DAYTON, OHIO and SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – October 21, 2008 – The Reynolds and Reynolds Company today announced a partnership with Experian Automotive to offer AutoCheck® Plus, a new solution that will provide integration between the Reynolds ERA® dealership management system (DMS) and Experian’s AutoCheck® vehicle history reports. AutoCheck Plus will automatically retrieve vehicle history report information on used vehicles in the dealership’s ERA DMS inventory and allow dealers to view that information throughout the entire ERA DMS. This can provide dealers with up-to-date title and history information to help them improve how they manage and market their used vehicle inventories.
“It’s gratifying to partner with Experian to provide AutoCheck Plus to our ERA DMS customers,” said Jon Strawsburg, vice president of Product Planning for Reynolds. “This is one more example of how Reynolds is helping dealers improve their used vehicle operations and make better business decisions for their entire dealership.”
With AutoCheck Plus, dealerships will be able to review valuable information on a vehicle’s history, including possible undisclosed or unknown problems such as title brand records, prior accident history, or odometer issues — all of which can influence an automobile’s safety and resale value. AutoCheck Plus will be available from a number of screens within the ERA DMS, and the information will be updated in near real time in the DMS so dealers can review the latest information on significant events in their vehicles’ histories. This quick, convenient access to comprehensive history information can enable dealership personnel to make better business decisions about the used cars they take in trade, recondition for sale on their lot, or wholesale at auction.
The AutoCheck Plus vehicle history reports also will help make evaluating and selling vehicles easier by including the industry’s only vehicle history score, the AutoCheck ScoreSM. A numeric indicator between one and 100, the AutoCheck Score calculates and weighs key areas of a vehicle’s history so dealerships and consumers can quickly and easily understand a vehicle’s past and compare it to similar vehicles, lowering the risk of buying and selling a vehicle with undetected problems and increasing confidence among consumers.
“Having ready access to up-to-date vehicle history reports across the dealership equips ERA DMS dealers with the information they need to remain competitive and profitable in today’s market,” said Scott Waldron, president of Experian Automotive. “We’re pleased to partner with Reynolds in integrating AutoCheck into the ERA DMS to allow dealers to better understand and manage their inventories and to help them close sales by giving their customers the peace of mind they need to make a confident purchase.”
Christopher Morris, senior director of Product Planning for Reynolds, added, “AutoCheck Plus can reduce the time and number of steps it takes for dealership personnel to retrieve vehicle history information. In addition to increasing sales efficiency, this also helps dealership personnel become more knowledgeable about their used vehicle inventory so that they can present the best vehicles available to their customers. As a result, AutoCheck Plus can help dealerships increase consumer trust in their products and build consumer loyalty in the long-term.”
Additionally, Reynolds will make AutoCheck Plus available from its other solutions, including Desking and WebMakerX® Web sites.
Also, dealerships will be able to opt-in to supply service repair data to Experian to include in AutoCheck vehicle history reports, which can provide an even more detailed understanding of a vehicle’s history to dealerships and consumers.
About Reynolds
Reynolds and Reynolds is the automotive industry’s largest and most trusted provider of automobile dealership software, services, and forms to help dealerships improve business results. The company is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, with major operations in Houston and College Station, Texas, and Celina, Ohio. (www.reyrey.com)
About Experian Automotive
Experian Automotive, a part of Experian, delivers information services to manufacturers, dealers, finance and insurance companies, and consumers. Experian® helps automotive clients increase customer loyalty, target and win new business, and make better lending and vehicle purchase decisions. Its National Vehicle Database, housing more than 500 million vehicles, along with Experian’s credit, consumer and business information assets, meets the industry’s growing demand for an integrated information source. Experian’s advanced decision support services help clients turn this information into improved business results. Experian technology supports several top automotive Web sites, including eBay Motors, CarsDirect.com, CarMax.com and NADAguides.com. For more information on Experian Automotive and its suite of services, visit our Web site at www.experianautomotive.com
Contact:
Thomas Schwartz
Reynolds and Reynolds
1 937 485 8109 Telephone
Thomas_Schwartz@reyrey.com Email
Christopher Fielder
Experian Public Relations
1 224 698 8628 Telephone
christopher.fielder@experian.com Email