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August 24, 2009 -- Earlier this spring, DealerPeak, a Portland Oregon company, piloted a revolutionary product called WideStorm that allows consumers and auto dealers to negotiate the car buying transaction entirely on-line. Dealers like Frank Myers Auto Maxx in Winston Salem, NC who have signed up for WideStorm can now allow shoppers that visit their dealership website to negotiate price, payments, financing terms and even trade values all on-line. When the dealer and the consumer agree on the terms of the transaction, the buyer simply comes in to the dealership to sign the paperwork and pick up their new vehicle. One of the tenets of the program is that it is "Risk Free". This means that if for any reason the vehicle does not meet the buyer's expectations, they are under no obligation to complete the purchase."This is an idea that is being driven by the consumer. Most consumers have had a frustrating experience when they've purchased their last few vehicles. Today there is too much stress and wasted time in the car buying process. On-line negotiation eliminates most all of that."
The program is now in full swing with outstanding results. DealerPeak President, Jock Schowalter commented "This is an idea that is being driven by the consumer. Most consumers have had a frustrating experience when they've purchased their last few vehicles. Today there is too much stress and wasted time in the car buying process. On-line negotiation eliminates most all of that." Schowalter went on to state "At first we didn't know if consumers and especially Dealers would embrace on-line negotiation, but we quickly affirmed that negotiating on-line is a win-win for everyone. The dealers are seeing more leads come through their websites and are saving as much time as the consumer. They are also finding they make pretty much the same profit on the negotiation deals as they do on traditional showroom deals, which was an initial concern."
It's no wonder that General Motors (NYSE: GM) and eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) are piloting a car-selling partnership where consumers will be able to browse cars offered by GM and either buy them at a fixed price or make an offer and haggle. While WideStorm is the first program specifically for dealers, the GM initiative validates the opportunity to capture more buyers by providing a platform to negotiate on-line.
So far approximately 30 dealerships have signed up with WideStorm On-line Negotiation including such prominent groups as Frank Myers Automotive, Ron Tonkin Automotive Group, Dick Hannah Automotive Group and select Penske Automotive stores. DealerPeak is also in discussions with major Manufacturers about the on-line negotiation system. Forward looking dealerships see online negotiation as a way to provide a better buying experience and keep customers coming through the door when programs like Cash for Clunkers run out of gas.
DealerPeak is headquartered in Portland, Oregon and has hundreds of dealer clients throughout the United States. DealerPeak solutions include WideStorm On-line Negotiation, CRM, Websites, Desking, Digital Marketing and Transactional Websites that work seamlessly on a unified Web-based platform. This allows their dealers to reduce the number of vendors they deal with and drive cost out of their business.
About Frank Myers Auto Maxx: The original Frank Myers Store was started more than 83 years ago by Frank Myers, the Great-Grandfather of the current owner Tracy Myers and the Grandfather of the previous owner, Franklin Myers. Tracy has spent the past 15+ years trying to change the landscape of the car business and the bruised reputation of car salespeople all over the country. Tracy was one of the first 100 Certified Master Dealers in the Nation, a NIADA Eagle Award Winner and was the youngest recipient ever to be honored with the highest available distinction in the used car industry...the National Quality Dealer award. Frank Myers Auto Maxx was recently recognized as one of the Top 28 Independent Automotive Retailers in the United States by Auto Dealer Monthly Magazine, one of the Top 10 Internet Auto Retailers in the Nation & one of the Top 3 dealerships to work for in the country by The Dealer Business Journal. Tracy is also the Co-Creator of the world famous "Everybody Rides" program and author of the best selling book "Car Buying Secrets Exposed: The Dirty Little Secrets of a Used Car Dealer", available at Amazon.com and better bookstores. He is a Christian Business Owner whose goal is to run his business "By the Book". http://www.frankmyersauto.com/
