Peach Cars: Car Marketplace That is Allowing Kenyans to Buy, Sell Cars Fast

‍EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is part of our Money254 Partner Series produced in partnership with Peach Cars.

Many Kenyans are becoming more open to purchasing locally used cars, particularly with the rising cost of vehicles caused by inflation, the weakening shilling against the dollar, and the increased import duty on foreign used cars. 

Indeed, used cars provide a low-cost route to owning a car - which is turning out to be a basic need for most professionals, families, and business people. 

The lower cost of locally used cars also allows many Kenyans who desire to own cars but cannot afford the high costs of importing one, a chance to own a car too. 

But despite the availability of used cars on sale in the market, the experience of finding the right one has increasingly become akin to a dentist appointment - a necessary but painful experience.

Stories abound about the many horrific experiences that car buyers, and even sellers, in some cases, have faced in the used cars marketplace. Common challenges include scammers taking advantage of the existing peer-to-peer online marketplaces to prey on car sellers and car buyers. 

One of the most common challenges is the outright trickery from conmen posing as car sellers. They typically will entice potential buyers with significantly cheaper prices and once one expresses interest, they convincingly ask for deposits, fuel money, facilitation fees, etc. to enable you to view the car. They disappear immediately after they have been sent the money. 

In some extreme cases, advertisements for used cars have been used to lure victims into cases of outright robbery or kidnapping after the parties have met in not-so-public places. There are tens of online groups dedicated to the sale of second-hand cars in Kenya, and one of the most common posts from administrators are disclaimers, warning participants to keep off from certain vehicles or sellers who have been linked to these scams. 

Beyond the outright con games, there are more nuanced but still common challenges. For example, numerous cases of car buyers who drive home a car after a successful transaction, only to discover serious mechanical problems that were not declared during purchase. Some of the problems are hidden through extreme trickery such as covering dashboard error lights with serviettes to make them invisible. 

To prevent you from taking your time to inspect the vehicle properly, unscrupulous sellers and brokers will entice you with a discount or create a false sense of urgency pressuring you to make a quick decision among other tactics that often end up misleading inexperienced car buyers.  

Many innocent buyers have told tales of how they ended up painfully learning of a vehicle’s chequered mechanical history when applying for insurance cover - where a car valuation is mandatory. If you aren’t highly knowledgeable about vehicles, shopping for a used car can be an overwhelming experience. 

Now, if you are looking to buy a quality used vehicle, how much of a relief would it be to find a marketplace that provides professionally inspected vehicles whose sellers have been vetted and vehicle history established? 

In this article, we provide you with an in-depth review of Peach Cars, a Kenyan online used-car marketplace that does exactly this. 

It stands out as a used-car marketplace that provides buyers an opportunity to purchase locally-used vehicles whose owners are known, and their mechanical condition inspected and rated. Peach Cars also facilitates secure change of ownership, payments, and handovers eliminating the risk of losing your money. 

About Peach Cars

Peach Cars has been operating in the Kenyan market since 2020, helping connect car buyers and sellers with the intention of democratising the car market in Kenya. 

Beyond connecting buyers to sellers and vice versa, Peach Cars also helps its clients navigate thorough research, vehicle inspection, and managing the sales process. 

This includes getting a fair value for the car being bought or sold such that the buyer or seller can, in a verifiable manner, get value as opposed to ad hoc negotiations that characterise the peer-to-peer used car market. 

Peach Cars also has at your disposal staff with professional and technical understanding of vehicle maintenance and evaluation, as well as other aftersale services such as sale agreements, NTSA logbook transfers, and related services. 

Peach Cars generates its revenue by charging a fee when sellers and buyers successfully complete transactions.

Why Use Peach Cars

One of the biggest challenges in the process of buying a used car or selling a used vehicle in Kenya is the high probability of fraud. This ranges from not getting a fair price, to being duped into purchasing a faulty vehicle to outrightly losing your money or vehicle to online scammers. 

Peach Cars offers a seamless process. Vehicles are professionally inspected and valued ensuring you get fair value for your money or vehicle. 

The vehicle handover and payment process is securely facilitated eliminating the perils of informality. As well, Peach Cars gives you access to professionals with good knowledge of cars and the used-car market.

When compared to other alternatives where transactions are simply on a willing-buyer-willing-seller basis, Peach Cars stands out by providing a trustworthy option in the used car buying or selling process. 

255-Point Comprehensive Inspection

When you are buying a vehicle through Peach Cars, you don’t have to worry about whether you are buying a previously written-off vehicle, or one that the seller can’t wait to dispose of because of a history of mechanical problems.

For the vehicle you are interested in, Peach Cars will provide a detailed 255-point inspection that indicates the condition of the car's mechanical systems such as engine, suspension, transmission, and brakes. 

Peach Cars also will use the OBD diagnostics tool and conduct a battery multimeter check in order to provide you with a complete diagnostic report of the vehicle you are interested in before you make a decision.

Additionally, the inspection team at Peach Cars will also provide you with recommendations on immediate repairs the car may need and their estimated costs to enable you to make an informed decision on the car you have expressed interest in. 

Secured Payments 

Peach Cars protects the car seller by ensuring the sales process is done in a transparent manner. The company uses an escrow account where they hold the money until you are satisfied with the sales process. Once the process is completed, the money is released to the car seller. The secure payment process helps protect car buyers from the various widely reported cases of sellers being duped of their hard-earned cash by either paying for cars that are not in the state declared, or the cars being entirely non-existent. 

Post-Purchase Support 

Peach Cars eases the car purchase journey by offering a number of related services that go a long way in enhancing the car-buying experience. 

Through its trained staff, Peach Cars supports the car ownership process by helping in the drafting of sales agreements, creating a TIMS account, supporting navigating various NTSA services such as transfer of logbook, among others if a customer needs such assistance. 

Peach Cars further extends support with car maintenance and servicing post-purchase if needed. It also helps connect new car buyers with insurance cover providers for both third-party and comprehensive packages, and accessing car loans where necessary. The post-purchase support also includes car maintenance tips from the company’s experienced auto experts. 

Market Access/Sourcing

Peach Cars leverages its networks in the auto industry to connect buyers and sellers in a trusted and hassle-free environment. 

Beyond offering a wide variety of vehicle options on its website, Peach Cars offers potential buyers the opportunity to source the car of their choice from Peach Cars’ networks in the Kenyan auto industry. 

Sourcing eases the speed of getting the car that matches your needs and also involves getting market insights on the various options that would be available to you after you have indicated your desired car model, type, budget, or other preferences. 

So, if you are looking for a specific car and can’t find it, you can provide the details to Peach Cars, and through its network, they can find it for you.

Verification

Peach Cars’ verification processes also allow buyers to verify that the vehicle is in the same state that it was advertised including the genuine mileage status, the accident history or lack thereof, the ownership details, among other details that are critical in getting a hassle-free ownership journey. The verification process also offers the chance for a recourse in the event a problem arises during or after the sales process. 

Financing Options

Peach Cars leverages its networks in the auto industry to connect buyers to various financing options available in the Kenyan market. Indeed, some buyers may find a car that suits their needs but may be out of their initial budget. Getting a financing partner can be a deal saviour in some of these situations and eases the car acquisition process. 

How to Buy a Second-Hand Car Using Peach Cars:

To get started on buying a car on Peach Cars, you start by clicking on this link.

You will be able to view the available cars on the Peach Cars website. 

You can filter your search by the model, car body type, or price (budget) that you have in mind. 

Once you have identified a car or cars that match your interest, you then proceed to contact Peach Cars through 0715004488 for a physical verification. 

You can also make the request online by clicking on “Request Viewing” you will be redirected to a form where you will fill in your name, contacts, the car you would like to view, and where you first heard about Peach. 

How to Get Financing When Buying a Car Through Peach Cars:

To get started on buying a car on Peach Cars, you start by clicking on this link.

You will be redirected to a form where you will fill in your details including your name and contact information. 

Here, you will be prompted to fill in information on the vehicle you are considering including the make or model,  year of manufacture, and the budget you have in mind. 

You will also be prompted to indicate if you are considering getting financing and if yes, the amount of money you are able to raise as a deposit. 

Once completed, a Money254 agent will contact you to walk you through the available financing options. 

Wrapping Up 

The used car market is growing as more Kenyans seek a more affordable path to car ownership. However, the market can be challenging for the average car buyer who has little understanding of the market dynamics or a technical understanding of the state or value of a secondhand vehicle. 

These challenges are further compounded by the proliferation of dubious individuals using underhand tactics to market and sell their cars including mileage interference, hiding vehicle accident history, and outrightly bypassing the legal sales system, among others. 

Peach Cars is offering Kenyans an all-rounded sales service that not only matches genuine car owners with car sellers, but goes beyond to offer other related services such as vehicle inspection, sales agreement process, TIMS navigation, insights on the car’s lifecycle, and market value. 

These services are offered by professionals with years of experience in the Kenyan and international auto industry and are complimented by a customer-service-centric team that ultimately offers car buyers the convenience of a wide variety of choices, value for money, and the peace of mind of a hassle-free transaction.