Uses iPhone/iPod Application to Increase Dealership In-market Car Buyer

Leads

AutoUSA ( www.AutoUSA.com), the industry’s leading provider of the highest quality Internet leads to auto dealers nationwide, today announced a new mobile leads program for dealers that uses an iPhone/iPod Touch application developed by Carperks to generate new and used vehicle leads from on-the-go car buyers.  AutoUSA will be the exclusive distributor of leads from the Carperks app, which can be downloaded by iPhone/iPod Touch users for free from the Apple App Store.

“Many on the go consumers turn to hand held devices such as the iPhone for immediate and direct access to the information they require.  We are excited to be able to offer this new mobile leads program in partnership with Carperks. We aim to keep our dealers ahead of the curb by partnering with the best companies in the industry and capturing and providing the highest quality leads from all leading sources,” said Phil DuPree, president of AutoUSA.

The Carkperks http://www.carperks.net/mobile car buying discount iPhone app allows mobile car shoppers to access, search and view car inventory from dealer participants in AutoUSA’s Carperks program. It highlights those dealers within the shopper’s local market area that are available to provide price quotes.  

App users can search for a dealership based on the vehicle make(s) and model(s) they are interested in and, where allowed by law, immediately generate digitally formatted discount certificates valued at $100 for the new vehicle(s) of their choice. Consumers using the app save time and money by quickly finding the inventory they want at their local participating dealer.  To learn more about the Carperks app go to www.carperks.net/mobile  or download it  here from the iTunes store.

The iPhone is packaged with a variety of applications or iPhone web apps that make it a wonderful browsing experience for the user, therefore, applications on iPhone are growing extremely fast in popularity. The approximately 1.3 million iPhone users nationwide tend to use their handheld device more than others to access the Internet. In fact, a recent study found that nearly 85 percent of iPhone purchasers regularly use their handheld device to access content on the web.  

Carperks is an affinity automotive marketing company that offers users the opportunity to find and purchase vehicles through a national network of new and pre-owned dealerships at discount prices.  The company currently provides preferred pricing to more than 22 million employees at thousands of companies nationwide, including Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo, Verizon Wireless, American Airlines, Office Depot and JC Penney.  Employees are given access to the Carperks portal (http://www.carperks.com) through their company’s intranet or the Internet, where they can search for vehicles and receive special vehicle pricing.

“Carperks’ first to market iPhone app brings serious car buyers from across the U.S. to participating AutoNation and AutoUSA dealers through our patented cost saving product.  We are thrilled to be among the first to venture into mobile communications through smartphone apps,” said Carperks’ president, Don Wolfson.

About AutoUSA ( www.AutoUSA.com)
AutoUSA is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and a subsidiary of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE: AN), the largest retail automotive company in the United States. AutoUSA is an independent third-party provider of leads to thousands of dealerships nationwide. The company has built its success on a combination of advanced web-based technology and a network that includes the country’s most well respected online automotive resources, including Edmunds.com, Kelley Blue Book, AOL Autos, MSN Autos, Yahoo! Autos, NADA Analytical Services Group, AutoVantage.com, AutoNation.com and AutoUSA.com. The vast majority of Ward’s Top 100 eDealers use AutoUSA. More information is available online at http://www.autousa.com/

12/08/09