Cheap cables, discounted home goods, and now used cars? Rental car giant Hertz has just announced that it will be adding its used vehicles to Amazon Autos, putting its previously-enjoyed used cars, trucks, and SUVs up for grabs alongside products like, well, just about everything.
Amazon isn’t exactly new to the auto industry. Beyond every accessory imaginable, it also has a partnership with Hyundai that lets you order and pick up at a dealer. This, though, lets you do the whole thing online and gives you access to something from nearly every manufacturer.
Amazon Sells Everything Else, Why Not Used Cars?
Because it is one of the largest car rental companies, Hertz is also one of the largest used car dealers. Through Hertz Car Sales, it moves tens of thousands of vehicles every year as they retire from the rental fleet. It has more than 30,000 units listed right now, ranging from $10,000 subcompacts to $145,000 Mercedes-Benz G-Class 4x4s. Yes, some locations rent some rather glamorous vehicles, including the big G.
“Our goal is to reimagine the car-buying experience and meet customers where they are – whether online or in person – with convenience, confidence and scale.”
– Jeff Adams, executive vice president of Hertz Car Sales.
Hertz Car Sales will become Amazon’s first fleet dealer, and the first seller that will let you complete the sales process entirely online. Once it’s done, you can simply pick up the car at a Hertz Car Sales location. Presumably, Hertz won’t let you use their controversial AI scanners to see if there’s damage that the company didn’t disclose during the sale.
Hertz and Amazon will start the program in Dallas, Houston, LA, and Seattle. It plans to expand to Hertz’s 45 car sales locations around the US. This will significantly expand Amazon’s automotive offerings beyond the new and used Hyundai vehicles it offers through Hyundai dealers now.
Yes, They’re Rentals, But You Get A Buy-Back Guarantee
Yes, the fleet is ex-rentals, but Hertz says that its Certified vehicles go through a 115-point inspection. They’re also covered by a 12-month 12,000-mile powertrain warranty, roadside assistance, and a 7-day 250-mile buy-back guarantee.
Amazon Autos will offer financing options and supports e-signatures as well as scheduling pickups for minimal human interaction. No, you can’t get it delivered by one of the company’s signature blue delivery vans. Bummer.
As of this writing, there aren’t any Hertz vehicles loaded onto Amazon Marketplace yet. They should show up soon, though. Customers in the areas where the service is offered can search for Hertz vehicles on Amazon Autos. It will only show models that are offered within 75 miles of your delivery address, though. If you want to go further, you’d need to search Hertz’s own site and then change the zip code to an appropriate one on the Amazon site.
The service won’t include some of Hertz’s own interesting buying options. The most intriguing of those is the extended test-drive offer called Rent2Buy. That lets you rent the car for three days at a special rate, where you can have it checked by your mechanic or just make sure that it works for your family. If you buy the car at the end, the rental charges are waived.
