2 Cheap Cars is the largest used car importer and sales company of New Zealand founded in 2011 .
History
The company was founded in June 2011. The Company started its first outlet in unit 11 Highbrook Drive, Auckland. By 2016, there have been nation-wide outlets of the company serving in more than 16 locations.
Achievements
In 2014, the company was ranked 2nd on the New Zealand fastest growing companies list.
In 2014, the company was marked as the Fastest Growing Retail or Consumer Business in the Auckland and upper North Island region in the Deloitte fast 50 list.
In 2014 the company was the first investor of Kiwi Regional Airlines, with a 23% stake. It helped launch of the new company by backing the investment of the launch project. This also resulted making Eugene WilliamsNon Executive Director of the airlines from 2015 to 2016.
The company was ranked second in Deloitte's Fast 50 Survey.
In 2015, 2 Cheap Cars started parallel importing of new cars from companies such as Honda, Toyota and Mazda. The new car showroom was opened in Greenlane, Auckland.
In 2019, 2 Cheap Cars hired a new CEO, international clothing brand Huffer founder Dan Buckley, in light of being found guilty by the commerce commission.
In May 2018 2 Cheap Cars announces the establishment of subsidiaries in Canada, and Japan.
On September 2019 in an interview CEO Dan Buckley announces the establishment of a rental car business and a vehicle finance company. On Feb 2020, Dan Buckley left 2 Cheap Cars.
Controversies
The company was in bad press in February 2016 because of alleged using Maori culture in an advertisement to promote its Waitangi Day sale. The company's brand manager Jared Donkin admitted its advert but also claimed that firm wasn't trying to cause controversy and questioned why it was wrong for a Pakeha girl to "join in with Maori culture". The news got some bad press when the same video was posted online on YouTube and Facebook.
The company also gained some bad press in July 2015 due to the alleged racism row between the employees and boss of the company that leads to the stop work in the company's Auckland's based outlet. The company however claimed that the car groomers were totally incorrect and were being misled and manipulated.
The company received "cease and desist" notice from the car giant Honda on May 2015 claiming that the advertisement of the Honda Jazz currently being marketed by 2 cheap cars will mislead the consumers. The legal action claimed that the company advertisements were misleading and could confuse the consumers which further result in the low sales of the new car manufacturers including Honda.
In July 2019, 2 Cheap Cars was fined $438,000 for its use of "warranty waiver" documents and for its "liquidation sale" and "84% off" advertising claims. 2 Cheap Cars had earlier pleaded guilty to 10 charges under the Fair Trading Act 1986, following a Commerce Commission investigation opened in November 2017. In a written sentencing decision, Auckland District Court JudgeRob Ronayne said the company made annual profits of more than $3m and the Court's response "should not amount to what might be considered a mere licensing fee or cost of doing business."
In March 2020, 2 Cheap Cars caused a public uproar over using images of the coronavirus in its advertising
