Richard_Lloyd said:

Can you manually selcect the vehicles you send them to keep the feed under that 75 unit threshold?

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You can manually remove specific vehicles in DealerDash, but you can’t add them back yourself without emailing support.

So yes, you could keep the live count under 75, but rotating inventory would become a hassle. Before doing that, I’d still get Cars.com to confirm in writing that the pricing tier is based on active published units, not total feed count, contracted inventory, or peak inventory.

Richard_Lloyd said:

Can you manually selcect the vehicles you send them to keep the feed under that 75 unit threshold?

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I do this for my clients, a delightfully simple export algo.

1. Export all non-brand VINs from day one.
2. Any remaining slots, export your oldest in-brand VINs until you hit your max.

A tip from your ol' Uncle Joe
• ex-Head of Marketplace @ Cars.com

The ticket for a vendor employee to attend is $3500 and that's not with a booth - feels steep.

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That's a shakedown!

craigh said:

The ticket for a vendor employee to attend is $3500 and that's not with a booth - feels steep.

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That’s nuts

Ryan Everson said:

The exhibitor floor plan still looks a little empty too, so I would definitely be negotiating for a discount if you do choose to attend!

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The ticket for a vendor employee to attend is $3500 and that's not with a booth - feels steep.

Ryan Everson said:

I had to do a double take. For a second there, I thought @Dan Sayer was the one giving the GoTo Connect demo

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I mean, Taylor's a good looking dude so I can see the confusion!

As for GoTo, I think they’re a company worth watching.

Like every vendor at NADA, there were some pretty ambitious promises made at their booth this year. In fairness, I think Sales got a little ahead of where Product actually was in Q1 and even into Q2. That’s not uncommon in our industry, but it did create some disconnect during my evaluations after NADA.

The strategy itself makes a lot of sense, though. Historically, I viewed GoTo primarily as a PBX provider. About three years ago, when I led a group-wide phone system evaluation, they were near the top of my list. The challenge at the time was that I’d still have needed a separate call tracking platform (CallRevu, CallSource, etc.) plus an integration partner like PurpleCloud to bridge SMS into DriveCentric. We ultimately selected TotalCX because it gave us PBX, tracking, and a native DriveCentric integration in one package. Either way, I saved the group $200,000 annually over a legacy Momentum Telecom agreement! Check your phone invoices people!

Fast forward a couple of years, TotalCX PBX and Tracking became part of CallRevu, we migrated onto their tracking platform, and today we’re a CallRevu customer. To their credit, they honored our legacy TotalCX pricing, which ended up being substantially better than current retail pricing.

After NADA this year, our owner came back excited about what GoTo was pitching around consolidating the entire communications stack. Frankly, I think that’s exactly where the industry is heading. PBX, call tracking, SMS, AI coaching, reporting, CRM integrations… dealers don’t want to stitch together five different vendors anymore if one platform can legitimately do it well.

When I dug deeper, though, I found some of the capabilities weren’t quite production-ready yet. The new tracking platform, the CRM integrations, and some of the SMS functionality were still maturing, and there seemed to be some differences between what GoTo was communicating and what DriveCentric understood was currently supported.

One thing I will absolutely give GoTo credit for: once Jeff Cook, their Director of Product, became involved, things moved quickly. He was responsive, transparent, and several items I had raised started getting addressed. That gave me confidence they’re listening to dealers.

At the time, however, I wasn’t interested in being an early adopter for something as mission-critical as our communications platform (especially around TCPA). When you’re supporting multiple rooftops, “should work” isn’t quite enough.

That said, GoTo remains on my Q3 review list. I want to revisit the platform, verify the current state of the direct DriveCentric integrations, confirm the tracking and SMS capabilities have matured, and see how the overall platform has progressed. If they’ve closed the gaps from earlier this year, I think they’ll deserve another serious look.

On the other side, CallRevu has been a solid partner for us. Their reporting and tracking continue to be strong, their AI call coaching tools are not bad, and we’ve generally had a positive experience. My biggest criticisms today are more around the user experience. The PBX interface is still the old InteractiveTel dashboard, and the mobile app has been frustrating-particularly for our Android users. I’d also like to see more consistency around SMS security and opt-in/opt-out compliance as the regulatory landscape continues to evolve.

One thing I don’t think gets discussed enough is UX/UI. Dealers spend hours every day inside these systems, and that matters. GoTo’s interface is genuinely one of the better ones I’ve seen. If they can pair that user experience with a mature, reliable feature set that stacks, they’ll be an extremely compelling platform.

It’s encouraging to see real competition in this space because it pushes everyone to improve. As dealers, we’re ultimately the beneficiaries when vendors are forced to innovate instead of simply maintaining the status quo. Thanks for posting the review demo!

Dan Sayer said:

Don't forget Site Referrals... @carmart.mustafa shoot me a DM and I can walk you through a couple of things.

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You should ABSOLUTELY take Dan up on that offer. You're guaranteed to learn something from him!

It's been almost 18 years since I worked for Cars. Rate increase month used to be March.

One of my best dealers let me take him to lunch the last week in Feb. We laughed, we talked about the store's performance and goals, we talked about his family... You see, I'd spent hours in his office learning from him that year. He was gracious with his time, he answered all of my questions, even the truly stupid ones. He let me be a fly on the wall and I have him to credit for much of my base of knowledge and love of this business all these years later.

My first visit back in March was with the rate increase letter in hand. He didn't say a word, he didn't even look at me, he handed me a letter of his own and pointed at the door. His letter had one sentence and his signature. "This is your 30-day notice. Paul"

Why do we look back fondly at what could be described as psychological warfare?

Happy Friday and Good Luck!

I love an analogy.

You take a stranger to a fishing tournament. You drive them there, you pay their entry fee, they sit in your boat, they use your pole, they drink your beer, they use your lures, they catch a fish, they win the tournament, they send you a Venmo request for the pleasure of their company...

If that stranger wasn't fishing where YOU were fishing, from YOUR boat, with YOUR pole, using YOUR lures, that fish would have been yours.

In VLA, the third parties ARE your competitors in a fishing tournament. Don't let your competitors fish with YOUR lures.

-----

I am not anti-3rd party. They have a place in the marketing mix, but this is a hill I'll defend.

The equitable exchange of value that a 3rd party offers to a dealer is their brand recognition, traditional marketing scale, and national audience for unique and specialty units. They are a liability to the dealer whose inventory they are using in VLA.

KennySmithAutoUnite said:

I would push back on that.

Cars.com can be a good source, but I would not let them justify an increase just because your cost per lead is low.

If your CPL is $5, that usually means your cars are priced right, your photos are good, your inventory is desirable, and your team is handling the opportunities. That is not automatically a reason for the vendor to raise your bill.

I would ask them for the full breakdown:

VDP views
SRP views
Calls
Emails
Chats
Appointments
Shows
Sold units
Cost per sold
Lead quality
Duplicate leads
What package you are on now
What changes at 75-plus cars
What extra value you get for the higher price

Cost per lead alone does not tell the whole story.

If the increase is because you crossed an inventory count or package tier, I would ask them to show that clearly in writing. If the increase is because your results are good, I would negotiate hard.

I would not cancel right away if it is working, but I would not accept a random increase either.

If they want more money, they need to show more value than “your CPL is better than other dealers.”

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Don't forget Site Referrals... @carmart.mustafa shoot me a DM and I can walk you through a couple of things.

This makes sense.

Price complaints being down does not mean affordability is fixed. It means customers are getting used to the new normal, or the deal is getting stretched far enough to make the payment work.

The pressure is still there, it just shows up somewhere else.

More negative equity. 84 month terms. Bigger payment sensitivity. More concern about what happens if the car breaks while they are still buried in the loan.

That is why the warranty piece stands out to me. The customer may accept the price today, but they are thinking about the next 5, 6, or 7 years.

At the desk, you can feel that shift. It is not just “can I buy this car today?” anymore. It is “can I live with this payment, this trade position, this 84 month term, and this risk?”

That is where a good desk and F&I process matters. If the customer understands the number, the trade, the payment, the term, and the protection options, the deal has a better chance of feeling right after they leave.

I would push back on that.

Cars.com can be a good source, but I would not let them justify an increase just because your cost per lead is low.

If your CPL is $5, that usually means your cars are priced right, your photos are good, your inventory is desirable, and your team is handling the opportunities. That is not automatically a reason for the vendor to raise your bill.

I would ask them for the full breakdown:

VDP views
SRP views
Calls
Emails
Chats
Appointments
Shows
Sold units
Cost per sold
Lead quality
Duplicate leads
What package you are on now
What changes at 75-plus cars
What extra value you get for the higher price

Cost per lead alone does not tell the whole story.

If the increase is because you crossed an inventory count or package tier, I would ask them to show that clearly in writing. If the increase is because your results are good, I would negotiate hard.

I would not cancel right away if it is working, but I would not accept a random increase either.

If they want more money, they need to show more value than “your CPL is better than other dealers.”

I would start with RouteOne and Dealertrack first, then keep pushing CUDL.

For lenders, I would try:

Capital One
Ally
TD Auto
Westlake
Lobel
Veros
CPS
Exeter
Santander
GLS
United Auto Credit
Credit Acceptance

For SoCal credit unions, I would call:

Kinecta
Wescom
Logix
SchoolsFirst
California Credit Union
Credit Union of Southern California
Orange County’s Credit Union
Southland Credit Union
Premier America
Patelco
Partners Federal

Ask for the indirect lending manager or dealer relationship manager. Do not just ask the branch.

The main question to ask is simple:

Do you work with smaller independent dealers directly, or only through CUDL?

I would also be careful with modified cars. Use clean-title regular inventory first when trying to get approved with new lenders. It will be easier for them to underwrite and easier for you to build the relationship.

This lines up with what I’m seeing too.

The cheap car is the hot car because it still moves. If a customer is staring at an $800 payment, a clean cheaper car starts looking real good fast.

Those cars can still be profitable for the store because they turn quick, and a lot of buyers in that price range are more realistic. They know it is not going to be perfect. Sometimes it is more of a DIY customer. They would rather buy affordable transportation and fix a few things themselves than jump into a payment that does not fit.

Private party can still be a good place to find those cars, but you have to be disciplined. I would want a tech to look it over before buying it. If the seller has legitimate warranty coverage and something can be repaired before the sale, even better. At least then you know what you are buying and you are not getting buried in recon after the fact.

That is the biggest thing. The car may look cheap until you add tires, brakes, detail, transport, inspection, and whatever else it needs.

I still like private party better than chasing everything at auction right now. Auction prices are still high, fees are high, and transport is not cheap either. If you can find a clean cheap car from a private seller and buy it right, that is still a good play.

Clean, affordable transportation is still the fight. The winner is whoever can find it, check it properly, and own it right.

This is where AI can really help a store, but it can also make things worse if nobody is watching it.

Speed matters. If a customer sends a lead and gets a real answer in a few minutes, that is a big advantage.

But stopping the clock is not the same as handling the customer.

If the customer asks about availability, payment, trade, rebates, packages, or out-the-door numbers, the response has to be tied to what the store can actually do. A generic answer might make the CRM look good, but it does not help the desk, the salesperson, or the customer.

To me, the best setup is AI helping the store, not replacing ownership.

Let AI help with speed, routing, summaries, basic questions, and making sure leads do not sit. But someone still has to own the customer, check the inventory, confirm the numbers, and make sure the answer matches reality.

The danger is not AI. The danger is the store thinking the lead was handled just because the system responded.

A good response should answer the question, move the customer forward, and give the sales team enough context to pick it up without starting over.

I think the real answer is yes, but only when the EV fits the customer’s actual life.

Some customers absolutely want electric vehicles. They have home charging, predictable driving, maybe a shorter commute, and they like the technology. For that buyer, an EV can make a lot of sense.

But the mistake is assuming every customer wants an EV just because the industry is pushing EVs.

Most customers still buy around payment, convenience, confidence, and how the vehicle fits their daily routine. If they live in an apartment, drive long distances, tow, travel often, do not have reliable charging, or are already stretched on payment, the EV conversation gets harder fast.

That does not mean they are anti-EV. It means the ownership story has to make sense.

I think hybrids prove that point. A lot of customers like the idea of better fuel economy and lower operating cost, but they do not always want the lifestyle adjustment that can come with a full EV. So they move toward the middle ground.

From a dealership standpoint, I would not treat EVs as a yes or no question. I would treat it as a fit question.

Can they charge at home?
How far do they drive daily?
What payment are they comfortable with?
Do they understand real-world range?
Are they buying, leasing, or just chasing incentives?
Will this vehicle still make sense for them two years from now?

If the answer lines up, great. Sell the EV.

If it does not, pushing the EV just creates a bad ownership experience and probably a bad survey later.

So yes, customers want EVs. But more than that, they want the right vehicle, the right payment, and confidence that it will actually work for their life.

My personal ranking would be:

1. VinSolutions
   Best overall for ease of use, reporting, cost/value, and actual salesperson adoption.
2. eLeads
   Still a solid option. A lot of dealers know it, and it can work well, but it depends heavily on setup, process, and whether the team actually follows the tasks.
3. DealerSocket
   Has its place, but I would put it behind VinSolutions and eLeads for day-to-day store usability.
4. Reynolds Contact Management
   Powerful in some ways, but too confusing and time consuming for the average sales floor in my opinion.
5. AVV Web Control
   If people are still using it, I would be looking to move. That would be at the bottom of my list.

For me, the best CRM is not the one with the most bells and whistles. It is the one your team will actually log into, work every day, and that gives managers clean visibility without wasting time.

carmart.mustafa said:

Hi everyone,

We have been using cars.com for a year. $1500 per month. Now, they say that because we have over 75+ cars, they want to increase to $2044. If I want to stay at the same package, it will cost $1799 now. %20 increasement for no reason. Reps says it is because our cost per lead is $5, and other dealerships are $40.

What I understand is because my cars are great, I am getting punished.

Is there anyone else have the same thing?

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We have since cancelled Cars, which kinda killed me a bit because I had the best relationship and most consistent performance with them over all others up till a couple years ago.

I have an exercise I used to do with them every price increase they proposed and I was typically successful in the logic. @carmart.mustafa what was your total Cars VDP count in April, May, and June at the $1,500 rate?

carmart.mustafa said:

they say that because we have over 75+ cars, they want to increase to $2044. If I want to stay at the same package, it will cost $1799 now. %20 increasement for no reason

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Did your inventory count go up?

p.s. reshoot this bad boy

carmart.mustafa said:

this is ridiculous isn't it? I mean they don't success, just because my car and photos better, maybe people click my cars?

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Their day in the inferno of disruption is coming.

carmart.mustafa said:

What I understand is because my cars are great, I am getting punished.

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Cars has adopted the CarGurus plan. Flex pricing based on your performance.