Your next used car purchase could be a former rental car that you find on Amazon.
Hertz Car Sales is now selling its pre-owned vehicles on Amazon Autos, the marketplace launched by the tech giant last year, allowing shoppers to browse inventory and purchase a car online before picking it up at a Hertz location.
Seattle is among the initial locations for such a transaction, along with Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles, Hertz announced this week.
Hertz becomes the first such fleet dealer on the platform, which expands Amazon’s inventory beyond its launch partnership with Hyundai dealerships. Hertz is offering pre-owned models from Nissan, Toyota, Chevrolet, Volvo and others.
A search of the Hertz offerings on Amazon on Thursday showed approximately 100 vehicles within 75 miles of my location in Seattle. A 2024 Volkswagen Jetta, for instance, with 14,900 miles, is priced at $18,000. Hertz says vehicles are offered at competitive prices, often below Kelley Blue Book suggested retail value.
Known primarily as a rental car company, Hertz sells thousands of vehicles each year through its dozens of used car dealerships across the U.S. and Canada. The company plans to expand the Amazon offering to 45 locations nationwide.
Hertz, which went bankrupt during the pandemic, called the move a significant step in its broader transformation strategy, “which includes forging innovative technology partnerships to provide a more seamless customer experience.”
Vehicle shopping and purchases within the Amazon store come with some of the familiar features that Amazon shoppers are used to, such as customer reviews, seller (dealership) reviews, add to cart, and Amazon’s familiar checkout process.
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