9:07 am, August 26, 2025
As the likes of Cazoo and Carzam have proved, selling used cars via a purely online model is a very hard thing to get right.
Both firms invested significant funds into the approach only to find out that being the Amazon of the used car market was a challenge too far.
And while those two outfits failed spectacularly to capture the imagination of the car buying public, Amazon themselves now think they could have it cracked.
That is because the e-commerce giant has signed a landmark deal with car hire heavyweight Hertz to sell certified used rental cars via its Amazon Autos marketplace.
The offering, only available in the US, will allow shoppers to browse through approved used cars online, similar to the model adopted by the failed online disruptors in the UK.
Buyers will then be able to arrange finance and purchase vehicles before picking them up from a nearby Hertz Car Sales lot.
The scheme is initially being rolled out at Hertz sites in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Seattle but plans are in place to expand it to 45 locations across America, should it prove successful.
The latest development comes after Amazon launched its Autos platform following a deal with Hyundai to sell new cars online.
Confirming the new Hertz partnership, Fan Jin, global head of Amazon Autos, said: ‘We are excited for Hertz Car Sales to join the hundreds of franchised dealers in our store, bringing thousands of additional vehicles for customers to choose from.
‘This collaboration allows us to offer an expanded selection of well-maintained vehicles from more dealerships across the country, while maintaining the simplicity that customers expect from Amazon.’
For Hertz, bosses say the partnership marks a ‘significant step’ in the company’s broader transformation strategy, which aims to create a ‘more seamless customer experience’.
Jeff Adams, executive vice president of Hertz Car Sales, added: ‘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.
‘Amazon Autos is the ideal partner to help us deliver on this as customers can shop our expansive inventory of high-quality used cars on the same trusted marketplace where millions shop every day.’
