SEPTEMBER 2009

In Memory of Dave Sinclair

Dave Sinclair passed away in the early morning hours of September 25 after a long battle with cancer. He was an icon not only in the dealer community but in the entire St. Louis community and he will be greatly missed. Click here to read about why Dave was so special to us all.

Veteran Payment Systems Offers SLADA Members Discounted Credit Card Processing

Are you paying too much for credit card processing? Are you even sure what rates you are paying your current processor? SLADA and Veteran Payment Systems are here to help. Veteran is offering SLADA members exclusive pricing on your payment processing along with an unprecedented, up-front approach to being your credit card processing partner. Click here to find out how you can begin saving today.

Do You Want to Reduce Your Dealership's Telecommunications Expenses?

NetPro is a local telecommunications consulting firm that has partnered with SLADA to help its members reduce their telecommunications expenses. More often than not, telecom companies are overcharging their costumers or charging them unnecessary fees and inflated rates. NetPro has experts that can help analyze your bills and systems to let you know where you can be saving money. The best part is, if they don't save you any money, you don't pay a dime. Click here to find out more about NetPro and how you can schedule an audit today.

Would You Like Your Dealership's Accomplishments Highlighted in the St. Louis Post?

Every other Sunday, SLADA hosts space in the Autos section of the St. Louis Post Dispatch to highlight the accomplishments of its dealer members. If you are having an event, celebrating an anniversary, or simply want the community to know of a unique service your dealership provides, let us know! All we need is some simple information, then we will write the article for you and it will run at no cost to your dealership. Who doesn't love free publicity? Click here for a simple questionnaire you can fill out to let us know what you'd like us to write about, or contact Katie Heineman at 314-822-0333 or kheineman@stlautos.com with your dealership's information.

Attention Office Managers and Related Industry Professionals: SLADA Reintroduces the Automotive Dealers Office Managers Association (ADOMA)

We at SLADA are excited to be reintroducing meetings of the Automotive Dealers Office Managers Association (ADOMA). ADOMA is a group of office managers and related industry professionals who meet regularly to network, learn more about industry topics, and learn about ways to enhance the success of their dealerships. SLADA is trying to figure out the best way to make this group as productive as it can be. In order to do that, if you are an office manager, please take a minute to fill out this brief questionnaire. Click here to do so. Then, be on the lookout for information about how you can become a part of this important group.

FTC Increases Fees for Access to Do-Not-Call Registry

The FTC has announced an increase in fees starting on Oct. 1 for telemarketers accessing phone numbers on the National Do-Not-Call Registry. The first five area codes continue to be available without charge. However, fees for access to more than five area codes will increase. Beginning Oct. 1, the annual fee for access to each area code of data will be $55 per year (increased from $54), or $27 per area code of data during the second six months of an entity's annual subscription period, up to a maximum charge of $15,058 for all area codes nationwide (increased from $14,850). Click here to read the entire notice.

When it's OK to Get Personal: Borrowers' Life Stories Sometimes Do Matter to Lenders

In this age of credit scoring and automated lending decisions, it may seem that car loan applicants' individual stories do not matter. They do, says Richard Costello, national finance and insurance executive for Zurich North America. Click here to read this article that was written by Steve Finlay and published on WardsDealer.com on Oct 1, 2008.

St. Louis Auto Outlook

The St. Louis Auto Outlook is filled with valuable, objective information on the metro area's new retail automotive market that can't be found anywhere else. The St. Louis Auto Outlook tracks monthly vehicle registrations in the greater St. Louis metro area. Click here to see the latest monthly report.