Lately, regulations on false advertising have become an issue of increasing importance in our industry. The Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on those dealers who have misleading ads. It is important to understand what you should and should not be displaying on you advertisements. Below are a few scenarios of what you DO NOT want to do:

• Do NOT falsify zero-down finance deals when there are actually substantial fees.
• Do NOT try to lure customers to your dealership by using sweepstakes for prizes where no prizes actually exist.
• DO NOT state deceptive low-payment deals.

The above points are only a few items that a dealership should not include in their advertising. The list can go on and on. Below are a few tips on what a dealership can do to minimize any misrepresentation on their advertisements:

• Be smart when working with advertising agencies. Do not just choose the cheapest vendor, choose someone who is knowledgeable in the used vehicle industry.
• Have a lawyer preview any advertisements before they are released to the public to ensure the legality of the wording.
• Be sure that your fine print includes as much detail as possible to clarify any “bold print” items on the ad.

Any business wants to promote their product or service as best they can in order to generate prospects. However, it is important to always be truthful in these promotions. Your customers will appreciate you more and most likely become regular customers if they know that what they see is what they get.