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OpenAuto.com Launches First Online Referral Service Giving Auto Dealers The
Choice Over Which Leads They Buy
Subsidiary of Next Phase Media, OpenAuto.com, Set to Shake Up the Auto
Lead Referral Industry with New Model
Walnut Creek, CA, April 15, 2003 –
Next Phase Media, Inc. (NPM), the world's premier online referral source, today
announced that its new subsidiary, OpenAuto.com, will forever change the way
dealers think of buying leads. OpenAuto.com will be the first company to provide
dealers with the ability to view leads without charge, select only the leads
they want and pay for only the ones they select.
OpenAuto.com addresses the primary problem plaguing today's auto referral
services. All other auto lead companies require dealers to accept all the leads
for their franchises. Many of the leads delivered each month are for high demand
cars. As a result, the dealer ends up either buying worthless leads for vehicles
they can't get or paying thousands of dollars in lead fees in order to sell a
car at a gross profit that's not much more than the cost.
OpenAuto.com's breakthrough service puts complete control in the hands of
dealers, who can now choose among hundreds of local leads based on their own
criteria, including in-stock inventory, location of customer, and the gross
margin available to them on a given vehicle. Using OpenAuto.com, dealers can
review all information, including location of customer, distance from
dealership, and the specifics of the desired vehicle. With a simple click of the
mouse, the dealer can either reject the lead or accept it and be presented with
the buyer's contact information.
Every lead will be priced based on the potential profitability to the dealer,
and all lead prices will be clearly stated at the time of the dealer's review.
"OpenAuto.com and Next Phase Media are determined to deliver a clear and
unequivocal value proposition to auto dealers across the United States. Our team
developed the lead programs currently sold by major service providers, and we
are changing the rules of engagement once again," said Payam Zamani, CEO &
President of Next Phase Media. "OpenAuto.com will drive sales opportunities, not
waste your time or money. This is a great addition to our family of online
services. OpenAuto.com strengthens our position as the leading provider of
online services in the automotive industry. "
Dealers can sign up for the service online at www.OpenAuto.com beginning on April 14.
"Many auto dealers are clearly dissatisfied with the way current programs charge
dealerships. I've heard too many stories of dealerships being charged thousands
of dollars for leads they couldn't service. OpenAuto.com will radically change
the way dealers think of buying leads," said John Truchard, vice president of
Next Phase Media's automotive division. "OpenAuto.com is now the smart choice in
auto lead referrals. Given a choice, we believe many dealers will opt for a
program that gives them the flexibility to choose only the leads they want and
can service."
Next Phase Media has built a fast growing online media company by resurrecting
and integrating some of the Internet's best-known brands. All of the company's
properties utilize a proprietary unified Lead Distribution Platform, which
enables NPM to address a variety of needs for every consumer that comes into the
network. Other NPM properties include iMotors.com,(www.iMotors.com), an online car-buying
service helping people buy and sell new and used cars; and AgentConnect.com
(AgentConnect.com), a residential realty referral service that helps people buy
and sell homes and property by matching them with pre-qualified realtorsÒ in
their area. CarClub.com (www.CarClub.com),
provides another option for NPM's audience of automobile consumers and dealers.
In addition to finding new and used vehicles for automobile buyers, CarClub
offers dealers exclusive territories, resulting in more personalized service to
its customers. iCastle.com (www.iCastle.com), is a home improvement site
which matches home and commercial property owners with qualified local
contractors.
About OpenAuto.com
OpenAuto.com connects car buyers and local auto dealers who have the right
vehicle to meet their needs. Only OpenAuto.com allows dealers to choose which
leads they want to buy. Dealers are allowed to review all leads and accept or
reject them based on their own criteria. The result is a new service model that
promises to dramatically increase the ratio of actual sales to referrals.
About Next Phase Media
Next Phase Media, Inc. (www.nextphasemedia.com) is the world's premier online
referral source, connecting consumers with the products and qualified
professional services they seek in the automotive, residential real estate and
home improvement industries. The privately held company is headquartered in
Walnut Creek, California, Current brands include iMotors.com, OpenAuto.com,
AgentConnect.com, iCastle.com, and Carclub.com. All are among the best known and
most visited services in their industries.
Media Contacts:
Tonya Hayes
Reply!
925.947.2166 x 283
media@reply.com
Cedric Vanhaver
Neale-May & Partners
650.328.5555 x 125
cvanhaver@nealemay.com
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