Do you do your research on the internet before you shop?

While the streets of Norwich seem to be getting busier with Christmas shoppers, it was interesting that Black Friday didn’t get people out of their homes like the chaos of last year! Breakfast TV that morning showed Oxford Street, the busiest high street shopping area in the UK, empty with only 3 people queuing outside Debenhams to go in! With stores employing the extra staff to cope with the expected hordes of customers, Debenhams were probably not the only retailer surprised to have just 3 people waiting for them to open. Is this really a surprise? Perhaps not when you bear in mind that Amazon reported its biggest ever sales day while other retailers websites crashed due to extremely high online volumes. The internet has changed the face of high street shopping forever and will continue to adapt accordingly.

The same concept applies when looking for your next car. Recent research shows 50% of car buyers now visit just one dealership as part of their research, compared to just 10% of buyers 5 years ago.  People want to do their tyre kicking online rather than on the forecourt. An Autotrader survey stated that 63% of car buyers now see the internet as the most influential resource when making their decision, 6x more than the car dealer themselves! Why? Because it allows them to get an independent view – to compare models, to ask questions, to do plenty of research and to make sure they are getting the right deal for them, not what the dealer wants to sell them.

Once you’ve found your perfect car, the same principle applies to how you pay for it. If anything, the options here are even more complex, and certainly just as important. But you have gone to the trouble of researching the perfect car to meet your needs, researched the best deal for insurance and asked all the questions to make sure you are happy with your purchase, why would you accept the first finance price you’re given? Money’s the cheapest it’s ever been so you’d be surprised what deals are about.

At Credo, we have great relationships with more than 30 different lenders, which means we can take that stress out of finance and do that research for you, and can offer a truly independent view on which option is the best for you. We receive lots of quote requests online and have a FAQ page on our website so that consumers can understand the financial jargon involved.  We are here to take the stress out of finance, so before you embark on your journey to find your new car, remember to research your finance options too! It could save you a lot more than you realise!