FEARS that brokers would find customer car deliveries in Scotland in a logjam – similar to the state of affairs in March when lockdown 1.0 was introduced – have been been played down.
Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, announced a ban on all non-essential click-and-collect deliveries from 16 January, 2021.
It created an immediate issue for car dealers in Scotland who believed they might have to stop the handover of new vehicles.
However, the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) and the Scottish Motor Trade Association (SMTA), have reached agreement with the Scottish Government that outdoor vehicle lots will be able to remain open in order to allow “collection of a purchased vehicle or for delivery or collection of a vehicle for repair, service or MOT”.
Following continuous discussions with our franchised dealer members in Scotland and the relevant government departments, it is positive that the Scottish Government has confirmed with the NFDA that ‘click & collect’ and delivery services of vehicles bought online can continue.
Franchised dealers have demonstrated ‘click & collect’ and deliveries can be performed in a COVID-secure way protecting the health of colleagues and customers.
This will allow our members to continue to offer a safe option to all those that need to buy a car during these challenging times.
Sue Robinson, National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), chief executive
Automotive and fleet writer for Broker News
