I'm Angry and Need to GRIPE!

A dealer's social media vendor is holding the dealership's Facebook page hostage by refusing to return admin credentials after the dealer cancelled the contract mid-term due to poor performance and an unauthorized employee signature. While responses suggest legal action or contacting Facebook directly could resolve the issue, the thread reveals broader industry frustration about contract terms and vendor practices, with participants debating whether the dealer or vendor bears more responsibility for the situation.

A dealer questions whether the $100k annual spend on AutoTrader and Cars.com is worthwhile when they generate minimal trackable results, and considers redirecting that budget to KBB or digital marketing alternatives. Responses reveal mixed opinions: some dealers report these platforms work well if inventory is optimized and competitively positioned, while others have dropped them with no noticeable sales impact, instead investing in SEO and PPC. The consensus suggests that effectiveness depends heavily on dealer execution, market conditions, and whether the dealership operates with a velocity-focused business model.

Jerry Thibeau documents evidence that TrueCar appears to be selling consumer leads to third-party lead providers (Autobytel, Dealix, Edmunds, KBB) after initially submitting them to TrueCar dealers, with leads sometimes being mismatched to different vehicle types and competitors. The thread reveals that TrueCar dealers are receiving non-exclusive leads while the company simultaneously funnels the same customer data to competing lead generation services, particularly in markets where TrueCar has no dealer partners. Multiple dealers confirm experiencing the same issue, with one user receiving a call from an out-of-state dealer and then immediately getting contacted by a Dealix lead from his own dealership for the same inquiry.

Mitchell Brenner reports a sharp decline in leads and traffic from Cars.com and Autotrader despite optimizing his listings with quality photos, video, and competitive pricing, prompting other dealers to share similar concerns about declining performance from these platforms. Responses reveal mixed experiences—some dealers attribute drops to platform-wide traffic issues or market conditions, while others suggest the problem may be dealer-specific (call-to-action taglines, inventory quality) or caused by competitors saturating their markets with better optimization. The consensus insight is that dealers should request performance metrics (SRP and VDP data) from their reps to benchmark against competitors and determine whether the decline is market-wide or unique to their dealership.

Dealers frustrate over ZAG's business model, particularly its requirement to offer deeply discounted "special pricing" while competing against other dealers who undercut them, and concern that ZAG uses dealer pricing data against them while providing inconsistent ROI. While some dealers acknowledge value in accessing USAA and military customers, most agree ZAG exploits dealers by essentially paying them to advertise lower prices that customers then use to negotiate better deals elsewhere. The consensus is that dealers created this vendor problem by continually adopting services without enforcing accountability, and should either demand ZAG enforce its own pricing rules or drop the service entirely.

Dealers discuss how modern consumers are becoming increasingly "surgical shoppers"—doing extensive online research (averaging 18-19 hours) before visiting a dealership, resulting in declining showroom traffic even as sales remain steady. The core insight is that this shift reflects fundamental changes in consumer behavior driven by internet proliferation and post-2008 financial caution, rather than any revolutionary impact from social media, which participants argue has always influenced retail through word-of-mouth. The thread emphasizes that dealers must optimize both their online and in-showroom experiences to meet buyers who arrive mentally committed to their purchase and seeking efficiency.

A dealer experiencing a significant drop in phone calls after switching tracking software providers in June seeks advice on whether using different tracking numbers across multiple platforms (website, Google Places, AutoTrader, Facebook, Craigslist, etc.) is harming their SEO and Google local search rankings. The thread reveals conflicting perspectives: some users warn that tracking numbers violate Google's guidelines and may reduce local search visibility by creating NAP (Name, Address, Phone) inconsistencies across citations, while others report successfully using tracking numbers without apparent negative effects, suggesting the actual impact remains unclear despite Google's official stance against redirect numbers.

Dealers discuss a 2011 survey showing that 58% of consumer objections stem from affordability and financing issues rather than inventory, while separately debating the operational challenges of managing internet leads. The thread reveals significant disagreement about survey methodology and sample size, with participants arguing that responses differ dramatically based on job title, and that Internet/BDC Directors would report different priorities than senior management. The key insight is that dealerships struggling with internet ROI often lack proper lead management systems and senior management buy-in—one Honda dealer's solution of dedicating two full-time internet managers to handle 600 leads per month doubled sales by ensuring timely follow-up, suggesting that operational discipline rather than marketing spend is the critical factor.

A dealer reports that a competing Ford store has created multiple fake Google Places accounts for the same physical address and seeks advice on how to report and penalize them. Respondents suggest using Google's official spam reporting feature and contacting [email protected], though one experienced user expresses skepticism that Google will take meaningful action unless the violation involves serious spam or legal issues.

Dealers are criticized for making reactive, month-to-month advertising budget cuts based on short-term sales fluctuations rather than maintaining consistent, long-term marketing strategies—a practice that contradicts how major corporations like Coca-Cola operate. Participants argue this flawed approach stems from poor leadership training and managers using reactive "survival techniques" rather than strategic thinking, with one commenter suggesting that restructuring sales compensation plans is key to shifting dealer mindsets from tactical firefighting to strategic planning.

Automotive dealers are frustrated with KBB.com's redesigned website, finding it cluttered and difficult to navigate despite its "focus group" optimization—the homepage appears simple but buried tabs, excessive ads, and a lead-submission focus make it cumbersome for both salespeople and consumers to find basic information like vehicle valuations. Multiple users report the redesign has slowed their workflows and reduced usability, with one manager unable to complete a trade-in valuation after multiple clicks. The consensus is that KBB overengineered the site by trying to cram too much content in, and would benefit from A/B testing focused on actual user outcomes like time-on-site and repeat visits rather than page views.

Mitch Gallant struggled for weeks to get DealerRater reviews syncing with his Google Places listing, but discovered the solution was ensuring his Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) matched exactly across both platforms—a common data synchronization issue that other dealers also experienced. After correcting the NAP information, reviews appeared on his Google listing within two weeks, demonstrating that Google's scraping algorithm requires perfect data consistency rather than any manual "roll-up" process. The thread provides practical troubleshooting guidance for dealers facing similar review syndication problems and validates that patience and NAP accuracy are key to successful integration.

Mitch Gallant seeks reliable Canadian data sources for two business needs: comprehensive maintenance schedules across all vehicle makes and models to drive service department traffic, and current manufacturer incentives and rates for website updates. Ryan Thompson recommends Autodata Solutions, but Mitch reports difficulty reaching them and suspects they primarily serve OEMs rather than independent dealers. The thread remains unresolved, with Mitch looking for a responsive Autodata contact who will actively pursue his business.

A dealer uses sports analogies to argue that it's easy to criticize major business decisions (like trades or personnel moves) from the sidelines without understanding the full context or reasoning behind them. The post suggests that fans—and by extension, business observers—often second-guess decisions that turned out positively despite seeming questionable at the time. A commenter agrees with the point but asks how one would actually distinguish between uninformed criticism and legitimate negotiation insights.

A dealer asks for feedback on using bankruptcy lists as a source for direct mail marketing campaigns. The post seeks practical experience from other industry professionals on the effectiveness of this lead-generation strategy.

GM dealers are discussing their experiences with the mandatory Cobalt Digital Ad Package (DAP), a $3,000/month program, with widespread dissatisfaction about poor ROI, outdated website design, and lack of manufacturer support. Most respondents are using Cobalt as a secondary site while preferring dealer.com for primary digital presence, and several question whether the PPC advertising spend yields better results than self-managed campaigns. The consensus is that while the Cobalt website platform itself is functional, the digital advertising program appears overpriced and underperforming compared to alternatives.

A dealer consultant reports receiving a 60-65% price increase notification from Cars.com for a renewal package, jumping from $1,500 to $2,375, with the added value primarily consisting of online reviews and video that the dealer claims were previously provided free. Other users question whether the increase is standard, and a Cars.com representative (Alex Vetter) responds by inviting direct discussion, noting that contract renewals typically include new features like chat, reviews, mobile, reporting upgrades, and video. The key insight is that Cars.com's aggressive pricing strategy during renewal—especially for dealers with inventory near tier thresholds—has become a frustration point in the industry.

Anirban warns dealers about Google's anticipated algorithmic improvements in Q1 2011 that will better detect "cloaking" — the deceptive practice of showing different content to search engines versus users. The post explains that Google will crack down harder on this black-hat SEO tactic, which could result in sites being removed from search results entirely. The key takeaway is that dealers relying on cloaking techniques should stop immediately, as Google's detection capabilities are improving.

Ryan Thompson asks for recommendations on how to screencast (record video of the screen) on his new BlackBerry Torch, having previously used Jing for screencasts. The thread discusses various options including static screenshots via built-in features or apps like Jiffy Screenshot, as well as Mobiola Screen Capture, which enables video recording by connecting the BlackBerry to a PC. The key takeaway is that true screencasting on mobile devices at that time had limited native options and typically required third-party software or workarounds.

Brian Pasch warns automotive dealers about Car Dealer Check (CarDealerCheck.com), a review listing site that heavily monetizes dealership pages with Google AdSense ads, potentially undermining the credibility of negative reviews posted there. His concern centers on the site's organic search optimization for dealership names combined with aggressive ad placement, which appears designed to profit from dealer reputation management rather than provide genuine review value. The thread alerts dealers to be cautious about this platform's negative POD (point-of-sale) score listings given its obvious profit motive from ad revenue.

Dealers on DealerRefresh criticized CarGurus for publishing a blog post that stereotyped dealers as cheaters and deceptive, arguing the characterization is outdated and undermines an industry working toward greater transparency and integrity. The thread escalated into broader complaints about how inventory listing sites and vendors profit from anti-dealer sentiment while dealers provide them with traffic and data. CarGurus' CEO ultimately responded by acknowledging the blog post's inappropriate tone and committing to revise it and enforce more balanced editorial standards going forward.

eBay Motors National announced a pricing increase effective March 30, 2010, raising insertion fees from $25 to $50 and 21-day listing fees from $25 to $32, prompting Matt DoCampo to ask fellow dealers whether they would reduce listings, drop eBay entirely, or reallocate budget elsewhere. Responses were mixed: while some dealers found the new fees prohibitively expensive (one calculated $500+ for ten 7-day listings), others like Matt reported continued success with the platform at both his current and previous dealerships, and some explored alternatives like HomeNet's pay-per-lead eBay local program. The thread reveals dealers struggling to evaluate the ROI of eBay Motors under the new fee structure, with no clear consensus on the best course of action.