Cars.com chief executive officer and president Alex Vetter explained why the company’s decision to acquire DealerRater goes way beyond just another sales tool within its service portfolio it can provide to dealerships. In a way, Vetter described the pending transaction first announced on Tuesday morning basically as a move to protect dealerships from losing their […] [Read More]

Cars.com announced on Tuesday morning that the company has entered into an agreement to acquire DealerRater, one of the industry's largest automotive consumer review websites. Officials indicated the transaction is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions, and is expected to close by the end of August. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. […] [Read More]

Visitors to manufacturer websites who use shopping tools such as a payment calculator or interior/exterior view tend to be more satisfied with their car-shopping experience, according to the summer edition of the J.D. Power 2016 Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study. The study, in its 17th year, measures the usefulness of automakers' websites during the new-vehicle shopping process […] [Read More]

FordDirect chief operating officer Valerie Fuller will be stepping down Sept. 1 to pursue other opportunities, the company said Friday. Chief executive officer Mike Jurecki announced the news in a press release, thanking Fuller for her leadership of the company, which included serving as interim CEO for the first half of this year and 11 years […] [Read More]

AutoAlert, a data-mining and trade-cycle management platform, has promoted of Kimberly Cowan to vice president of business operations from director of business development. In her new role, Cowan will oversee operational improvements, content and other strategic initiatives. Before joining AutoAlert in March 2015, she was at Cox Automotive for more than a decade supporting several divisions, […] [Read More]

CDK Global’s Customer Experience Center officially became operational on Wednesday, with more than 500 employees assuming roles ranging from client services to inside sales at the new facility. "Our new Customer Experience Center will incorporate best-in-class technology and service models to help our dealers navigate issues with speed and efficiency,” Bob Karp, president, North America […] [Read More]

Integrated Auction Solutions, which bought AWG Simulcast and AuctionMaster Technologies last month, announced its executive team on Tuesday. Greg Levi is the managing member, while Peter Levy will run day-to-day operations as vice president of sales and marketing. Marc Holstein is vice president of operations for Europe. Matt Addams is vice president of development for […] [Read More]

DealerRater recently announced that LotShot, previously a web-only photo review application, is now available as a feature in the DealerRater for Dealers app for iOS. Considered to be easier to use than ever before, LotShot can allow salespeople at DealerRater Certified Dealerships — which currently stands at more than 5,600 stores in the U.S. and […] [Read More]

NADAguides, a provider of pricing and shopping information for new and used vehicles, has welcomed Hana Shanaa as partner optimization manager. Shanaa brings almost two decades of digital marketing, e-commerce and integrated partner optimization experience. Her experience with and strategic approach to integrated digital campaigns will be used to enhance current product and service offerings […] [Read More]

MAXDigital announced a partnership with CarGurus that gives its MAX Ad users the ability to advertise their vehicle inventory on CarGurus for free. MAX Ad is a digital merchandising tool that enables dealers to build formatted, customer-friendly vehicle descriptions for both dealerships and third-party websites. “In our continuing effort to maximize our customers’ vehicle exposure, […] [Read More]