FTC AMA or ATA... ask Tom Kline anything about the FTC

[tomkline]

I guess you really didn't answer any of my questions. I am not trying to put you on the spot here (although it may seem as if I am).

I want to know what your opinions are. I understand in your profession you don't really get paid for your opinion. That doesn't mean you don't have opinions. You know more about this than anyone I know.

So my question @tomkline , what do you tell your dealers when they argue with you about why they want to ignore the rules? Do you believe the enforcement of the rules is a net positive for the consumer? Do you feel this is needed or warranted enforcement? Do you think us dealers went too far? I value your opinion more than you likely understand. I want to know what your feelings are about this, not your interpretation of the enforcement.

From my perspective, I think it is both good for the business and the consumer. Anything that reduces friction in the process is a net positive for both.

My job is to give the dealer the information. It's his business and up to him what he/she wants to do with the information.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Bill, the pricing must be consistent throughout. It will take some time for you to iron this out. Consider mystery shopping yourself so you can look at it from a customer's perspective.

65% of the 97 dealerships who had received the letter have between 1-5 dealerships. This is an issue for all dealers, big and small.

Some dealers are dragging their feet here. You will hear more from the FTC on this, I promise.

WideWail ran an analysis on those 97 dealers and some interesting statistics came about. Worth checking out...

REV #067: You Don't Need an FTC Warning Letter to See This

Emily Keenan from Widewail breaks down the FTC's March warning letters to 97 dealers and reveals that the advertising violations they were flagged for were already visible in public Google review data — no subpoenas or federal databases required. By matching flagged dealers against Widewail's...

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