Cars.com Employee Responds To The Internet Sales 20 Group Invite...
Unfortunately, Chip Withrow responded to the Video Invite to set the record straight for 200+ dealers at the Internet Sales 20 Group in New York May 18-20
I don't think that AutoTrader.com and Cars.com will respond. Why? You said you were looking for responses from lead providers and the afore mentioned companies are advertisers that direct in-market shoppers to the dealer. Why would A consumer call or email if all the information I need can be found online with the exception of a test drive?
*** All I can say is that dealers are FURIOUS. It is blowing up all over the Internet. Inside private groups dealer principals and GMs are shaking their heads…
Here are the comments just on the video thread: (Its even more on Social Media…)
This will be game changing if the players have enough game to show up! Good luck! you need to get AutoDealerLive there to broadcast it live!
I don't think that AutoTrader.com and Cars.com will respond. Why? You said you were looking for responses from lead providers and the afore mentioned companies are advertisers that direct in-market shoppers to the dealer. Why would A consumer call or email if all the information I need can be found online with the exception of a test drive?
Straight up called them out! Lights.Camera.Action.
As a dealer representative, I would like some answers, not smoke and mirrors, but answers. Any company not having anything to hide and truly helps dealers would jump at this chance! The ones that don't are going to be the ones that will see their last check from my dealership. Social media in this day and age is a powerful thing. The invite is out there and was extended by one of the top automotive professionals there is and backed by many more.
Chip's (a Cars.com employee) comments ARE EXACTLY why this panel needs to happen, and I'll hope that those private DMs and emails Sean and I have been receiving from the folks in positions like Chip's will come to fruition and the local reps and regional managers push their VPs and C-level executives to respond. Autotrader alone has 7 VPs or Presidents that should be able to find the time to answer to their customers with 6-7 weeks notice. Listen, as dealers, vendors, and manufacturers, we have a RIGHT to transparency when those same companies are the ones offering that same transparency. If these companies are going to send us stats on SRPs, VDPs, Price to Market, CALLS, EMAILS, website click-throughs, etc., to justify ROI, you CANNOT simply just say 'oh, well we provide all this other exposure too and we're really just a classifieds company.' It is one, or the other. You can't collect funds by saying you're doing one thing, and then justify that bill by saying you do another.
