• by Karl Greenberg , February 9, 2016

General Motors and Kelley Blue Book are collaborating on a new Web site for Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC pre-owned vehicles, which in this case GM calls Factory Pre-Owned Collection.

"The fact we have over 1,000 locations to support our customers is a competitive advantage for us," says the company.

Kelley Blue Book says the site allows people to compare suggested prices to what other car buyers have recently paid using the channel’s Fair Market Range.

GM says it is not a move to do what third-party sales sites like TrueCar do, but to ease the fulfillment process by moving the invidious paperwork online, and out of the sales office, and making choosing a vehicle easier. 

KBB says the Fair Market Range is an estimate of what a consumer can reasonably expect to pay at any given week for a vehicle configured with like specification, mileage and/or condition, excluding tax, title and fees.

The firm cites the 2015 Autotrader Car Buyer of the Future study, which found that 72% of people surveyed would prefer to complete paperwork online. Seventy-two percent wanted to save time at the dealership, and 71% wanted less pressure while filling out paperwork.

The Autotrader study also found that consumers — big surprise — hate negotiating, otherwise known as haggling. Of those who favored moving the process online, more than half want to start the negotiation alone online, and 45% would like to remain anonymous until they lock in the deal structure.

Among younger buyers, 66% of those 18-24 and 40% of older Millennials said they would purchase or lease a vehicle, per KBB data.

“GM knows that many of our customers want to use the Internet to save time and simplify the process of buying a used vehicle," said Steve Hill, VP, U.S. Sales and Service at GM, in a statement. “As the used car market grows, our dealers are always looking for innovative ways to attract and retain digital-first customers.”