TrueCar Sees Progress Rebuilding Tattered Links to Dealers
- Website is changed so retailers won't compete only on price
- CEO Perry also will shun finance offers that bypass dealers
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TrueCar Inc. is winning much-needed converts among U.S. auto dealers, its new chief executive officer said. He’s trying to mend fences after many independent retailers, which provide 95 percent of the company’s revenue, took offense last year at how the online provider of vehicle pricing and data did business.
“If dealers think one of their marketing providers is bad for their business long-term, they’re inclined to avoid it even if it’s beneficial short-term,’’ Chip Perry, 62, who took over at TrueCar in December after co-founder Scott Painter stepped down, said in an interview. “Some of our past pronouncements gave them good grounds for concern.’’