themselves with distance selling regulations.

NFDA guide to online sales


For more coronavirus car buying advice click here.