Revolutionary Product Redefines Car-Shopping Experience

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Jan. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For R.C. Hill, owner of R.C. Hill Mitsubishi in Deland, Florida, a new tool for automobile dealers has already proven effective for after-hours shoppers.  Hill is the owner of a Florida dealership currently testing a new product from Auto Data Direct (ADD) that utilizes a Quick Response Code on a scannable sticker affixed to the car. The sticker allows the consumer to access key vehicle data, even when the dealership is closed.

In 2010 ADD applied for a patent on its revolutionary new product that allows consumers with a smartphone to scan a QR code sticker using a free code-reader application and instantly view a vehicle history report with data from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS).  The report includes critical data from states, insurance carriers, junk and salvage entities used to help protect consumers from purchasing a damaged vehicle without knowledge of the vehicle's history.  Data obtained from participating states helps prevent fraudulent activities such as Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) cloning and title washing.  Stemming from The Anti Car Theft Act of 1992, NMVTIS is a U.S. Department of Justice database that currently contains 87% of all U.S. Department of Motor Vehicle data.

Through links provided with the report, dealers can guide consumers directly to their website and provide additional details such as price, photos, dealership hours and other information necessary to help the consumer make a purchase decision.  For the dealership sales force the scanning process is a great icebreaker and provides instant access to federal vehicle history data, which increases consumer confidence in the product and the salesperson.  Hill adds, "We've been surprised at how ready the customers are for this technology.  We have seen customers take out their smartphones and scan the QR Code, which leads to quality interaction throughout the sales process."

The QR code sticker is created through Auto Data Direct's NMVTIS web interface.  After entering the vehicle's VIN into the web-based service, ADD generates a unique QR code containing the vehicle history and additional dealer information.  The dealer then prints the sticker and affixes it to the vehicle window, ready to be scanned by an interested buyer.  ADD unveiled the QR code product at the Advanced Technology SuperHighway exhibit of the Washington Auto Show on January 27, 2011 and will demonstrate it at the National Association of Automobile Dealers conference in San Francisco, February 4-6.

At its January 2011 Board of Directors meeting, the Florida Independent Automobile Dealers Association endorsed the new product.  "Our board sees this as a tremendous tool for dealers as well as the consumer," said Steve Jordan, FIADA's Executive Director.  "Auto Data Direct has been a tremendous partner for our association throughout the years.  They have consistently developed services that assist dealers in completing their transactions in an efficient way.  The QR code program is another example of their innovative approach to helping our members be more successful."

Mobile technology is changing the way consumers interact with the world, and ADD's new QR code product is revolutionizing the way dealers interact with customers.  In addition to offering a valuable first look at vehicle information, QR stickers provide dealerships of all sizes with an inventory management tool that allows them to track the number of times a vehicle is scanned, as well as valuable lead-generation tools.  ADD's exciting new approach to auto sales is bringing car shopping into the 21st century, and bringing car buyers in to the lots.

Product Patent Application No. 61389390

More information about ADD and available services can be found at www.add123.com.

SOURCE Auto Data Direct