Five industry organizations — including the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association — welcomed the recent reintroduction of the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act in the U.S. House.
According to NIADA, the REPAIR Act (H.R. 906) would ensure consumers have access to data relating to their vehicles, critical repair information, tools and provide them choices for the maintenance, service and repair of their vehicles.
“With 70 percent of auto repairs made at independent auto shops, not having access to critical data needed to make repairs puts independent auto dealers at a competitive disadvantage,” NIADA interim CEO Melanie Wilson said.
“The REPAIR Act is critical to ensuring that there is an even playing field between large dealerships and independent dealerships and consumers can chose where they can have their car, truck or SUV repaired. NIADA looks forward to working with Congress to moving this legislation forward,” Wilson continued.
Joining in the urge for Congressional action were the MEMA Aftermarket, Auto Care Association, CAR (Consumer Access to Repair) Coalition and Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).
In another news release, those organization highlighted the REPAIR Act will accomplish numerous objectives, including:
—Preserving consumer access to high quality and affordable vehicle repair by ensuring that vehicle owners and their repairers of choice have access to necessary repair and maintenance tools and data as vehicles continue to become more advanced.
—Ensuring access to critical repair tools and information. All tools and equipment; wireless transmission of repair and diagnostic data; and access to on-board diagnostic and telematic systems needed to repair a vehicle must be made available to the independent repair industry.
—Ensuring cybersecurity by allowing vehicle manufacturers to secure vehicle-generated data and requiring the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to develop standards for how vehicle generated data necessary for repair can be accessed securely.
—Providing transparency for consumers by requiring vehicle owners be informed that they can choose where and how to get their vehicle repaired.
—Creating a stakeholder advisory committee and providing them with the statutory authority to provide recommendations to the FTC on how to address emerging barriers to vehicle repair and maintenance.
—Providing ongoing enforcement by establishing a process for consumers and independent repair facilities to file complaints with the FTC regarding alleged violations of the requirements in the bill and a requirement that the FTC act within five months of a claim.
As vehicle technology continues to advance, the organizations said new barriers to a competitive auto repair market are emerging.
“These barriers limit consumer choice in where to repair their motor vehicles and increase the cost to repair and maintain vehicles. The REPAIR Act will reduce these barriers, putting consumers’ interests first,” they said.
The proposal is being pushed by a biapartisan group of lawmakers, including Republicans Rep. Neal Dunn of Florida and Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio along with Democrats Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington state.
“When it comes to repairing their automobiles, consumers deserve options,” Dunn said in the news release. “The REPAIR Act would give owners, including the rural communities in my district, secure access to critical data so the service center of their choosing can replace parts and repair their vehicles. I am proud to support competition in the vehicle repair industry and this important legislation.”
Boyle added, “There are hundreds of neighborhood mechanics in Philadelphia. The last thing those small business owners need is to be boxed out of making a living. This legislation would not only protect the business relationships between automobile owners and their mechanics, but it also ensures consumers continue to have more options on where to go for repairs.”
Davidson noted, “By prohibiting vehicle owners from accessing and sharing data they generate, manufacturers stop consumers from accessing third-party repair shops. American vehicle owners have a right to control their data, and a right to access third-party repair shops, tools and parts.”
And Gluesenkamp Perez went on to say, “Working families in rural America can’t afford to take a day off to drive their car to the dealership for a costly repair. The REPAIR Act is a bipartisan solution to improve vehicle data access laws to give working families more choices for repair when their car breaks down. I appreciate Representatives Dunn, Boyle, and Davidson for their leadership on this issue, and look forward to working in a bipartisan fashion to improve repair laws for families who work for a living.”
Dealers and repair shops can urge legislators in their district to also co-sponsor the bill by visiting repairact.com.
Dare Saul wanted to raise money for the NIADA Foundation.
And the Arkansas operator wanted a highline model he could immediately list online, too.
Saul accomplished both goals last week during the final day of the NIADA Convention at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Saul, owner of D3 Auto Sales in Des Arc, Ark., made good on his goal by bidding $33,500 to outlast his friend, Colorado dealer Tim Gaylord, and claim a sparkling white 2018 BMW 330i SPT with just 22,000 miles on the odometer in an auction held Thursday.
“I was going to buy this car,” he said in a news release from NIADA. “One hundred percent.”
The vehicle was donated by Manheim, which held the auction at the NIADA Dealers Lounge in the Convention’s Expo Hall. All proceeds of the sale go directly to the NIADA Foundation, which coordinates the association’s commitment to charitable giving and education.
In addition to making numerous donations to charities nationwide and providing matching funds for local charitable projects, the foundation has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to assist members of the automotive community affected by hurricanes and other disasters, and has established endowments that fund university scholarships for students pursuing careers in the automotive industry.
The BMW is certified by the NIADA Certified Pre-Owned program, having undergone a 200-point digital inspection from Carketa, and comes with a three-month/3,000-mile limited warranty backed by ProGuard Warranty, an NIADA Certified administrator.
Saul will receive complimentary transportation of the vehicle by NIADA Certified 360 partner ACERTUS.
Later that evening, Saul was honored as Arkansas’ State Quality Dealer and a finalist for the National Quality Dealer award, NIADA’s highest dealer honor. Two years ago, Saul also was among Auto Remarketing’s annual Remarketing & Used-Car Industry’s 40 Under 40
The winning bid was the highest ever in the benefit auction’s 10-year history. But Saul said he was ready to go even higher.
“I was going to go $40,000,” he said. “Then I was going to let Tim pay 41 for it. But $33,500? I do worse than that at the auction!”
Saul said he was determined to win after his first experience with the NIADA Foundation auction in 2019, when he let a 2016 Acura TLX slip away.
“One of my buddies had bid it up but I was too shy to put my hand in the air – it was my first time at the convention,” he recalled. “I was like, well, if they do that again…
“I had already looked at this car yesterday. I was throwing my ears back and I was going to buy it.”
Saul said his prize won’t be his for long.
“It’s going on the lot, baby. It’s for retail right now,” he said with a smile. “We went live on Facebook with it. It’s a good advertising tool and, of course, Manheim is donating the money and it goes to a good cause. Everybody wins.”
Over the past 10 years, benefit auctions at the NIADA Convention and Expo have raised a total of $252,000 for the NIADA Foundation.
A dozen operators are in the running for the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association’s highest honor for its member dealers.
On Monday, NIADA announced the finalists for the 2022 National Quality Dealer Award. The 12 finalists have all been selected as their state’s Quality Dealer by an NIADA-affiliated state independent dealers association. They are:
—Alabama: Todd Oden, MTO Motor Leasing Inc.
—Arkansas: Dare Saul, D3 Auto Sales
—Carolinas: Kelly Midgett, Kelly’s Automotive
—Colorado: Tim Gaylord, Gaylord Sales & Leasing
—Georgia: Jeffrey Wilkinson, Wilkinson Used Cars, LLC
—Maryland: James Makia, Exclusive Motorcars LLC
—New Jersey: Michael Graubart, Michael’s Motorcars Inc. and Car Cash of New Jersey LLC
—New York: Joel Osserman, Select EuroCars Inc.
—Ohio: Shawn Evans, The Carriage Company
—Pennsylvania: Robert Straub, 1st Choice Auto LLC
—Texas: Tommy Gregory, Abilene Used Car Sales
—Virginia: Andrew Wiley, Consumer Auto Warehouse, Inc.
One of those finalists will be named National Quality Dealer of the Year on June 23 in a ceremony that serves as the climactic event of the NIADA Convention and Expo, coming up at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“The experience of representing yourself and your state at the National Quality Dealer Awards during the convention leading up the big night is one you will never forget,” 2011 National Quality Dealer and NIADA president-elect Scott Allen said in a news release.
“Congratulations to each of the nominees this year for their great accomplishment. I wish you all the very best of luck and look forward to meeting you and hearing your stories,” Allen continued.
NIADA president Joe McCloskey, the 2013 National Quality Dealer, said the 2022 finalists “are now nationally recognized as a Quality Dealer and are embarking on the journey of a lifetime.”
The association recapped the National Quality Dealer Award was created in 1976 to recognize the remarkable accomplishments of NIADA’s independent dealers.
NIADA said nominees are judged by a distinguished panel of judges using a rigorous scoring metric that considers contributions to the automotive industry and the association, outstanding business operations and community involvement and service.
Nominations are supported by the dealer’s reputation in the community, repeat business, customer service, ethical business practices and corporate/employee relationships.
This year’s judges include:
—Elgie Bright, chairman of Northwood University’s Department of Automotive Marketing and Management
—Harry Dombroski, dean of the University of Texas at Arlington’s College of Business
—2019 National Quality Dealer Otto Hahne of City of Cars in Troy, Mich.
—Auto retail expert and acclaimed dealer educator Joe Lescota
—Ken Shilson, president of Subprime Analytics and noted buy-here, pay-here expert
—Mike Temple, founder of Temple Executive Coaching.
NIADA chief executive officer Robert Voltmann said the National Quality Dealer award represents everything it means to be a dealer who is committed to quality, excellence and outstanding service, and who makes it a priority to give back to his or her community to make it a better place for everyone.
“The National Quality Dealer of the Year finalists represent the best of their state’s independent automobile dealers and the best of the national industry,” Voltmann said. “Each is an exemplary example of the quality NIADA dealers bring to their customers, communities, businesses and the industry.”
Tim Brackenbury serves as operations director for Texas Auto, an independent dealership with a pair of locations north and south of Houston.
In a news release from 700 Credit and eLEND Solutions, Brackenbury described the successes of using ID Drive, an advanced data capture and driver license authentication solution.
“With a single scan of a customer’s driver license, ID Drive automatically authenticates the driver license for fraud protection, pulls pre-screen credit and pushes the lead information into our CRM instantly,” Brackenbury said.
“Identifying our customers’ buying power before the vehicle test-drive reduces our transaction times by 30 to 45 minutes. The fraud prevention and efficiencies make ID Drive a no-brainer,” he added.
Perhaps another “no-brainer” is why 700 Credit and eLEND Solutions now are working together for operators such as Brackenbury and Texas Auto.
Executives from 700 Credit, a provider of credit reports, compliance solutions, and soft pull products, and fintech firm eLEND Solutions announced an alliance that integrates eLEND’s ID Drive with 700Credit’s credit prescreening solution, Quickscreen, as well as identity verification tools, which include red flag and synthetic fraud detection.
The companies highlighted that their integration is designed to help dealers protect their business and reputation from the serious and growing threat of identity and financial fraud and classify their showroom traffic by looking at their FICO score.
“The challenges of identity fraud have only grown,” 700 Credit managing director Ken Hill said. “Our alliance with eLEND means that now our dealer customers, with the swipe of a driver’s license, can authenticate that license, pre-screen the customer, and perform a Red Flag ID verification including synthetic fraud.
“The combination of document and data verification between 700 Credit and eLEND’s products offers auto dealers powerful protection, while also enabling rapid digital data capture and export,” Hill continued.
Building on integrations already in place between the companies, the seamless addition of ID Drive means that 700 Credit dealer customers can confirm identity and pre-screen their showroom clients through the ID Drive scanner at the beginning of the sales process.
The companies said this process can shield dealers against fraud while providing visibility into the customer’s buying power upfront so they can provide customers with an accurate payment quote at the top of the sales funnel.
The companies went on to mention other way eLEND Solutions and 700 Credit are working together to prevent fraud and drive sales, including:
—eLEND’s ID Drive can authenticate driver licenses forensically with a performance guarantee that states, “If the licenses gets a green light pass and turns out to be a fraudulent license and the dealer loses the vehicle, eLEND will reimburse the dealer for the value of the vehicle.” ID Drive is integrated with 700 Credit’s instant pre-screen solution. The process takes 60 seconds and can save up to 60 minutes per vehicle sale, according to the company.
—Lead information is instantly exported into any CRM platform with the vehicle of choice and sales agent appended. eLEND’s ID Drive product is also integrated with 700Credit’s Red Flag/Identity Match, fraud database search, synthetic fraud detection, OFAC database search and MLA identification products.
—ID Drive is also integrated with eLEND’s CreditPlus program and 700 Credit’s quick app.
“We are so proud to partner with 700 Credit to further extend the benefits of ID Drive to auto dealers and consumers alike,” said Pete MacInnis, chief executive officer and founder of eLEND Solutions. “Because ID Drive prequalifies upfront, auto dealers can rapidly get the customer into the right deal structure, accelerating the transition to, and through, F&I, which can reduce costly rehashes. This creates important efficiencies for dealerships and provides a better customer experience.
“And, of course, the purified authentication information protects the dealership from identity and financial fraud risks,” MacInnis added.
MacInnis noted that in a six-month case study with a high-profile franchised dealer using ID Drive, transaction times were reduced by 60 minutes, PVR went up $300 and CSI scores went up four points.
During the case study period, there were no other process changes made in the dealership outside of instituting ID DRIVE best practices, according to the company.
Perhaps like Brackenbury said, a “no-brainer.”
For more information, visit www.700credit.com or www.elendsolutions.com.
Agora Data added more technological horsepower to its platform aimed to help buy-here, pay-here dealerships gain more financial information and resources to growth their businesses.
On Tuesday, the company highlighted the three enhancements it made to AgoraInsights. They include reporting functionality, historical trends and real-time data.
Agora Data explained the added features provide a vital resource for an underbanked and underserved industry by making data-driven analytics easily accessible, and free of charge to all members.
Agora Data seeks to enable dealers and small to mid-sized finance companies to have better analytics into their portfolio’s performance and value, and as a result, make more effective business decisions.
The company also noted that these AgoraInsights enhancements, based on input obtained from Agora customers and industry experts, fulfill an important need for more knowledge to plan strategically and proactively.
Agora pointed out that the dashboards are designed to be easy to use and display both high-level as well as detailed information with impactful graphics including make and body style, most sold vehicle, age of collateral, repossessed most often, highest down payment, valuation, delinquency and more.
In addition to the enhanced reporting capabilities, dealers can compare their portfolio’s performance with national and regional trends.
“It is our goal to continuously improve, create, and organize data-driven information so our customers are on the forefront of industry trends and can better understand the key drivers that impact their portfolio’s performance,” Agora Data senior vice president of product Zach Maynard said in a news release.
“Agora makes available to customers the ability to utilize data-rich reporting to determine the cars that perform well, or poorly, in their region and use the information to ultimately better manage their business,” Maynard continued.
Agora Data chief executive officer Steve Burke added these perspectives.
“Data science provides the backbone for all our industry-changing solutions. We’ve back-tested and trained our models with over $15 billion of loan data creating predictability and accuracy using artificial intelligence and machine learning,” Burke said.
“Reimagining auto finance with industry-changing solutions is helping dealers establish best practices and gain the freedom and resources to build wealth,” he went on to say.
For more information about AgoraInsights, go to https://agoradata.com/agorainsights/.
Dealers and finance companies wanting to connect and gain more knowledge about their portfolios are invited to join Agora at https://app.agoradata.com/signup.
Buy-here, pay-here dealers asked for more support, and a collection of industry firms are responding to the request.
Three founders of a new organization called BHPH United, which was formed for the sole purpose of providing education and resources to BHPH dealers, appeared on this episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast.
Rob Fox of Buckeye Dealership Consulting, Bill Neylan of Tax Refund Services and Steve Levine of Ignite Consulting Partners shared how the organization came together as well as their plans for a live event in Las Vegas in April.
To listen to the episode, click on the link available below, or visit the Auto Remarketing Podcast page.
Download and subscribe to the Auto Remarketing Podcast on iTunes or on Google Play.
Byrider recently honored the top performers within its network of buy-here, pay-here dealerships and franchisees.
During the company’s annual convention on Nov. 13 in Scottsdale, Ariz., Byrider chief executive officer Craig Peters said, “We’re proud to recognize our franchisees and their teams each year at our annual convention. Their commitment to helping their customers move forward, as well as expertly operating their stores is truly commendable.”
Byrider vice president of franchising Chris Hadley added, “I am excited to recognize the owners and operators who have been key drivers of the Byrider franchise business in 2021. These franchisees and operators demonstrated their ability to set high standards of customer service and grow its business.”
Franchise of the Year
The franchise of the year award recognizes the best overall performance by a franchise group based on internal store rankings and a measure of how the business has contributed to the Byrider franchise community.
• Franchise of the Year with four or more locations
Russ Larson, Winston Sleeth and Jeff Lee with seven total locations, with four in Iowa (Burlington, Davenport, Des Moines and Cedar Rapids) and three in Missouri (Columbia, Joplin and Springfield)
• Franchise of the Year with two to three locations
Bill Marsh Auto Group and Jeff Chevalier with three locations in Michigan (Saginaw, Traverse City and Wyoming).
• Franchise of the Year with single location
Keith Kocourek and Jennifer Freiboth in Wausau, Wisc.
President’s Award
The president’s awards recognize dealership locations included in the top 10% of stores as defined by Byrider’s store ranking system. Winners, in order, included:
• Springfield, Mo. – Russ Larson, Winston Sleeth (top store nationwide
• Burlington, Iowa – Russ Larson, Jeff Lee
• Wausau, Wisc. – Keith Kocourek , Jennifer Freiboth
• Davenport, Iowa – Russ Larson, Jeff Lee
• Joplin, Mo. – Russ Larson, Winston Sleeth
• Palmyra, Pa. – Doug Lewis
• Ashtabula, Ohio – Chris McPhie, Greg Barrett
• Des Moines, Iowa – Russ Larson, Jeff Lee
• Mansfield, Ohio – Chris McPhie, Greg Barrett
• Akron, Ohio – Chris McPhie, Greg Barrett
• Springdale, Ark. – Dave Hanson
• Canton, Ohio – Chris McPhie, Greg Barrett
• Bloomington, Ind. – Roy Wagner, Terry Gerhart
• Traverse City, Mich. – Bill Marsh Auto Group, Jeff Chevalier
• Anderson, Ind. – Roy Wagner, Terry Gerhart
Most Improved
The most improved award was given to stores that demonstrated the most improvement from 2020 to 2021 based on store rankings (earnings, customer advancement, service comebacks, reputation management, portfolio performance, etc.), organized by franchise size.
• Most Improved with four or more locations
Jeff Williams with four locations in Opelika, Ala., Tuscaloosa, Ala., Panama City, Fla., and Pensacola, Fla.
• Most Improved with two or three locations
Jonathan Gandolfo with locations in South Carolina (Columbia, Greenville and North Charleston)
• Most Improved with a single point
Steve Walden with a location in Tucson, Ariz.
Also honored with a Commitment to Excellence Award was Chris Thomas, who owns stores in Raleigh, N.C. and Durham, N.C. The award recognizes Thomas and his team’s dedication and high-performing stores for their contributions to the larger Byrider network.
“Thomas has piloted a new and innovative franchise model which prioritizes sales and service and partners with Byrider’s corporate finance team for account management, known as Byrider Direct,” the company said.
The new president of the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association is celebrating a significant anniversary, too.
During the 75th annual NIADA Convention and Expo, Joe McCloskey began his term as for 2021-22 by receiving the President’s Ring; an accomplishment that has arrived during his 50th year in the car business.
The owner of McCloskey Motors in Colorado Springs, Colo., gave his inaugural address during the event’s National Leadership Awards ceremony at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio.
McCloskey, who succeeds 2020-21 president Louis Tedeschi, said he is committed to improving NIADA’s services to its members and advocacy for the used vehicle industry, as well as implementing the association’s strategic plan.
“My priority is to work to unify all members, state associations and NIADA to join as one force to elevate our joint efforts to new levels of service to our membership and better protect the interests of our industry,” McCloskey said through an association news release.
“I believe we can accomplish that by continuing to serve NIADA’s renewed commitment to be the national association to all members, regardless of their size or business model,” he continued. “We’ll also continue to assist and develop the management of regional, state and local independent dealer associations.
“The NIADA Dealer 20 Groups program is an NIADA priority,” McCloskey continued. “It’s poised for amazing growth this year. Look for exciting things to happen with our 20 Groups and education programs. Our commitment this year is to make 20 Groups available and affordable for all dealers, regardless of their size or business model.”
As NIADA celebrates its 75th anniversary as an association, McCloskey is celebrating his own milestone.
In 1971, a 13-year-old McCloskey got his first industry job — sweeping the garage floors at Bear Axle and Wheel in Pueblo, Colo. But it didn’t take long for him to start moving up.
McCloskey was soon recruited by a Volkswagen/Mercedes-Benz dealership in Pueblo as what was then called a “lot man.” By the time he was a 17-year-old high school junior, he’d worked his way up to selling cars.
McCloskey went into business for himself in the summer of 1989, but the first location of McCloskey Motors didn’t exactly inspire confidence in his wife, Ann.
“We started in a garage in an alley with one light bulb and no phone,” McCloskey recalled. “At the time we had four children and not much money. I showed Ann this sketchy garage in an alley. I flung open the garage door and there was one light bulb, hanging on a string.
“I told Ann, ‘This is our future! This is the future of McCloskey Motors!’ And being supportive, she said, ‘Yes,’ McCloskey went on to say.
That business has since grown to three locations in Colorado Springs — McCloskey Truck Town, McCloskey Imports and 4x4s and Joe’s Car and Truck Repair — with some 80 employees and 275-300 vehicles in inventory.
McCloskey’s operation has been honored by the Better Business Bureau for Excellence in Customer Service, has twice been named Colorado’s State Quality Dealer and in 2013 won NIADA’s highest dealer award — National Quality Dealer.
Manheim vehicle donation raises $22,500 for NIADA Foundation
Mike Widhalm wasn’t intending to come home from the NIADA Convention and Expo with a car.
But when the bidding started, it just kind of happened.
“I’m just a sucker for a charity auction and things like that where the money goes to a good cause,” Widhalm said in another news release from NIADA.
Widhalm, president of Red’s Auto and Truck in Longmont, Colo., placed the winning bid of $22,500 on a silver 2010 Ford Mustang GT with just 60,913 miles on the odometer in an auction held Thursday, the final day of the NIADA Convention.
The vehicle was donated by Manheim, which held the auction at the NIADA Dealer’s Lounge in the Convention’s Expo Hall. All proceeds of the sale go directly to the NIADA Foundation, which coordinates the association’s commitment to charitable giving and education.
In addition to making numerous donations to charities nationwide and providing matching funds for local charitable projects, the foundation has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to assist members of the automotive community affected by hurricanes and other disasters, and has established endowments that fund university scholarships for students pursuing careers in the automotive industry.
NIADA said the Mustang will be delivered to Widhalm free by Autosled.
Later that evening, Widhalm was honored as Colorado’s State Quality Dealer and a nominee for the National Quality Dealer award, NIADA’s highest dealer honor. His dealership is involved in numerous charitable causes, including Colorado IADA’s Used Car Dealers of Colorado Charity Fund.
In fact, Widhalm said he plans to donate his newly acquired Mustang to the charity auction at the annual UCDCCF gala on Nov. 20.
“I usually donate a car or motorcycle for the CIADA charity gala, and I was looking for a car to donate,” he said. “Now I have a car. We’ll donate it there and re-auction it off and earn some more money for a good cause.”
Over the past nine years, benefit auctions at the NIADA Convention and Expo have raised a total of $218,500 for the NIADA Foundation.
For the first time, an episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast was recorded in front of a live audience.
During the annual convention hosted by the Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association in Round Rock, Texas, Cherokee Media Group’s Nick Zulovich shared a conversation with Vroom chief revenue officer Mark Roszkowski, who described how the online used-vehicle retailer is facing some of the same challenges as independent operators such as finding inventory and more.
To listen to the episode, click on the link available below, or visit the Auto Remarketing Podcast page.
Download and subscribe to the Auto Remarketing Podcast on iTunes or on Google Play.
The pandemic didn’t slow Subprime Analytics president Ken Shilson from compiling his annual benchmarks of the buy-here, pay-here industry.
In fact, in this episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast, Shilson shared how the pandemic actually presented an opportunity to make the benchmarks even more valuable.
To hear the conversation, click on the link available below, or visit the Auto Remarketing Podcast page.
Download and subscribe to the Auto Remarketing Podcast on iTunes or on Google Play.
