A direct comparison — and an honest one.
Thirteen dimensions that actually matter to a buyer — compared across CarBounty, the OEM showroom route, and lead-gen aggregators.
| What you care about | CarBounty | OEM Website/Showroom | Lead-Gen Aggregator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact privacy | Only revealed after selection | Passed to all dealers | Distributed to many |
| Number of dealers contacted | Max 3 per room | All in your city | Potentially dozens |
| Offer format | Written, private | Verbal, showroom | Verbal, via platform |
| Price transparency | Private — not published | Verbal quote | Often public |
| Identity of buyer before selection | Anonymous | Known immediately | Known to all |
| Verified buyer intent | ✓ Yes — fee paid | ✗ No filter | ✗ No filter |
| OEM policy compliance | ✓ Yes — no public price surface | ✓ Yes | Variable |
| Independent PDI | ✓ Yes — mandatory | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Written PDI report | ✓ Yes — before delivery | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Outcome-based fees | ✓ Yes — dealer fee tied to sale | Not applicable | ✗ No — per-lead basis |
| Finance options | SBI, HDFC, ICICI — 24h pre-approval | OEM partner banks | Variable |
| Delivery inspection | Written report | Dealer self-check only | None |
| Cold calls to buyer | Zero after contact privacy | Begins immediately | Typically 12+ per enquiry |
We are not trying to replace the authorised dealership. The dealer is integral to this transaction — they are the OEM representative, they hold the inventory, they process the GST invoice.
What we remove is the information asymmetry: the situation where the dealer knows more than the buyer, and where lead-gen platforms profit from multiplying that asymmetry.
CarBounty is not right for every buyer. If you want to walk into a showroom, spend an afternoon, and negotiate in person — that is a perfectly legitimate approach. We serve buyers who want to do their homework privately and make an informed decision.
We do not "promise to protect your contact". We build it so your contact cannot be accessed by dealers until you select one. Architecture, not policy.
We create competitive tension between dealers in a closed room — not a public price war that erodes OEM margins and violates network policy.
Our fee events are tied to real moments: a room entered, a contact revealed, a car sold. No subscription. No padding.
Walk through exactly how a Closed Virtual Offer Room works, from invitation to delivery.