auto dealer in black and red logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Payless Car Sales Adds Universal to Preferred Lender Portfolio

Payless Car Sales, Inc. announced today that it has signed an agreement with Universal Special Auto Finance to become one of their “preferred lending partners” in the indirect sub prime market.

by Staff
August 28, 2007
2 min to read


St. Petersburg, FL – Payless Car Sales, Inc. announced today that it has signed an agreement with Universal Special Auto Finance to become one of their “preferred lending partners” in the indirect sub prime market. “We believe adding Universal to our portfolio of lenders is going to be a real plus for our dealers and their sub prime customers. Their management team, many of whom we worked with previously while they were with Centrix, has created an exciting new program and we are confident that both companies will benefit substantially as our relationship grows,” said Mike Harley, President and COO of Payless.

“Universal looks for strong consistent financial health, clean and well-organized dealerships, and most importantly, the proper inventory for our program.  Payless dealers meet those requirements quite well” said Steve Norbut, Vice President of Dealer Sales. “Our program is designed to ensure consistency in credit decisions, provide fast responses and strong support to our dealer partners, and to help them make more sales, more profitably,” he added.

"Payless is excited to have Universal as our new preferred partner. Partnering with the best is one way we protect our brand and is a key element in our success and continued expansion. With their insight, understanding and experience in the industry, we are confident Universal Special Auto Finance will provide our dealers with a high level of service and a strong commitment to help them sell more vehicles” said Mike Harley, Payless President and COO.

Payless Car Sales was initially formulated to provide a sales platform for disposing of rental vehicles for its sister company Payless Car Rental. It became a separate entity in February 2002 and has now grown to over 50 locations in 16 states and Puerto Rico, and has development plans for Canada, Mexico, the Middle East and Europe.

For over 30 years the Payless name has been known in the automotive industry as a place where customers can find "old fashioned" quality service and affordable prices. At Payless we are committed to making the purchase of any of our quality pre-owned vehicles a stress free experience by doing everything possible to "make a good deal . . . better"™ for every customer we have the privilege to serve.

Payless Car Sales, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Florida-based Avalon Global Group, Inc. a privately held company headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida.

More Dealer Ops

Dealer Opsby StaffSeptember 8, 2025

Cox Automotive Acquires Inspection Firm

Full ownership of Alliance Inspection Management, or AiM, meant to unlock growth for Manheim inspection capabilities

Read More →
Dealer Opsby StaffAugust 26, 2025

Assurant Expands Partnership With Holman

Extended collaboration delivers training, products and performance development to 30 newly acquired Holman dealerships

Read More →
Dealer Opsby Hannah MitchellAugust 26, 2025

Franchises, Throughput Down in First Half

A handful of states see franchise growth through June, while EV sales per store boost overall business in U.S.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
SalesAugust 25, 2025

How to Build a High-Performance Sales and F&I Team

Performance and profits start with people chosen and led the right way.

Read More →
Dealer Opsby Hannah MitchellAugust 19, 2025

Buy-Sells Up in Q2

Kerrigan metrics show there’s plenty of demand, though many sellers are waiting to pull the trigger.

Read More →
Graphic for July 15, 2025 webinar “Driving Directions to Your Secure Auto Destination,” listing vehicle theft, vandalism, insurance losses, and other security risks with a laptop meeting image.
Dealer Opsby StaffAugust 14, 2025

Webinar Gives Driving Directions for Vehicle Security

Free on-demand session shares solutions for securing vehicle storage and parking facilities.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Dealer Opsby Hannah MitchellAugust 7, 2025

Own Your Missteps

We all mess up from time to time, but it’s how we address the mistakes that really matters.

Read More →
Jennifer Rappaport, CEO of EFG Companies, stands in a conference room wearing a bright pink suit, with the EFG logo visible on the wall behind her.
Dealer Opsby StaffAugust 1, 2025

Top Questions From Dealers Reflect State of Industry

EFG Cos. says challenging times demand sound counsel during second half of 2025.

Read More →
Dealer Opsby StaffJune 18, 2025

TSD Mobility, Canopy Connect Partner to Ease Insurance Verification

The new integration is intended to bring streamlined functionality to rental agents and dealerships.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
F&Iby StaffApril 2, 2025

DOWC Powers the Future of F&I for NESNA

Company is providing a fully integrated F&I administration model to Nissan Extended Services North America’s dealer network.

Read More →