Welcome to Webwatch, a regular series in which we rate places on the web to buy used trucks. This time round, asset finance provider Lombard goes under the microscope.
Company: Lombard
Address: www.lombard.co.uk/assetsforsale
Homepage
The 'assets for sale' section of www.lombard.co.uk makes up only a small element of the site, but it has its own homepage at www.lombard.co.uk/assetsforsale (pictured). If you accidentally stumble into another part of the Lombard site, look for the rather small 'assets for sale' link in the bottom left of any page - or just use the 'back' button in your browser.
The 'assets for sale' homepage itself is simple and uncluttered, with a list of categories showing the types of product for sale. On the right of the page is a selection of the latest additions - useful for frequent visitors.
Product search
To find what you are looking for, just click on the category that interests you - this will probably be 'haulage and trailers', but there is also plenty of 'construction' equipment in stock as well as a few items in the 'aviation' and 'agriculture' categories, for example. At the time of writing, there was (somewhat surprisingly) no 'plant and machinery' for sale.
Another way to search is to click the 'view all products' link, but we don't particularly recommend this as the amount of stock that is displayed can be a little overwhelming.
Once you are in your chosen category (as shown below), either browse through the pages of stock using the 'next' link or search by keyword by entering a term of your choice in the 'brand / model' box and clicking 'SEARCH'. Top tip: you can order your search results by name, year, location or type by clicking on the relevant category heading.
At the time of writing, the 'haulage and trailers' category was mostly populated by 6x2 tractor units dating back to 2003 with no one manufacturer predominating.
To view the details of a particular product, click on its name under the 'brand / model' category or on its thumbnail image - either way, the result is the same.
On the product detail page, you will find comprehensive information on your chosen item including full specification, dimensions, condition, number of previous owners, year of manufacture and price (both with and without VAT).
But seeing is believing - so click on one of the thumbnail images for a larger view. Up to half a dozen photos taken from different angles are displayed for each item. Click on the larger view of any photo to see an even bigger version in a separate window.
It is also on the product detail page that you will find the seller's contact information should you wish to express your interest.
Other pages
With Lombard being a major asset finance provider, it comes as no surprise that the rest of www.lombard.co.uk contains information on the types of finance it provides, and the assets it is willing to finance.
Of special interest is the 'quick quote calculator' (shown above) which is prominently displayed on the main homepage; type in how much you are looking to borrow and the site will estimate your repayments for hire-purchase finance over loan periods from two to five years.
We like
- Detailed product information
- Large number of product photos
- Simple site design
We're not sure
- Hard to find the 'assets for sale' section from the main site
- The variety of stock can be confusing
Conclusion
A treasure trove of ex-lease stock, with all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Web rating
Appearance: 7/10
Information: 10/10
Navigation: 7/10
Check out our other recent Webwatches, including:
If you would like your used truck site to be considered for a future Webwatch and appear on this blog as well as in Commercial Motor magazine, please email james.clark@rbi.co.uk