Auto Industry Expert Shares Car-buying skills online

Responding to recent reports in the media related to predatory automotive lending practices, Jeff Fortson, an Atlanta based automotive consultant has hit the cyber-highways with www.JeffFcars.com.

The auto-buying web site is a grass-roots, online approach to bridge the gap between women, minority consumers, dealers and corporations. Visitors to www.JeffFcars.com will find a number of tools to educate them and help ease this sometimes difficult process. It offers links to unbiased financing, a detailed listing of the best car deals for the month based on total U. S. dealer inventory, a car payment calculator, steps to car-buying, tips on selecting a service repair shop, effective measures to resolve a service complaint and locating the lowest gas prices in your city, Mr. Fortson says.

Fortson’s site will also measure the buying habits of minority consumers a valuable marketing tool for auto manufacturers. From his experience, Fortson has found that many minority consumers are not comfortable with the car-buying process and that most are focused more on the price of a vehicle as opposed to understanding the credit process.

Statistics show minority consumers need to have a better understanding of the correlation of credit and the credit scoring process. According to a 1999 study conducted by Freddie Mac, 47 percent, 34 percent and 27 percent of African Americans, Hispanics and Whites respectively, have flawed credit. In light of the current economic climate, we can only assume these numbers have increased, Forston contends. By 2009, the Selig Center for
Economic Growth expects the spending power of minority consumers to exceed $1.5 trillion. This is a 242 percent increase from 1990. Industry data also suggests that annually African American consumers account for more than 30 percent of all new car purchases, although this group represents only 13 percent of the U. S. population. More specifically, in 2003, Target Market News noted that African Americans spent over $48 billion just within the automotive industry.

Fortson’s goal is to connect consumers with dealers and corporations that not only want to help you purchase, accessorize and service your vehicle, but also make their car-buying experience a pleasant one, he says. In the future, Fortson will be adding companies that respects the buying power of minority consumers to the site. Fortson also conducts a copyrighted car-buying workshop, Jeff F’s Auto-Buying Clinic. Previously, he has conducted the seminar for religious, educational, financial, civic and professional organizations. Jeff F’s Auto-Buying Clinic is the country’s first automotive seminar designed to aid women and minority consumers in understanding the credit scoring system, financing, purchasing and servicing a vehicle, he says. Fortson has over 14
years of automotive experience from the corporate and retail sectors.

Since leaving the DaimlerChrysler Corporation in 1999, he has utilized his automotive knowhow to collaborate with GMAC Financial Services to develop a credit awareness brochure and conducted his seminar for such clients as Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc.

Fortson was also a featured panelist with “key automotive executives” at The Rainbow/PUSH 3rd Annual Automotive Symposium in Detroit. For more information on Jeff Fortson, www.JeffFcars.com or Jeff F’s Auto-Buying Clinic, please call (404) 691-0082 or email [email protected]  

 

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