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Read the WELCOME ALL BMWFANATICS post.
Webuycars changes
- Thread starter Kishore
- Start date
TurboLlew
Honorary ///Member
Honestly I don't know what must happen here... because they obviously have a place in the market... but it is an influencer and media magnet for 'poor me' stories that just generate so much noise.
Dekra reports aside, WBC is a "voetstoots" operation at its core: The argument people appear to have is that they don't want voetstoots/'as-is" itself to exist as a concept going forward.
If you treat it like a bargain hunt and inspect the vehicle properly, there isn't a problem. The real "problem" is people expecting a premium dealership experience from a wholesale-style environment as we've said maybe 2 dozen times over the years LOL. It is not possible to 'accidentally' think WBC is a traditional dealer unless you have a single-digit IQ. At the places I have been to in GP this is certainly the case anyway. I am not sure whether it is wildly different in other parts of the country. The sales people are not great but you kind of go there knowing what to expect at this point. I mean they didn't pop up overnight...
Headlines about the R2.5 million fine and R3.4 million in refunds (which is 'only' R110k per person for 31 people) are mean to appeal to people who think these numbers a) are big and b) mean anything at all in isolation. They are a drop in the ocean for a company selling 170K cars per year. It's a rounding error. This won't magically make cars cheaper or better. To comply with the CPA and offset the increased risk, WBC will likely just hike prices and bundle "free" warranties, then market it as a "consumer-friendly" move. If Dekra is generating too much noise (or condition reports of any kind) that will go away too... if they are bundling warranties as the nannies/pacifiers then why bother? If I was doing something with an error rate of 0.018% was causing 90% of my negative sentiment AND generating lawsuits/fines then I would just drop it.
Either way, people being what they are, the next bunch of whining will come from people who say the cars were 'designed' to break after the 6 month or 12 month warranty on their 20 year old scrap-yard candidate and WBC 'knew' that this would 100% totally happen...
The promise to create 300 jobs will be forgotten in three years, or they’ll claim they were going to retrench 300 but "saved" them instead.
The concept of "de-risking" costing money is lost on most folks. People want the wholesale price but expect WBC to assume 100% of the risk (or at least the same risk as would be assumed by a dealer). You can't have your cake and eat it too. If a traditional dealer bought that same car, they’d spend on some refurb, add a margin for CPA compliance, and sell it for significantly more. None of this comes from the goodness of anyone's heart. There is plenty of scummy behaviour and reason to be upset with the motor trade, but at the same time there is reality of what WBC and its copycats are trying to do which has its pros and cons... and probably more pros for the consumer than cons in terms of there simply being more choice/another option.
Nobody is holding a gun to anyone's head to buy from WBC. Whether it's Facebook Marketplace, a "scammer" dealership, or a snooty main dealer, the responsibility still lies with the buyer to read what they sign and understand what they are buying. WBC provides a (admittedly risk-filled) "raw" experience with a rock bottom price that people claim to want... but they also want CPA protection and a dealer experience
.I rather buy from wbc than a private or dodgy seller, as i know on their cheaper cars they do not touch a thing on it to either mask a problem or make a quick fix. What you see is what you get, the trick to winning here is to open your eyes and look properly or take someone who knows about cars along. I mean they even allowed me to scan a few cars that i was interested in so invest a few ronds in a cheap scan tool.
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Everyone is a smart *$$ for “buying the same car as Llew at half the price until sh!t goes south and then “We buy cars are scammers”. These gamblers are happy as long as they are winning.
99.99% of the SA car YouTube guys are chancers who know nothing about cars (and I’m not talking about wrenching here). They just happened to be brave enough to start recording, especially Mr How Much and the Car Guy. There are many more with channels not big enough for a mention.
The part that makes their business work is also its downfall. They are too involved in the deal for the to turn around and shout “voetstoots” IMHO. They sell you the car as-is, repair it for you (minimum required for roadworthy at least) and complete the registration process you. A customer walks in and drives away with a roadworthy, registered vehicle with a warranty (even if by name only), almost as they they just bought a MasterCar, AutoMark, etc. Thet have made it hard to turn around and say “voetstoots” when issues arise thereafter.
Same as the point above. The buyer gets the same “seemless” experience as at a normal used car dealer. WBC starts to feel like buying a Toyota from the used car section to most people. I suspect this is the feel WBC we’re going for themselves.
Thami4u
Active member
Exclusive: WeBuyCars ditches Dekra Automotive’s vehicle condition reports
Establishes Inspectify, its own vehicle inspection company with cutting-edge technology to differentiate it from other vehicle dealers.
www.moneyweb.co.za
How is this news? It happened in October already i think.Exclusive: WeBuyCars ditches Dekra Automotive’s vehicle condition reports
Establishes Inspectify, its own vehicle inspection company with cutting-edge technology to differentiate it from other vehicle dealers.
Urban963
Active member
He is using Internet Explorer, it's on the front page right now.
I refrain from comment. We must be nice to our special needs members.
TurboLlew
Honorary ///Member
It is a slightly different story in fairness... and details what will happen in future in more detail now that the partnership has dissolved. Whether it is really anything newsworthy is another story.
As for inspectify itself:
Technicians probably love it because they probably tick a few boxes and the AI populates a long ambiguous report (somehow also legally watertight) at a lower cost than Dekra probably was. Dekra seem to have gotten the short end of the stick here reputationally and in terms of ongoing business if anything.
Consumers probably love it because everyone loves AI slop these days and they see all this as "more information" when really it is less. In reality as with motorplan print outs, service histories or any kind fo paperwork really, people want to 'see it' but don't read or understand it anyway. It's like they are playing a game, pick up the paperwork and it shows up in their inventory so 'box ticked' Nevermind that the paperwork is full of red flags.
WBC of course loves it because they are checking their own homework and are in full control ready to show anyone that they warned you the car was high risk: You can bet the legal team has gone to absolute insane lengths to cover them. This is on a car with supposedly ZERO roadworthy faults and ready to go...
May as well roll the "HIV Aladeen" clip from "the Dictator"
They will point to all this when the person who claims they were 'mislead' by reports or has buyers remorse/expected not to have any bills runs to the media or tries to call upon the CPA.
Again - this is not putting WBC "in their place" or any better for the consumer or market. I dunno why everyone has such raging hatred for WBC when the last time I checked they were sources of the cars that people claim to want and secondly, they are not being forced to buy from them at all. Whatever we get in future will be materially worse FOR THE CONSUMER (IMHO) under the guise of being pro-consumer/abiding by the CPA and appeasing the media/influencers.
Not that they are angels... I'll bet the "AI" will also independently generate lower offers for cars being sold to WBC as well. The only winner (despite the fine) will be WBC and their shareholders (again IMHO)
As for inspectify itself:
Technicians probably love it because they probably tick a few boxes and the AI populates a long ambiguous report (somehow also legally watertight) at a lower cost than Dekra probably was. Dekra seem to have gotten the short end of the stick here reputationally and in terms of ongoing business if anything.
Consumers probably love it because everyone loves AI slop these days and they see all this as "more information" when really it is less. In reality as with motorplan print outs, service histories or any kind fo paperwork really, people want to 'see it' but don't read or understand it anyway. It's like they are playing a game, pick up the paperwork and it shows up in their inventory so 'box ticked'
Nevermind that the paperwork is full of red flags.WBC of course loves it because they are checking their own homework and are in full control ready to show anyone that they warned you the car was high risk: You can bet the legal team has gone to absolute insane lengths to cover them. This is on a car with supposedly ZERO roadworthy faults and ready to go...
May as well roll the "HIV Aladeen" clip from "the Dictator"
They will point to all this when the person who claims they were 'mislead' by reports or has buyers remorse/expected not to have any bills runs to the media or tries to call upon the CPA.
Again - this is not putting WBC "in their place" or any better for the consumer or market. I dunno why everyone has such raging hatred for WBC when the last time I checked they were sources of the cars that people claim to want and secondly, they are not being forced to buy from them at all. Whatever we get in future will be materially worse FOR THE CONSUMER (IMHO) under the guise of being pro-consumer/abiding by the CPA and appeasing the media/influencers.
Not that they are angels... I'll bet the "AI" will also independently generate lower offers for cars being sold to WBC as well. The only winner (despite the fine) will be WBC and their shareholders (again IMHO)
So like any other business.It is a slightly different story in fairness... and details what will happen in future in more detail now that the partnership has dissolved. Whether it is really anything newsworthy is another story.
As for inspectify itself:
Technicians probably love it because they probably tick a few boxes and the AI populates a long ambiguous report (somehow also legally watertight) at a lower cost than Dekra probably was. Dekra seem to have gotten the short end of the stick here reputationally and in terms of ongoing business if anything.
Consumers probably love it because everyone loves AI slop these days and they see all this as "more information" when really it is less. In reality as with motorplan print outs, service histories or any kind fo paperwork really, people want to 'see it' but don't read or understand it anyway. It's like they are playing a game, pick up the paperwork and it shows up in their inventory so 'box ticked'
WBC of course loves it because they are checking their own homework and are in full control ready to show anyone that they warned you the car was high risk: You can bet the legal team has gone to absolute insane lengths to cover them. This is on a car with supposedly ZERO roadworthy faults and ready to go...
View attachment 32454
May as well roll the "HIV Aladeen" clip from "the Dictator"
They will point to all this when the person who claims they were 'mislead' by reports or has buyers remorse/expected not to have any bills runs to the media or tries to call upon the CPA.
Again - this is not putting WBC "in their place" or any better for the consumer or market. I dunno why everyone has such raging hatred for WBC when the last time I checked they were sources of the cars that people claim to want and secondly, they are not being forced to buy from them at all. Whatever we get in future will be materially worse FOR THE CONSUMER (IMHO) under the guise of being pro-consumer/abiding by the CPA and appeasing the media/influencers.
Not that they are angels... I'll bet the "AI" will also independently generate lower offers for cars being sold to WBC as well. The only winner (despite the fine) will be WBC and their shareholders (again IMHO)
Thami4u
Active member
You read the headline only, clearly.
Thami4u
Active member
You quickly get excited.
