Held on Jan 9 and 10, the two-day Carnival@Automobile Megamart event presented by Wheel Deal and The Straits Times Classified brought car sellers, prospective buyers and car dealers to one venue. One highlight was the Wheel Deal Live segment, which allowed readers to experience the thrill and convenience of showcasing their cars and get immediate quotes from a select group of car dealers.

Some 30 car owners pre-registered to take part in the Wheel Deal Live segment held from 11am to 3pm on Saturday.

Semi-retired businessman Stanley Sim, 60, got two offers for his nine-year-old Mazda 3 SP before he even had a chance to display it during the segment. Within an hour of arriving at 10.30am, Mr Sim sold his car to 99 Motors Trading — one of the car dealers on the Wheel Deal panel — for a price of $11,500.

“I was surprised to get an offer $2,600 above its estimated scrap value. It certainly helped me come to a swift decision to sell,” he said.

Mr Sim said: “The Wheel Deal service by SPH gave me the confidence that the car dealers on its network are reputable and reliable. It saved me the trouble of going from one dealer to another to make enquiries and gather quotes.”

Wheel Deal is a new service launched in November last year by SPH Marketing, which simplifies the car selling process for private car owners by mining the market for the best prices on their behalf. Users sign up for the service through phone or by going online.

The service gathers and shortlists the most attractive offers from well-established used car dealers. Car owners are able to get the highest quotes within one working day. The service has seen much success since its launch, with more than 100 vehicles successfully transacted.

Ms Florence Tan, a senior director of sales at SPH Print Classified Call Centre, said the Carnival@Automobile Megamart event attracted some 200 walk-in enquiries from car owners keen on selling their car. Those who did not make it on time to take part in the live segment signed up to use the service.

Mr Eddie Loo, managing director of CarTimes Automobile, said: “The Wheel Deal Live segment is a novel approach to car selling and buying. The Carnival@Automobile Megamart attracted a crowd of visitors who kept streaming in. In one weekend, we experienced the highest volume of visitors and customers in recent years.

“It is a rewarding experience for SPH advertisers like us as the platform is actively engaging both readers and advertisers through services and new events.”

For more information on advertising or partnership opportunities for Wheel Deal, call Florence Tan on 6319-6089 | tanyl@sph.com.sg or call Angeline Chong on 6319-6087 | chongch@sph.com.sg

Click here for event sponsorship opportunities in SPH Newspapers.