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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/jul/09/aa-start-selling-cars-website
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| AA to start selling used cars | AA to start selling used cars |
| (4 months later) | |
| More than a century after it was set up to champion the cause of the motorist, the AA has announced it is to start selling cars. | More than a century after it was set up to champion the cause of the motorist, the AA has announced it is to start selling cars. |
| The organisation has set up a website that puts would-be buyers in touch with recognised dealers and currently features 115,000 used cars for sale. | The organisation has set up a website that puts would-be buyers in touch with recognised dealers and currently features 115,000 used cars for sale. |
| The AA said it wanted to "clean up" car buying, and added that a car was the second-largest purchase many people make, after buying a house. Its move comes less than two months after the RAC launched a used car buying service. | The AA said it wanted to "clean up" car buying, and added that a car was the second-largest purchase many people make, after buying a house. Its move comes less than two months after the RAC launched a used car buying service. |
| The new service is called AA Cars, though the organisation said that strictly speaking it would not be doing any selling – it has set up a partnership with an existing online platform called VCARS, which has been rebranded. At launch more than 1,900 dealers were on the site. | The new service is called AA Cars, though the organisation said that strictly speaking it would not be doing any selling – it has set up a partnership with an existing online platform called VCARS, which has been rebranded. At launch more than 1,900 dealers were on the site. |
| A spokesman said the site "works rather like an online dating agency, matching cars to the needs and desires of the buyer and then introducing them to the vendor, with whom they complete the deal". | A spokesman said the site "works rather like an online dating agency, matching cars to the needs and desires of the buyer and then introducing them to the vendor, with whom they complete the deal". |
| He added that every buyer would be provided with a free AA Cars "history check", worth up to £20, which showed, for example, whether the car had outstanding finance, was registered stolen or had been written off by an insurer. The AA said this would provide buyers with peace of mind regarding the car's history. . | He added that every buyer would be provided with a free AA Cars "history check", worth up to £20, which showed, for example, whether the car had outstanding finance, was registered stolen or had been written off by an insurer. The AA said this would provide buyers with peace of mind regarding the car's history. . |
| The AA denied that this was a "'white label branding exercise", and said it had embarked on the venture "with a solid business plan that will see the car sales network develop and grow". | The AA denied that this was a "'white label branding exercise", and said it had embarked on the venture "with a solid business plan that will see the car sales network develop and grow". |
| This is not the AA's first foray into the sector – it explored the car sales market a decade ago – but it said this was its first "serious" move into this area. "This venture, unlike the previous attempt, is based on a solid and successful business that has rapidly grown and has a proven track record." | This is not the AA's first foray into the sector – it explored the car sales market a decade ago – but it said this was its first "serious" move into this area. "This venture, unlike the previous attempt, is based on a solid and successful business that has rapidly grown and has a proven track record." |
| The RAC used car service, RAC Cars, was launched in May 2013 and currently features 61,000 vehicles for sale. | The RAC used car service, RAC Cars, was launched in May 2013 and currently features 61,000 vehicles for sale. |