'Free Driving, Free Return' program launched
Vehicle resale value reaches up to 95% of purchase price, depending on contract term
Han Sung Motors, an official Mercedes-Benz partner in Korea, said Wednesday it will introduce "Free Driving, Free Return," a vehicle buyback program that allows customers to resell their car for up to 95 percent of the purchase price after driving it for a set period.
The program lets customers experience a vehicle firsthand for a set period before deciding, based on their lifestyle and driving plans, whether to keep it or sell it back. Customers who purchase an eligible model and meet the program's conditions within the contract period can sell the vehicle to a partnered buyback company for up to 95 percent of their actual purchase price under a six-month contract, or up to 90 percent under a 12-month contract.
Selling the vehicle back is optional -- customers who wish to keep their car can simply continue driving it without selling. The program is designed to give customers the flexibility to try a vehicle for a period and then decide for themselves whether to keep it, offering a more flexible and differentiated premium customer experience.
Customers who use the guaranteed-value installment plan offered by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Korea also receive an additional "Free Driving" benefit, under which the company covers part of their monthly payments -- between 350,000 won and 450,000 won ($336), depending on the model -- for six months. Combining "Free Driving" with "Free Return" lowers the monthly payment burden in the early stages of vehicle ownership while still allowing customers to keep or sell the car after experiencing it for a set period.
The program covers the Mercedes-Benz E 200 AMG Line, E 200 Exclusive, E 300 4Matic AMG Line, GLC 300 4Matic AMG Line and GLC 300 4Matic Coupe AMG Line. Benefits vary depending on the model and purchase method. Under a six-month contract, the maximum contracted mileage is 6,000 kilometers beyond the mileage at delivery, while a 12-month contract allows up to 12,000 kilometers.
The final buyback amount is based on the customer's actual purchase price and may vary depending on the vehicle's condition and mileage, and the buyback may be restricted if the contract conditions are not met. Detailed vehicle appraisal, depreciation and buyback conditions can be checked on the Han Sung Motors website or through a sales consultant at its showrooms.
"Through 'Free Driving, Free Return,' we hope customers can experience the car they want with less financial burden and then choose whether to keep it according to their lifestyle afterward," said Marco Kim, chief executive of Han Sung Motors. "We will continue to offer differentiated benefits and services that customers can genuinely feel throughout the purchasing process."
Meanwhile, Han Sung Motors has been expanding its marketing efforts to broaden customer engagement, recently holding a pop-up exhibition of the New Mercedes-Maybach S-Class in collaboration with Banyan Tree Club and Spa Seoul, followed by the Manufaktur Made to Measure showcase, a luxury invitation-only event for top-tier premium customers at its Cheongdam showroom in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
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