Chrome Data Named Most Accurate Data Provider for Automotive E-Commerce
27 March 2000
Chrome Data Named Most Accurate Data Provider for Automotive E-Commerce
PORTLAND, Ore.--March 27, 2000CNW Marketing/Research Study Determines that Chrome's Web Carbook
Provides the Most Accurate Data for Automotive E-Commerce Sites
Chrome Data Corporation, the only independent business-to-business provider of automotive data and software for selling cars online, announced today that independent research performed by Art Spinella of CNW Marketing/Research confirms that Chrome's Web Carbook(TM) product delivers the most accurate automotive data on the Internet today. Web Carbook provides the critical software and tools that enable car dealers and Internet portals to generate auto sales leads, provide accurate price quotes and enable automobile transactions online.
CNW Researchers compared the pricing data of the major online automotive data sources by configuring 86 different vehicles at eight different Web sites, including Chrome client Vehix.com and Chrome competitors CarsDirect.com, Kelly Blue Book and CarPoint.com. Chrome ranked first in data accuracy with an average price discrepancy of only about one-third of one percent of the average new car price.
"This is well below the one half of one percent threshold that can be attributed to timing between sites updating data and when we visited the site to collect pricing and configuration information," said Art Spinella, vice president and general manager, CNW Marketing/Research.
The next-closest competitor was almost twice Chrome's discrepancy; five of the eight data providers gave consumers pricing information more than five times Chrome's discrepancy; and the lowest ranking competitor was off by more than a factor of ten, or nearly $1,000.
"The real future of automotive e-commerce is in research and like any technology tool, online research only works if it simplifies the process," said Spinella. "Many sites lack intelligent software that automatically decreases the margin of error on the consumers' part--for example, there's nothing to stop a consumer from putting together an imaginary car that includes two different interiors. Auto e-commerce sites should exist to do what Chrome's data and configuration tools do: allow the consumer to quickly and easily configure the automobile they want and get an accurate price quote."
"Accuracy is critical to online research and consumers know how to look for it," said Jim Adkisson, president of Chrome Data. "It's the old `Garbage In Garbage Out' rule applied to automotive e-commerce. For the process to work smoothly for businesses selling cars online, consumers must do their research using accurate, consistent pricing data, so there are no surprises. CNW's research confirms Chrome's standard of excellence that we've been refining for 14 years."
Chrome Data's Web Carbook allows individual dealerships, Internet portals, online car buying services, credit unions, banks, insurance companies and affiliate groups to provide their Web site visitors with specifications on all new vehicle makes and models, standard and optional equipment, vehicle pictures and manufacturers' invoice and MSRP pricing.
About Chrome Data
Chrome Data pioneered the technology behind electronic vehicle configuration and for the past 14 years has collected, analyzed and enhanced "raw" automotive data from all manufacturers. Chrome's flagship product, the desktop research, pricing and ordering tool PC Carbook(R), is widely accepted as the standard in automotive data. Chrome's Internet-based product, Web Carbook(TM), allows dealers, Internet portals, financial institutions, and insurance and warranty companies to provide visitors to their Web sites with a tool to configure cars online -- including specifications on all new vehicle makes and models, standard and optional equipment, vehicle pictures and accurate pricing. This information precisely matches manufacturers' invoice and MSRP pricing, enabling users to configure and order any vehicle sold in the U.S. with the confidence that the delivered product and price are exactly what was expected. The company is based in Portland, Oregon, and may be reached at 1-800-936-8906. Company information is available at www.chrome.com.
Note to Editors: PC Carbook(R), Web Carbook(TM) and Chrome.com(TM) are trademarks of Chrome Data Corporation.