New Consumer/Dealer Processes Emerging??

The car industry are changing... very quickly I might add...

These days consumers want hassle free- low priced- convienant buying experiences, and rightly so. Sound familiar- (Carmax). I mean who wants to go through the rat race of a sales person and trade- in low balling??? With that said...

Some tentative projects on the horizon that I have seen across the web are propositioning consumers to "Sell" their vehicles to participating dealerships. In other words... internet portals that allow consumers to get a guaranteed bid on their trade in. This specific model (i speak of) is a brand new avenue for mainstream internet consumers with trade in's looking to buy OR just sell. Regardless of the consumers motive- what this exposes NOW- is a "hot lead" in the car market and also a potential buyer to the dealer.

Given that, the models I have seen (not mentioning names right now).. allow the dealer to BUY (or consumer to sell) the car at a guaranteed price with turn in at a participating dealer lot. This generates a lead to the dealership - a physical body now has to come to your lot! If the consumer does not buy from the dealer- the dealer still gets a unit (if it meets the described condition) that could potentially be sold to other dealers/ consumers/ or an auto auction (depending on days in inventory). However the opportunity is there for a dealer to upsell the newest or best wholesale car on the lot to this fresh lead!

This sounds like a more convienant route to buying and selling in the market place- not just for consumers but for dealer general managers & the internet sales force. Keep your eyes open to such models emerging on the horizon!!!! It is a win win for dealers and consumers!

I think this model could potentially put a competitive strain on services geared toward maximizing the visibility of a dealership (SEO and lead generation) - and even the carmax and auction-direct modesl--- just a thought...

What are your thoughts on such a process as it relates to your dealership auto sales/ and lead generation? Could this work for you and streamline your expenses?