Veteran of CarGurus, Edmunds, LotLinx and Chrome brings record of sales and product innovation success to SureSale’s mission of helping dealerships sell more used vehicles, faster

Los Angeles, CA – December 9th, 2020 – SureSale, the universal standard for pre-owned vehicle quality, today announced that automotive sales and product innovator, Sean Peoples, has joined the company as Vice President of Sales. Peoples, who held leadership roles at CarGurus, Edmunds, Lotlinx and Chrome, is charged with bringing SureSale’s award-winning* platform to auto dealers across the US, to help them increase gross profits and accelerate inventory turn on their pre-owned vehicles.

“Sean has a deep and successful footprint in the auto industry, working with some of its most cutting-edge, and established, service-providers. He not only understands the rapidly evolving automotive market, but he is keenly aware of its impact on auto dealerships,” said Jeffrey Schwartz, SureSale Founder and President. “Never has there been a time when rapid innovation, smart products and vendors attuned to customer needs were more needed by auto dealers. We are so pleased that Sean has brought his considerable expertise and insights to our team as we strive to help auto dealers increase sales velocity and customer acquisition for their used inventory, through SureSale’s quality assurance platform.”

SureSale, which has created a universal standard for quality used vehicles, bridges a major auto market gap to meet demand for inspected, high-quality pre-owned vehicles among the US’ 40 million used car buyers. SureSale provides dealers with the Factfile™ vehicle report, which follows the vehicle everywhere it goes online, including all major marketplaces, the dealership website, and point of sale, as well as access to digital merchandising to standout in busy marketplaces. The Factfile is the most comprehensive report a used vehicle can come with and analyzes thousands of data points about the car including a 170-point inspection, road test, and history check, telling a used car’s whole story, past, present, and future -- increasing consumer confidence and speeding up vehicle consideration and inventory turn.

“Used car buyers spend 40% more time researching used cars online and visit fewer dealerships than ever before. Capturing their interest online has never been more important, and SureSale’s new universal standard for quality does just that, with information that empowers both sides of the transaction equation,” said Peoples. “I am excited to join a team that not only has decades of expertise in moving the auto innovation needle forward, but that is also deeply committed to furthering trust, transparency and efficiency in the pre-owned sales process to the benefit of both auto dealer and car buyer.”

Prior to joining SureSale, Peoples served as Chief Revenue Officer at LotLinx, where he built, managed, and led their sales and customer support organization, doubling customer initial contract value and reducing revenue churn by 75%. Previously, he served as Vice President of Sales for CarGurus, Executive Director of Business Development and Dealer Initiatives for Edmunds, and as Director of Product Management for Chrome Systems Corporation.

*SureSale won the Gold Stevie® Award in the “Innovation of the Year” Business Services “category in the 18th Annual American Business Awards®

About SureSale
Founded and led by a team of automotive/tech innovators, SureSale has created a universal standard for quality used vehicles. Delivered through the industry’s first, and only, quality standard and independent inspection platform, SureSale bridges a major auto market gap to meet demand for inspected, high-quality pre-owned vehicles among the US’ 40 million used car buyers. SureSale offers used vehicle buyers peace of mind with its Factfile™ vehicle report, the single source of truth on the past history, present condition and future assurance of a used car. The SureSale platform, which won the 2020 Gold Stevie® Award for “Innovation of the Year,” also offers franchise and independent dealers across the US a turnkey program and technology that enables them to validate more of their used vehicle inventory. SureSale is based in Santa Monica, CA. Visit http://www.suresale.com for more information.

SureSale Media Contact:

Angela Jacobson, mWEBB Communications, angela@mwebbcom.com, (714) 454-8776

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com, (949) 307-1723

Veteran of TrueCar, eBay Motors, Google, Autobytel/AutoWeb charged with further innovating and expanding SureSale’s platform for quality used vehicles

Los Angeles, CA – September 30, 2020 – SureSale, the award-winning platform for quality used vehicles, today announced that veteran automotive product innovator, Michael Rose, will join the company as Vice President of Product Development. Michael joins the company’s growing team as it focuses on expanding SureSale’s platform to help auto dealerships validate more of their used car inventory, offering peace of mind to used vehicle purchasers. Michael joins the company from TrueCar where he served as Vice President of Product.

“No one knows or understands the automotive digital space – and the intricate relationship between consumer, auto dealer and OEM – better than Michael Rose,” said SureSale Co-founder and President Jeffrey Schwartz. “He has been on the digital frontlines since the first vehicle image was posted on a website and, from Autobytel to Google to TrueCar, he has been ahead of the curve when it comes to developing products for our industry. Michael’s expertise will be key to our mission of creating the global quality standard by which used vehicles are measured at the point of sale.”

SureSale provides independent and franchise dealers with a turnkey inspection program and technology that enables them to validate the quality of more of their used vehicle inventory, earning consumer trust, while meeting and exceeding the needs of shoppers who want to “be sure” about their used vehicle purchase. The SureSale platform helps to facilitate a more socially distanced purchasing process, and includes mobile vehicle inspections, as well as VIN specific data, including vehicle history, all presented through SureSale’s industry-leading, proprietary Factfile™. Each vehicle that uses the SureSale platform also benefits from VIN level digital marketing and point of sale merchandising support. Founded by automotive and technology entrepreneurs, Jeffrey Schwartz and Donny Hall, SureSale recently received the 2020 Gold Stevie® Award for Innovation of the Year.*

“I could not be more impressed with the SureSale team and the innovative way they are addressing a huge gap in the automotive landscape. The SureSale platform could not be timelier, nor more critical, to our industry as consumers increasingly opt for used vehicles and digital retail is accelerating,” said Michael Rose. “I am excited to join forces with Jeffrey, Donny and the SureSale team to help auto dealers, and our industry, better meet this shift, while also providing significant benefit to today’s used vehicle consumer.”

Michael is charged with helping the company further tap into the used vehicle market, expanding its proprietary vehicle quality standard platform, its distribution into franchise and independent dealerships across the country, and its partnerships with key automotive brands, product providers and indirect lenders.

Michael began his automotive career at the dawn of the Internet as Director of OEM and Portal Products at AutoWeb and as SVP, Lead Management at Autobytel. Since then he has continued as an innovation driver, working in product development roles for Google, eBay Motors and, most recently, TrueCar. In addition, through his consulting firm, his deep understanding of digital automotive, operations, and lead generation, has helped multiple large and small companies understand the space they are operating in and to make the connections, analysis, and decisions needed to successfully enter or expand in a market. 

*SureSale won the Gold Stevie® Award in the “Innovation of the Year” Business Services “category in the 18th Annual American Business Awards®

About SureSale

Founded and led by a team of automotive/tech innovators, SureSale has created the gold standard for quality used vehicles. Delivered through the industry’s first, and only, independent inspection platform, SureSale bridges a major auto market gap to meet demand for inspected, high-quality pre-owned vehicles among the US’ 40 million used car buyers. SureSale’s award-winning platform, which is supported nationally by the SureSale brand, offers franchise and independent dealers across the US a turnkey program and technology that enables them to validate more of their used vehicle inventory. Each SureSale vehicle comes with an independent inspection and a Factfile™ vehicle report, the single source of truth on the past history, present condition and future assurance of a used car. SureSale is based in Santa Monica, CA. Visit www.suresale.com for more information.

SureSale Media Contact:

Angela Jacobson, mWEBB Communications, angela@mwebbcom.com, (714) 454-8776

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com, (949) 307-1723

Natural disasters are often referred to as catastrophic for a reason - the sheer nature of their damage is not limited to a ripple effect but a flat out splash - covering individuals, infrastructure, businesses, and more. Hurricane Sandy has passed, but many northeast residents are still without basic supplies, while others may have lost their homes, businesses, cars, and more.

It is estimated that the damage from the superstorm will total between $30 and $50 Billion, with New York bearing 34% of the loss, New Jersey 30%, Pennsylvania 20%, and all other states     16 %*. As the numbers continue to stagger in, we wonder, what is the automotive industry’s place in this recovery?

An estimated 250,000 cars were flooded by the super storm** - leaving many individuals stranded without transportation. In an already tight used car market, damaged vehicles present not only a cost and supply issue, but a health and safety hazard to consumers who may unsuspectingly purchase a replacement vehicle that experienced extensive flood damage.

Here at SureSale, our business model is built around both dealer and consumer confidence and transparency – making it only fitting that we take action.  So, we immediately deployed certification experts to complete on-the-ground inspections to assess the damage and certification status of SureSale Certified vehicles on lots affected by flooding. Following comprehensive inspections, vehicles were immediately deemed either undamaged, in need of repair, or unsalvageable and removed from SureSale Certified vehicle status.

We maintain our commitment to quality pre-owned vehicles and our team continues to work with dealerships affected by Sandy. It is our hope that this small but significant action will provide some much needed confidence and security for individuals trying to put the pieces back together.

For more info on our flood inspections, click here

For more info on SureSale, click here

*The New York Times, November 1, 2012 - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/business/estimate-of-economic-losses-now-up-to-50-billion.html

**LA Times, November 9, 2012 - http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-autos-flooded-cars-20121109,0,244965.story

To stay current on the CPO industry, go to www.jeffreyschwartz.com

Natural disasters are often referred to as catastrophic for a reason - the sheer nature of their damage is not limited to a ripple effect but a flat out splash - covering individuals, infrastructure, businesses, and more. Hurricane Sandy has passed, but many northeast residents are still without basic supplies, while others may have lost their homes, businesses, cars, and more.

It is estimated that the damage from the superstorm will total between $30 and $50 Billion, with New York bearing 34% of the loss, New Jersey 30%, Pennsylvania 20%, and all other states     16 %*. As the numbers continue to stagger in, we wonder, what is the automotive industry’s place in this recovery?

An estimated 250,000 cars were flooded by the super storm** - leaving many individuals stranded without transportation. In an already tight used car market, damaged vehicles present not only a cost and supply issue, but a health and safety hazard to consumers who may unsuspectingly purchase a replacement vehicle that experienced extensive flood damage.

Here at SureSale, our business model is built around both dealer and consumer confidence and transparency – making it only fitting that we take action.  So, we immediately deployed certification experts to complete on-the-ground inspections to assess the damage and certification status of SureSale Certified vehicles on lots affected by flooding. Following comprehensive inspections, vehicles were immediately deemed either undamaged, in need of repair, or unsalvageable and removed from SureSale Certified vehicle status.

We maintain our commitment to quality pre-owned vehicles and our team continues to work with dealerships affected by Sandy. It is our hope that this small but significant action will provide some much needed confidence and security for individuals trying to put the pieces back together.

For more info on our flood inspections, click here

For more info on SureSale, click here

*The New York Times, November 1, 2012 - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/business/estimate-of-economic-losses-now-up-to-50-billion.html

**LA Times, November 9, 2012 - http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-autos-flooded-cars-20121109,0,244965.story

To stay current on the CPO industry, go to www.jeffreyschwartz.com

If there is a bright spot in the economy these days, it’s the auto industry. Pent-up demand, lower interest rates, great product, and easing gas prices are driving consumers online and into showrooms, ramping up sales for dealers across the country. But it is not all sunshine – at least for new car dealers, who are feeling increasing pressure on margins (attributable to some of the same factors that are also driving sales[1]), with consumers paying, on average, $500 less for a new vehicle than they did a year ago.[2]

Advantage used? We think so.

As any dealer will tell you, margins are traditionally higher on used vehicles (more than ten times higher according to NADA data[3]), and while constricted inventories in a hot used car market dampened that opportunity of late, this year's robust increases in new sales are bringing growth in trade-ins (56% of new car buyers who own a vehicle intend to trade it in!), providing more precious used inventory.  Analysts are predicting strong sales ahead for used dealers, and inside that relatively rosy used car story is another even brighter ‘margin’ story ready to break out, the CPO story.

Consider: June 2012, was the 2nd-best month in the history of the certified pre-owned vehicle market. Yep! The second best month in history! Certified pre-owned sales are up 9.5% in 2012 following a steady three-year growth trend.  This is fantastic news for the used car industry … and a huge opportunity for dealers…especially as new certification programs mean they’re no longer limited to only OEM programs when it comes to offering the type of comprehensive certification that consumers will actually embrace.  Industry data confirms that OEM-certified vehicles move faster and that consumers will pay a premium for them, and while this is good news and means better margins, only a fraction of a dealer’s used vehicles will qualify. That’s where high-quality, non-OEM certification programs, that extend the scope of eligible vehicles, step in. For instance, our SureSale program, which allows dealers to certify vehicles up to 15 years old and 150K miles. 

But do the same margin advantages apply with these new CPO programs? Today we can give a resounding “yes” to that – according to the aggregated data from our SureSale Certified program.

Our data shows that, surprisingly, not only are non-OEM certified vehicles selling faster than the OEM-certified variety, they are dramatically increasing those all-important margins.  This is not just happy news for independent dealers, who have been without access to a truly effective CPO marketing program, but for franchised dealers who are feeling the crunch of compressed margins, even as new vehicles are flying off their lot. Because far more of those trade-ins they’re taking from over 50% of their customers are now eligible to wear that consumer-friendly, profit-driving certified badge of honor, participating dealers can go a long way to making up those lost new car margins. Consider the eye-opening results dealers are reporting after just six months of participation in the SureSale certification program: these certified vehicles are moving at a rate that is over 60% faster[4] than that of the average used vehicle (and 10 days faster than the average OEM-certified vehicle) – and they are pocketing an additional 23% (or $2,300) per-vehicle sales premium on average.[5]  Plus, because the program smartly integrates extended protection plans, dealerships are generating an average of $1,500 in additional revenue on those one in four customers who are opting for that program. 

There are about 35 million used vehicles on the market and yet less than 2 million were sold through OEM CPO programs last year. With CPO sales happily rocking the profit center of the used car market, we believe that that center can significantly expand, and that far more of those other 30+ million vehicles can be properly and rightly certified. The customers that are shopping ‘used’ want and deserve the peace of mind of more high-quality certified programs and vehicles – and dealers deserve the marketing differentiation, rapid turn, and yes, above all, the increased profit margins they provide.
 

To stay current on the CPO industry, go to www.jeffreyschwartz.com or follow me on Twitter @JeffreySureSale.

If there is a bright spot in the economy these days, it’s the auto industry. Pent-up demand, lower interest rates, great product, and easing gas prices are driving consumers online and into showrooms, ramping up sales for dealers across the country. But it is not all sunshine – at least for new car dealers, who are feeling increasing pressure on margins (attributable to some of the same factors that are also driving sales[1]), with consumers paying, on average, $500 less for a new vehicle than they did a year ago.[2]

Advantage used? We think so.

As any dealer will tell you, margins are traditionally higher on used vehicles (more than ten times higher according to NADA data[3]), and while constricted inventories in a hot used car market dampened that opportunity of late, this year's robust increases in new sales are bringing growth in trade-ins (56% of new car buyers who own a vehicle intend to trade it in!), providing more precious used inventory.  Analysts are predicting strong sales ahead for used dealers, and inside that relatively rosy used car story is another even brighter ‘margin’ story ready to break out, the CPO story.

Consider: June 2012, was the 2nd-best month in the history of the certified pre-owned vehicle market. Yep! The second best month in history! Certified pre-owned sales are up 9.5% in 2012 following a steady three-year growth trend.  This is fantastic news for the used car industry … and a huge opportunity for dealers…especially as new certification programs mean they’re no longer limited to only OEM programs when it comes to offering the type of comprehensive certification that consumers will actually embrace.  Industry data confirms that OEM-certified vehicles move faster and that consumers will pay a premium for them, and while this is good news and means better margins, only a fraction of a dealer’s used vehicles will qualify. That’s where high-quality, non-OEM certification programs, that extend the scope of eligible vehicles, step in. For instance, our SureSale program, which allows dealers to certify vehicles up to 15 years old and 150K miles. 

But do the same margin advantages apply with these new CPO programs? Today we can give a resounding “yes” to that – according to the aggregated data from our SureSale Certified program.

Our data shows that, surprisingly, not only are non-OEM certified vehicles selling faster than the OEM-certified variety, they are dramatically increasing those all-important margins.  This is not just happy news for independent dealers, who have been without access to a truly effective CPO marketing program, but for franchised dealers who are feeling the crunch of compressed margins, even as new vehicles are flying off their lot. Because far more of those trade-ins they’re taking from over 50% of their customers are now eligible to wear that consumer-friendly, profit-driving certified badge of honor, participating dealers can go a long way to making up those lost new car margins. Consider the eye-opening results dealers are reporting after just six months of participation in the SureSale certification program: these certified vehicles are moving at a rate that is over 60% faster[4] than that of the average used vehicle (and 10 days faster than the average OEM-certified vehicle) – and they are pocketing an additional 23% (or $2,300) per-vehicle sales premium on average.[5]  Plus, because the program smartly integrates extended protection plans, dealerships are generating an average of $1,500 in additional revenue on those one in four customers who are opting for that program. 

There are about 35 million used vehicles on the market and yet less than 2 million were sold through OEM CPO programs last year. With CPO sales happily rocking the profit center of the used car market, we believe that that center can significantly expand, and that far more of those other 30+ million vehicles can be properly and rightly certified. The customers that are shopping ‘used’ want and deserve the peace of mind of more high-quality certified programs and vehicles – and dealers deserve the marketing differentiation, rapid turn, and yes, above all, the increased profit margins they provide.
 

To stay current on the CPO industry, go to www.jeffreyschwartz.com or follow me on Twitter @JeffreySureSale.

There is a huge ‘certification’ gap in our industry that represents a potential loss of billions of dollars by used car dealers.

Consider: over 35 million used cars were sold last year, but fewer than 2 million of them were certified by OEM-sponsored programs. This is a stunning fact given that consumers are willing to pay, on average, a 12-27% premium on a certified vehicle.

There is a huge ‘certification’ gap in our industry that represents a potential loss of billions of dollars by used car dealers.

Consider: over 35 million used cars were sold last year, but fewer than 2 million of them were certified by OEM-sponsored programs. This is a stunning fact given that consumers are willing to pay, on average, a 12-27% premium on a certified vehicle.