Doncaster branch of car dealer Cazoo 'closed down,' according to customers

It is not clear when the branch in Wheatley Hall Road shut, but online notifications say the business is ‘permanently closed’ and telephone numbers for the business in Doncaster are not being answered.

A number of customers have contacted the Free Press regarding the closure with one saying: “No idea when it closed, but we’ve just been up there to look for a car and it was empty.”

Earlier this year, leaked correspondence said the firm was consulting staff on the closure of a large number of its premises across the country in a move affecting hundreds of staff.

Up to 15 of Cazoo’s customer hand over centres were scheduled to close if proposals went ahead, said Car Dealer Magazine.

The publication also said the number of Cazoo preparation centres could also be reduced to three.

The online car retailer confirmed to the BBC back in January that a consultation had been launched at its Long Bennington car preparation site in Lincolnshire, which employs more than 300 people.

However, the company did not announce which other sites would be affected.

Earlier this year, a Cazoo spokesperson said: "We are currently in consultation with our employees over a number of site closures in the coming months.

"The specific sites and number of employees affected will be determined at the end of this process."

The move came as the company cut its sales forecasts for 2023 from about 65,000 used cars sold in 2022 to just 40,000 this year.

Cazoo founder and chief executive Alex Chesterman said despite having sold more than 100,000 cars since launching, they were "extremely mindful of the current economic environment".

The firm has more than 20 customer service centres and last year, it confirmed the closure of two of its 10 vehicle preparation sites in the UK.

Founded in 2018, the firm saw a rapid rise, sponsoring Aston Villa, the Welsh Rugby Union, a number of annual horse races in Epsom and Doncaster, cricket tournament The Hundred and various events managed by the World Snooker Tour, the PGA European Tour and the Professional Darts Corporation.

We have contacted Cazoo for comment.