No, they’re not.

As you will certainly know, we’re currently in the middle of a strict lockdown. This doesn’t just apply to the UK, but pretty much to all of Europe.

The lockdown only permits those stores to open which sell essential goods. They still need to be made Covid-secure and must operate under certain restrictions.

Which stores belong in the essential category?

• Food stores and supermarkets
• Stores facilitating transportation, such as petrol stations and car repair garages
• Financial services providers, post offices and money transfer companies
• Medical practises

The list goes on, but these are the most important ones. There is a degree of arbitrariness in the list. Certainly, some choices are easier to understand than others. Some don’t seem to make sense at all: Although bicycle shops and loan providers are allowed to open, car dealers are not.

That seems to be a weird restriction. But unfortunately, that’s just the way it is.

And so, for now, buying a car at the dealer is not an option.

That doesn’t mean you can’t buy with us, however.

We offer click & collect as well as home delivery. Both are extremely convenient and come at no additional cost for you. Home delivery in particular has proven very popular with our customers.

Other than that, car finance works pretty much the same it always has.

Car finance may look like a complicated business to some. And many banks have indeed turned it into an academic discipline, with fine print the length of novels and a plethora of attorney-level vocabulary.

But really, there’s nothing overly complex about it.

Car finance is all about the risk of a default: The higher it is, the more expensive the loan will be. The lower it is, the better the deal. This principle works exactly the same way during the pandemic as it did before.