No shortage of used cars
Commentary
by Dale Pollak
I've been in California for the last two days and having gone from coast to coast in the past four days.jpg?i=031109123647) I'm more convinced than ever that there's no shortage of used cars. Just to be clear, everybody is complaining about the lack of used cars. Although I've previously written about this subject, I feel compelled to restate my view. There are plenty of used cars, the problem is that you have to go out and get them, they're no longer arriving by the convenience of a customer trade in. The pain being experienced by dealers is not the shortage of metal, but rather the shortage of expertise and time to find it. The title of "Used Car Manager" does not necessarily qualify someone as a "buyer".
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What new union legislation could mean for dealers
AIADA issues call to action
The American International Automobile Dealers Association has rolled out a campaign to stop a bill expected to be introduced in the House and the Senate sometime this week. "This is brewing up to be one of the biggest battles we could see in the 111th Congress between organized labor and business – each fighting for their livelihood," AIADA says in a bulletin to members. "AIADA opposes the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), also known as Card Check, because it threatens dealers, manufacturers, and their workers. We encourage all of our dealer members to contact their representatives in the House and the Senate." Look inside if you want to send a message to your rep.
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Cars.com survey shows more shoppers switching to used-cars
Cars.com says a recent survey indicated that 32 percent of car shoppers who were thinking of buying a new car are now looking for a more affordable used car as a result of the economy. That's up 5 percent from last October, when 27 percent of in-market shoppers said they would switch from buying new to buying used.
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CentralDispatch: Majority in survey source inventory online
Auction activity
Online transportation company CentralDispatch Monday announced results of its inaugural auto dealer survey revealing that the majority of CentralDispatch dealer members use online auctions to source pre-owned inventory from around the nation, with only a small minority relying primarily on local auctions to source vehicles. Other survey results suggest that dealers may be using national online auctions due to the increased speed and reliability, and decreased cost of transporting vehicles with the help of online resources, including CentralDispatch.com, the company says.
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Triad names Carolina Auto Auction '08 auction of the year
Triad Financial has recognized Carolina Auto Auction in Williamston, S.C., as winner of the first-ever Trademark Quality Commitment Award, citing it as their highest-ranking auction for 2008. The award gets its name from Trademark by Triad, the company’s nationwide vehicle certification program.
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Kelley: Truck, SUV values rise as hybrids continue to tumble
Kelley Blue Book tracked continued value appreciation in most of the truck and SUV segments in February, Juan Flores, director of vehicle valuation, said in its used vehicle monthly market analysis. "It should be noted that full-size pickup trucks and SUVs improved by more than 17 percent and 9 percent, respectively." The upsurge within both the pickup truck and SUV segments was led by the Detroit 3 with increases between 7 and 18 percent, Flores added. Specifically, regular cab and extra cab trims were the strongest performers as seen in the Silverado 1500 and Ram 1500. The anlaysis covers 2005-2008 models.
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vAuto, citing company growth, bolsters staff in Austin, Chicago
Building on a successful 2008 and continued success in the first months of 2009, vAuto is looking to double its workforce in 2009 in order to keep pace with its rapid growth, the company said Monday. As a provider of Web-based inventory-management systems for the industry’s more than 70,000 franchised and independent used-car dealers, the company finished 2008 with a total of 1,600 dealership rooftops, up from 550 in 2007.
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CDMdata enhances VideoLot, links with UnityWorks! Media
CDMdata, Inc., a Kelley Blue Book company, today announces its enhanced VideoLot product through a relationship with UnityWorks! Media, a leader in Web video advertising and interactive marketing solutions for the retail automotive marketplace. VideoLot allows dealerships to create a multi-dimensional view of each car in its online inventory, building interest in a specific vehicle thus keeping shoppers on the dealer site longer.
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Ford: Modified UAW pact brings foreign parity
Ford Motor Co. says recent modifications to its contract with the United Auto Workers union help the company achieve parity with wages paid in the United States by overseas-based automakers, The Associated Press reports. UAW members approved the concessions in voting ending Monday. The changes freeze wages and cut certain benefits such as the jobs bank for laid-off workers. Ford is releasing details of the agreement, which also allows payments to a union-run trust for retiree benefits to be paid in stock.
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Panel discussion: ‘Fast Trackers,’ ‘Road Trippers,’ and ‘Value Buyers’: How to sell to every kind of pre-owned vehicle shopper
How you merchandise and talk about the pre-owned vehicles you want to sell – to every kind of pre-owned buyer – is the difference between thriving and just surviving in today’s market
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Get away from haggling and start ‘value closing’
Improve gross profit, closing rate and customer satisfaction by empowering your sales team to sell the real value of your pre-owned vehicles
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Speakers Announced for The 6th Digital Dealer Conference!
How to Endure, Survive and Even Thrive in Tumultuous Times is the theme of the 6th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition held at the Mirage Las Vegas April 19th-21st. The bulk of the speakers have been selected and are posted on the conference website, www.DigitalDealerConference.com. Take a look and see the offering of sessions and workshops available. You will surely find 20-30 sessions that could help you make more money and cut expenses the day you get back. Plus there's the exhibit hall full of vendors to let you see what's out there, and as always, the invaluable networking opportunities with your peers.
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