Does Autotrader think we're all oblivious?

Replies to This ADM Discussion

Permalink Reply by Philip Zelinger on November 20, 2009 at 3:31pm

They may not think that we are oblivious but they definitely think that we are dependent since for a long time we were; real or imagined. No worries, time and developing alternatives will prove them wrong. Think "Roman Empire!"

PS: Wait until http://ronsmap.com smacks them upside the head with the future! See you at NADA to show you how!

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Permalink Reply by Mitchell Brenner on November 20, 2009 at 3:51pm

I have been waiting about 6 years for them to get what they deserve!

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Permalink Reply by Philip Zelinger on November 20, 2009 at 4:02pm

Well, technically they did get what they deserved - and they will continue to do so. Remember, they earned their dominant position on the Internet by being one of the first and frankly one of the best sources for new sales on the Internet before the science and technology was acquired by the automotive advertising agencies, auto dealers and the vendors that service them and they priced their services accordingly. As is always the case in a free marketplace competitive alternative solutions observed their margins and markets and they provided - or in the case of ronsmap.com - will continue to provide superior products and services to erode their market share.

Of course ATC can and should adjust their business model accordingly but as of this post they still seem to be cashing their checks Frankly, based on my relationship with some new platforms being introduced in Q1 of 2010, I hope that they stay happy and complacent. I love having rich friends and maybe next year they will be able to say the same thing about me and mine!

After all, what are friends for.

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Permalink Reply by Stan Sher on November 20, 2009 at 7:57pm

This is part of the reason why we have not given them a shot yet. The other reason being they are way overpriced.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Moore on November 22, 2009 at 2:50pm

I wholeheartedly agree. As a customer, when I go looking for a certain vehicle, pre-owned or certified, I always make sure to change the sort order before I submit the query. I want to see the cheapest ones first, so when I get to the median price level, I know what to expect. If I'm searching for 2005 Ford Taurus sedans in gray or black, and I find some for $3000 and see they are well worn and have considerably more than 100K miles, I'm going to keep going down the page. I might see a nice one with 70K on it for $5000. Then I might see one even nicer with 50K for $6000. And it goes from there. Then at the bottom of the screen where 5-year old cars have asking prices of over $10000, I know I've reached critical mass and it's all fluff at that point.

Distance searching of 300/500 miles is something they added a couple of years ago. I know I made that suggestion to them at one point (or several) and it really comes in handy when looking for the right car, in the right color, with the right miles, for the right price. A Dallas dealer might want $5995 for the Taurus I want, but a Houston dealer has one just like it for $5488. A dealer in St. Louis has one two years newer for $6499, I might be willing to make the drive for the newer, nicer, lower mileage car for just a little more money.

The only time when highest to lowest price is useful is when I'm looking for good quality photos of a car to download. At one point I wanted to buy a set of wheels for an older Pontiac minivan. I wanted them to come from a Pontiac, so I searched Grand Prixs and Bonnevilles, sorted by highest price. The cars with higher asking prices generally have better pictures available. I decided on a certain style, hit the junkyards, and got what I wanted.

As I gear up to get my little cash car lot started, I wonder if putting my vehicles on AutoTrader is even worth it. There is little to nothing in the sub-$3000 range in my area that isn't listed as a "down payment" price instead of a cash price. That could be a sign that nobody searches AutoTrader for cars that cheap. It might also be a sign that I need to get in there and populate some beaters into their results.

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