Carlyle Finance, the UK’s fastest growing independent Motor Finance Provider, launch their new loan advice web-site, branded as carloanadviser for the consumer and known as Virtual Business Manager to the Motor Dealer.

The website, which Carlyle has devised and developed in the UK (the company is part of a South African group), will offer car loan advice to the car buying public by demonstrating the various ‘pro’s and con’s’ of the various methods of funding a new car. This is done via innovative video and quotation technology.

Carlyle is already preparing to trial the use of finance booths in showrooms so that car buyers can consult the website themselves, in the showroom.

In its approach to dealers, Carlyle Finance stress the potential of benefiting a dealer’s profits by increasing finance sales and improving their levels of customer service and brand.

A Carlyle Finance spokesman said: “The VBM provides a dealership with online access to expertise in motor finance and car loan advice to help its customers arrange the finance deal they need to acquire their car.

“The dealer will be in control of the rates and terms and the online business manager will work to the parameters agreed with the local Carlyle Finance Account Manager.”

He said customers could manage their own proposal process online, either in the showroom or in their home. They keyed in information about their chosen car and followed prompts to identify their own ideal finance package.

Karl Werner, VBM project leader at Carlyle Finance, said: “For many dealerships there is a real role for a business manager, but many showrooms simply cannot justify the investment.

“Many customers browse online whenever they wish to find a car, he said. “Now they can sort out their finance with a dealer while discovering their car.”

Werner said VBM puts the customer in control so they can discover new financing options for themselves. All the dealership has to do is direct their customers to their website link. “We believe the benefits are significant,” he said. ‘’Customers can gain a huge amount of advice about what car to buy from numerous sources. However, the key challenge for many is gaining loan advice so to pay for their new car’’ The carloanadviser website, or VBM as it’s known to the dealer, can illustrate the options to the customer any time and anywhere.’’