WASHINGTON, D.C. -

In a move to highlight the important work being completed by F&I offices at franchised dealerships, the National Automobile Dealers Association rolled out an online campaign this week to tell stories of consumers who saved money by financing new-vehicle purchases through local dealerships.

Through video testimonials and a new website to showcase the “true” economic value of dealer-assisted financing, NADA is bringing the voices of consumers back into the debate over dealer-assisted financing. Dealers have been fighting to preserve the fiercely competitive, pro-consumer financing model ever since it came under threat from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2013.

“Consumers save money every day when they finance through dealerships, but that truth is getting lost in Washington, and that needs to change,” NADA president Peter Welch said.

“The stories that we're highlighting are far from unique,” Welch continued. “Dealers across the country save consumers money every day, and right now Washington is failing to understand what’s at stake for these consumers and millions more if competition is stifled and dealers are prevented from offering discounts on financing.”

In today's vehicle finance market, NADA reiterated that local dealerships are able to shop a customer's credit application to dozens of finance companies all competing for the same loan. As a result, the association insisted dealers usually offer better interest rates than consumers can find on their own.

Furthermore, NADA stressed that dealers have the ability to discount their rates to meet or beat a competing credit offer, which results in further savings for consumers.

Yet despite the fact that every day thousands of consumers save money on new vehicle purchases when they choose financing through their local dealerships, association officials warned that the CFPB is pressuring finance companies to eliminate the dealer discounts that are a primary driver of these consumer savings.

Meanwhile an online report also surfaced that indicated the method the CFPB used to find discrimination orchestrated by finance companies that work with these dealers might be overestimated.

In this report, American Banker said it reviewed a series of private documents that indicated CFPB officials repeatedly acknowledge its methodology —  disparate impact — could overcount the potential discrimination by indirect auto finance companies, but say they prefer that to the alternative where bias is underestimated.

Some of the resulting actions from the CFPB finding alleged discrimination forced finance companies to modify how it compensates dealers for originating the paper, which NADA contends can eventually impact how much consumers pay for vehicles.

"Most consumers know that financing is available at their local dealership, but what many don’t know is that dealer-assisted financing usually saves them money,” Welch said.

“Many policymakers might not realize this either, but once the savings that comes from dealer discounting is made clear, it will be hard for Washington to turn a blind eye,” he went on to say

NADA added that the CFPB’s efforts to eliminate or restrict dealer discounting have not included an analysis of the economic impact to consumers, and continue to be met with increasing scrutiny by Congress.

Earlier this year, Reps. Frank Guinta, a New Hampshire Republican and Ed Perlmutter, a Colorado Democrat, introduced legislation — H.R. 1737 — that would promote transparency at the CFPB in order to help ensure that its policies do not unintentionally hurt consumers. In July, the legislation, which has 55 Democratic and 71 Republican cosponsors, passed the House Financial Services Committee on a 47-10 vote. The bipartisan vote included the support of 13 of the committee's 26 Democrats, and House Republicans have indicated that the bill may come to the floor for a vote within the coming weeks.

“Our message is getting out, the facts are on our side, and people are starting to take notice, Welch said. “But there’s too much at stake for consumers, so we don't intend to take our foot off the gas until we know that consumer rights and consumer savings are adequately protected.”

The campaign can be found online at nada.org/autofinance, and one of the videos associated with the campaign can be watched in the window at the top of this page.