German carmaker becomes first to sell direct via eBay UK

German carmaker becomes first to sell direct via eBay UK

BMW will start selling parts and accessories direct to owners for the first time, thanks to a new partnership with eBay, the online retail marketplace.

‘BMW Direct’, now live on eBay.co.uk, is designed to satisfy the growing demand from motor enthusiasts for purchasing original parts online.

Previously, BMW owners wanting to pick up genuine parts have had to place their order via one of the many dealerships. With its new store on eBay, as well as merchandise, BMW fans will be able to buy genuine BMW parts and accessories such as brake discs and car care products direct from the carmaker.

This is BMW’s first venture into e-commerce and will allow the carmaker to reach those customers not accustomed to visiting a BMW dealer regularly.

EBay said that BMW, the first carmaker to open a store on eBay UK, joins over 100 other well-known fashion and home brands already selling new and fixed price goods direct to their customers via eBay’s UK site. Motor parts and accessories is one of the most popular categories among eBay’s 96 million active users worldwide, it added.

Responding to customer preferences

All items sold through BMW Direct are offered from stock with free postage and packaging and are covered by a full-two year BMW warranty. BMW UK will handle the shop front of BMW Direct with the processing of orders being handled by BMW Park Lane in London.

Carl Sanderson, BMW UK general manager of aftersales development, said: “As a premium car manufacturer, we are always interested in understanding customer preferences when it comes to buying products. We recognise that there are customers who wish to buy BMW products but do not necessarily want to travel to a BMW dealer to make a purchase.

“As such we see eBay as the perfect solution for them. By embracing this modern retailing approach, we believe we can engage with and satisfy a number of additional customers through what is a new retail channel for BMW.”

Angus McCarey, UK retail director of eBay, added that there are over 600,000 searches for BMW every month on eBay. "BMW will now be able to access this existing, yet untapped customer base, while increasing its reach to the millions of other consumers who buy and sell on the site,” McCarey commented.