INDIANAPOLIS -

For Tony Long, it’s about building a consensus and offering all parties a chance for input.

That’s the vantage point he is taking as the new executive director of the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance, a position he was appointed to in early September.

Auto Remarketing caught up with Long at the recent National Auto Auction Association Convention and talked with him about goals for IARA as well as some of the pressing topics in the remarketing world today, like multi-platform selling.

“This organization of consignors tries to give everyone a seat at the table,” Long said of IARA, saying that it’s about working together “to create efficiencies and hopefully share ideas to do things better.”

That approach carries over to topics generating some heat in the remarketing business, like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s reach into the world of auctions, consignors and dealers.

The enhanced focus by the CFPB on auto lenders, in particular, is a topic that Craig Carrow, vice president of automotive solutions at Fiserv, talked to Auto Remarketing about this summer. He drilled down specifically into lenders’ vendor
management programs that the CFPB is monitoring.

Here’s the bottom line Carrow gave for any auto lender that outsources any type of function (in this case, the vehicle remarketing that lenders conduct via auctions): If the CFPB comes it to conduct an audit, it is going to examine — in addition to everything else it monitors — how you manage your outsourced third parties.
 
“And they’re really looking for, in many different ways, a lot of formal documentation, he said. “It starts literally from what the contract is that you have with your vendors.”

That’s just one of the many tentacles of CFPB regulation that could impact consignors, auctions and dealers alike.

From IARA’s perspective, Long says it comes down to helping create opportunities in the consignor’s arena that will not only help the auctions and other third parties, but also meet the government’s guidelines as well.

Another topic that’s surely on the minds of IARA members and their partners in the remarketing business is multi-platform selling.

While acknowledging this is still “in the discovery phase,” brining all the parties together to discuss the topic is a positive move, Long says.

“It’s just like any other process. It will be fine-tuned and perfected as the years go on,” he said. “Auctions, I’m sure, will have a big place at the table and other facilitators (will), as well.”

He later added:  “What it boils down to is that dealers — and the public, as well — utilize the technology they’re comfortable with. Naturally, consignors want to find top dollar for their vehicles. Perhaps there’s a way to do both, utilizing technology they’re (dealers and the public) already comfortable with.”

And, he added, there’s no doubt that technology can help elicit higher bids for consignors. And multi-platform selling doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be choice — in fact, it may mean greater options.

Moving on to some of Long’s internal goals for the IARA itself, he said one of his targets is to improve the alliance’s Internet presence. IARA already has a project in place to redevelop the usefulness of its website, he said.

Elsewhere, IARA has made some changes to smooth out its membership process.

“We’ll continue to look at way to develop our membership and provide more services to our members,” Long said.
 

Joe Overby can be reached at joverby@autoremarketing.com. Continue the conversation with Auto Remarketing on both LinkedIn and Twitter.