Mercedes-Benz Financial Participates in ‘Manheim Monday’ with Great Results

Weekly online event sale puts luxury captive on pace to sell an additional 5,000 auction vehicles annually
2111

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Sept. 21, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ – Mercedes-Benz Financial is making a significant amount of its vehicle inventory available to dealers to purchase during a special online event sale held each week during “Manheim Monday.”

Over the past few months, Mercedes-Benz Financial has been an active participant in “Manheim Monday,” a day of fast-paced, high-volume online auction event sales that allows dealers to bid simultaneously on as many vehicles as they need each week.

Through mid-September, Mercedes-Benz Financial has sold approximately 2,400 units through this online sales event channel.

“We are very pleased with the results we’ve achieved, especially in such a short period of time,” said Hinton Sutherland, Manager of Marketing and Online Sales, Mercedes-Benz Financial. “Our goal is to sell roughly 5,000 units a year through this unique event, as well as work with Manheim on future sales opportunities.”

Mercedes-Benz Financial has used Manheim Monday as a way to expand its auction sales channel at a time when there are limited in-lane buying opportunities.

“It’s no surprise that Mercedes-Benz Financial has had success with Manheim Monday,” said Cord Crenshaw, senior manager, national account operations for Manheim Online Solutions. “They are a progressive client who is dedicated to finding innovative ways to efficiently remarket their vehicles, and they have been able to reach an ever-expanding pool of new buyers with quality cars that are priced competitively. As a result, they have been able to drive value for their brand.”

Every Friday, Mercedes-Benz Financial’s Vehicle Remarketing Managers across the United States assess all vehicles that are available at 11 different Manheim sites where Mercedes-Benz Financial conducts live auctions.

They pick the best inventory for the sale. Starting on Friday evenings, those vehicles are posted online for dealers to “preview” over the weekend by looking at photos and condition reports. When the bidding opens at 2 p.m. Eastern on Monday, dealers know exactly which vehicles hold the highest appeal to them.

“Our goal is to sell vehicles and Manheim assists us by helping us determine the fair market value for our cars, connecting us with Manheim’s large online buyer base and delivering an increasing number of new buyers each Monday to the sale,” said Sutherland.

As potential bidders look at the inventory, they can sort vehicles by auction location, by models or by price point to make the online shopping experience as convenient as possible for the dealer.

Sutherland said Mercedes-Benz Financial targets a minimum of 400 vehicle listings for each Manheim Monday sale. Vehicles not sold at the Monday sale, will be placed in the next available Mercedes-Benz Financial in-lane sale or the following Manheim Monday sale.

The Manheim Monday Online Event Sale is open to Mercedes-Benz franchised dealers as well as any dealer registered with Manheim. Dealers may access the sale preview and get more information about the Mercedes-Benz Financial sale on Manheim Monday by visiting www.manheim.com.

About Mercedes-Benz Financial

Mercedes-Benz Financial, now in its 27th year of operation, provides financing for Mercedes-Benz dealers’ inventories and their retail customers. Currently, over 450,000 drivers in the United States enjoy the benefits of leasing or financing their Mercedes-Benz vehicles through Mercedes-Benz Financial, a division of DCFS USA LLC. DCFS USA LLC and certain affiliates operate in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and parts of South America. DCFS USA LLC and its affiliates are part of the Daimler Financial Services Group, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, that operates in nearly 40 countries. Daimler Financial Services Group is one of the leading financial services enterprises worldwide. For more information visit www.Mercedes-BenzFinancial.com.

Source: Mercedes-Benz Financial

CONTACT: Jack Ferry, +1-248-991-6610, Cell, +1-248-761-3233, john.r.ferry@daimler.com
Web Site: http://www.mercedes-benzfinancial.com