CrossCheck Blog

CrossCheck Blog

Check Processing & Payments Information

A Biography of Car-Bio for Used Car Sales

Posted by Joe Gargiulo | Tue, Jan 03, 2017 @ 10:42 AM

used car salesSome companies are launched on the principle of creating a better widget than what is already on the market. CrossCheck is one such company. As the story goes, the founder of CrossCheck developed a suite of “new and improved” check processing services in 1983 after receiving an inadequate pitch for a standard check guarantee while operating a record store (see “The History of CrossCheck in the Payments Industry”).

On the other hand, some visionaries develop entirely new products or services by responding to pre-existing needs in the marketplace. Car-Bio fits into that category.

In 2004, CEO David Taylor established Car-Bio as a means of helping auto dealerships with used car sales. With over 35 years in the business, he knew used car sales often lagged behind new car sales because salespeople did not have product knowledge or brochures on used cars as they did on new cars.

Enter the Car-Bio original brochure or what might be considered "version 1.0" of Car-Bio.

Today, Car-Bio offers a complete consumer guide booklet with “all the facts” about every pre-owned vehicle as well as an electronic version, QR code stickers, and marketing tools.

The advantages are obvious — Car-Bio provides salespeople with “the book” on every pre-owned vehicle in a dealership’s inventory. The approach is also gaining traction among shoppers as more and more rely on online sources to conduct their searches (see “Mobile Shopping is a Two-way Street for Auto Dealerships and Consumers”).

Car-Bio is offered in two formats: a hard-copy book (printed and shipped to dealers daily) and the digital eCar-Bio (available on the dealership website the same day).

Car-Bio offers a volume of helpful information for buyers and sellers: 

  • Full-Color Electronic Vehicle Specific Summary & Dealership Contact Info
  • Certified Pre-Owned Cover Page Banner and Insert
  • Complete Vehicle Specifications
  • Thorough Professional Trade Review of the Vehicle
  • Owner Reviews
  • CarFax™ or AutoCheck™ history reports
  • Dealership Specific Information | "Why Buy Here?"
  • Testimonials
  • Introduction to Service Department w/Coupons

“The Car-Bio books should be kept in the vehicle and made available to shoppers,” said Car-Bio President George Whyte. “Equally helpful, eCar-Bio is a digital blueprint of everything about a vehicle and lives in an electronic version on a dealership’s website.”

The Car-Bio team also trains salespeople on best practices with the Car-Bio book, eCar-Bio, and the QR code stickers. View the "What is Car-Bio?" page to learn more.

Car-Bio provides useful tools to buyers and sellers alike, but at some point, the discussion will turn in the direction of payment options — this is where CrossCheck’s expertise comes into play.

Using CrossCheck’s Multiple Check program, buyers can place down payments by writing 2 – 4 checks that dealerships deposit over 30 days according to a mutually convenient schedule.

This simple approach to accepting down payments for used car sales outperforms other methods — auto dealerships receive guaranteed payments and customers drive their vehicles home on the day of purchase without applying for credit. Download the free guide to see how Multiple Check can help your auto dealership.

Multiple Check Insider's Guide

Topics: Auto Dealerships

Written by Joe Gargiulo

Marketing Specialist Joe Gargiulo has 25-plus years in marketing, communications and copy writing. As a writer, he enjoys connecting story leads to all aspects of the human experience.