A new platform is minimizing dealers’ auction trips. The platform supplies numerous resources to support dealer-to-dealer wholesale.
One year ago, David Karstens and Michael Mallonee launched the first version of RV Whale, an online dealer-to-dealer wholesale platform.
Karstens began working in the industry in 2013. By 2014, he became the chief technology officer of a West Coast-based dealer group where he managed inventory. He sought a solution to wholesale inventory management.
For the past eight months, the RV Whale team has updated the system with new features based on dealer feedback. The platform is free to use until a transaction is final and available to dealers nationwide.
Karstens said the platform will end curtailments because it “basically manages to maintain your inventory levels a little bit better to fit your demographic.”
RV Whale has dealers around the country. The platform connects dealers across regions. According to Karstens, dealers may be able to sell various RVs differently based on their location and target audience.
A “hot list” feature enables dealers to set search specifications for RV listings. Dealers are notified when these listings appear.
Another platform feature supports dealer trade-ins. QuickBid provides a dealer with more information to provide an estimated price. The dealer can list an RV on QuickBid and participating dealers across the nation must respond within 30 minutes to place an offer. The original dealer will receive a pricing estimate and obtain a list of dealers interested in the RV. The highest bidding dealer will have the right of first refusal.
Each dealer is assigned an agent who reviews their information and manages the transaction. The agent maintains each dealer’s anonymity until a transaction occurs. If the dealer chooses, their agent can upload dealer listings to the platform, where they have seven days to sell.
Karstens said, “The forced seven-day expiration kind of helps keep the inventory moving.”
Dealers can incorporate their inventory onto the site by uploading spreadsheets or integrating with the dealer management system. If the programs are integrated, the platform will fill in dealer inventory as opposed to manually entering it.
The revamped RV Whale version has launched. Dealers interested in the platform can sign up and complete RV Whale’s onboarding process. An agent will reach out to the dealer with more information. Once onboarding is complete, dealers will have site access.
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