Carsome reaches 100,000 used car seller milestone

Carsome, which bills itself as Southeast Asia’s largest online used car trading platform, has reached another milestone, obtaining its 100,000th used car seller with the completion of a transaction in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week.

Reaching its 100,000th seller – in its fifth year of business – is a defining moment for the company, and Carsome co-founder and CEO Eric Cheng said he was proud of the achievement and in the faith customers have shown in the company, which has grown from a team of five employees to a 1,000-strong workforce across more than 50 cities in five countries.

He said that the milestone did not come easy. “One of the biggest challenges in our early days was getting people to trust and use the then new-in-market service. We started building trust by establishing a transparent and hassle-free used car-selling process,” he said.

Over time, things began to gain traction. Last year, Carsome racked up 40,000 cars worth RM1.2 billion, handled across the region. Besides Malaysia, which contributes up to 65% of its business, the company operates in Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.

“We have changed the way customers sell their cars. Our next step will be introducing a new way of buying used cars across the region after a successful launch in Malaysia three months ago. With customers’ continued support and confidence in our quality service, we are committed to continuously building Carsome into the most trusted brand. This will ensure that our customers continue enjoying the best experience, be it car-buying or car-selling,” he added.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been plenty of growth this year for the company on the local front. In August, it launched its own B2C online platform and flagship store (at Parklane Commercial Hub in Kelana Jaya) as well as the setting up of official stores selling used cars on Shopee and Lazada.

Its entry into the retail space also saw the introduction of Carsome Promise, a programme that offers a one-year extended warranty (provided by Allianz Partners Malaysia), a five-day money-back guarantee and a Carsome Certified vehicle that has undergone a 175-point inspection.

The company also launched several tech products this year for its partners, namely the CARpartner and CARdealer (previously known as CarsomeGO) mobile apps to improve process and workflow efficiencies. Cheng said that Carsome will continue to invest in the digitalisation and upgrading of its products to enhance the speed and convenience of car transactions.

The company is also opening more retail centres across the region, bringing the new way of buying and selling cars in the automotive industry to more cities in Southeast Asia. Carsome will also be venturing into the technical education sector in the coming months, with the aim of upskilling the technical workforce through accreditation.

The post Carsome reaches 100,000 used car seller milestone appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.

from Paul Tan's Automotive News
Read The Rest:paultan...