Sometimes your customers not only want their tires and wheels to function correctly, they want them to look sharp, too.
To help, Wise F&I recently rolled out a product offering on Monday that includes tire and wheel protection, plus appearance coverage benefits, called TIREWise PLUS.
Wise F&I president and chief executive officer Matt Croak explained the process behind unveiling this new product.
“We wanted to bring together the best of both worlds,” Croak said in a news release. “By carefully constructing a top-notch program that includes both tire and wheel protection and appearance benefits, we knew that we would have the best-in-class product at a great value.
“Here at Wise F&I, we have always prioritized the needs of our agents, dealers and customers,” Croak continued. “We believe TIREWise PLUS is an optimal program that will serve the needs of many. I am thoroughly grateful for all the efforts that went into building this program and would say we are already seeing a great level of success from it.”
Other program benefits from Wise F&I include:
—Road hazard tire and wheel
—Emergency roadside assistance
—Alternative transportation
—Key/key fob replacement
—Paintless dent repair
—Exterior surface protection
—Interior surface protection
—Windshield Protection
“Wise F&I has been working hard to create a key product to give the end-consumer a bundled protection program that will help keep their vehicle looking like new,” the company said.
“Wise F&I understands that accidents happen. It’s not a matter of if, but when the consumer hits a pothole, spills coffee on their car seat, or a shopping cart dents their vehicle exterior,” the company continued.
“By providing a well-bundled program, Wise F&I is giving the consumer a peace of mind, knowing their investment is protected financially. With a strong emphasis on program development, Wise F&I continues to progress as a leader in the finance and insurance industry for over 30 years,” the company went on to say.
To receive more information regarding TIREWise PLUS, send a message to [email protected] or visit Wise F&I’s website.
Protective Asset Protection is celebrating 60 years of service this month as a provider of F&I products that help protect each vehicle investment while equipping dealers with the F&I products they need to instill confidence and trust in their customers.
The company began by protecting cars and trucks 60 years ago and then added motorcycles, powersports, marine and specialty vehicles. Protective has covered more than 43 million vehicles from every kind of mechanical breakdown possible.
Through a news release, the company recapped how it all began.
Western Diversified (WD) opened its doors in the early 1960s and started writing vehicle service contracts (VSCs) around 1980. The original administrator was Western Diversified Services.
In 1987, Western Diversified Casualty was formed as the underwriting insurance company and about the same time, WD was bought by John Alden Life, where it introduced GAP in the mid-1990s.
In 1997, WD was sold from John Alden to Protective Life Insurance Company.
The company’s first RV program was taken in-house by Protective in 2004 (from GE-General Electric) and marketed as Xtra-Ride.
In 2006, Protective purchased the vehicle service contract and limited warranty assets of Western General Insurance Co., followed by their purchase of Prizm in 2009.
In 2015 Protective Life Insurance Company and its subsidiaries, including Protective Asset Protection, were acquired by Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co. In 2016, Protective purchased the automotive vehicle service contract, GAP and ancillary product assets of United States Warranty Corporation (USWC) of Pompano Beach, Fla. The DOWC-dealer owned warranty corporation type of participation came with this acquisition.
In quick succession, subsequent acquisitions have included Revolos Corp. in 2021 and AUL Corp. this year.
Company leaders highlighted the addition of DOWC was critical because participation programs allow dealers to own, market, sell and support their own branded F&I program by owning their own company.
Besides greater profit potential on F&I sales, Protective pointed out that another advantage is that dealers can customize their own F&I offerings. For example, a dealer can build a portfolio of F&I products that caters to a variety of branded vehicles, not just one. These F&I products can range from service contracts to ancillary products and enable optimum profit potential for participating dealers, all administered by Protective.
Earlier this year, Protective’s acquisition of AUL provided additional resources to further support dealers with premium F&I product offerings, especially for higher-mileage cars and trucks which are in great demand in today’s automotive marketplace.
“Over the last few decades, our company has experienced tremendous growth and our team has increased significantly, creating quality opportunities for employees around the country,” Protective Asset Protection president Scott Karchunas said in the news release. “But we have not done this alone.
“Our journey has been made possible by the outstanding support of our committed agent and dealer partners who have put their trust in Protective,” Karchunas continued. “As partners we have worked alongside our agents and dealers to continuously meet the needs of our evolving markets and grown together. It is fitting that we express our gratitude and share our success with them.
“With their continued confidence in our longstanding partnership, we are encouraged and inspired to continue serving them even better in the future,” he went on to say.
This week, Darwin Automotive announced that it has been selected by Ford Protect to be a preferred provider within the company’s core F&I menu, as well as the Darwin digital retailing and service menu for Ford Dealerships nationwide.
Dealerships use the Darwin technology platform to deliver a personalized, effective customer experience and to rate, contract and remit F&I contracts electronically.
Darwin Automotive currently supports more than 154 different product providers and, as a preferred provider, Ford Protect will promote Darwin Automotive to its dealers. Ford Protect dealers will also receive national discounted pricing for all of Darwin Automotive products as part of the relationship.
“We are excited to have Darwin as a preferred provider for Ford and Lincoln Protect dealers. Darwin's menu, tablet and digital retailing experience products reflect an understanding of dealership operations and help support a dealer's existing F&I processes,” Ford and Lincoln Protect U.S. operations manager Steve Lopez said.
Darwin currently operates in all 50 states. More than 4,000 dealerships nationwide have enrolled in Darwin Automotive’s F&I software, which is endorsed by several top F&I product companies, agencies and OEMs.
“We are thrilled to be a preferred provider to Ford Protect, because they truly understand the importance of an integrated shopping experience,” Darwin Automotive chief executive officer Phillip Battista said.
“This relationship enables their dealers to educate customers and sell F&I protection wherever they choose to engage with the dealership, placing them at the front of the digital retailing game. It adds value for their customers while generating profitable income,” Battista added.
For more information or to schedule a product demonstration, call (732) 781-9010 or visit www.darwinautomotive.com.
