Hey all, founder here so flagging that up front. 20 years in the auto industry, based in Vancouver, and four months ago I started building something I'd wanted for a long time. I'd rather get honest feedback now than find out the hard way later.
The tool is TradeBasis (tradebasis.ca). Canada-only for now, US is on the roadmap once we've earned the right to expand.
What got me started: vAuto is a powerful tool, but the flexibility cuts both ways. With enough knobs — comp set radius, exclusions, recon, MDS adjustments — a determined user can land on a wide range of numbers for the same car. That works fine when the user knows what they're doing. It's less great when a salesperson or a newer manager is the one driving. I wanted to build something simpler that produced a defensible number with a comp set you could see at a glance.
The Lite tier ($99 CAD/mo, one seat, unlimited use) is three inputs, three outputs. Walk the lane, punch in a VIN and km, get a number based on live provincial market data with a transparent comp set you can click through. Mileage adjusts automatically (logarithmic, not linear — a 200k unit shouldn't get penalized the same way per km as a 60k unit). User has one condition slider, capped between 85–98% of market. That's intentional — you can't massage it into a fairy tale.
The Pro tier ($499 CAD/mo, up to 10 seats) is the full desk tool — custom comp sets, exclude individual listings (kick the $30k declared accident car), recon adjustments, market days supply, customer trade walk-down sheet, inventory with live re-pricing, gross/DOM tracking, photo storage. More customizable than most tools, not for newbies.
Who I'm building for:
No contracts, no setup fees, sign up online without a sales rep if you don't want one. We don't advertise a "free trial" — if you sign up and it's not for you, cancel.
What I want to hear:
The tool is TradeBasis (tradebasis.ca). Canada-only for now, US is on the roadmap once we've earned the right to expand.
What got me started: vAuto is a powerful tool, but the flexibility cuts both ways. With enough knobs — comp set radius, exclusions, recon, MDS adjustments — a determined user can land on a wide range of numbers for the same car. That works fine when the user knows what they're doing. It's less great when a salesperson or a newer manager is the one driving. I wanted to build something simpler that produced a defensible number with a comp set you could see at a glance.
The Lite tier ($99 CAD/mo, one seat, unlimited use) is three inputs, three outputs. Walk the lane, punch in a VIN and km, get a number based on live provincial market data with a transparent comp set you can click through. Mileage adjusts automatically (logarithmic, not linear — a 200k unit shouldn't get penalized the same way per km as a 60k unit). User has one condition slider, capped between 85–98% of market. That's intentional — you can't massage it into a fairy tale.
The Pro tier ($499 CAD/mo, up to 10 seats) is the full desk tool — custom comp sets, exclude individual listings (kick the $30k declared accident car), recon adjustments, market days supply, customer trade walk-down sheet, inventory with live re-pricing, gross/DOM tracking, photo storage. More customizable than most tools, not for newbies.
Who I'm building for:
- Independents on a static book or no tool at all
- Floor managers/SMs at franchise stores who want a quick second opinion on a number
- Mobile-heavy users who want something genuinely usable on the lane
- Anyone who wants a second data set — we pull comprehensive dealer listings, not just the AutoTrader-fed slice
No contracts, no setup fees, sign up online without a sales rep if you don't want one. We don't advertise a "free trial" — if you sign up and it's not for you, cancel.
What I want to hear:
- Is the Lite/Pro split the right shape, or am I cutting the wrong things from Lite?
- US folks — what would make you take a serious look once we cross the border?
- Anyone using Carbly, Stockwave, or vAuto: what's the one thing none of them do that you wish they did?
