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- 🚗 Amazon Now Selling Used Cars
🚗 Amazon Now Selling Used Cars
🚙 Tesla's Ruling, Toyota and Honda's Profit Dive, and the EPA's Public Hearing
TOGETHER WITH
Howdy Friend!
Today we’ve got news, tips on grabbing great customer testimonials, and this link to watch season one of More Than Cars: The Truth about Car Dealers.
Enjoy! 🌋
Keep Pushing Back,
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi
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Reading time: 3 min and 36 sec
From the Automotive State of the Union
Amazon is now selling used cars, starting in LA with Hyundai dealers, and offering features like test drive scheduling, return policies, and transparent pricing. It’s another indication that the buying journey is shifting to where customers already shop.
Rivian is suing Ohio, arguing that it’s unconstitutional to block direct sales while allowing Tesla to do the same. The outcome could set a national precedent and have a lasting impact on dealer protections.
IKEA is moving into Best Buy with mini showrooms. It’s a retail reminder: partnerships, experience, and convenience are the new power plays.
From The News w/ ASOTU
Click to read the full digest.
(More on) Amazon is now selling used cars (starting in L.A.), partnering with Hyundai to list certified pre-owned inventory on its platform. It’s a small rollout with big implications—Amazon is normalizing car buying among people who already shop there. The model includes dealer partnerships and consumer-friendly return/warranty terms. Dealers should watch how this shifts buyer expectations around ease, transparency, and delivery.
Tesla’s Autopilot trial revealed years of data coverups, ending in a jury verdict assigning 33% blame to Tesla for a fatal crash. This case sets a precedent around corporate responsibility in automation and could influence how OEMs are pressured to disclose performance, risk, and software limitations to both regulators and retailers.
Toyota and Honda face steep profit hits (31% and 36%) due to tariffs and currency pressure, even as hybrid sales remain strong. Dealers may feel the downstream effects in inventory planning, pricing, and OEM incentives.
Nissan begins European job cuts as part of a global restructuring aimed at reducing capacity by 30%.
EPA may gut fuel efficiency rules, creating short-term demand shifts and long-term regulatory uncertainty.
🥊 Quick Hits
86x Times More Likely To Buy From You…
The service lane might just be your dealership’s secret weapon for building lasting loyalty.
This afternoon at 2:00PM ET, we’re chatting with Shane Wilson and Levi Baade from Connected Dealer Services for a fast-paced, 30-minute conversation on how real-time vehicle data is helping dealers reach the right customers at the right time with exactly the right message.
Whether your priority is long-term retention or boosting operational performance, this session is packed with insights to prepare your team for what’s next.
Register today—we’ve got a seat waiting for you here.
SOMETHING ELSE
Testimonial Tactic
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We found a cool article on The Marketing Millennial that feels actionable today.
Most testimonials are too nice to be useful. “Great team!” “Love my car!” — they feel good, but they don’t sell. As @Marketing Examples put it: Buyers don’t want praise, they want proof.
They’re silently asking:
– Will this work for someone like me?
– Is it worth the money?
– What if I regret this?
In the retail auto industry, this hits hard. Your best reviews shouldn’t just sit on a page—they should answer objections right where customers feel doubt.
Objection: “I thought I’d get pressured.”
Testimonial: “They didn’t push once. It felt like my decision.”
Action Step: Pick your top 3 objections. Then dig through your reviews, CSI surveys, and call notes. Find the quote that says, “I was worried too… and I’m glad I did it.”
Drop it next to pricing. Under forms. Inside emails.
Because that’s the kind of trust that converts.
AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE
The Future of Retention is Data-Driven
Want to learn more about the brains behind Connected Dealer Services ahead of today’s webinar? Check out our Auto Collabs episode with Shane Wilson here!
🔁 Today in History
1932: A patent request is made for the drive-in theater. 🎥
1991: Peugeot gets Olympic Gold Medal for being last French automaker in the U.S. 🥇
2012: NASA's Curiosity rover lands on the surface of Mars. 🚀
Hey, look at us, it’s already Wednesday!
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