The RAC Dealer Network is looking for 170 used car retailers to join it this year.

Having recruited 358 dealers in 2019, the organisation expects to have a total of 1,570 sites by the end of the year.

Research compiled by the RAC shows that used car buyers feel more comfortable with a warranty from a well-known motoring brand.

“Any dealer who is able to incorporate the RAC brand into their proposition has a high degree of differentiation compared to their competition,” said Sean Kent, RAC director of sales at Assurant, the Fortune 500 company that partners with the RAC in the warranty and aftersales sector.

Recent moves such as extending the RAC’s range of warranties and introducing a direct debit agreement for customers had been “very much welcomed” by dealers and played “a key part” in the latest phase of expansion for the business.

Kent added: “Dealers look to their warranty providers to achieve a range of objectives – to enhance customer confidence, to provide opportunities for upgrading, and to aid profitability and retention. However, they know they can only do this through meeting customer needs.

“What we have done over the last couple of years is to put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have warranty products that meet a wide range of customer scenarios and, through the direct debit option, to make them as affordable as possible. Customers have responded positively to these enhancements.

“Additionally – and something that differentiates us from some of the best-known companies in the warranty market – we do not charge an excess for making a claim. This can be a bugbear for customers and can cause tension in their relationship with the dealer.”