CARCODE SMS, IS THIS EDMUNDS DIRTY TEXT CAPER?
CARCODE SMS, IS THIS EDMUNDS DIRTY TEXT CAPER?
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Are Dealers Being Set Up Again by one of the Dirtiest Players? Is it another trick?
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DISCLAIMER: It is only fair before you read this to say out front that I personally despise Edmunds.com. I consider them the 'lowest' and 'the dirtiest' of all of the vendors that ever took money from dealers while they used our own data against us to slander dealers and hurt us with the consumers and take your profits. These people, in my opinion, are the worst. I could be wrong.
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CARCODE SMS - Is this another dirty Plot to steal your customers and lower your profits? .... Just like with CarGurus' free trial, Dealers tell me "Hey Jim , it's FREE, what harm could it do?" Are we such "Dumasses that Free Stuff will cause you to Sell Out your Dealership?"
In case you're NOT aware of it. "TEXT" marketing and communicating with consumers in general is on Fire. Texting is the next wave, already replacing email and other forms of communication.
SO, Edmunds is offering a FREE service (watch yourself) called Car Code. It is a seemingly 'innocent' and seemingly beneficial plug-in for a dealer's website that allows consumers to have a number to TEXT directly with the dealership. Edmunds points out (correctly) it is compliant with all federal regulations, with proper opt-in/opt-out and other legal safeguards.
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WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU IS....
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It is a HUGE data drain on your customers. Are you giving Edmunds access to all of the dealership data on your sales.... prices, offers, transactions, even your customers' identities? I have heard from reliable sources that this is a HUGE Data theft if you bite and sign up for it. Am I wrong? I am told they are amassing huge amounts of information here. Does their agreement and THE PRIVACY RELEASE YOU SIGNED GIVE THEM THE RIGHT TO SELL YOUR CONSUMER INFORMATION TO OTHER DEALERS AND UNKNOWN THIRD AND FOURTH PARTIES?
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THE OTHER SHOE DROPS
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THERE'S NO DOUBT that Cars, TrueCar, CarFax, and every other vendor is lining up to take over your service department business. Will this CAR CODE SMS of Edmunds give them more inside information on your service customers, your R.O.s, your prices and traffic? IT'S Free now but what happens when all of a sudden they turn on you? (as they have done in the past with Price Promise and other questionably anti-dealer programs) Just read Edmunds website, or Google-Up the Words "Car Salesman" and you'll see the dirty slander Edmunds promotes against us. Apparently, from the content on their website they continually maximize for Google placement to keep the public mad at us, Edmunds apparently hates us. Why are some fools so ready to trust them with your data they have used against us in the past repeatedly? All of this is Just My Opinion based on the Fact that I have an intelligence level higher than an Earthworm. AM I WRONG? Let's hear your opinions? JIM #AlphaDawg
Comment
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Comment by Zachary Dunn @YourAutoGuyZach on May 22, 2015 at 9:39am
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Jerry's is very nice! Install a widget on your website for texting. You can text back videos, pictures, etc. You can round robin them within a group. Have a local number, toll free number, etc. It's all kept in a crm for full access by whomever you choose to see it.
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Comment by James A. Ziegler on May 22, 2015 at 9:37am
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Zach and Chris, tell us more about those other options....
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Comment by Chris K Leslie on May 22, 2015 at 9:32am
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Dealersocket has a product that offers that ability.
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http://www.talkoptions.com/ by Jerry Thibeau. For your website.
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What other texting Apps and Programs are available for dealers offered by more reputable and trustworthy companies? (strictly my opinion of Edmunds that they are neither reputable, honorable, nor trustworthy, I could be wrong but I doubt that. I'll listen to other viewpoints on that although; it is doubtful I would believe it)
THE QUESTION IS NOW... What alternative Texting to Consumer programs are available without having to expose your Dealership to these people?
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Shouldn't you share with everyone if you're going to pass notes in class?
Dude, Am I wrong?
There is something you pointed out in your post Jim that should be noted again. That is the fact that the platform (Carcode) is abiding by all laws/regulations. Which you agreed and confirmed in the post.
Once there is a record of authentication it's not required that you use the same platform to communicate. So something you might want to offer up to people is to not use carcodes platform to communicate with people but rather a simple "opt-in" tool to get the proper approval stamps.
I'm sure it is safe to say that most of us marketers are not entirely following the rules when it comes to text messaging. So something like this does have value.
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A friend of mine just forwarded to me Edmunds entire Webinar presentation to dealers. This is the one they share with dealers to close the sale. Laughed so hard that coffee snorted of my nose reading the fabrication and fantasy.... I will use pieces of it in my public speeches now.
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I am amused that Edmunds so self-righteously tries to say they are the dealers' friends when , all the while; they continue to trash you and continue to make sure anti-dealer propaganda stays at the top of the page on Google. How could anyone read what they do and stiil not realize how evil these people are to those of us in the industry.
I am amazed that anyone would ever trust these people with anything.
Edmunds Reps attack us online and then say "Don't Run, We Are Your Friends."
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Comment by Jeremy Lewis on May 13, 2015 at 9:05pm -
Many dealers would be shocked if they ran a report to see who was getting info from theri DMS. I know that is not the topic here but anytime I can remind someone to check I will!
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Matt Saxe, it is not the DMS we're most concerned about, but rather the actual texts.... and the perceived untrustworthiness of Edmunds in the eyes of many dealers. This particular issue has nothing to do with DMS Data theft (which, considering their moral value, I would also watch Edmunds) BUT: instead this issue is the content of the text messages between dealer and customers possibily being intercepted and pilfered by Edmunds.
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