Avo by Nedbank has launched the Avo virtual vehicle mall feature for online vehicle shopping. “For the first time in South Africa, car buyers can enjoy a complete end-to-end digital vehicle shopping experience,” the group said in a statement on Wednesday (8 September).
The feature will enable car buyers to ask and get answers to questions about vehicles using the chat function, send documents and make video calls, all within the platform, the lender said. They can then also apply and be approved for financing, using the Nedbank MFC car finance interface, thereby completing an end-to-end buying journey digitally.
“While there are already quite a few websites and aggregators where people can browse vehicles, the existing options are still very limited,” said Julie Vetter, Avo executive at Nedbank.
“While these online portals are offered to a client to shop for a car, the Avo platform is a rich environment that allows for real-time engagement between buyers and sellers, as well as facilitating completely secure payments.”
The auto portal is linked to the Avo super app with just one click and opens a desktop environment for ease of use. The pilot launch took place in July 2021 as the team geared up to offer users the best vehicle-buying experience.
Nedbank said that Avo was launched during the pandemic and aimed to bring consumers and businesses together, matching consumers’ lifestyle needs to product and service offerings with safe, mobile payments backed by bank-grade security, all on one convenient platform.
The platform has gained over 250,000 consumers and 20,000 merchants and is continuously adding product and service innovations.
“The new auto category is the latest of these innovations, providing a unique virtual sales forum where users can ask and get answers to questions about vehicles using the chat function, send documents and even make video calls, all within the platform.
“Consumers can apply and be approved for financing, using the Nedbank MFC car finance interface, completing an end-to-end seamless buying journey digitally,” Nedbank said.
Avo will have over 80 MFC-approved dealers onboarded by the end of this year, with a total of 2,500 vehicles. With the stringent requirements in place for a dealership to become an approved bank dealer, the consumer can take comfort in this additional layer of security. Over the next three years, the platform is targeting over 1,000 dealers around the country.
Here are seven cars currently advertised on AvoAuto for less than R150,000.
2020 Suzuki S-Presso 1.0 S-Edition
- Price: R139,900
- Year: 2020
- Mileage: 17,800 kms
2018 Kia Picanto 1.0 Style
- Price: R139,900
- Year: 2018
- Mileage: 95,924 kms
2017 Volkswagen (VW) Up Take up! 5 Door
- Price: R139,500
- Year: 2017
- Mileage: 90,000 kms
2017 Smart Forfour 1.0
- Price: R129,900
- Year: 2017
- Mileage: 45,569 kms
2012 Volkswagen (VW) Polo Vivo 1.4 Hatch Blueline 5 Door
- Price: R119,900
- Year: 2012
- Mileage: 107 859 kms
2012 Suzuki Swift 1.4 GLS Auto
- Price: R149,900
- Year: 2012
- Mileage: 69,783 kms
2010 Mercedes Benz A Class A 180 Elegance Autotronic
- Price: R129,900
- Year: 2010
- Mileage: 106,900 kms
Reference: Staff Writer (www.businesstech.co.za)