Reply to thread

It seems like AT & Cars.com have skyrocketed their prices, particularly since newspaper advertising has plummeted.  Could be a case of diminishing returns. Still, when consumers are looking for a used vehicle, they go to the site(s) where they can comparison shop for the best car at the best price.  In my area, that means Autotrader.com or Cars.com. 

Here are some fundamental reasons why a dealership's advertising efforts may be failing:  Lack of immediate response to prospects phone calls or emails;  Lack of a competitive price; Bad or missing photographs.  Buyers are impatient.  If they don't get an immediate response from you, they will start calling or emailing your competition.  All else being equal, shoppers will give preference to vehicles with good pics - bad or missing pics indicate in the mind of the shopper that you're trying to hide the condition of the vehicle.  If you don't have a price, they will either be irritated that the price is excluded, or they will assume the price is too high. 

Regarding KBB, they're still thought of as a automotive pricing site, not a shopping site.

New cars are another matter - I don't think customers in general shop for new vehicles on AT or Cars.com.