Comment

Comment by James A. Ziegler on January 25, 2012 at 7:56am

A Toyota Dealer Writes to me...

 Jim, Thanks for stepping up concerning not only Truecar but all these other Internet pirates  who have figured out a way to become car dealers without a franchise or any other of the costs involved in being a brick and mortar retailer.To me it is the electronic equivalent of just lurking around my dealership and greeting My customers when they arrive and then coming into the store with them under the pretense of protecting them from us in case we were going to try and make a profit.

They claim to have facilitated 235,000 car sales last year as if those cars wouldn't have been sold without them,and at least $299 per car ,they cost dealers over 70 million dollars in income.It seems that they find weak dealers who are incapable of selling cars in their own market and convince them by selling cars into everyone Else's at fire sale pricing that they will become more profitable.

I am a single point dealer who started as a car wash kid almost 50 years ago and have earned and built my store by the old fashioned way but I am not blind to the opportunities provided by the Internet and we use it everyday.

Paying these people a blackmail fee to keep them from directing my customers to a store who has "signed" up to be their delivery service is bullshit and then demanding customers proprietary information is just the tip of the iceberg.

Next they will be offering Financing services,extended warranty,certification for Pre-owned,and other sources of our income.I think the dealers that are signed up with these people should just add the 299 to the transaction price  and pay their sales staff what they have earned.

In many cases the customer will show up here with the "TrueCar Deal" anyway and we will match it if we have to and I won't be paying them a nickel but I am sure that just helping the customer will be enough of a reward to them.

First the Manufacturers should get enough balls to stand up for the guys that invested millions of dollars in facilities and improvements to service their products.Some of the manufacturers and dealers are convinced that this the new way and we had better get on the wagon or be left behind but I am a car guy, we are successful because we have spent years developing relationships with our customers and I am not going to pay the overhead for people that intercept my Internet customers and then demand payment from us for negotiating "No Profit" transactions.

The customer can research invoice cost on any car without the TrueCar and like companies.Take back your store and stand up for yourself and the income of the employees that have helped build your companies.

Dealer Name Withheld

Comment by Christopher Charles on January 25, 2012 at 12:16am

...too funny

Comment by James A. Ziegler on December 15, 2011 at 9:09am

Group 1 booting TrueCar, This is only the beginning, I predict in the next few days we will see several of A-Tier manufacturers, import and domestic, following the VW example and booting TrueCar ... next watch and see the relationship with USAA and AMEX deteriorate as consumer complaints stack up with the better business bureaus and government regulators possibly taking a deep look. Look for investors to run for cover as this deal turns sour. Just my opinion of course, I might be wrong...Let's see. 

Comment by Toby Fortenberry on December 12, 2011 at 11:14am

Great Job! Too Funny!

Comment by Brad Alexander on December 7, 2011 at 4:42pm

TRUECar is changing America by changing the way we buy cars.

Comment by Brad Alexander on December 6, 2011 at 11:25pm

@nancy- thanks for the love!

Comment by NANCY SIMMONS on December 6, 2011 at 7:22pm

This is fantastic Brad!!!! So much creativity...and Ugly Truth!!!

Comment by Brad Alexander on December 6, 2011 at 11:19am

Check out TRUECar's latest commercial... enlightening.