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Chris Cachor · Nov 12, 2024

Hard to tell at the industry level. With auto's he's proposed making interest tax deductible. You'll likely see rates lowered, but I think long run neutral rate will still be around 3%. I do think he'll bring back confidence to the consumer, though, through strong employment numbers.

I think the main theme of his administration will be major cuts to government spending and headcount. They're going after the administrative state. This will probably become the largest period of de-regulation in decades. Corporate rates will be cut and I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of money repatriated at low rates. He's going to get this economy rocking and rolling IMO.

The biggest question marks are tariffs and deficit spending. I'm optimistic changes in government spending will be bullish for the dollar. But I'm also bearish in the sense there's some very strong headwinds geopolitically and fiscally. I think there's a low probability of a global debt crisis or bond market failure in the US still.

Last but not least, is how Trump will behave as a wartime POTUS. It's a pivotal time for sure.

Chris Cachor · Nov 12, 2024

Yea, NHTSA is great. There's also low cost options if you search on Rapid API Marketplace & Management Tools

[email protected] · Nov 11, 2024

Trade Pending support is looped in the email chain, but nothing appears to be happening to get it corrected. Not blaming Trade Pending, but I am tired of it. Need to find a better solution than ComplyNet.

[email protected] · Nov 11, 2024

Matthew Davis said:
Hit us up at [email protected] and our team here may be able to help, or at least advocate on your behalf.

Tallcool1 · Nov 11, 2024

Ryan Everson said:
NHTSA offers a free VIN decoder API:

Vehicle API

I second this.

It's free and does a good job with basic information.

Tallcool1 · Nov 11, 2024

To me, this is a very interesting post. I came to many of these conclusions a few years back. When it was time to build out the lead attribution and reporting in my CRM, I asked myself the same questions that are being discussed here.

Should I assume that the only value in a 3rd Party Marketplace is the actual lead?
Do I want my dealers/myself to draw this assumption?
Do I want to build a mini dashboard for these Marketplaces and therefore cause users/myself to never check CRM data against actual data?
Do I want my dealers/myself to trust this data to the degree that business decisions will be made based upon it?
Does this help anyone sell a car?

I decided against it. I can't build a better dashboard than the dashboard that each Marketplace already has. I can't access VDP Views, SRP Appearances, and most other data that is probably more valuable than the actual Lead Data.

I believe that less complexity is an improvement. Let the complexity live where it already lives and keep it there.

joe.pistell · Nov 11, 2024

What does a fail look like?

AutoMagic Labs AI photo analysis:

AD_4nXdxmGfKp6AVCL1hiqyqe8dYbLdnuZLLydhQgorno1Koxubn_YC_FUJtzN98jqCx19ukizLL2d_67J9c3NEcSCqYJULtl8d93NTty_e8gmwN6aTjApqW9VYWJckeThwzLZbKakTtfPq3wV-07oCnJnhRGAby

Does It Sell Cars? VERDICT: FAIL - HIGH PRIORITY

Technical Evidence:

Resolution Analysis:

Significant resolution issues in crucial areas
Front lighting signature (a key F-150 Lightning feature) lacks clarity
Wheel and tire details are muddy
Loss of detail in dark blue paint finish
Front grille detail is not crisp enough for this flagship EV model

Image Quality Issues:

Harsh midday lighting creating unwanted reflections
Shadow areas lack detail
Background integration is poor
Dealership reflection in vehicle's paint is distracting
Blue paint appears flat rather than premium
Poor contrast management

Visual Harmony Assessment:

Vehicle placement against dealership background is awkward
Lighting angle doesn't complement vehicle's design
Template integration shows obvious quality mismatches
Ground shadow is inconsistent with lighting

Priority Level for Reshooting: URGENT
Justification: This is the Ford F-150 Lightning, an revolutionary all-electric truck with a $70,000+ price point. Current image quality severely undermines the vehicle's market position.

BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT: SIGNIFICANT BUSINESS DISADVANTAGE

Reasoning:

F-150 Lightning represents Ford's technological flagship
Early adopters and EV buyers are typically detail-oriented and tech-savvy
This demographic expects premium presentation
Competing EV brands (Tesla, Rivian) set very high standards for vehicle photography
Poor photo quality may suggest lack of understanding of the EV market
High-consideration purchase requires excellent online presence

Recommendations:

Immediate professional reshoot required with:
- Controlled lighting environment
- Dawn/dusk timing for better light
- Emphasis on distinctive Lightning features (front light bar, closed grille)
- Multiple angles highlighting charging port and frunk
- Higher resolution camera equipment
- Professional post-processing

joe.pistell · Nov 11, 2024

joe.pistell said:
D.I.S.C.? ---> Pics = #1.
(Does It Sell Cars)

AutoMagic Labs AI photo analysis:

AD_4nXcMRRASFZ9OHGYmNP11wY7Mp1CmhCI6DuBYxHfZ9HtVjzovkZSc4qrtF6WRvsuggwjvJVFGT3-DUPtRSMqpjbJIu5UNOB9ko9Tar5zNLptcIF-kFpCEBT2AJ84FNRJgy8UcJdaL0a2uz55rxUCDTr5dMKj5

Does It Sell Cars? VERDICT: YES. PASSES WITH DISTINCTION

Technical Evidence:

Resolution Analysis:

Exceptional detail clarity in signature elements
Crystal clear grille detail
Sharp headlight assembly definition
Excellent wheel/tire detail visibility
Z71 badge clearly visible
Chrome trim perfectly rendered

Image Quality Issues:

Professional indoor lighting setup
Perfect exposure control
Rich detail in dark paint
No distracting reflections
Clean background presentation
Excellent highlight management on chrome
Consistent shadow detail

Visual Harmony Assessment:

Strong composition with feature banner
Professional studio-like environment
Clean white brick background
Proper vehicle angle showing key features
Professional header/footer branding
Smart use of gold/yellow accent bars

Priority Level for Reshooting: NONE
This is a reference-quality dealer photograph that exceeds industry standards.

BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT: STRONG BUSINESS ADVANTAGE

Reasoning:

Perfect for target market (diesel/off-road truck buyers)
Key features prominently displayed in header
Professional presentation suggests serious dealer
High-quality imaging matches vehicle's premium position
Nationwide shipping call-out supports online sales
Detail quality supports remote buying confidence

Specific Strengths:

Marketing Integration:
- Smart feature callout banner (Diesel/Z71/Leather)
- Clear dealer branding
- Effective nationwide shipping message
Technical Excellence:
- Lighting highlights premium features
- Perfect angle shows off Z71 stance
- Chrome detail perfectly captured
- Tire tread detail visible
- Paint finish shows depth and quality
Buyer Psychology:
- Projects confidence and professionalism
- Supports long-distance purchase decisions
- Meets expectations of demanding truck buyers
- Shows attention to detail that suggests good dealer service

This image represents best practices in automotive photography and dealer marketing integration. It would effectively support both local and nationwide sales efforts.

and Josh Cole wonders why I always send him texts

#Respect

todd.smith · Nov 9, 2024

The conversation around automotive retail data always seems to focus on adding more layers – more software, more integration, more complexity. But what if we're thinking about it backward?

Instead of building bigger silos or fancier bridges between them, what if the future is actually about decentralization? Picture a system where data lives and updates wherever it naturally occurs, but stays connected through a real-time verification network. Each piece of information would maintain its independence while contributing to a larger, validated ecosystem.

The key insight here isn't about consolidating everything into one massive database – it's about creating a framework where data can be trusted because it's constantly being verified against multiple real-world touchpoints. When a customer shows up in service, makes a payment, or interacts with your dealership in any way, that interaction automatically validates and updates their information across the network.

This isn't just theoretical – the technology exists today to maintain data accuracy through distributed validation rather than centralized control. Think blockchain principles applied to customer data: every interaction becomes a verification point, building a web of trust rather than a tower of assumptions.

The beauty of this approach is that it works with human nature rather than against it. Instead of forcing everyone to be perfect data entry clerks, the system naturally cleanses and validates information through actual customer interactions. Bad data gets filtered out because it can't survive real-world verification.

This might be the paradigm shift we've been waiting for in automotive retail data management – not bigger databases, but smarter networks.

joe.pistell · Nov 9, 2024

My Developer liked GPT 4.o. I pointed him to Claude 3.5, next morning he slacked me:

"Man. Claude 3.5 really helped me out. In the pre-ai days this would have taken me a week. I was able to make this in about 4 hours"

jscole86 · Nov 8, 2024

Jon Singo said:
This is a great point. Systems are only as good as the data entered into them. If you have poor data practices with a CRM, your shiny new CDP is going to suffer a similar fate. Garbage in, garbage out.

Anyone working on a system to automatically clean up CRM/CDPs using PII publicly available, matching to what you have entered in the platform? Is that even feasible?

I actually just had a call this morning with Authenticom, about cleaning up the DMS and CRM (DealerTrack DMS / Vinsolutions). They have the ability to do all of that. The issue I'm working on is how I get the updated info back into the DMS and CRM. We don't have a CDP.

Viracocha · Nov 8, 2024

Anyone have any recommendations for a reliable easy to call vin decoder? Really only looking for simplest part of the decode , ymm. Hopefully no minimum commitment and wholly transaction based API.
I haven't looked in a few years, and google shows me a lot of choices.

Viracocha · Nov 8, 2024

Interesting thread Alex, i started down this rabbit hole a decade ago with our wholesale auction. I am in total agreement that this would be a game changer. My largest hurdle was not in generating the lists of items requiring ratings, it was getting the dealership to adhere to it. I gave up 6 months in as it felt like I was pushing water up a hill, but as time moves on, AI and image recognition improves I could see this becoming realistic in the near future

joe.pistell · Nov 6, 2024

Damn nice photo work @BillKVMotorCo & @Will G.

DIISC? Hell yea!

csabatka1 · Nov 5, 2024

Greg_Gifford said:
ok man - I don't have the energy to continue to argue about this. WRS is Google's Web Rendering Service, and the text you literally cut-and-pasted into the thread says Google doesn't store local/session data across page loads... which means that if a popup is fired, and then the site is crawled/rendered again later, none of the local/session data is stored, so the page loads "fresh" - so I'm struggling to see how that supports your point?

The fact is this: you cannot launch code from a cookie. You cannot launch code from session storage that wasn't on the page when it loaded.

Google renders code - so it sees the code

Plus - no matter how much dealers love popups, customers hate them too. so there's zero reason to use them.

You're not following the logic on how and when the popup code is triggered. The script onpage load, must detect a local/session/cookie is stored from previous page load before it fires the popup script.

The code I provided above does just that. Below is simplied version.
1. Page 1 loads, Sets a session/local/cookie.
2. Page 2 loads and sees if that session/local/cookie exists, since GoogleBot doesn't save that local/session/cookie data across page loads, the conditional if statement is not met and the popup isn't rendered.

if (dataForPopup) will never be true for a GoogleBot, so the code within the if statement will never execute.

JavaScript:

$(document).ready(function() {
    let dataForPopup = sessionStorage.getItem('data'); 
        if (dataForPopup) {
               // open popup Googlebot cannot store session storage so this isn't performed.
        }
    sessionStorage.setItem('data', 'dataArr');
});

csabatka1 · Nov 5, 2024

Greg_Gifford said:
cracks me up how you think ChatGPT is smarter than Google...

Straight from Google.

Don't rely on data persistence to serve content.
WRS loads each URL (refer to How Google Search Works for an overview of how Google discovers content), following server and client redirects, same as a regular browser. However, WRS does not retain state across page loads:
- Local Storage and Session Storage data are cleared across page loads.
- HTTP Cookies are cleared across page loads.

Fix Search-Related JavaScript Problems | Google Search Central | Documentation | Google for Developers

Read this guide to learn how you can identify and fix Search-related JavaScript problems that may be blocking your page or content from Google Search.

developers.google.com

flosho · Nov 5, 2024

This stuff is just basic inspection related stuff.

In Wisconsin there is a required inspection and legal requirements for things like tires or damaged frame and such.

jscole86 · Nov 5, 2024

Ryan Everson said:
Yeah it looks like TrueCar now simply notifies you that they use cookies, but doesn't ask for consent, so still less extreme than ComplyAuto's banner. I'm guessing being based in California might be a factor.

If you don't mind sharing, how does Garber handle this part of the Safeguards rule?

csabatka1 · Nov 5, 2024

Greg_Gifford said:
you really shouldn't trust chatGPT on stuff like this...

you can't execute site code with a cookie... or session storage. they are data saving elements, not rendering/execution elements...

you can set in session storage that a popup has already been executed and closed, so it won't display again - but that's just storing a temporary value in session storage, not the actual code of the popup.

Absolutely you can. Set session storage, see if it exists, if so perform popup. If not do noting.

Example script initial visit.

JavaScript:

$(document).ready(function() {
 
sessionStorage.setItem('data', 'dataArr');
});

Example call. From 2nd page or returning visit.

JavaScript:

$(document).ready(function() {
    let dataForPopup = sessionStorage.getItem('data')
    if (dataForPopup) {
        // open popup Googlebot cannot store session storage so this isn't performed.
    }

});

Edit: fix shortcode formatting errors.

csabatka1 · Nov 5, 2024

Greg_Gifford said:
actually, it doesn't matter how you display it - Google renders pages when they're crawled, it's super easy to determine if it's legitimately a privacy/age popup or a marketing one...

Googlebot is stateless, meaning it can't render prior saved cookies or session storage. Display the pop-up via cookie or session storage, Googlebot cannot render it.

joe.pistell · Nov 5, 2024

Alex Snyder said:
both keys

owners manual

service records

Clean CarFax

etc.

CarFax Employees, pass this thread to your product manager

Alex Snyder · Nov 5, 2024

It is an exciting time for data in the car biz. Franchised dealerships finally have viable DMS options! It isn't just the CDK/ReyRey show anymore.

With this in mind, it is time to get to know the other options better. Dominion reached out to DealerRefresh to help our community better understand what they are doing. We plan to host them on RefreshFriday early next year and in preparation, I'm curious how many of your stores have demoed the Dominion DMS? If so, what did you think?

joe.pistell · Nov 4, 2024

Alex Snyder said:
Care to do the points of a Kamala win?

We all know that Trump will go full rogue if he does not win.
#GoodbyeDemocracy

Then, buy stocks in

The Military Industrial Complex.
Big Pharma
Big Tech: Apple, Google, Meta, etc (the NSA needs to watch us)
$MSOS (the weed ETF)
US Oil production gets shut down, US Crude goes up $WTI (West Texas Intermediate Oil ETF)

The old school owns Kamala. The old school needs to die.
(p.s. Old School hates Crypto)

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