Carousell and Case partner up to educate buyers of used cars
Those shopping for a used car on online marketplace Carousell will soon have a clearer idea of the quality and condition of the vehicles on offer.
The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) and Carousell are encouraging sellers to send their vehicles for professional evaluation before listing them for sale.
The sellers can use Carousell's app to book appointments with authorised evaluators Vicom and the Automobile Association of Singapore when the feature is introduced next month.
The joint initiative, which was announced yesterday, is in response to the increasing number of consumer complaints about the motor industry.
Last year, Case received 2,335 complaints, with 61 per cent involving a pre-owned car.
Its spokesman said most complaints were for defects, failure to honour contractual obligations, and misrepresentation of the vehicles sold.
Under the new initiative, vehicles in satisfactory condition will be identified in Carousell's listing with a Standard and Functional Evaluation (Safe) checklist mark.
Consumers can download the checklist from Carousell.
The Safe checklist, which Case launched last year, is aimed at helping consumers know what to look out for when buying a pre-owned car.
Potential buyers can also request a used car be sent for evaluation.
Said Case education committee chairman Linus Ng: "Currently, it is not instinctive for consumers to ask for an evaluation. We want to empower the consumers and encourage them to make a better-informed decision."
Case president Lim Biow Chuan said the partnership was spurred by the increasing popularity of online platforms as an avenue to buy pre-owned cars.
He added: "More than half of Carousell users are over 25 - the prime age of a consumer who may be looking to buy their first car or upgrade from their current one.
"This is the target group of consumers that Case would like to reach out to."
Mr Sanjay Shivkumar, head of autos at Carousell, said its marketplace has about 12,000 listings of new and pre-owned cars.
He said: "Carousell's goal in partnering with Case is to ensure that we do our part in empowering consumers to be educated on the importance of doing due diligence, helping inject trust and transparency into the pre-owned automotive industry."
Case will have a booth at the ST Classifieds bi-annual car event on April 7 to 8 to explain its initiatives.
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