• Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts are issued by the vehicle manufacturer. They tend to cost more, however they include a warranty, are often more durable and are specifically designed for your vehicle.
• Spare parts, are made by independent providers (a.k.a. aftermarket suppliers). They can be of poor quality or a perfect match with OEM parts. Ask your service garage about the origin of all spare parts they use and whether there are warranties available.
• Refurbished parts, are previously used or damaged parts that were disassembled, cleaned and adjusted – often using kits. Make sure that all parts are under warranty and come from trusted and reliable sources
• Rebuilt factory parts, in general, they had been rebuilt by a major company with large assembly line. Quality depends on how they are recycled. Try to enter the brand name in a popular search engine to get more information about the parts.
• Recycled parts, they may vary from parts of dubious quality fresh from a landfill or junkyard to parts at decent condition. They are always more affordable, but usually have a limited warranty and many are not. If you know a trusted mechanic who understands how to choose good parts, and you want to save some money and help the Mother Nature, the risk may be worthwhile. Using recycled parts not only reduce wastes, but remove toxic substances and save energy used for manufacturing new parts.
• Reconditioned parts are typically used for older cars when manufacturers no longer provide the original parts. The quality depends on the suppliers, but the part must be able excellent condition without worn areas and all rust must be removed. Guarantees, if any, are usually limited.

At findapart.com they offer a free car parts quoting service, so you always know how much a part will cost prior to spending your money. All you have to do is let FindAPart know what part you need, enter your vehicle registration number, and then you leave it to the experienced specialists to find the part. You can expect them to contact you directly to offer you the lowest cost available for the car parts you need. It is as simple as that. If you want to save even more money, then perhaps you should look into getting used car parts. FindAPart offers up to an 80% savings on used car parts, including engines and gearboxes. FindAPart.com can find car parts of many makes and models, even 4X4 parts, van parts, and motorbike parts.

They are able to find all parts, no matter how small or large, to meet the needs of the customer. They are also committed to finding the least expensive parts for you, which can relieve stress on any budget. After you let them know what car parts you need, and you have heard back if it is available, and the price it will cost you, all you need to do is contact the supplier, and place your car parts order directly. The suppliers accept all major credit and debit cards, and most often are able to deliver your car parts the next working day. No body likes it when their car breaks down, but the harsh reality is it can happen to anyone at anytime. It is a good idea to know ahead of time where to find car parts you need, and what you will do if and when this happens to you.

Q. Why take a ‘driving holiday’?
A. A drive holiday gives you the freedom and flexibility to decide on where you travel and what you see and do. You are in charge of how much time you wish to spend at a particular attraction. You have the independence to move around as much or as little as you like. A drive holiday allows you to discover so much more as a car will allow you to drive through the little villages in out of the way places.

Q. How is car rental charged?
A. Car rental is based on 24 hour periods and charged accordingly. If you pick up a car at 9am on Thursday and return at 9am the following day, this is one 24 hour period and therefore a one day booking.

Q. Is it cheaper to pre-book my car rental or should I book when I arrive?
A. Pre-booking will save you money almost every time! With a wholesaler like DriveAway Holidays, you receive the benefit of our purchasing power. Our prices with the major car rental suppliers are considerably lower than walking in off the street in a foreign country to rent a car. In addition you are pre-paying in Australian dollars so the risk of fluctuations in the currency are reduced.

Q. How does a prepaid rental work?
A. The booking is made in advance, paid for and a voucher is issued. The voucher is then used as payment when you go to pick up the car from the supplier.

Q. What additional extras will I have to pay?
A.  It depends on what the rental covers. DriveAway Holidays in most cases include all mandatory charges, like road taxes or airport surcharges. Many optional charges are applicable such as young or additional drivers, Insurance Excess Reduction or extra equipment like child seats. Be sure to check out rate inclusions – first when you are choosing your vehicle online and when you have made your booking (the inclusions will be on your voucher)

Q. What happens when I pick up the car?
A. Present the rental voucher, a valid drivers license and a credit card for a security deposit. Any additional charges will be explained as well as the conditions of the rental. A signature will be required to accept or decline additional charges and to acknowledge that the rental conditions are understood.

Q. What does the supplier do with the renters credit card?
A. It varies depending on the supplier – they may freeze a specific amount as a deposit, an imprint may be taken as a deposit or an amount may be charged to cover the security deposit and then refunded on the return of the vehicle. In some instances the bond can be paid in cash – check with the supplier/broker when you book.

Q. Will there be fuel in the vehicle?
A. Yes, there should be enough to get you on your way. Different companies have different policies regarding fuel – most will supply a full tank and require the car to be returned with a full tank of fuel, otherwise the renter is charged the difference. Some companies provide minimum fuel and is to returned as the renter wishes.

Q. What is a Pre-Paid Fuel Option?
A. Most car rental companies provide a full tank of fuel and will charge you for re-fuelling the vehicle if it is not returned with a full tank. By accepting a Pre-paid fuel option you are agreeing to pay a pre-determined price for fuel regardless of whether you return the vehicle with a full, partially full or empty tank. This means you won’t need to search for a petrol station before you return the car, but there is no refund for any fuel remaining in the tank.

Q. Should I check out the condition of the rental car before driving away?
A. Yes, it is a good idea to check the vehicle before you leave the depot. Any damage or unusual dents/scratches should be noted on the contract before leaving.

Look out for our 2nd part of car rental FAQs!

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NASCAR is a powerful business and marketing machine.  There is a lot you will be able to learn about positioning your own dealership just by studying the lead-generating, profit exploding strategies of this racing giant.

You’ve probably heard of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. They are all pretty famous NASCAR stars. But a name you might not know the name Mike Bartelli. Racecar driver? No. But he is a man that knows lots about speed. Mike is a marketing guy and when it comes to NASCAR and motorsports marketing he is, “the” guy.

Mike is an expert in motorsports marketing, and as head of Millsport Motorsports he has aided NASCAR see record growth in popularity and sponsorship. Now Mike is chief marketing officer and senior VP of Petty Enterprises.

In a recent interview, Mike divulged some of the tips to NASCAR’s Marketing Success. We have from then taken the ideas Mike shared and reshaped them to fit the car business. We’re now serving them to you on a silver platter so you will be able to utilize them in your own dealership this year.

So print this out, grab a highlighter or a pen and put on your thinking cap because you’re about to go for wild ride.

NASCAR Understands the Power of a Celebrity Endorsement

In building their own monster brand, one of NASCAR’s main techniques was to make use of celebrities and celebrity endorsements to reach new fan bases. The NASCAR approach honed in on target groups of potential fans who normally will overlook the sport and reached out to them utilizing a popular celebrity from film, television, music, sports, etc.

You see, nothing gets attention like celebs… Certainly NOTHING.   While NASCAR undoubtedly knows this, several dealers in this nation don’t.

The point of advertising is to get your prospect’s attention.  So if nothing works better in getting attention than celebs, why not utilize it?

Demographics do not matter either. Rich investors, CEOs, credit challenged, blue-collar, white-collar they’re all attracted to celebs. We believe the reason is reach and frequency. Just like efficient marketing is about reaching many people and more importantly reaching them numerous times, celebs have an enormous amount of reach since their job is to be noticed and be heard.

Another motive why celebrities are strong marketing weapons is based on the power of association. Individuals relate you to those they see you with. If you’re hanging out with celebrities then you ought to be one yourself. This is reassuring to your clientele and places you in a positive light.   And naturally potential clientele will enjoy aligning themselves with you too, as they too want a piece of that celebrity pie.

Not to mention, clientele are more likely to refer business to the “cool” dealer who hangs out with celebs over the guy they’ve never heard of.  Bear in mind, boring is safe, but it will get you nowhere.  Leverage the power of celebrity and your prospects will be chasing you down for a sale.

Think this does not pertain to you? Think you can’t use celebrities in your marketing because you cannot pay for Dan Marino?  Well think again.

There is in fact a few low-cost methods you can begin featuring celebs in your marketing immediately.

One strategy we like is designing a mail piece with a full color envelope utilizing images of 3 famous celebs your target audience would resonate with… let’s say, Barack Obama, Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey and YOU! You can use the headline, “What Do Barack, Tiger, Oprah and Mr. Dealer Have In Common.” Next to your picture you’d put your name and “owner of ABC dealership in XYZ town.” BANG, instant celebrity tie in. And that is getting opened.

Or you can make use of your marketing dollars to buy a celebrity for direct sponsorship, endorsement or events. Sure most A-listers might be out of your price range but there is always someone affordable who resonates with your target market. Older celebs who are no longer in their hay-day or more obscure celebrities like popular contestants on reality TV shows could often be employed for surprisingly little.  

Also remember that the recession impacts everyone. Even celebrities jump at the chance to make some extra money. More normally than not it’s our impression of celebrities and our ego, fear of the unknown and apprehension created by star mystique which keep dealers from leveraging this super-charger of a marketing resource.
You could find contact info on virtually any celeb in a book by Jordan McAuley called the Celebrity Black Book available on Amazon.com or contact our office directly for celebrity agent suggestions.

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NASCAR does not simply rely on big names to endorse and market their organization.   Rather, they create and promote their own celebrities to carry the brand.  Mike attributes DALE EARNHARDT JR. and his development into the sport’s first true cross-over star as one of the factors for NASCAR’s dramatic growth in the first part of this decade.

Based on that idea, if you can’t find a celebrity to endorse your dealership, you could just become one yourself.   Think it is impossible??  Well in the age of YouTube, Social Media and the internet, it’s actually not.

Make yourself a local celebrity by beginning a blog, writing articles for your local publications, speaking to local groups, hosting seminars about smart car buying or credit strategies, hosting your own weekend radio show, etc.  You could get a book or take class on DIY PR and start getting your name in the press as a featured expert.   Use social media to garner “fans” and develop your celebrity status that way. Every little bit counts.

NASCAR Understands the Potential of Cross Promotions

You might be a little guy in a big dealer pond, but you certainly don’t need to market like one.  Actually, you could play a bigger game in this area simply by associating yourself and your business with other popular entities in your area.   When done right, this could aid strengthen the potency of your message and insulate you from being hurt financially and emotionally in the case of a failed promotion.

To break this down further, cross promoting means teaming up with other companies and advertising each other. Sometimes you see this in an auto mall, where multiple dealerships would pool their marketing dollars to create a bigger splash in the market. Occasionally you see this with multiple, non-competing businesses in a tight geographical area, where they pool their marketing dollars to bring consumers to the general vicinity.

But if you wish to cross promote like NASCAR… you’ll have to do what these other companies are doing and take it to the MAX.  

So forget auto malls and tiny marketing collaboratives… doing it the NASCAR way means partnering with famous (celebrity-like) firms directly from the beginning. For example, Tag Heuer, the watch brand, already has Tiger Woods secured as a celeb endorsement. Maybe you can hook up with a local jewelry store which is a Tag Heuer retailer, to provide a Tag watch to one fortunate winner on Father’s day. Your promotion can feature you and the jeweler (and Tiger). You could either share the expense of the marketing, or ask the Jeweler to supply the watch. You then have a big event, the jeweler is on site with a cut out of Tiger wearing a Tag watch, you have a putting contest (obviously, you could also tie in a golf course or country club for this, split the marketing 3 ways!), you give away the wristwatch, you sell few cars, and everybody goes home happy.

Realizing that there is power outside of yourself is the key element here.  You ought to expand your thinking to allow for the possibility of working with others and leveraging their existing celebrity relations.  Not to mention, you will be spending less cash for greater exposure as you learn to pull your resources and share the costs of these amazing campaigns.
Here are few of the great ideas that you might want to consider.  

You could tie with local celebrities like news personalities, local authors, radio DJs, local musicians, etc. Again, promote them and ask them to promote you. Maybe propose to pay for a printing of the next batch of CDs produced by a local popular band… with your logo and offer on the CD or inserted inside. A pal of ours recently offered to host a reception in his coffee shop for a group of young pageant contestants. The result was the current Miss America came by to visit the contestants, signed autographs, tasted his coffee and declared, “Best Ever.” Now he has a photo of Miss America drinking his coffee that he can use forever.

You begin seeing a lot of opportunities all over when you start expanding your thinking on this.  You just have to look through the lens of the power of celebrity to begin seeing them all. You can come up with more than ten great ideas when you begin to focus on this subject for an hour. Or, place the desire in your subconscious by writing it down on a piece of paper and carrying that in your pocket for a week. In time, the ideas will pop right into your head whilst driving in traffic, or standing in the shower, or after waking up in the middle of the night.

Focusing on this element of your business truly is the kind of strong, leverageable activity that could make you rich. Whilst most people are moving cars around or writing on windshields or brewing coffee, you could be working on SPEED and quickly moving your business into the fast lane, while drafting behind the existing success and celebrity of somebody else. That is the true power of NASCAR!

Q. What does “car type” or similar mean?
A.  Car rental companies can never guarantee a specific model or car. When renting a car, companies will give you an idea of what you can expect – you may get the car type that was advertised or you may get one similar in size or model.

Q. How old are rental cars?
A. Depends on the car rental company. Larger suppliers like Hertz and Avis carry cars on their fleet that are about 3-4 months old. Smaller companies can carry cars up to 4 years old.

Q. Can baby seats be requested?
A. Yes, the majority of car rental companies do carry baby or booster seats and can be requested before collection.

Q. What happens if my rental car breaks down?
A. Most car rental companies should include 24 hour roadside assistance in the rental rate. If you do break down, help is only a phone call away.

Q. Can I pick up a rental car in one city and drop it off in another?
A. This is known as a one way rental. It depends on the supplier and the country – sometimes a fee will apply. Ask when booking!

Q. Can cars be driven into countries other than the country the vehicle is collected in?
A. In most cases, yes but conditions and restrictions do apply. In Europe, there are restrictions about travelling into Eastern Europe and some vehicles cannot be driven in Italy. In the USA, cars cannot be driven into Mexico. Always check at the time of booking.

Q. Are there age restrictions on drivers?
A. Yes. Maximum and minimum ages vary depending on suppliers and car type. Additional fees may also apply for younger or older drivers.

Q. Can anyone drive the rental car?
A. Additional drivers must be added to the rental contract before collection. There may be a fee for additional drivers.

Q. Can my prepaid rental be extended after the vehicle is collected?
A. Yes. In most cases, the renter pays the supplier directly for any extensions. However, this is at the local rate which is often higher than the pre-paid rate.

Q. What do I do if I return the vehicle early?

A. This is possible, however no refund of unused rental days is allowed by the car rental companies.