Elite Auto Network Helps Clients Navigate Auto Purchases

By George Walsh, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Company Aids Customers in Finding a Car Without Visiting Dealerships

In August of 2005, Elite Auto Network opened a new facility in Hacienda to serve the Tri-Valley and Bay Area. The firm has been in operation since 1987 in Beverly Hills and has helped its clients complete the purchase of over 10,000 vehicles ranging from Ferraris to Hyundais. The company's new 2,500 square foot location at 5673 West Las Positas Boulevard will help customers locate vehicles they are interested in, help with financing, and provide custom options not available from dealerships. Once a car is chosen, clients have the option of having their new vehicle delivered directly to their home.

Buying a new car can be a rewarding and exciting experience. However, details like finding the right customization options, negotiating prices, financing, and other finer points can be confusing. In some cases, buyers simply don't have the time to visit multiple dealerships to find what they want. Elite Auto Network provides services that serve all of these needs.

"We represent clients who want to buy or lease a new or pre-owned vehicle," says Tracy Porter, co-owner of Elite Auto Network. "Instead of going to a dealership and dealing with a sales person, we handle all of the details. Studies show that 40% of the people who go to dealerships don't like the experience. The process is just not appealing to a lot of customers. Our clients call us and tell us the type of car that they're interested in as well as all of the options they find attractive and we take care of the rest. Most people start out by visiting the Internet to find the invoice and sticker price are for a car to prepare to negotiate a sale with a dealership. They might visit multiple dealerships to see if they can introduce some competition between the dealers. Most people don't like that scenario."

At one time, Porter owned a Mercedes dealership in Oregon. His business partner, Todd Keith, has been running Elite's other facility in Beverly Hills for over ten years. Between the two of them, they have a history of experience in the automobile service industry. This gives them the advantage of having a well-cultivated rapport with different dealerships for different types of vehicles. These relationships give them the ability to avoid the entire sales process that consumers go through and talk directly to owners and sales managers to negotiate the best possible deal. Where a consumer may visit two or three dealers, Elite can make contact with 15 or more dealers to find the right car at the right price.

"Instead of spending hours doing research and visiting dealerships, our clients can spend that time more productively," Porter says. "We handle the negotiations and we can also help buyers with financing. We can work with the dealership to finance a vehicle or arrange loans via our relationships with banks and credit unions. Typically, when consumers finance through a dealership, their financing is delivered by that dealership. When they let us handle it, we can compare interest rates from multiple sources. When you have competition, you get better rates and better terms."

While Elite Auto Network helps clients procure the car of their dreams, Porter doesn't consider his company a dealership. "We don't sell cars, we offer a service. Clients can let us find the vehicle, arrange for financing, and make sure that they have a great experience." The approach seems to be paying off - 90 percent of Elite's new clients come to them based on referrals from current clients.

Photo: Tracy Porter, owner of Elite Auto Network, helps customers with cars ranging from this Passat to classic cars from the past worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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