People's Daily Online - Geely Automobile Holdings recently opened an online store for its Gleagle car series on Taobao Mall, Taobao's B2C platform for major brands. It is the first online car store in China.

Buyers will need to pay a deposit of 1,888 yuan online, and then visit a physical Gleagle showroom to test-drive the car before confirming their purchase. If not satisfied with the car, buyers can claim a refund within 24 hours of purchase. The Gleagle Panda car model will be offered exclusively on the online Gleagle store, said Nan Shengliang, manager of Geely's Gleagle brand marketing department.

The Gleagle brand marketing department started negotiations with Taobao to sell cars online in 2009 and finally reached an agreement to open an online Gleagle flagship store on Taobao Mall in late 2010. Geely and Taobao Mall have similar target markets.

Opening a car channel is a serious test to the mall's merchandise system and technological capabilities, not to mention the redeployment of staff. However, if it passes the test, Geely and Taobao will jointly bring a new era of online auto marketing to China.

The number of large, expensive or luxury items is steadily rising on Taobao's sites. Industry insiders said that customers pay a certain amount of deposit online and then head to a dealership to test drive and buy the car. It is no different from checking out furniture at furniture stores or examining jewelry at jewelry stores before making a purchase.

Under the existing purchase procedures, if a customer is unsatisfied with Gleagle Panda cars after paying a deposit of 1,888 yuan, the deposit can be refunded within 24 hours. If the customer finally decides to buy the Gleagle Panda car, they can pay the remaining amount to a dealer and also enjoy the same after-sales services as offline buyers, including license registration, insurance and after-sales maintenance.

In addition to aforementioned modes of payment, buyers can also pay the full price online and then directly conduct car delivery procedures at a dealership. Furthermore, buyers can also select to pay by installments. After their installment payment applications are approved, buyers need to pay a deposit online before making the down payment and handling car delivery procedures at a dealership.

Furthermore, car home delivery service will also be available. Geely will gradually introduce this type of service in major cities across the country according to the needs of buyers, helping consumers to fulfill their dreams of buying cars at home.

With the development of the e-commerce industry, more and more auto enterprises will launch online car sales stores. Geely's Gleagle fleet store at Taobao.com will likely be the first milestone guiding China's auto marketing sector into a new era.

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