F EATURE ARTI CLE
HOW TO EVALUATE USED EQUIPMENT ONLINE Some of you may be apprehensive about buying equipment during COVID-19 — and that’s understandable. The desire to avoid face-to-face contact, plus varying state travel restrictions, can make it tricky. It’s one reason why online purchases, which have been on the rise for years, have boomed in 2020. Pair that with contractors increasingly looking for more affordable options, and you can see the opportunity that’s there for online used equipment purchases. The automobile industry is already seeing an uptick. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, “used [car] sales actually exceed pre-pandemic levels by approximately 20%.” Used machine sales are likely to rise as well. Even before the pandemic took hold, more and more contractors were buying used equipment online, and in our fast-paced world, online equipment transactions will increasingly become the norm, with customer preference given to those who provide the most convenient and streamlined process.
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In fact, the recent outbreak of COVID-19 has completely changed how used equipment companies interact with customers. While buyers used to travel to inspect machines, travel restrictions and health concerns now make this less common. Companies can take advantage of this shift by adapting how they offer their products. At Volvo, they do this by offering Certified Used and Inspected Used machines. Both are advertised online with a guaranteed inspection report, eliminating the need for customers to travel onsite to continued on page 28 inspect machines.
