PCFG 'encouraged' by Carfree response

Finance specialist Private & Commercial Finance Group has reported an “encouraging level of interest” from dealers and the public to Carfree, its no-cost used car advertising website launched last month.

Dealers register to offer their stock free of charge, with no restrictions on vehicle type - the website includes classic cars and older volume makes.

Chief executive Tony Nelson “conservatively” estimates that 15% of cars, or 1m units, would be sold over the internet by 2005. He expects Carfree to attract “the lion's share” of the market, “because it is free and easy to use”.

London-based PCFG believes Carfree.co.uk will be “particularly attractive to smaller dealers without their own website”, though Mr Nelson claimed all dealers would benefit from a free advertising source.

Carfree.co.uk will eventually include inspectors, insurance - PCFG is in talks - and provenance checks.