Retail My Ride offers dealers a chance to ‘Get Free Inventory’
Retail My Ride is using everyone’s favorite four-letter word: free.
The auto retail consignment sourcing platform has launched a new initiative called “Get Free Inventory”, which, it said, “offers used car dealerships the opportunity to access free high-quality vehicles of all makes, models and ages through retail consignment from private party and institutional sellers.”
“We get asked a lot if the cars are really free,” Retail My Ride CEO and founder Jim Horan said in a news release. “Yes, they are free. No capital outlay. No floorplan expense. No auction fee. No transport cost. No holding cost.”
In a news release, the company said “Get Free Inventory” gives dealers access to a range of free vehicles, including cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, exotics, classics, antiques, high-performance, highline luxury, commercial, mobility and others. Dealers incur no costs unless they receive and accept cars into their inventory — they pay a flat $250 fee per vehicle once they’ve listed it in their inventory for sale.
Retail My Ride, noting there is no charge for signing up and maintaining an account on the platform, called it “a risk-free opportunity to source free cars and grow profits.”
In addition, the company is offering free start-up training and support for dealers who don’t currently offer professional consignment services, adding that the program will complement and boost the current sourcing efforts of dealers who are already accepting cars on consignment.
“The ‘Get Free Inventory’ initiative is specifically designed to support network dealers in growing their business by providing them with an easy process for obtaining high-quality free cars without financial risk or cash outlays,” Horan said. “Our promise is simple: Free dealer sign-up, training and participation, and if no cars from us, then no cost to them. It’s virtually impossible to make it any easier to tap into our network.”
Retail My Ride said the consignment model offers a number of benefits for dealers.
Reconditioning revenue: Dealers earn money from consignment sellers by performing get-ready reconditioning, maintenance and repairs.
Never lose money: Unlike owned inventory, dealers cannot lose money selling consigned vehicles. They earn profits from sale commissions and reconditioning revenue, plus back-end F&I income and buyer trade-ins.
Reduced market volatility: Price adjustments and inventory aging affect the consignment seller, not the dealer. Dealers make money regardless of the market.
Inventory mix: Access to rare, hard-to-find cars, low mileage cars, one-owner cream puffs, fast-selling cars and highline vehicles.
Inventory turnover rate: Dealers can apply a more aggressive pricing strategy that drives additional buyer customer traffic to their dealership.
Customer loyalty: Two happy customers per vehicle. Buyers and sellers prefer doing business with dealerships that provide more automotive options.