Check out that dealer
By: Jack Nerad for Driving Today
Date: 2004-08-13
Ever wonder if the dealer who is about to sell you a car is on the up-and-up? Up till now you could only rely on word-of-mouth, but a consumer research company called Clear Intelligence, Inc. has launched MyDealerReport.com, the first 100 percent consumer-led auto dealership rating and comparison service. Using a unique structured survey system, consumers can now list, rate and review any auto dealership by state, city and brand, based on their own direct car buying and selling experience. The new service currently lists over 10,000 franchise dealers. Consumers are also able to add and rate independent car dealers nationwide. MyDealerReport.com's reports are available online either as single reports at $14.99 or as unlimited reports for a month at $49.99.
How accurate is it? Of course, the system is only as good as the information going into it, but the process seems well thought out. The survey system's 23-data point methodology rates the buying process, the sales associate's expertise, vehicle selection, financing options, trade-in process, service department, amenities, and legal matters such as past or pending lawsuits. Additionally, each report includes more in-depth firsthand consumer comments.
Certainly there is a desire to get unbiased dealer ratings. Last month WomenOf.com, a Web site for women, conducted a four-week survey of women between ages 18 and 60 and found their top three car buying concerns to be: the buying process (92 percent), vehicle selection (88 percent), and legal issues (84 percent).
"Women can now avoid dealers with a track record for bad trading practices and easily find those with reputations for honest, ethical dealings and great customer service," says Laura Boggs, development manager of WomenOf.com, a division of ProSolutions, Inc.
"With MyDealerReport.com the consumer is finally in the driver's seat," says John Isaac, co-founder and co-CEO of Clear Intelligence, Inc. "We offer a clear value proposition: instant access to reports on dealerships that cater to the consumer's precise needs when it matters most--before, and not after, a sale."
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