[DB118D]

https://news.sky.com/story/former-te...ation-13140557

Administrators appointed now

Fleeced investors for a good while now, and the business model of buy high, sell low finally catches up with them

[isleaiw1]

I'm not sure buy high and sell cheap was their model at the outset... selling online to keep the retail costs down was the main thing. They invested lots to grow the brand - with sponsorship of far too many prestigious events for a start up... but it was founded by the chap who founded Zoopla so he has history of starting a disruptor and growing a brand.

I think the issue was that car supply dried up and stock got expensive - and unlike Cinch, which is owned by the people behind BCA, we buy any car and Marshalls Motor Group, they didnt have a ready access to a supply of vehicles through other routes...

I think therefore they were buying less well and getting less good stock - but paying over the odds for it. Know someone who bought through Cinch and was very happy, less positive comments about Cazoo...

So was it a bad model, or bad execution, or a bad time to do it?

[robbiep]

Their whole sales system was bizarre.

When I was looking to buy the Golf, they had a few in that I was interested in. But no way to physically see the car without buying it in advance

Basically, you pay for it today, they deliver the car to your local depot within 10-14 days, if you don't like it you can reject it and they would (in their exact words) 'start the refund process'.
When asked how long that took, they said it could be anything up to another 14 days.

I said I wasn't going to do that, but would be happy to pay a deposit of 10% of car price, and then pay balance on collection. Nope, not possible. Their delivery points were purely that, and had no facility to take payments

My will to deal with them died at that point, unsurprisingly

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by robbiep

Their whole sales system was bizarre.

When I was looking to buy the Golf, they had a few in that I was interested in. But no way to physically see the car without buying it in advance

Basically, you pay for it today, they deliver the car to your local depot within 10-14 days, if you don't like it you can reject it and they would (in their exact words) 'start the refund process'.
When asked how long that took, they said it could be anything up to another 14 days.

I said I wasn't going to do that, but would be happy to pay a deposit of 10% of car price, and then pay balance on collection. Nope, not possible. Their delivery points were purely that, and had no facility to take payments

My will to deal with them died at that point, unsurprisingly

I think we are perhaps the exception rather than the rule as a lot of youngsters I talk to prefer the idea of it being delivered and having the security of a "if not happy, send it back, 14 day money back guarantee" on something so complex, that they dont understand and just like they would with most other stuff...

And to be fair my last 4 cars have been bought at arms length over t'interweb, although only one was secondhand and technically I didnt sign and pay for that until I arrived (although I'd paid my cash element before I got there, which was well over 10%!)

[JustChris]

Cazoo no you can’t

[boba-fett]

Does this mean we can see less of that Rylan thing, or is that another car selling platform?

[DB118D]

Originally Posted by boba-fett

Does this mean we can see less of that Rylan thing, or is that another car selling platform?

That’s Cinch

[crAbb]

Originally Posted by boba-fett

Does this mean we can see less of that Rylan thing, or is that another car selling platform?

Is he the bloke who had his face ironed, his teeth painted gloss white and wears the worst syrup in showbiz?

[boba-fett]

Originally Posted by crAbb

Is he the bloke who had his face ironed, his teeth painted gloss white and wears the worst syrup in showbiz?

Dunno, but it looks like his mum had an affair with Mister Ed.

[bishbosh]

Originally Posted by crAbb

Is he the bloke who had his face ironed, his teeth painted gloss white and wears the worst syrup in showbiz?

Always looked like a talking mannequin

[boba-fett]

Originally Posted by bishbosh

Always looked like a talking mannequin

I've seen more life like mannequins

[Pond]

Originally Posted by crAbb

Is he the bloke who had his face ironed, his teeth painted gloss white and wears the worst syrup in showbiz?

Rylan doesn't wear a syrup (I don't think), but his barnet is dyed, so is his beard, so are his eyebrows. He is a Ginger by birth. And his name is Ross!

Fake teeth, fake name, fake portrayal.

Still he does seem to be popular.

I heard him say on the Radio something along the lines of "I don't demand much money, so I get loads of gigs. I know my time in the spotlight will be very short-lived, so I'm making hay while the sun shines". Can't fault the boy for that TBH.

[dopper99]

Cazoo have just sponsored the World Snooker Championship 2 weeks ago. Strange thing to do if you are just about to go into administration.

[robbiep]

Originally Posted by dopper99

Cazoo have just sponsored the World Snooker Championship 2 weeks ago. Strange thing to do if you are just about to go into administration.

That was a multi-year deal that started back when they were splurging money at any sport they could - their name is still on football shirts for some clubs, etc. They'd have sponsored a tiddlywinks pub league if they thought it's have enough publicity

Article (about the snooker, not the tiddlywinks) here :

https://www.motortrader.com/motor-tr...hip-09-05-2022

[Pond]

Seems as though the 'brains' behind Cazoo took a leaf out of Red Bull's book regarding sponsorship.
Difference is Red Bull do it as a tax dodge, cos they make so much money from selling fizzy water.

At the end of the day, you can spend as much money as you like on advertising but if the product you sell is shit, you are going to come unstuck. That's Cazoo IMO.

I once spent a full afternoon reading some customer reviews for Cazoo. My God it was terrifying how utterly shit they/ the cars they sold were.

[Wills2]

I know people do it, but I've always thought buying a used car over the internet is asking for trouble, the second biggest purchase most will make so you really owe it to yourself to go see the car before handing over the money. (even if cars aren't your thing)

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by Pond

Rylan doesn't wear a syrup (I don't think), but his barnet is dyed, so is his beard, so are his eyebrows. He is a Ginger by birth. And his name is Ross!

Fake teeth, fake name, fake portrayal.

Still he does seem to be popular.

I heard him say on the Radio something along the lines of "I don't demand much money, so I get loads of gigs. I know my time in the spotlight will be very short-lived, so I'm making hay while the sun shines". Can't fault the boy for that TBH.

No you can't, he's just a guy trying to make his way in life, I'll never understand why people attack others for the way they look.

Not many on the TV that don't have teeth that have had work on them (why would that be a bad thing) stage names are nothing new and most people have a work persona that is separate from who they really are.

[dopper99]

There aren't that many people where you put just their first name into Google and its the first thing that comes up.

He must be doing something right to be so popular.

[Wills2]

I wouldn't mind being a £1 behind him that's for sure.

[boba-fett]

Originally Posted by Wills2

No you can't, he's just a guy trying to make his way in life, I'll never understand why people attack others for the way they look.

Not many on the TV that don't have teeth that have had work on them (why would that be a bad thing) stage names are nothing new and most people have a work persona that is separate from who they really are.

I will explain why, and I have no problem with someone making a living.

However, he is everywhere and unavoidable, When he gets with another bloke I find it cringy with the silly sexual innuendos mostly homosexual. Its not funny. He has also paid good money to look that daft and that is certainly not, the usual teeth job is it! Now using your line, I can never understand why people can't just be happy with who they are and how they are, but in a world of selfies and fake faces and photoshopping I get why people feel the need to stand out.

Anyway, I could go on, but If you put yourself out there, you are going to get it and you should expect it. He makes money on how he looks and acts, and lets face it the timing is perfect, so good on him.

[Wills2]

I feel for the employees with hundreds made redundant, the job market isn't great at the moment.

[JR1664]

Hopefully staff had started looking elsewhere as the writing was on the wall many months ago.

Someone mentioned Cinch further up. Here's a cautionary tale. My lad bought an EV and the thing wouldn't charge plus it had other issues he raised. Fair play they collected it and refunded him pronto. A few weeks later on that particular cars forum someone raised the identical issues. It transpires it was the same vehicle, they had re sold it without addressing any of the problems, even the charging one.