Autobytel Says They Take the ``e-Fear Factor'' Out of Used Car Buying
IRVINE, Calif.--April 16, 2002--The Internet is fast changing the way used cars are bought and sold. Gone are the days when consumers were forced to pore over classifieds seeking the car of their dreams ... only to end up with a nightmare on wheels. With its Used Car CyberStore, Autobytel Inc. is leading the online used car-buying revolution by empowering shoppers with the quality cars and information they demand, through up-to-the-minute inventory and dealer-backed certified vehicles.
Unlike many online used car programs -- which are little more than newspaper classifieds on the Web, with few consumer safeguards and listings that are often months out of date -- Autobytel's Used Car CyberStore features the Internet's freshest inventory of cars and trucks, over 80% of which are backed by a thorough inspection certification and a 90-day or 3,000 mile warranty/72 hour exchange or money-back guarantee. Consumers can also view many of the actual certified vehicles as they appear on dealer lots. Vehicle history reports and "lemon checks" can be done directly from the Autobytel sites, and consumers can also access past and present manufacturer recall notifications -- a particularly welcome feature for used vehicle owners, who are naturally difficult to reach for manufacturers.
"I had never purchased a used car in my life," said Derinda Sanders, a recent Autobytel Used Car CyberStore customer. "Autobytel eliminated all my fears and I was empowered with all the information I needed to make a truly safe decision. I saved so much money on the actual purchase -- that I could afford to fly 600 miles and pick up my dream car. It really took the guesswork out of used car shopping on the web."
CyberStore's innovative vehicle search tools are designed to make the shopping process faster, easier and more productive than ever before, and include "search by price" and/or "monthly payment" functions. An optional instant e-mail notification service can let consumers know when vehicles matching their search criteria become available.
"More and more consumers are turning to the Internet for used car shopping, and used car sales are becoming more and more important to dealers as the used car market expands," said Autobytel Inc. President and CEO Jeffrey Schwartz. "The question becomes, how can the Internet best serve this exploding pool of consumers? Our goal with the CyberStore is to create one of the safest, most efficient environments for used car shopping, which is why we have certified cars and safeguards like warranties and lemon checks."
Top 10 CyberStore Vehicles
Industry experts indicate that the used vehicle market is growing at an explosive pace to nearly 50 million units in the next seven years. In addition, online car shopping is on the rise and analysts say that the number of online used car shoppers grew 27% from 2000 to 2001.
Current favorite vehicles among this growing base of used car shoppers at Autobytel are the Honda Accord at number one and the Ford Explorer at number two. Autobytel.com's entire Top Ten Most Popular Used Vehicle list(a) is:
1. Honda Accord
2. Ford Explorer
3. Jeep Grand Cherokee
4. Ford Expedition
5. Toyota Camry
6. Honda Civic
7. Ford F150
8. Volkswagen Jetta
9. Ford Mustang
10. Chevrolet Tahoe
(a) Autobytel.com's Top Ten Most Popular Used Vehicle List, April 8-April 14, 2002.
Responding to the growing consumer demand for pre-owned vehicles, Autobytel recently expanded the inventory of its Used Car CyberStore by 20% and extended the program to car buyers on all four of the company's websites: Autobytel.com, Carsmart.com, Autoweb.com and Autosite.com. Since October 2001, the number of used car shoppers on the CyberStore has jumped nearly 50%.
"By making the CyberStore available across all of our sites, consumers can access more of the high-quality certified used vehicles they desire," adds Schwartz. "By the same token, our dealers now have the opportunity to reach millions of potential used car shoppers with a single listing."
About Autobytel Inc.
Autobytel Inc. , the world's largest Internet automotive marketing services company, helps retailers sell cars and manufacturers build brands through marketing and CRM (customer relationship management) programs. Autobytel Inc. owns and operates the popular websites Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Carsmart.com and Autosite.com, as well as AIC (Automotive Information Center), a leading provider of automotive marketing data and technology. Autobytel Inc. generated an estimated four percent of all domestic new vehicle sales -- $17 billion in car sales in 2001 -- for dealers through its websites. With approximately 8,900 dealer relationships and 30 international automotive manufacturer customers, Autobytel Inc. is the largest syndicated car-buying content network, reaching millions of unique visitors as they are making their vehicle buying decisions. Autobytel Inc. content and technology has potential exposure to over 90 percent of total web traffic.(b)
(b) Jupiter Media Metrix October 2001 Digital Media Audience Report (Autobytel Inc. sites is the unduplicated audience of the Autobytel and Autoweb properties and Carsmart.com. The car-buying and ownership category as defined by Autobytel. Autobytel Inc. provides content to Yahoo! Inc., AOL websites, MSN.com and Lycos.com. The unduplicated audience of these four sites accounts for over 90 percent of total traffic.)