Dear Autobytel, Dealix, Edmunds & KBB

[Jerry Thibeau]

Dear Autobytel, Dealix, Edmunds & KBB,

I would like some answers from you on a serious matter. Please continue reading.

Saturday I was experimenting with TrueCar to check out pricing on vehicles in Rochester, NY market. I used my real name, I used an e-mail address that I typically direct junk mail to and I used a phone number that was one digit different than my own. I was also using a computer with an IP address that would reflect my previous shopping habits.

I received TrueCar pricing information from dealers on the e-mail address I used to submit the leads, but noticed there were no Rochester dealers using TrueCar. The closest dealers using TrueCar were in Syracuse and surrounding communities.

Early Monday morning I start receiving e-mails from third party lead providers thanking me for submitting my information. The e-mails were on the same vehicles I shopped on TrueCar. Coincidence, I think not! Now here is where it gets interesting, my data had been corrected to reflect my current e-mail, and my current phone number. I also started receiving phone calls from dealers. I am guessing my information could have been taken was from the DMS of the dealership where I last purchased my Infiniti.

My questions to you, where did my lead originate from and how did you get my information?

I have been communicating with KBB and they are telling me that a lead was filled out on their site. I know that is not possible since I was not on their site.

I plan to get to the bottom of this even if it requires me to spend thousands in attorney fees. I would prefer one of you come clean and provide me with the answers.

If I was a betting man, I would bet that TrueCar sold my information to a company that in turn sold it to you. Could their reasoning for doing this be due to the lack of the Rochester, NY dealers using TrueCar? What is the going price for selling lead information these days?

Below are images of the e-mails I received from your companies. I look forward to hearing from all of you regarding this matter. If you need more information, please reach out to me.

Thank you,

Jerry Thibeau
President
Phone Ninjas

Oh and notice how all the e-mails came to me within 10 minutes of each other. They all got the data from the same place. They were obviously sold this information.

 

[kcar]

After reading all the drama and DMS data being used without consent/matched, etc, etc.. I'm going to continue to stay away from Autobytel, Dealix, Edmunds and KBB.. I don't trust True Car either, hope they fade away soon.. I don't see why ANY dealer would ever give their DMS login information out to another service provider, that is private information, for dealership management only. I'm aware their are applications that need the DMS but it's just not worth it to release that information. As far as third party leads go, I'm starting to question what these companies are really doing in the backend..

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Jerry,

I guess this shit never stops. Looks like you have uncovered something here. And as much as I hate to believe it but it doesn't surprise me really.

Many of these providers lost a percentage of their leads since Edmunds trying to screw dealers and going direct. So it makes sense they would latch onto TrueCar to help supplement the lose in leads. But then again, who knows - maybe they've been purchasing leads from TrueCar for some time now. I hate saying this because I have a lot of friends that work for the many of the 3rd part lead gen services but lets all agree that the lead business has never been one of great transparency.

I think it's really obvious on what is going on here. It's PLAIN SICK!

Wake up dealers!!

 

[AutoArchitech]

On this post you say you got emails on the same vehicles you shopped on True Car. In this video
TrueCar - Phoneupninjas's library you say you shopped a Honda and a Toyota, yet here you show a Dodge and an Acura. In the video you show the same Dodge and Acura emails. I'm not saying true car did not sell the data, I just don't see the need to say it was the same cars to make it look worse than it was.

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

I also did a Ford. They must have sold to Acura think Acura and Honda are close enough. Same with Ford data.

 

[tomwhitejr]

I just filled out a request for info on a 2011 Suzuki SX4 from my zip code and was sent to a Dealer down in Oklahoma. I received a phone call within 5 minutes of hitting submit (pretty good really) from the dealership, and 1 minute later my dealership received a Dealix lead from me... Hmmm... So. TrueCar is most definitely selling leads to the 3rd party lead providers. If you are a TrueCar dealer, the leads you get from TrueCar are NOT exclusive and your competitors are getting them...

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

One of the lead providers got back to me with some interesting information. What do you all think?

 

[AutoArchitech]

Wow that is strange, think it's automated?. BTW: I reread what I wrote and it comes off kind of lousy when read not spoken, I did not mean that you did anything wrong I just thought it was an odd way to sell data. Toyota leads get sold as Dodge leads, etc.

 

[john.quinn]

Keep digging, Jerry! Don't stop 'till you get to China!

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

Keep digging, Jerry! Don't stop 'till you get to China!

I've hit China my friend!

Nothing like a hot shower to get the thinking cap going. So here is my theory or should we say conspiracy theory.

TrueCar is high and mighty on their program, not to mention arrogant and deceitful. Here is what’s happening: The lead arrives to TrueCar, they quickly submit the information to their clients who start marketing to the customers. Then a day or two later, TrueCar has an automated program that populates other 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] party lead sites directly. TrueCar only submits to these sites when they know they have no dealers on their program in that particular zip code. Why do this you ask? That’s the question I’ve been pondering for days now. It took me a while, but here it is. The AutobyTel, Dealex, Edmunds & KBB dealers arrive to the party a day or two late. The TrueCar dealers have made contact and are on their way to a sale. The other third party dealers start making the calls and they get the following from the customer, “sorry we’re all set, we’re going with ABC motors and we have a TrueCar price.” Not to mention customers get frustrated by all the e-mail and phone activity making TruCar look like the knight in shining armor. Internet managers start complaining that they are losing sales to other dealers and TrueCar. They convince the boss that they too need to be on TrueCar and TrueCar has added another customer to its ranks. Not to mention they drive the value of other lead providers down since dealers are paying for junk leads that have already been worked by TrueCar dealers.

Brilliant marketing plan on the part of TrueCar if this in fact true. My guess it’s True after what I have seen.

AutobyTel, Dealex, Edmunds & KBB, my apologies to all four of you. It appears we are all part of a scam organized by TrueCar. You all need to examine your leads and see if you can determine a pattern of origination.