Automotive News, Press Releases, and Events

Dealers representing 117 franchises are suing TrueCar for over $250 million, claiming false advertising about haggle-free car buying and misleading claims about showing actual transaction prices paid by other buyers. The thread debate centers on whether TrueCar's marketing claims about disclosing real selling prices are legitimately false or simply misunderstood, with participants clarifying that TrueCar does receive transactional data from participating dealers through OEM feeds and third-party data companies. The consensus leans toward the lawsuit having limited merit on advertising claims, though broader frustration emerges about TrueCar's role as a profitable middleman that ultimately harms dealer profitability.

Dealers and industry professionals debate whether newly appointed CEO Chip Perry (from AutoTrader) can fix TrueCar's troubled business model, which has struggled to demonstrate ROI to dealer partners who pay fees for leads that often come from shoppers already familiar with their inventory. The core issue is that TrueCar's value proposition has eroded—dealers question paying $250 per sale when shoppers use the platform for price comparison ("web-rooming") rather than discovery, and many non-paying dealers capture the same customers by simply matching TrueCar prices. The consensus suggests Perry's dealer-focused approach and industry relationships offer hope, but he faces significant skepticism about whether any leadership change can resolve the fundamental misalignment between what dealers are willing to pay and the actual value TrueCar delivers.

Ford discontinued its Friends & Neighbors promotion and replaced it with a new Holiday Sales Event, citing dealer feedback about which offers resonate with customers. Dealers report the program was ineffective because consumers couldn't see tangible value without explicit discount numbers, and many dealers were already pricing below the promotion's offers anyway. The consensus is that domestic car buyers expect and demand substantial discounts or financing incentives, making Ford's apparent experiment with a one-price strategy incompatible with market expectations.

A DealerRefresh community member created a discussion thread to aggregate Tesla news—both positive and negative—and initiated conversation with examples including a Wisconsin lemon law lawsuit and announcements about cheaper lease options. The thread reveals dealer industry skepticism toward Tesla's marketing claims (such as "$408/month" leases that actually cost $1,012/month) and concerns about Tesla's lack of traditional dealer networks for customer support, while also acknowledging Tesla's strong international appeal and competitive pricing relative to luxury alternatives.

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Dealers and industry insiders debate Apple's rumored entry into the automotive business (Project Titan), questioning whether the company will manufacture actual vehicles or focus on autonomous driving technology and mapping solutions to compete with Google. Key insights suggest Apple's real advantage lies in controlling the software, maps, and user experience rather than traditional car manufacturing, with autonomous vehicles ultimately becoming rolling entertainment systems where OS integration matters more than the vehicle itself. The thread acknowledges this shift represents a disruptive threat to the traditional dealer model, though opinions vary on whether Apple will actually succeed in car production.

The thread discusses J.D. Power's 2015-2016 sales forecasts, highlighting that while 2015 showed strong demand with 14.2M expected units (up 600K from 2014), growth will significantly decelerate in 2016 with only 200K additional units anticipated. This slowdown means dealers will face increased competition as not all model lines will achieve year-over-year growth, requiring a more strategic, data-driven approach to maintain sales performance.

Ralph Gilpin, a dealership manager, asks for advice on improving his team's daily 15-25 minute morning meetings, which have become overly negative and focused on problems rather than motivation. Experienced responders recommend starting meetings with recognition and positive stories from the previous day, using customer reviews as motivational content, and inviting vendor partners to share insights and product knowledge tips. The key insight is that sales teams respond better to praise and recognition than criticism, and external perspectives from vendors can provide fresh ideas for team engagement.

A dealer group sued AutoTrader.com for allegedly inflating vehicle listing page views by 50-100% over five years, claiming they were overcharged for advertising services based on inflated metrics. Forum members debated whether the lawsuit has merit, with some skeptical that page view counts alone prove fraud given the many factors affecting visibility (pricing, placement, merchandising), while others noted the technical difficulty of manipulating Vehicle Detail Page (VDP) views specifically. The consensus leans toward this being a complex case to prove, though participants acknowledge dealers' frustration with vendor practices.

Dealership professionals debate whether attending multiple automotive conferences annually provides adequate return on investment, given that speakers often repeat the same content across events and many attendees prioritize self-promotion over implementing learning back at their dealerships. The consensus argues for quality over quantity—attending conferences strategically with clear objectives and actionable takeaways—rather than treating conference attendance as a badge of industry visibility, with vendors facing particular financial pressure to attend numerous "must attend" shows.

The thread promotes the 5th Annual Digital Debate at the DrivingSales Executive Summit, happening Tuesday at 9:15 am, moderated by Joe Webb with Jeff Kershner on a panel of industry experts. Formatted like a political debate, the session covers hot topics including websites, process, marketing, and dealership operations. The post invites community members to submit questions they'd like the panel to address via Twitter.

Automotive professionals discuss their attendance and session selections for the DSES 2015 conference (October 18), with multiple attendees recommending breakout sessions from DealerRefresh community members on topics like customer experience, reputation management, texting strategies, and used car sales. Key recurring recommendations include sessions by Todd Caputo (used car sales), Eric Miltsch (customer experience), Aaron Wirtz (reputation management), and Joe Webb (customer feedback), with speakers and attendees expressing enthusiasm about networking in person.

A presenter previews their DSES 2015 breakout session titled 'Haters Gonna Hate: When Reputation Management Gets Personal,' sharing background materials ahead of the talk. The session draws on 2.5 years of experience as a high-profile dealership advertising personality in Wichita, promising case studies and actionable tactics for managing personal and brand reputation when bold marketing attracts strong public reactions.

Kevin Frye shares a personal recap of the Digital Dealer 19 conference held at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, blending professional observations with personal highlights like celebrating his 24th wedding anniversary at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant. The post sets an upbeat, conversational tone as Frye reflects on the venue change bringing fresh energy to the long-running automotive digital conference.

Jeff Kershner and John Colban hosted a webinar promoting one-to-one walkaround videos as the next competitive advantage for dealers, comparing it to the early days when online reviews were a "silver bullet" before becoming commonplace. Participants shared successful applications like appointment confirmation videos that generate customer excitement and engagement, though implementation consistency remains a challenge. The key insight is that personalized video content, when executed strategically, can differentiate dealers in a market where traditional marketing tools have become commoditized.

A CarStory representative introduces how their platform uses big data algorithms to analyze millions of vehicle searches and listings monthly, translating complex consumer behavior data into actionable insights for used car dealers. The core premise is that while big data is inherently complex, CarStory distills it into practical sales intelligence that helps dealers understand how shoppers interact with vehicles online and ultimately sell more used cars.

The thread discusses Cox Automotive's $4 billion acquisition of Dealertrack and its implications for dealers, with particular concern about data consolidation across Cox's portfolio (Dealer.com, AutoTrader, Manheim, XTime, KBB, and others). Key concerns raised include the company's access to comprehensive dealer and customer data across the entire sales lifecycle, potential product integration challenges, and anticipated price increases following the pattern of past acquisitions. Dealers express skepticism about whether Cox will use its consolidated power to grow the industry or exploit dealers through higher costs.

Several automotive professionals are discussing their attendance and session plans for the Digital Dealer conference in Las Vegas. Ryan Leslie is co-presenting a session on Tuesday at 3:30 with Mike Davenport from Bachman Chevrolet, focusing on strategies for generating repeat/referral sales and consumer-driven tactics, while other attendees share which breakout sessions they plan to attend. The thread highlights the value of the conference for networking and learning from high-performing dealers' proven sales strategies.

Dealers discuss TrueCar's 27% stock price drop, with participants attributing the decline to the company's failure to convert its heavy TV advertising spend into profitable sales and its recent decision to raise dealer rates despite not delivering increased value. The consensus view is that CEO Scott Painter's original business vision is in jeopardy, and the company faces significant operational uncertainty—including potential leadership changes and major investor defections—until management demonstrates a viable turnaround strategy.

EFG Companies and Northwood University launched the F&I Innovator of the Year Award, a competition where six student teams develop new F&I products with the winning team receiving $25,000 and having their concept commercialized by EFG, which will donate a portion of revenues back to the university. The competition aims to drive innovation in the automotive F&I space by engaging the next generation of industry talent and leveraging academic creativity alongside dealer and executive expertise. The winning business case will be presented on November 12 to a panel of industry judges.

A DealerRefresh discussion about an Orlando dealership's inventory color-coding system that grades used cars as bronze, silver, gold, or blue based on condition and reconditioning level, with the dealer reporting significant sales increases from this approach. Participants express cautious interest in the strategy, with one commenter noting the potential effectiveness of visual grading combined with clear messaging, though others remain skeptical about whether the method would work universally.

A guest post raises awareness for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September, sharing sobering statistics about pediatric cancer rates, survival odds, and long-term side effects for survivors. The post calls on the DealerRefresh community to spread awareness about the lack of research funding and congressional attention for childhood cancer, noting that only two major drugs have been developed for children with cancer in the last 20 years. It serves primarily as a community call to action rather than an industry-specific discussion.