Reply to thread

My own personal opinion is about Cox Automotive more than just Autotrader.  I am a great admirer of Manheim Auctions.  Anything that has to do with auto wholesale is all right with me.  I have been a great booster of vAuto when it emerged as a player.  Dale Pollak wasn't visionary, he merely saw what was going on, articulated it well, and executed a great plan for dealing with the evolution of the used car business.  He introduced the concept of efficient markets as he saw it applying to the used vehicle business but didn't take it all the way to disintermediation, something he left out on purpose or didn't think applied.  You'd have to ask him.  Now vAuto thinks dealers should pay them to price their entire new vehicle inventory at a discount, or "market based" pricing as they call it.  Yup, you pay them to give away your gross profit on new vehicles.  In my mind, there must have been pressure from Cox to produce a new revenue stream.  And this is it.  Its been a big credibility loser for me.

Dealers are their own worst enemy.  And they are often suckers for those who don't have their best interests at heart.