Comments on: Dealer Rating Sites = FAIL for Consumers and Dealers http://www.ismintraining.com/marketing/dealership-online-properties/dealer-rating-sites-fail-for-consumers-and-dealers/ Strategy, Opinions and Insight Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:46:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Frustrated http://www.ismintraining.com/marketing/dealership-online-properties/dealer-rating-sites-fail-for-consumers-and-dealers/comment-page-1/#comment-26874 Frustrated Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:46:01 +0000 http://ismintraining.com/?p=111#comment-26874 I have to say that there is something wrong with dealerrater.com. I had a terrible experience at a dealership. (Berterra Nissan of Auburn, MA). It was so bad it makes me mad, 2 years later just thinking about it. I was so upset that I decided to write a review, which I have never done before in my life. I wrote all about my terrible experience and it was never posted. I received a notice that they would give Berterra a chance to respond or rectify the situation, which they never did. I checked the web site a few times to see if my review was showing up and eventually gave up. Today, I was browsing the internet for cars and remembered the ordeal with Berterra. Out of curiosity, I checked to see if my review ever got posted. No. It did not. It makes me wonder. There are a few reviews in there that sound pretty terrible. They are mashed in between a TON of wonderful reviews that almost seem scripted. The dealership has a pretty good score overall. Now, I have talked to several people in Massachusetts about this place. I gotten the same response from each of them: "Ugh, don't go there." It seems like it is just known to be an awful place. How, then, can they get such a high score? I am quite baffled. My theory is that they have some sort of arrangement with Berterra. It is just a theory. I have to say that there is something wrong with dealerrater.com. I had a terrible experience at a dealership. (Berterra Nissan of Auburn, MA). It was so bad it makes me mad, 2 years later just thinking about it. I was so upset that I decided to write a review, which I have never done before in my life. I wrote all about my terrible experience and it was never posted. I received a notice that they would give Berterra a chance to respond or rectify the situation, which they never did. I checked the web site a few times to see if my review was showing up and eventually gave up. Today, I was browsing the internet for cars and remembered the ordeal with Berterra. Out of curiosity, I checked to see if my review ever got posted. No. It did not. It makes me wonder. There are a few reviews in there that sound pretty terrible. They are mashed in between a TON of wonderful reviews that almost seem scripted. The dealership has a pretty good score overall. Now, I have talked to several people in Massachusetts about this place. I gotten the same response from each of them: “Ugh, don’t go there.” It seems like it is just known to be an awful place. How, then, can they get such a high score? I am quite baffled. My theory is that they have some sort of arrangement with Berterra. It is just a theory.

]]> By: Ralph Paglia http://www.ismintraining.com/marketing/dealership-online-properties/dealer-rating-sites-fail-for-consumers-and-dealers/comment-page-1/#comment-2607 Ralph Paglia Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:05:47 +0000 http://ismintraining.com/?p=111#comment-2607 Paul, Although I agree with you about single dealership focused sites having limited appeal to consumers, I couldn't help but notice you left out an honorable mention for DealerRater.com. My own direct experience has been that DealerRater.com has a high degree of credibility with consumers and it is organically ranked and included in dealer reviews by Google, along with InsiderPages.com. With DealerRater.com a dealer can pay a fee to register and then have the opportunity to respond to negative consumer reviews, as well as get use of their logo, almost like a Good Housekeeping seal of approval. On the other hand, I have seen Ripoffreport.com be very anti-dealer biased and unresponsive to facts, or even when a consumer wanted to change what they had originally posted. There is no doubt that these consumer review sites are NOT all created equal, so it would be good for all of us if the legitimate review sites, such as DealerRater.com received some measure of support and respect. On my last trip to Seattle, I was able to convince Ford of Kirkland's owner to register with DealerRater.com, they now have 14 reviews published, not all are perfect, but they have a 4.2 out of 5 rating and they look like the best Ford dealer in the state of Washington. You can check out what they did at http://www.dealerrater.com/dealer/Ford-of-Kirkland-review-5314/ . Jim Walen, the owner has told me that several customers have come into the dealership and commented on the overall positive nature of the dealership's reviews... And, that is what I think makes DealerRater.com credible with consumers, the fact that not all the reviews are perfect, but the ones that weren't display the dealership's personal and direct response to the complaint. And, that is REAL WORLD to many customers who know that the difference in dealers is often how they handle an unsatisfied customer. Paul,

Although I agree with you about single dealership focused sites having limited appeal to consumers, I couldn’t help but notice you left out an honorable mention for DealerRater.com. My own direct experience has been that DealerRater.com has a high degree of credibility with consumers and it is organically ranked and included in dealer reviews by Google, along with InsiderPages.com. With DealerRater.com a dealer can pay a fee to register and then have the opportunity to respond to negative consumer reviews, as well as get use of their logo, almost like a Good Housekeeping seal of approval. On the other hand, I have seen Ripoffreport.com be very anti-dealer biased and unresponsive to facts, or even when a consumer wanted to change what they had originally posted. There is no doubt that these consumer review sites are NOT all created equal, so it would be good for all of us if the legitimate review sites, such as DealerRater.com received some measure of support and respect. On my last trip to Seattle, I was able to convince Ford of Kirkland’s owner to register with DealerRater.com, they now have 14 reviews published, not all are perfect, but they have a 4.2 out of 5 rating and they look like the best Ford dealer in the state of Washington. You can check out what they did at http://www.dealerrater.com/dealer/Ford-of-Kirkland-review-5314/ . Jim Walen, the owner has told me that several customers have come into the dealership and commented on the overall positive nature of the dealership’s reviews… And, that is what I think makes DealerRater.com credible with consumers, the fact that not all the reviews are perfect, but the ones that weren’t display the dealership’s personal and direct response to the complaint. And, that is REAL WORLD to many customers who know that the difference in dealers is often how they handle an unsatisfied customer.

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