Are UK online car sales failing to wow women buyers?

"Women, for pity's sake don't drive" concludes Harry Enfield's public service announcement spoofing the bad old days of male chauvinism. Has anything changed? Every new survey about women car buyers in the UK suggests that they're still confronting old-fashioned attitudes on the forecourt and beyond.

For many UK consumers the internet is now their first choice for grocery shopping, DVDs or even a new TV. When it comes to buying cars, British motorists are happy to do their research online. But they still favour traditional dealerships over UK online car sales through sites like AutoeBid. Bridging that confidence gap is an even bigger issue for female car buyers.

In June 2011, research by Mintel revealed that 200,000 new and used cars were bought online in the UK during 2010. That sounds like a big number -- until you put it in the context of 8.1 million total car sales during the period.

The problem isn't down to a lack of options. The choice for UK online car sales ranges from car supermarkets, online brokers and eBay Motors to AutoeBid's award-winning reverse car auction process.

In 2008, a survey by the FOXY Lady Drivers Club of 332 of its members showed that respondents wanted access to more unbiased information from dealers before the hard sell kicked in. The Club's Director Steph Savill felt that female buyers were caught between the pitfalls of the local dealership and "online websites where the deal might look better but the service less personal, regardless of gender".

UK online car sales will continue to grow steadily as more buyers make the leap from web-based research to actually handing over their money. At AutoeBid we think websites should be part of the solution for female car buyers seeking a better deal. After all, women account for almost 50 per cent of the UK's driving population.

AutoeBid is committed to making this site attractive and user-friendly to male and female buyers of all ages. We'd particularly like to hear from women who've recently bought a car through this or any other online site:

• How did your experience compare with buying a car through your local dealer?
• Are there any changes you'd like to see to the AutoeBid site?
• Would you recommend us to your friends and family?

You can get in touch through this website or via our Twitter account or Facebook page.