Their answer is an app that was both responsive and simple to use.
CarLeads is a live feed of all the main marketplaces to give dealership buyers instant and first access to stock as they are advertised, capitalising on the adage that the first buyer to contact the seller is usually the first to buy.
“It gives dealers a head start which is especially important when the private market is flooded with backyarders,” said co-founder of the CarLeads app, Idris Bourne.
To simplify the journey and reduce the amount of vehicles that the user has to view, users can filter only the vehicles of interest and can save vehicles of interest.
But perhaps the biggest advantage of CarLeads, said Mr Bourne, is the ability to look up the history of the vehicle – by registration plate number or VIN – to check the history.
“Fraud is a growing problem for dealers buying privately,” he told GoAutoNews Premium.
“This app is designed for the dealerships that buy from the private market and are exposed to some unscrupulous sellers.
“If a car is bought from a private seller – often a backyard and unlicensed seller – there is no warranty and little chance of getting any financial reimbursement.”
The release in WA follows recent discussion in Victoria, in which the CEO of the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC), Geoff Gwilym, who met with the Victorian government this week, told GoAutoNews Premium earlier this year the “VACC is lobbying to have odometer readings as part of a VicRoads VRE search”.
Zahid and Idris Bourne
He said the chamber is also looking for ways that odometer readings supplied at transfer or under roadworthy certificate scenarios can be made accessible to licensed persons in Victoria.
“The VACC urges LMCTs to utilise the current offerings of organisations such as AutoGrab, CarFacts.com.au or carhistory.com.au to mine the data those types of organisations gather on an individual vehicle’s history.
“AutoGrab, for instance, offers a very good live model that will assist LMCTs in identifying a suspicious odometer. But these are all based on previous online classified history. There is much to do to get regulators to provide access to data for licensed industry. The dialogue continues.” Mr Gwilym said.
Co-founder of CarLeads and coding expert Zahid Bourne said: “The app allows the user to accurately check the history of the car which will show information including how many times it has been advertised; the details of previous advertisements – which will show if the odometer has been altered, if they’re hiding any issues that may have been listed before but aren’t anymore; the list goes on.”
“We have already seen backyard sellers list multiple cars and some examples of odometer tampering. In one case, a 2009 Camry was shown with 205,000km on the odometer and then the car was advertised a year later with 168,000km.
“Dealers and buyers can now check the last three-years of history for any vehicle with the tap of a button saving time, money and headaches.”
He said that the idea for the app had been in place for the past three years and has been tweaked to suit changing market conditions and user requirements.
One additional feature is the cross-referencing of the data. The brothers said that this means if a private seller changes the number plates, it still comes up as the same car based on the VIN.
Other features in the listings on the mobile-phone app is the location of the vehicle to the user; registration expiry date; PPSR check shortcut; and accuracy of the vehicle particulars such as model, year and badge.
It also shows if the vehicle is being sold by a backyard reseller, if it has been recently relisted, and if the car was previously sold by a dealer.
One early adopter was dealer principal of 3MT True Value Auto in Perth, Marcelo Avila.
“It’s too risky to buy privately without being aware of the history of the car,” he said. “By the time you realise you have a problem, it’s too late.”
The app is designed specifically for dealerships and is priced at from $500 a month for businesses with a motor dealers licence and an ABN. This is to prevent it being used by those not legitimately in the automotive industry.
“We offer a two-week trial for dealers who want to see how the program works and if it is beneficial to their business,” said Idris Bourne.
The app accesses marketplaces including Gumtree, Facebook, Autotrader, OnlyCars, Pickles and Carsales.
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