Company Considers Building Car Vending Machine In Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The company that built a vending machine filled with cars in Nashville is considering building its second one in Pittsburgh.
Nestled against I-65 in Nashville, Tennessee, it's kind of hard to miss the glass-encased vending machine of cars.
"The vending machine was a way to get a lot of eyeballs, get a lot of attention so we could reduce our marketing cost and give customers an interesting experience that is fun and they would talk about," said Carvana CEO Ernie Garcia.
The CEO now says they are looking at Pittsburgh for another possible car filled gumball machine.
"I think Pittsburgh is a town that's getting a lot of press for being forward looking," say Garcia. "It's the new Silicon Valley of the east, and I think our product is great for everyone, but the earliest adopters tend to be people who are comfortable with other technology products."
The dispenser may get the attention, but Garcia says it's their method of selling high-quality used cars that is appealing to buyers. It's all done online and priced below Kelly Blue Book.
"On average, the price is about $1,500 less than KBB or a comparable dealership," Garcia says.
In addition to detailing and inspecting the cars, Carvana does an extensive photoshoot of each, so customers can see every part of the car, every accessory and every blemish is even pointed out.
"Customers buy a car in 25 minutes to 30 instead of four hours," Garcia says.
Sometimes with staff help, but often without.
The cars are kept in Atlanta, Dallas and Philadelphia, and can be delivered to your home. But if you want to get it out of the Nashville vending machine, you'll have to buy a ticket to Nashville.
"We will pay $200 of your ticket and we'll help you plan a road trip to get home," Garcia says.
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Here, in our area, Carvana is looking at locations for a vending machine in Cranberry, Robinson or Washington.
"We are looking for a location that is easy to get to. Customers are going to come to that location to pick up their cars and we want it next to a freeway where people can see and become aware of us," Garcia said.
Garcia says there's no timetable for a decision or construction.