Clutch Brings To-Your-Door Test Drives and Transparency to the Used Car Market
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Nov. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A team of young entrepreneurs, with $1.5mm of venture capital backing has decided to launch their first Canadian mobile car dealership in Halifax.
Led by Co-Founders Stephen Seibel, Andrew Dolinski, and Chris Dolinski, Clutch (www.ClutchCanada.com) is revolutionizing the used car buying experience by finding the best used cars and allowing consumers to inspect, test drive and purchase them from the comfort of their own driveways or anywhere else in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).
"People get excited about buying their new home, but they tend to dread buying a used vehicle – that's what we're trying to change with Clutch. We're bringing trust, transparency, and above all, a fun and convenient way for people to buy their next car on their own turf," said Stephen, who is a former performance driving coach and longtime car enthusiast.
Clutch was founded on the idea that people should be able to escape the pressure and sales tactics used by many used car dealers. By getting off the lot, Clutch allows customers to browse more cars more accurately. Because Clutch doesn't have an expensive glass showroom or commissioned salespeople, they're able to offer their vehicles below dealership prices.
"Right now, it's tricky. A lot of consumers have lost trust in the experience and don't have time to run around to dealerships looking for their next car. At Clutch, we're leveraging the internet, beautiful photos, thorough mechanical inspection reports, and to your door test drives to offer the best inventory at lower prices. Our goal is to stock the best cars and deliver them to the people of Halifax with no tacky sales pitch," explained Chris Dolinski.
The team credits a lot of their early success to buyer education. Clutch was built by car enthusiasts, and becoming a car dealer provided them with an insider's perspective they openly share with customers. "We've learned a lot about the process, markups, warranties and heard some horror stories along the way," cautioned Seibel. The company is adamant they will win with a transparent, no obligation model that puts consumers in the driver's seat.
How it works – Clutch curates then purchases the best-used inventory from wholesale channels in Canada and captures ultra-high definition photographs at their headquarters. "The goal is no surprises, our inspections are thorough and we openly show every scratch and imperfection we find," said Seibel. Once listed on their website, anyone with a computer or smartphone can browse, book an at-home inspection or test-drive and even get financing on Clutch's proprietary buying platform.
Location is critical to their success – Clutch is located at 141B Joseph Zatzman Drive, Nova Scotia as the founders wanted a central location that allows them to quickly provide on-demand test drives servicing the HRM. Almost anyone in the Greater Halifax region can now browse inventory on the Clutch website and have a vehicle delivered to a familiar setting by a Clutch Car Enthusiast in under an hour. It's this convenience combined with transparency on which Clutch's backers are betting big, with over $1.5 million raised to date.
Platform demonstrations, facility visits and interviews available upon request. For more information, please contact Chris Rochon ([email protected]) or visit www.ClutchCanada.com.
About Clutch Canada:
Clutch Canada is an online (www.ClutchCanada.com) used car dealership that serves the Halifax Regional Municipality. Customers can use the Clutch website to browse inventory and book a test drive with a Clutch Car Enthusiast who will bring the car to a location of their choosing (home, work, etc.). All of Clutch's inventory is professionally photographed and comes with a 210-point mechanical inspection report. Clutch is part of the booming Halifax startup community and joins other job creators and incubators such as Volta Labs who most recently expanded into 60,000 square feet within the Maritime Centre.
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SOURCE Clutch Canada Inc.
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