Driving change together: why Carmoola’s dealership approach puts customers first

If you’ve been following Carmoola’s journey, you’ll know we’re on a mission to bring simplicity, speed and transparency to car finance - putting the power back into the hands of the customer. We’ve built a seamless, fully digital finance experience designed around how people actually buy cars today.

But while we’ve revolutionised the customer journey online, there’s a big part of that journey we haven’t been shouting about: dealerships.

That’s about to change.

As Carmoola’s new head of partnerships, I’ve joined the business to help bring our dealership strategy to life, and to do it in a way that creates even better outcomes for our customers. A true win-win-win. 

Let’s be clear: we’re not here to replace dealerships or compete against them. We’re here to help them raise the bar, because great dealerships provide great customer experiences.

A different kind of buyer, a better kind of journey 👷

Over 80% of our customers come to us before they’ve even found a car. They’re searching for clarity - how much can I borrow? What does it cost? What can I afford?

This is what we call the “finance-first” customer. They’ve already been approved for credit and they’re entering the market with a clear budget and high intent to buy. In many cases, they’re looking to make a purchase within days, not weeks.

That’s a game-changer for dealers.

Rather than selling finance as part of the car-buying journey, we’re flipping the model: the buyer already has finance in place. They just need the right vehicle and a smooth, trustworthy transaction.

For dealerships, that means less time spent explaining finance options and more time closing sales. It also means fewer lost deals, fewer surprises, and more informed, confident buyers walking through their doors.

Trust and transparency: what car buyers really want 🚘

We’ve all seen the headlines around car finance commissions and old-school behaviours. Investigations and claims have cast a long shadow over traditional finance practices, and have understandably left customers feeling cautious.

Carmoola is taking a different approach. We don’t pay variable commissions based on interest rate or loan size. We don’t reward upselling. And we certainly don’t bury fees in the small print.

Instead, we use technology to deliver fast, fair finance decisions with no hidden fees or commissions, which are fully transparent, and available instantly. 

When customers walk into a dealership with a Carmoola loan, they’ve already made an informed choice. They’ve chosen clarity over confusion, simplicity over complexity, and confidence over pressure.

For progressive dealers, that’s an opportunity.

Closing the loop between clicks and forecourts 🧑‍💻

One of the biggest things we’re working on right now is helping dealerships better understand the customer intent that’s already flowing through our platform.

Thousands of users run vehicle history checks in the Carmoola app every week. They’re actively browsing specific cars, often at specific dealerships – but many never follow through to buy.

We’re asking: why?

In some cases, customers simply lose momentum. In others, they don’t know who the dealer is, or don’t feel confident making the next step. Sometimes they get hit with unexpected fees for using third-party finance, and that puts them off entirely.

We want to fix that. 

By surfacing this customer intent data, and helping dealers proactively connect with buyers who are already interested in their stock, we can close that loop and create a more joined-up experience. The result? Happier customers, more sales for dealers, and better experience all round.

What’s in it for dealers? 🙌

We get it: dealerships need to make money. And for many, finance commissions have been a key revenue stream. So it’s natural to be cautious about new players, especially those offering external finance options.

But here’s the thing: our customers aren’t in the showroom asking about finance. They’re online, doing their research, and coming to dealers with a plan.

We’re delivering a new stream of high-intent, pre-approved buyers who are ready to go.

We don’t expect ingrained processes to change overnight either. Our partnership scheme is being designed to work with dealerships, not against them. It helps eliminate friction, reduce admin, and remove surprises for everyone involved.

We're also piloting new tools – including a reporting capability that will allow dealers to see which of their vehicles are being searched, along with features that will see the great reviews we receive passed directly to the dealership. It's early days, but the feedback from conversations so far has been hugely encouraging. It’s amazing to see that, given the great experience dealers have had with Carmoola customers, so many of them want to be working even more closely with us.

Backed to grow, built to partner 🦸

Our recent £300m ABS facility is more than just a funding headline. It’s fuel for growth, and a sign that Carmoola has big plans to scale its offering to even more UK car buyers.

We want to use that growth to support forward-thinking dealers. Whether that’s the smaller  independents with 20 cars on the forecourt or a group with 1,000s of vehicles in stock, our goal is the same, to ensure as many customers as possible have the best experience when buying their dream car. 

We’ll be selective about who we work with. We want partners who share our commitment to fairness, simplicity and putting the customer first, and we’re already engaging with dealerships of all shapes and sizes.

Let’s drive something better, together 🏎️

Every dealership is different, and our job is to listen, learn and adapt.

But our mission remains the same: to transform car finance for good, so that customers never get ripped off. And that mission includes working hand-in-hand with the people who provide the dream cars our customers are looking for. 

If you're curious about what working with Carmoola might look like, get in touch. This isn’t just about finance. It’s about creating a better journey - from app to forecourt - for every buyer.