Edmunds.com Makes Car Appraisal Tool Available to Dealer Web Sites

SANTA MONICA, CA--July 22, 2013: Car dealers now have a new way to engage and build trust with visitors to their Web sites, thanks to a new online tool from Edmunds.com, the premier resource for car shopping and automotive information. Edmunds.com's True Market Value (TMV) Trade-In Tool is a widget for dealer Web sites that allows shoppers to obtain a third-party assessment of their car's trade-in value while shopping for a new or used car.

"Visitors to our Web site clearly want to know the True Market Value for their trade-in," says Paul Passerelli, General Manager at Long Island City (NY) Hyundai. "Since the moment we first made Edmunds.com's TMV Trade-In Tool available on our site, it has quickly become our number one source of all leads with our highest closing ratio."

The release of the new trade-in tool comes on the heels of Edmunds.com's national rollout of the Price Promisesm program, which offers upfront guaranteed pricing on vehicles listed by participating dealers on Edmunds.com's inventory pages. Both Price Promisesm and the TMV Trade-In Tool are part of Edmunds.com's efforts to build and reinforce a bridge of trust between car shoppers and dealers.

"The best car dealers are constantly exploring new ways to create a friendlier and more stress-free experience for their customers," says Edmunds.com Vice President of Product Integration Katti Fields. "With the TMV Trade-In Tool, dealers can provide a useful service while associating themselves with a trusted brand."

Customers who use the TMV Trade-In Tool provide detailed information about their vehicles – including zip code, style, color, options, condition and mileage – and their preferred contact information. A range of True Market Value prices are then displayed, and the contact information is passed along to dealers who can then engage with their new customers.

Only dealerships participating in Edmunds' Premier Dealer Program are eligible to display the trade-in tool on their sites.