CarWoo! Dealer Network Tops 5,000 While New Partners Boost New Car Buyers

BURLINGAME, Calif., Jan. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CarWoo! announces today that the network of dealers using the CarWoo! portal to sell new cars has now exceeded 5,000 representing 22% of dealerships nationwide.  This figure continues to increase at a rate of approximately 400 - 500 dealers month over month.  The CarWoo! dealer network includes dealers for all makes of cars and geographies, so new car buyers have a wide range of dealers to choose from in all 50 states.

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In addition to the rapidly growing dealer network, CarWoo! is also announcing strategic partnerships with DriverSide, committed to be the #1 online resource for anyone who owns a car and NADAGuides.com, the most comprehensive vehicle information website on the Internet today.  These two partners will help direct new car buyers to CarWoo!.

San Francisco-based CarWoo! is the leading online service and marketplace through which car dealers are connected with anonymous buyers, and can then extend offers and sell vehicles.  New car buyers are charged a nominal fee to use the CarWoo! portal to access this marketplace, which is free for dealers. Through the CarWoo! service buyers are able to interact with dealers through any computer, and are able to communicate and negotiate comfortably and conveniently with the dealers before taking delivery of their new car.  

Buyers receive multiple offers and are able to communicate and negotiate with the actual dealers who have placed offers on existing inventory while retaining their privacy, a huge leap forward from the stressful process car buyers face today.  CarWoo! provides dealers with referrals for buyers who often fall outside of the traditional automotive lead system.

"We are thrilled by the enthusiastic acceptance of CarWoo! by the dealer community," says Tommy McClung, CEO of CarWoo!  "Dealers are rapidly recognizing that CarWoo!, unlike all other online buying services in the market today, allows dealers to engage with buyers in all the dimensions of the new car buying experience."

McClung continues, "Through our experience with new car buyers, we have discovered that the decision to buy a car is not based on a single factor such as price.  Buyers elect to buy cars from dealers who interact well, who treat them as valued customers, who provide the vehicle that is a fit to the one they wanted and who are a comfortable distance from them.  Then, buyers ultimately want to know that they purchased their vehicle at a fair price.  CarWoo! not only allows, but encourages dealers to engage with customers in all these areas, which has led to our dealer network growing quickly."

The combination of the expanding dealer network and two new strategic partnerships positions CarWoo! well in the marketplace to offer outstanding and comprehensive service to new car buyers.

"We view the relationship with CarWoo! as a win-win for all parties," says Jad Dunning, CEO of DriverSide.  "We are able to direct people to the best available car buying experience when it is time to buy a new car.  CarWoo! can stay engaged with their buyers throughout the entire lifetime of car ownership through DriverSide.  The partnership gives car buyers and owners a fantastic end-to-end experiences with all of their vehicles."

"Partners are important to our success and it is a great endorsement of the CarWoo! organization and value proposition when we are able to attract quality partners like NADAguides and DriverSide," adds McClung.

DriverSide brings together all the information and resources needed to make automobile ownership an easy and personalized experience, whether consumers access the site for buying, servicing, maintaining, accessorizing or selling.

Launched in 2000, NADAguides.com offers a broad range of information, products and services to help educate people in the market to buy, sell, trade or simply shop for a vehicle, while providing a wealth of interesting articles and related information to help people maintain and properly care for the vehicles they currently own. 

CarWoo! will be hosting an event for dealers at the NADA 2011 Convention and Expo in San Francisco, CA on Saturday evening, February 5, 2011 at 5:30PM.  Details are available through Support at CarWoo! (http://www.carwoo.com).

About CarWoo!

CarWoo!, simply the best way to buy a new car, was founded in 2009 by serial entrepreneurs, Tommy McClung, Erik Landerholm and Michael Young. It is the first online service that allows buyers to negotiate anonymously with multiple dealers, ensuring the best offers on the car they want.  With early funding by Y Combinator, CarWoo! is based in Burlingame, CA and is now funded by Blumberg Capital, Comcast Interactive Capital and Interwest Partners.  Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com and on Twitter at twitter.com/carwoo.

About DriverSide

Recognized by CNET as the best site to use to maintain a vehicle, DriverSide.com is the first website specifically designed for automobile owners. DriverSide allows consumers to save money on servicing and maintenance costs, diagnose car problems as well as buy and sell automobiles. DriverSide's in-house editorial staff offers useful advice on how to own and operate a vehicle and new and used auto reviews. The site's community features allow consumers to participate in forums, meet other owners of a particular vehicle, share knowledge, and post reviews on mechanics and dealers. The company also works with businesses across the auto industry to provide comprehensive programs designed to attract and retain customers and increase profits. The award-winning website has been featured in the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal and on Good Morning America. DriverSide was founded in fall, 2007 by Internet entrepreneurs Trevor Traina, Adam Jackson, and Jad Dunning. The company is funded by Catamount Ventures and Allegis Capital. For more information, go to www.driverside.com

About NADAguides.com

NADAguides.com is the most comprehensive vehicle information website on the Internet today. 

Launched in 2000, we offer a broad range of information, products and services to help educate people in the market to buy, sell, trade or simply shop for a vehicle, while providing a wealth of interesting articles and related information to help people maintain and properly care for the vehicles they currently own.  If you're a general consumer or a die hard enthusiast, NADAguides.com is sure to have the vehicle information you're looking for.

SOURCE CarWoo!