The South West’s leading car and van supermarket, Carbase, has extended its warranty, GAP and service plan deal with the RAC for a further four years to 2026.
The two companies have worked together since 2013, when Carbase became an RAC Approved Dealer, gradually adopting a wider range of branded products over time and adding the Vanbase light commercial vehicle supermarket in 2019.
Sean Kent, European director of automotive at Assurant, which partners with the RAC in the warranty and aftersales sector, explained that Carbase presented a strong case for the advantages of becoming an RAC Approved Dealer.
Kent said: “Carbase has excelled at promoting the benefits of purchasing from an RAC Approved Dealer to potential car and van buyers, successfully using the brand widely within their marketing as a differentiator from other retailers. We’re very pleased to be signing this new extension through to 2026 and are looking forward to working with the company over the next few years to continue to maximise the positive impact of the RAC and Assurant product range on their business.”
Steve Winter, Founder at Carbase, said: “Being an RAC Approved Dealer has played a key part in our expansion over recent years to our current six sites, so extending our current arrangement by four years was an easy decision. Having the endorsement of the RAC brand, along with our independent Judge Service recommendation score of 95%, marks us apart from other car and van dealers.
“Our proposition is based around giving our consumers a great car or van with great service, great value and a great support package, and the presence of the RAC name underlines the benefits of that approach.
“Especially, being an RAC Approved Dealer helps give the business a much larger geographical footprint. We have spent a lot of time and resources developing a sophisticated online presence which provides us with a much-increased customer reach well beyond the South West.
“If you look at the decision-making process of a customer who is deciding whether to drive a hundred miles to come to us for a car that they have seen online, knowing little about Carbase, it is the presence of the RAC brand that is often the deciding factor. They believe, quite correctly, that the RAC would not put its name to a dealer that did not meet the very highest standards, so they already have a high degree of confidence when they come to us.”
The RAC Approved Dealer programme uses detailed vehicle preparation criteria created for the RAC, including a minimum three-month RAC warranty, 12 months of breakdown cover, a vehicle data check and enrolment to RAC Accident Care.