Appropriate Subprime Inventory

A far too common objection heard when discussing Special Finance is, “We just don’t have any Subprime inventory!” or “All our used cars are out of the book!” By far the most difficult part of special finance can be to get the “right vehicles”. The list seems to change daily.

Obviously, any vehicle that can be obtained “behind book” is the right vehicle. Current year program cars, which can be sold from like invoice, are good units to have. Typically, the best vehicles are trade-ins, since these are the units you tend to own best. Keep in mind that SFI vehicles don’t have to be movie stars. If they run good, this can overcome some objections to minor imperfections (a dent or a ding) and if done correctly, Special Finance is about selling the loan, not selling the vehicle, Sell the concept of rebuilding credit. Qualify for a loan and then get a car!

The ideal vehicle is 3-4 years old, with less than 50,000 miles. Look for family type vehicles, i.e. 4 door sedans, SUV’s and minivans. Base pickups are good units as well. Stay away from the high lines and sports cars. These have limited appeal and tend to be tough to insure. Remember that the cost of insurance can make or break a deal – and the down payment for full coverage may have to come out of the gross. Don’t necessarily overlook the need to have some older, higher mileage units on the lot. These units don’t need the full reconditioning but need to be safe and functional. They are perfect for those deeper lenders as well as customers who simply need basic transportation. Create a “Credit Corral” to supplement standard Sub prime inventory. These are units that might typically be wholesaled but, with a minimal shop investment, can be made saleable and turn what might be a wholesale loss into retail profit. This can result in a few extra units sold each month.

Be flexible. Having a wide spectrum of used cars is a safe bet. The worst scenario is to have an approval without a vehicle to show. Make sure there is an adequate amount of used car inventory on the lot. As a general of thumb is a sales-to-inventory ratio of 2:1. For example having 60 vehicles available for sale is typically what is needed to sell 30 subprime units. Keep a good mix of vehicles on the lot to have the ability to land the right cars on customers.

Make sure the Used Car Manager knows what’s hot and what’s not with lenders. Certain vehicles may be restricted (limited advance) or ineligible (unable to finance) with a particular lender. Keep the used car manager up to date on model year change-over as well (when the lender considers current year models to be 1 year old and so on down the line.) The Used Car Manager is the inventory lifeline. Take a short deal on a 60+ day old unit every now and then, especially on a short deal, to help level out the used car inventory.

Check the lot everyday for new arrivals. Used Car Managers should lets the Special Finance department know what was bought or traded for in the last few days. Book out every retail unit to determine which ones have the best loan to value. (Loan to value or LTV is the cost of the unit versus the book value.) A unit with a strong book has a loan value significantly higher than its cost, which generates higher profit or allows the absorption of negative equity or high discount fees. Remember that, while most lenders use NADA trade for their book values, some lenders use Kelly Blue Book for their valuations.. Be careful not to “power book” a vehicle (add options that are not on the vehicle). Lenders may verify the equipment with the customer during their interview, and will seek to chargeback any over-booking they find.

Many dealerships have software to book out inventory. Dealer Track and Route One both have modules available for this purpose. Keep a binder on your desk, with a sheet for each vehicle on the lot that is “retail ready”; these sheets can be used as part of the funding packages. Update this book daily, removing sold or wholesaled units and adding in fresh trade-ins or purchased units. There’s nothing worse than structuring a deal on a unit that is no longer on the lot. In addition, by having the inventory booked out in advance, it is easy to find which units have the greatest markup potential which helps overcome major negative equity for a customer as well as turn substantial profits.

Don’t be afraid of new vehicles in a franchised dealership. Vehicles with substantial dealer cash (not consumer rebates, but money paid by the manufacturer directly to the dealership if it meets sales objectives on a particular model) may allow a structure on a new car deal which makes it very attractive to a lender. Use any manufacture’s rebate as part of the down payment. Often, with a minimal customer down payment, a deal can be structured at 80% loan-to-value (the amount of the loan versus the invoice of the vehicle), which is that magic number which gets a lender’s attention. Keep up to date on incentives, as they may get better as the month goes on.

Mailing Lists and Pre-approved Credit

In the days of direct marketing, businesses prepared a single mail piece, sent it to virtually everyone, then waited for consumers to buy. Today, most companies develop a description of their ideal customers and then tailor unique sales offers to fit those customers’ needs. This approach is called target marketing.

The right mailing list helps a business reach only those consumers who are likely to be most interested in its products and services. Target marketing reduces “junk” mail – advertising mail that does not relate to their interests or needs.

By eliminating consumers who don’t fit a specific description, a company can mail fewer but more effective offers.

How consumers get on a mailing list

There are three main ways a name might get on a mailing list:

1. Magazines, credit card companies, clubs and organizations, charities, manufacturers, and retailers make lists of their subscribers, customers, members, and donors available to other businesses for a rental fee.

2. Companies purchase information from various public and private sources to develop consumer databases for specific marketing purposes. These companies are called list compilers. Nearly everyone’s name appears on compiled lists.

3. Credit reporting agencies (including Experian), under legally specified conditions, provide lists of creditworthy consumers for companies to offer credit. These are called prescreened lists.

Why consumers receive pre-selected credit offers

From a credit grantor’s perspective, prescreening is a cost-effective way to secure new customers who are most likely to use credit wisely and repay their debts on time. It allows a credit grantor to define an “ideal” consumer, decide how much credit to give that potential customer, and then send a pre-selected offer to thousands or even millions of consumers who match this description.

If a consumer receives a pre-selected credit offer, all that has to be done to accept it is sign and provide a few other limited pieces of information. The responding consumer will be given a line of credit provided they still meet the predetermined criteria. However, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act allows creditors to review credit history when a consumer accepts the offer. If the consumer no longer meets the criteria, the application may be denied.

Protecting consumer rights

The entire process of ordering lists, generating mailing labels and sending offers to consumers is automated by the use of computer tapes and computer processing. Large numbers of names – from a few thousand to many million – are processed at one time.

Marketers don’t review individual records. In fact, they rarely even see consumer names. Third-party companies generally print mailing labels, attach them to the advertising mail and take the mail to the Post OfficeTM.

The prescreening process contains additional consumer protections:

- Consumer credit information is summarized and coded for confidentiality.

- Federal guidelines require that consumers who are selected by the prescreening process receive a “firm offer” of credit or insurance.

- Federal law requires credit grantors to extend credit in a fair and consistent manner. They cannot consider such factors as your sex, marital status, race or religion.

When You Think Your Leads Are Terrible, Remember This...

The quality of these leads hasn't changed. It's the circumstances these people face that is different.

The subprime mortgage crisis effects subprime customers the most! Many of them are "victims" of these subprime mortgage loans and are unsure of what their mortgage payment will be when their rate goes up!

These same people that were banking on the equity in their home continuing to rise and many took out equity lines or second mortgages and now don't have the equity left to support these loans.

The housing market is down, and many of the people who work in it are feeling the pain. The construction worker, carpenter, framer, electrician, plumber, etc. all were riding high when the new housing market was in full swing. Now, many of them, if they are still employed, have gone from 70-80 hour weeks making big overtime to 40 or less hours a week with no overtime. Income is way off, so many of them don't have down payments available.

Remind yourself that now is when you can really shine. Most finance guys would walk away from this market because it's too hard to do the business. Don’t be one of them

Beware of Who Is Selling for YOU!

This showed up in my inbox this morning. Seems like I get something like this on a regular basis!

State reaches settlement with Washington car dealer and ad agency over deceptive marketing

Dealer group was accused of using a series of deceptive tactics to lure customers (10/30/2007)

The Washington Attorney General’s Office announced settlements with a car dealer and an out-of-state advertising firm accused of using deceptive promotions to sell cars.

The settlements resolve a civil lawsuit filed against Bruce Titus Automotive Group and Level 10 Marketing, based in Slidell, La. The defendants did not admit any wrongdoing but agreed to pay civil penalties and comply with injunctive provisions concerning their marketing practices.

The Attorney General’s Office alleged the defendants advertised cars without disclosing all terms, including stating how many vehicles were available at a specific price, that they suggested that financing could be guaranteed regardless of a consumer’s credit history, and used “simulated checks” and contest promotions that could mislead consumers. Those actions violated at least three of Washington’s consumer protection laws.

According to the complaint, the defendants sent ads that offered misleading prices and made it appear that the cars were substantially discounted. They also allegedly charged undisclosed fees and advertised vehicle lease and financing terms without all mandated disclosures. Some promotions were sent in envelopes labeled “OPEN IMMEDIATELY – TIME DATED MATERIAL” that resembled official certified mail. Other mailers looked like checks and included the words “PAY TO THE ORDER OF” but were actually ads. And some vehicle ads included statements such as “credit problems – no problem.”

The dealership group will pay $5,000 in civil penalties plus $30,000 in attorneys’ fees and legal costs. Level 10 will pay $15,000 in attorneys’ fees and legal costs. They also agreed to pay $10,000 in civil penalties, which will be suspended provided they comply with the settlement terms.

More often that not, out of state marketing companies don't seem to know your laws. Google any lead generator or marketing company's name followed by the word "lawsuit" and see what you get, before you sign up. Attorney generals throughout the country are cracking down on "deceptive marketing practices" by out of state companies holding staffed events or doing mailers for automobile dealerships.

PIN Reports Days-to-Turn for 2005 Used Models

By Jennifer Reed, SubPrime Auto Finance News Editor October 29, 2007

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — When looking at how quickly 2005 model-year vehicles are selling at stores, Power Information Network saw an interesting trend come to light.

"The fastest-turning used 2005 model-year vehicles bear one clear similarity with the fastest-turning new vehicles: Both groups are dominated by imports," officials indicated.

Reviewing 12 used vehicles with the lowest turn rate, PIN discovered that 11 were foreign brands. All imports covered Toyota, Nissan or Honda models, executives highlighted.

"Also, 10 of the 12 models are light trucks but in contrast to new-vehicle trends, only one of the fastest-turning used trucks (Murano) is a crossover," officials said.

10 Fast-Turning 2005 Models Include:
Toyota Sequoia: 26 days
Nissan Armada: 26 days
Dodge Sprinter: 28 days
Honda Odyssey: 29 days
Infiniti QX56: 30 days
Toyota Sienna: 31 days
Toyota Tacoma: 31 days
Nissan Murano: 31 days
Toyota 4Runner: 32 days
Infiniti G35: 32 days
Nissan Titan: 32 days
Lexus ES Series: 32 days

According to the company, data was gathered Jan. 1 though Oct. 21. Additionally, officials noted that more than 10 models were included because of ties. Results were based on sales at franchised dealerships.

Who’s reading your mail?

I’d like to introduce you to a member of my family. Her name is Chooch, and she’s 14 years old. She doesn’t work, does not have a driver’s license or a Social Security number, and as far as I know, has no credit file.

Let me start out by explaining something. My home phone number is listed in Directory Assistance under Chooch’s name. If you haven’t figured it out by now, Chooch is my border collie. That’s right…my dog! I do this so, when someone calls my home during dinner and asks to speak to Chooch, I know it’s a telemarketer. So far, Chooch has gotten calls for magazines, insurance and political contributions.

But recently, something new has started to happen. Chooch has been pre-approved for credit cards, real estate auctions and most importantly, she started to receive mailers from auto dealers!

One of the credit mailers Chooch recieved!

So, who’s reading your mail? Do you really know who your mail campaign goes to? Direct mail is not cheap, as we all know, and unless your piece is being opened and read by real consumers who need an auto loan, how effective can it be? In order to maximize the effectiveness of your advertising dollars in today’s market, you need to be sure that your marketing efforts are precise. After all, advertising dollars are limited, and, just like you teach your sales people, you have to sell value in order to sell your product.

Offering easy credit to customer with good credit is like trying to sell a compact to a family with six kids. It might work, but in reality, it’s going to be a hard sell. Make sure that the mailer you buy maximizes its impact on customers who truly need your credit offer. Using blind, targeted mail, with a genuine offer of credit, produces customers who want your help, not the gift or gimmick it offers. After all, how many gifts did your last mailer give out versus the number of cars it sold?

Maximizing YOUR Results

The question is "Out of the last ten potential customers that came in for a car, how many left without one?" Conservatively, dealerships are losing at least one Special Finance deal a day or 25-30 deals a month. An analysis of the lost opportunities enables a dealership to correct the processes that are losing these customers. With re-training in proper Special Finance processes a dealer can go from being simply average and frustrated in their Special Finance efforts to solidly and consistently successful.

What does that mean in real money? By recapturing the lost opportunities at $3,000 average gross per deal, an additional $75,000-90,000 in gross profit is added simply by correcting existing mistakes. By using a consistent process, we can look to add 18-22 additional units a month. This means, with a $3,000 average gross, consistent process adds $54,000-60,000 a month. Combining that with the customers recaptured from lost lot traffic, it is reasonable to add another $129,000-150,000 a month to the bottom line. That is $1,548,000-1,800,000 a year in a market that most dealerships are largely ignoring.