A car buyer clicks an online ad touting a low monthly payment or a “Get Today’s Best Price” pop-up. Excited, they head to the dealership—only to discover a higher number, endless disclaimers, and no sign of that “exclusive” discount. What was initially an opportunity to earn a customer’s trust can quickly turn into a significant setback for the dealership’s reputation.

If you think this is merely a matter of “best practices,” it’s worth reconsidering. It’s 2025, and consumer distrust appears to be reaching critical levels. Surveys suggest that nearly 76% of car buyers feel misled by advertised pricing, while 1 in 4 report they would switch dealerships over trust issues. Even if your dealership isn’t trying to deceive anyone, a fragmented technology ecosystem can sometimes inadvertently leave you on the hook for misleading ads—and potentially expose you to legal and financial risk.

“The state attorneys general and the FTC are increasingly unlikely to give dealers a pass just because they weren’t intentional about misleading customers,” says David Boice, Co-Founder and CEO at Team Velocity. “And the unfortunate reality is, many dealerships don’t realize they’ve set themselves up for liability through outdated, uncoordinated marketing tactics.”

The Expanding Regulatory Crackdown

State attorneys general and the FTC are becoming more aggressive in confronting deceptive or unclear advertising practices. They may not care if your disclaimers were meant to be transparent; fragmented systems and multiple vendors—each with its own disclaimers and pricing structure—can create the appearance of deliberate deceit. And when regulators go digging, it’s not just fines on the line; it’s your license, your brand integrity, and your future profitability.

“If your strategy is ‘more leads at any cost,’ you could be taking significant risks,” Boice notes. “It might seem to work in the short term, but it’s likely unsustainable given the current regulatory climate. Customers, as well as regulators, are increasingly unwilling to look the other way.”

Beyond Compliance, Transparency Can Be Your Competitive Edge

You might expect compliance to be a burden. But for smart operators, it’s potentially a golden opportunity to stand out in an increasingly commoditized market. Trust and transparency are increasingly recognized as revenue drivers that can help you differentiate from your competition.

Additionally, customers who feel they were treated fairly are more likely to come back for service, extended warranties, and future purchases. A transparent approach can serve as the foundation for building a lifetime client base.

“Dealers often tell me, ‘But won’t we lose leads if we don’t dangle a “secret discount” in front of every website visitor?’” says Boice. “In reality, you might be losing more sales than you realize with these outdated tactics because people don’t trust what you’re offering. Replace gimmicks with authenticity and you could see your closing ratio climb.”

Team Velocity: The All-In-One Solution

So, how do you fix it all? That’s where Team Velocity and its Apollo platform come in. Instead of juggling 10 or 12 vendors, Apollo consolidates everything into a single “source of truth.” The result?

• Seamless Offer Management: All pricing, offers, and disclosures are generated from the same data set. This helps reduce contradictory disclaimers and marketing collateral that fails to reflect real pricing.
• Native Desking System: Apollo’s desking system aims to ensure that the numbers you advertise online match the numbers your customers see in-store. Regulators see one price. Customers see one price. Your entire team rallies around one price.
• Regulatory Safeguards: By writing and controlling your own disclaimers—rather than leaving that crucial step to vendors who have zero legal liability—you can better align with both federal and state regulations.
• Data-Driven ROI: Fragmented tech often means you never really know which ads or offers are working. Apollo’s unified data approach aims to show you exactly which campaigns drive revenue rather than letting disjointed systems guess at correlations.

“Dealers have been stuck in a 20-year-old technology model that was designed purely to crank out leads,” Boice explains. “With Apollo, we’re providing a modern platform that addresses the real need: consistency, compliance, and above all—trust.”

Practical Tips to Stay Compliant and Profitable

• Centralize Your Pricing: Make your website the final authority—not a third-party tool. This is where regulators look first, and so should you.
• Reevaluate “Better Price” Hooks: If your pop-ups promise a discount that doesn’t exist, remove them. Your credibility largely depends on delivering what you promise.
• Use Legal Counsel, Not Vendor Templates: Disclaimers can’t be an afterthought. Consult a legal professional to ensure you’re meeting federal and state guidelines.
• Review All Advertising Regularly: Inventory and incentives change. Don’t wait for regulators—or angry customers—to point out outdated offers. Set a monthly or quarterly review schedule.

“We’re at an inflection point,” says Boice. “You can keep playing whack-a-mole with regulators, or you can fix the fragmentation and start building real consumer trust. That’s likely the path to long-term success.”

Team Velocity is helping dealerships move away from the pitfalls of outdated practices by prioritizing compliance, consistency, and consumer confidence. In doing so, they’re assisting in avoiding fines while laying the groundwork for a more honest and prosperous automotive retail landscape.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as financial advice, nor does it replace professional financial advice, investment advice, or any other type of advice. You should seek the advice of a qualified financial advisor or other professional before making any financial decisions.

Published by Elle G.