Automotive Mailing Lists

Aaron M. Smith asked:




Are you discouraged in your search for quality automotive mailing lists? Too many providers offer re-hashed and resold lists that are not up to date or accurate. For most dealers and parts retailers, accurate information is key for any direct mail or telemarketing effort. Sometimes a warranty company may purchase bulk lists that were mostly inaccurate only to find it costs them more to have a bad list than the extra cost of an accurate and solid list. Finding this balance is critical for any direct marketing effort and is imperative for a successful campaign.

Some of the better automotive mailing lists include ‘up to date’ (weekly updated) year make and model data. To find out how accurate a vendor is, you should be asking questions like “when was the file last updated?” and “how many new records come into the system on a typical update?” You should see a consistency in the answers and the ability to test small and grow is critical instead of throwing all of your eggs into one basket so to speak. In addition to the year, make and model data, credit data offers two great products.

For subprime buyers, credit scored data along with current loan information such as how many months are remaining and the size of the loan and monthly payments are useful for direct marketing. Some dealers that will target those that have marginal credit that have less than 3 months remaining on their current car. This audience is great because though they look forward to not having a car payment, many are already ready to get a new car. Your ability to target repeatedly this audience will pay-off as they start to consider buying their next vehicle. Another variation of the credit score automotive mailing list is the credit triggered list which should come out daily.

These daily triggers are the most potent form of automotive mailing lists that currently exists. One of the biggest issues that dealers have is that these trigger leads exist. Their controversy can be your edge if you embrace the idea that people like to shop. Some of the best deals are closed after a customer has looked around first and that is why triggers have been a staple of the credit bureau database for so long. There is no better way to find interested and qualified buyers period. The biggest drawback is that they have already gone to a funding source for a quote but that does not mean you can’t come in with a better offer (better car and better financing package).

The challenge in general with automotive mailing lists is to find the one that is reasonably priced but that is highly targeted. Generating a massive qualified response and selling cars is what the name of the game is so make sure you have a vendor that gets it and a mailing list that is both targeted and accurate otherwise you are just throwing money down the tube.

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Automotive Carpet Extractor

Bill Ridger asked:




The other day a friend of mine was discussing a few problems with one of his cars and the subject of cleaning came up. We talked about some interesting stuff, so I decided to share a few things with those that would like to learn. As many of you already know, most cars have carpets as foot mats. Others generally have plastic or rubber mats to keep the dirt out, but that is not what I would like to discuss in this post. This article will mainly focus on a new way to keep a cars floor mat clean.

So to cut a long story short – I told him about automotive carpet steam cleaners and how they could help out with his current situation. Some call them automotive carpet extractors, but I call them otherwise. The extractor part is focused mainly on removing dirt and other dirty things from a car’s carpet. So, the question to answer here is whether or not they really work. Sorry folks, but that answer is undoubtedly yes.

Well, that last statement is not entirely true. There are some things that factor in the equation like possessing the know how to actually work the machine and using the right model, but we wont get into that today. I just want to do a basic overview of how they actually work. Unlike a regular portable vacuum, these portable carpet cleaners use much more than just a suction mechanism. Many of the actually have a complex working mechanism, but basically most of them use a steam to bust out most of the dirt that has stuck to the surface. Its really that simple, but I would like to discuss prices before I wrap this thing up. The prices on these items are pretty fair when you consider what they do. A person just has to decide how much the work that something like this could do is worth to them. For somewhere around fifty dollars, it seems like a pretty viable piece of equipment that would come in handy. Note that the estimate listed is nothing more than an estimate because as most know prices vary depending on a few different factors. Brand and features are just two of them.

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Replacing Your Automotive Carpet

Todd Speary asked:




What should I buy?

Auto carpet can be purchased custom molded to fit the form of your vehicle’s floor pan. So, there is no need to buy flat automotive carpet and try to fit it to the bumps and ridges of your vehicle’s floor, but rather you can simply pull out the old auto carpet and drop in the new, pre-formed auto carpet. Buying this form of automotive carpet will make the job much easier and will eliminate most of the work. Sometimes, if you have a newer model of vehicle, you can still buy carpet from the manufacturer, but in most cases the original OEM auto carpet will be 4 or 5 times more expensive than aftermarket auto carpet, and the quality of the carpet fibers can be inferior to the aftermarket auto carpet.

It is important to note that there are 2 types of automotive carpet backing. Most new cars, trucks, vans and SUVs, from the 90s and newer, have a type of backing or padding called Massback. It is a heavy foamlike rubber that is usually black. This type if backing is added to improve heat and sound insulation as well as some padding under the auto carpet. Most aftermarket auto carpet is made with a thin, plastic backing that doesn’t add much in the way of padding or heat/sound insulation so most aftermarket auto carpet manufacturers will add a 1/2 inch thick jute padding to this type of carpet backing to add some padding. Some aftermarket carpet retail stores will sell you the same carpet with either type of backing.

The first thing you will need to do when replacing your auto carpet, is to purchase a automotive carpet kit for your particular vehicle. It is important to point out that now would also be a good time to also buy a matching set of floor mats from the same retail store where you buy your auto carpet. Most manufacturers cut your molded carpet and floor mats from the same roll of carpet to ensure that you get the same exact die lot; you should order both at the same time.

Where Should I Start?

Be sure to pull the new auto carpet out of the box as soon as it arrives, since it will be rolled up and crammed into the box. The auto carpet will need about 24-48 hours to “relax” and regain it’s shape. Sometimes, letting it sit in a warm room, or direct sunlight will help speed up this process.

Once the auto carpet has relaxed, you can begin the job of installing the new carpet. The first step will be to remove the existing carpet from the vehicle. You may need to remove the sill plates by the doors, the seats and seat tracks if they are holding down the auto carpet and the center console. Basically, anything that is holding down the auto carpet will need to be removed in order to get the carpet out. Be careful not to destroy the existing carpet, and certainly do not throw the carpet away or discard it, as you will need to use it in a few minutes. Just set the carpet aside for the time being.

Now you should do a little prep work on the floor of your vehicle to get ready to install the new auto carpet. At this time you can remove the old carpet padding, if any was left behind, but be sure not to remove any body insulation from the floor. You can install heat or sound insulation such as Dynamat at this time and patch or repair any holes in the floor of the vehicle. And it should go without saying, but sweep and clean up and dirt or loose matter from the floor of the vehicle.

How Do I Install the Auto Carpet

Most aftermarket auto carpet kits will come slightly oversized and without the pre-cut holes. So, there will be a little work to get the new auto carpet into the vehicle. There are 2 methods of cutting and trimming your auto carpet to get it into the vehicle; you can choose which will work best for you. Your first option is to place the new auto carpet over your old carpet, trim the edges and cut the holes. If you chose this option, you will need to be very careful not to over cut the holes or cut too much from the edges, since you are using the old auto carpet instead of the vehicle itself. The 2nd option is to work the new auto carpet into the contours of the vehicle floor and trim the carpet as you go. This method will give you more accurate results, but may be a little more difficult. Either way, it is important not to cut and trim too much with any one cut. It is best to work slowly, making small cuts and double check that the auto carpet has not shifted after each cut.

A little secret for making the small holes for things such as the seat bolts is to make a small “X” cut with a knife blade where the hole was in the original auto carpet. You can then simply push the bolt through the carpet. There is usually no need to try to cut a complete hole in your new auto carpet.

Occasionally you will find that a small section of the auto carpet wants to lift up off the floor, or tries to create a small wrinkle. This can easily be fixed with a small shot of spray adhesive. It is not recommended to spray the entire floor of the car, tryck, van or SUV, since the molded carpet should be
held in place with the seats and trim pieces that were holding the original carpet in place.

Once the auto carpet is in place, and trimmed to fit, now you can begin to replace the pieces that were holding the original carpet in place. If you removed the seats, sill plates and trim pieces, then all of these pieces will need to go back into the vehicle.

Once all of pieces are back in place, your job is complete. You will be amazed at how much difference a little work can make to the appearance of your vehicle, not to mention removing that horrible smell that some things like milk can leave behind!

You can find a large selection of Aftermarket Auto Carpet here at Stock Interiors. You can shop with confidence, because we are “The Auto Carpet Experts!”

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