SPH launches Singapore's first car-selling concierge service

WHEEL Deal, a "first-of-its-kind" car-selling concierge service in Singapore, was unveiled by Singapore Press Holdings' (SPH) Marketing Division on Thursday.

Car owners - including companies and government agencies - who wish to sell their cars can now simply call or send an SMS to Wheel Deal's hotline to provide their personal and vehicle details. A service representative will then collate a range of quotes from authorised car dealers to present to the seller the same day, and can even arrange for him to meet the car dealer and close the deal.

"Wheel Deal aims to provide convenience, trust and transparency in the car trade," said Tan Ooi Boon, SPH's deputy head of marketing.

He told BT: "We found that not every car owner is familiar with the used car market. Most of them trade in their cars when they buy a new one, and usually only deal with one dealer. Wheel Deal seeks to provide greater choice by offering the seller bids from a range of dealers to get them the best deal."

At least six authorised dealers, including 99 Motors Trading and CarTimes Automobile, have come on board the Wheel Deal network. That these dealers are existing, long-time advertising clients of SPH makes them credible partners, said Mr Tan.

Asked if Wheel Deal has plans for a mobile app, he said the team has not ruled this out but Wheel Deal's concierge service offers the "human touch" that online platforms may not be able to provide.

Since Wheel Deal's soft launch in October, about S$540,000 worth of 20 used cars have been sold.