A pilot program established by General Motors to sell cars in California on the eBay online shopping site will be extended through the end of the month, with G.M. reporting a sales bump in its Western region since the campaign began in August.
Data shows that through Aug. 30, prospective buyers visited dealers’ virtual showroom sites more than a million times, and that nearly 4,000 potential deals were initiated online, on the phone and in person. No word on how many of those discussions actually resulted in sales, although G.M. said this week that it achieved a 41 percent sales increase in the West.
But the company’s overall sales dipped 20 percent in comparison to last August, despite the “cash-for-clunkers” program, which ran from July 27 to Aug. 24.
Researchers at the Web site Edmunds.com said the models generating the most interest were the discontinued Pontiac G8, followed by four Chevrolets: the Cobalt, HHR, Malibu and Colorado.
Edmunds.com is advising shoppers to hit the “Make an Offer” button on the site and to avoid the “Buy It Now” price, which the auto-research firm said was about 2 percent higher that the average market price, or about $500 for a $25,000 car.
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