Can I buy a car online and have it delivered?

Can I buy a car online and have it delivered? Well, of course. Whether it’s a new or used car, purchased via an app or through a website, it’s never been easier to buy online.

Where most motorists concerns arise is whether they’re being scammed: do you have the same consumer rights as you would if you bought from a garage or car dealership? Read our guide to find out more… 

How does buying a car online work?

Different sites and apps offer different processes for buying a car online, whether that’s picking your make and model, reserving online before going to a dealership to finalise the documents, or doing the whole thing online without ever seeing anyone.

For Hippo Motor Finance, our process is pretty straightforward:

Find your ideal car

Browse thousands of new and used vehicles on Hippo Motor Finance to find your ideal car for your budget. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Then give us a call and we’ll do our best to find it for you.

Get pre-approved

Speed up your application and get pre-approved for finance. Our pre-approval process doesn’t impact your credit score and lets you know what type of car finance agreement you’ll be accepted for.

Reserve your car online

If you’ve browsed, found your ideal car, and been pre-approved for finance you can simply reserve the car through the MYHIPPO account. 

Start driving

Once the car arrives at our prep centre, it will go through our 130 point approved used check to ensure everything is in good working order. With all checks complete, you can either pick up your new car from our Blackburn showroom or have your car delivered to any location in the UK.

For increased peace of mind, all cars also come with a complimentary six month warranty as well as a 14-day moneyback guarantee if you’re not satisfied with your choice.

Your rights when buying a car online

Believe it or not, but you’re actually better covered legally when buying online as there’s more protections in place. Whereas you’re covered by the Consumer Rights Act when buying in person, online consumer protection is further covered by the Consumer Contract Regulations which was introduced in 2013. This includes additional legislation such as mandating of a 14-day cooling off period to allow the buyer to choose whether the goods are what they wanted and expected. If it’s not to the consumer’s expectations they’re legally entitled to hand the goods back within that 14-day period

While that period may sound generous, the buyer of the car is liable for any damage to the vehicle and there is likely to be a cap on any mileage done within that 14-day period. It’s worth checking your contract for any details on restrictions within the cooling off period to ensure the car can be returned.

If buying used, you may benefit from further cover. Check out our guide ‘Legal rights: What to do if your car has a fault after you’ve bought it from a dealer’ for further info.

Pros and cons of buying a car online

How the Hippo Motor Finance Used Car Promise works

We want you to feel reassured, relaxed and confident when you’re leasing a used car, that’s why all our used approved cars are covered by our used car promise.

This includes a 130 point approved used check whereby our manufacturer-trained mechanics and technicians inspect all used cars before they leave our Preparation Centre. And if the car doesn’t pass, we don’t sell it. Simple.

We also include a six-month complimentary warranty as we understand the frustration of realising your car has a fault and this becomes even more frustrating when you’ve just bought it. That’s why we cover you for the first six months and will take care of various unwanted surprises in that period.

Finally we offer a no-squabble  14-day money-back guarantee if things aren’t what you expected when you receive the car. We’ll give you the opportunity to exchange or refund the vehicle.