Like just about everyone else, we love July 4th celebrations and honoring the birth of our great nation. Hotdogs, fireworks, apple pie, what’s there not to love?

Over the years, we’ve seen lots of car dealers pull out all the stops for July 4th. Whether it’s cookouts at the lot, a sales promotion, or offering special finance terms, the holiday is a great opportunity to get creative and drive both traffic and sales.

Just don’t get “too” creative. Here are a few traps we’ve seen well-intentioned dealers fall into.

A lot of money is spent advertising July 4th promotions and that’s great, but just remember that the advertising rules don’t take a holiday. The rules about using trigger terms, clear and conspicuous ads, and accurate disclosures still apply. Remind your marketing folks of this as they publish ads and put up promotions on the lot.

It seems like common sense, but be sure any promotion has an end date listed. We’ve seen customers seek to take advantage of a July 4th promotion months later because it was still mentioned on the website and there was no expiration date. Always be sure to include this information because there are always folks looking for a deal.

For example, if you are using terms like “make no payments until September,” be sure to include that it’s this September.

A lot of dealers put out balloons or banners, do food giveaways, and anything else that’s eye-catching and will drive traffic. Before inviting everyone in the neighborhood over, be sure to do a lot-walk and make sure that there are no open and obvious hazards.

Whether it’s a pothole or broken curb, you owe a duty of care to your invitees to keep the premises in reasonably safe condition. Nothing takes the air out of a party faster than someone getting injured.

We wish everyone a great July 4th!

Steve Levine is an auto finance lawyer with over 30 years of experience protecting car dealers and finance companies. He is the owner and chief legal and compliance officer of Ignite Consulting Partners, which offers guidance on compliance, operations and best practices. In 2022 he published Winning the Fight: A Guide to Protect Car Dealers, and he recently published Counterpunch: Compliance Strategies for Car Dealers, both available on Amazon. Follow Steve on Twitter @LawyerLevine for compliance and industry related content. If you need any assistance or have any questions, send a message to info@ignitecp.com or call directly at (817) 928-4303.