In Japan, they say you can buy just about anything from a vending machine. Now I haven't had a chance to visit myself, but it does seem more or less true. There were some...interesting results in my google search when I looked into it.
You're probably wondering why I even brought up vending machines. Well, I saw today that a company called Carvana opened up a second (yes, you read that right), a second car vending machine in Houston this week. When did this become a thing? I can't remember reading about the first one opening up down in Nashville and I certainly don't remember their catchy Superbowl ad or their hashtag #thatdidntsuck. Though, #thatdidntsuck does kind of ring some bells now that I think about it.
Since I hadn't heard of them, I spent a bit of time today looking into what the company is. Of course it's a portmanteau of 'car' and 'nirvana', but what kind of company are they that they have vehicle vending machines?
Turns out they are an online car seller. They do show the guy in the commercial buying a car in his kimono. And to top it all off I only saw good things about them. They have 9 'home' locations that if you live within 100 miles of them you can get free delivery, directly to your house. I mean, seriously what could be easier? I just realized this is starting to sound a little bit like a sales pitch. Sorry about that. I'm just amazed by the car vending machines.
And the vending machines? They are actually really innovative and the buildings themselves are made of glass so you can see the vehicles inside, just like the ones you'd find at your grocery store. It looks like the center is hollow and that's how the cars get taken out of the building. It's a slick system actually and it looks amazing. There are some Youtube videos out there by people who bought their cars with them so you can see it in action.
I have to say my favorite part of the whole thing is they send you a large coin to use at the location to get your car. It's a proper vending machine experience, though you don't get to turn a crank or anything. So minus a few points for that.
It's definitely an innovative way to buy a car, and they've got me interested. I'll have to look into some accessories for the next time I buy a new car. What do you think about this? Is it the way of the future, buying your car online and not at a dealership?
