NEW YORK -

Dealership compliance auditing firm Total Dealer Compliance on Wednesday launched what it’s calling a Certification Badge in an effort to give customers piece of mind that they will not fall victim to deceptive trade practices or subjected to aggressive sales tactics.

By certifying dealerships, the firm said consumers will know that a certified store will have undergone a rigorous TDC audit that covers all departments.

Following an onsite audit of each dealership, TDC will review all findings and provide a detailed action plan. This action plan, as well as the code of ethics, will be implemented within each department and will be tested each quarter by follow up audits.

This certification will be awarded by TDC once all modules are complete and tests are passed. TDC president Max Zanan explained this independent auto certificate means that customers will no longer rely on an individual’s word. TDC will control the entire certificate issuance, management and revocation process.

“With car sales moving to online, there is an urgent demand for car dealers to regain the customer’s trust by becoming more transparent and fully compliant with federal regulations,” Zanan said.

“This certification ensures that the dealership adopted a code of ethics and adheres to the federal advertising guidelines, reinforcing a dealers' personal commitment to quality service and high ethical standards,” he continued.

 To be awarded a certification badge, dealerships will need to ensure the following:

• A robust policy to safeguard customers’ non-public information through means of physical and electronical security

• Written policies and procedures that instill a culture of compliance

• Respects customers' privacy and does not resell the information to third parties.

• Robust identity theft prevention program

• Adopted and adheres to a code of ethics

• Does not engage in deceptive trade practices

• Adheres to advertising guidelines

• Does not practice aggressive sales tactics

• Conducts regular compliance training for all employees

“As the nation’s leader in auto dealer compliance solutions and services, we are so proud to finally be able to provide such confidence to customers when they are looking to make such an investment,” Zanan said.

“Auto dealerships should proactively seek this certification, while customers should be looking for that badge on the dealers' website,” he went on to say.