Training dealers is nothing new to Ally Financial. That’s been a huge part of the near century-long history at the company founded as General Motors Acceptance Corp. in the 1900s. But the format in which Ally teaches dealers has evolved greatly, with the latest offering coming Monday. The company introduced the Performance Development Center, which […] [Read More]

When a customer leaves the showroom without buying, it’s the dealer’s job to find out why, and to re-engage him. A new product aims to help dealers do just that. CAR-ResearchXRM this week announced the launch of Showroom WatchDog, a service it says can help auto dealers sell their unsold customers.  Showroom WatchDog uses CAR-Research […] [Read More]

While recent bulletins from federal regulators have been associated with F&I elements such as dealer participation, RouteOne reminded principals and managers about the potential consequences for not complying with rules associated with adverse action notices and risk-based pricing. RouteOne digital marketing manager Francis Gojcaj shared a question often asked by dealers, stating, "If I didn't […] [Read More]

In my conversations and travels, I encounter two different types of dealers. The first group often struggles with aged units in their used-vehicle inventories, persistent wholesale losses and an as-yet unfulfilled desire to increase their sales volumes and overall profitability. [Read More]

AutoTec rolled out a new update to AuctionACCESS Mobile on Monday. The solution now can allow dealers to manage and upload any AuctionACCESS document all through their Android or iPhone device. With this new update to AuctionACCESS Mobile, AutoTec suggested document management has never been easier, as dealers can now use their phone’s camera to […] [Read More]

Avis Budget Group has purchased Payless Car Rental in a $50 million cash deal.  In announcing the news this morning, Avis indicated that adding North America’s sixth largest car-rental company “will give Avis Budget Group a strong position in the fast-growing deep-value segment of the car rental industry.” [Read More]

The same state that passed a pair of laws last year that intensified regulation of buy-here, pay-here dealers now is taking up a measure that would modify how a certified pre-owned vehicle can be sold. A bill that currently is in the California Assembly would include manufacturer’s safety recalls on the list of prohibited conditions […] [Read More]

Late last week, Black Book provided its analysis on depreciation during June, which showed that compact cars led the pack, dropping by 2.6 percent in value from May. Average segment values at the end of June were $8,765, a significant 18.9 percent lower than they were during the same time last year. Of course, gas […] [Read More]

SubPrime Auto Finance News, our sister publication, was on hand at the NAF Association’s 17th annual Non-Prime Auto Financing Conference last month. On the docket of SubPrime’s extensive coverage was a keynote session that included a question-and-answer dialogue between Hudson Cook chairman Tom Hudson and Rick Hackett, the then-assistant director at the Consumer Financial Protection […] [Read More]

More than three-fourths of all certified pre-owned sales in the first quarter included financing, according to J.D. Power and Associates. This point certainly helps back up the assertion that CPO and financing are “highly co-dependent” on each other, as Kia’s Brad Beer put it. [Read More]