DealerRefresh opens an AMA session with Tom Kline focused on current FTC regulatory activity affecting dealerships. The thread kicks off with a frustrated question from a dealer asking why the industry majority gets penalized for the misconduct of a few bad actors, hinting at the broader tension dealers feel around compliance burdens.

Cox Automotive paused Good/Great price badging on AutoTrader and KBB listings on May 13 following FTC enforcement pressure, which included warnings sent to 97 dealer groups requiring that all mandatory fees be reflected in advertised prices. The change also disabled Fair Market Range badging inside vAuto, and competing platforms like TrueCar, Cars.com, and CarGurus made similar updates. The thread points to a broader, ongoing regulatory shift toward pricing transparency that the DealerRefresh community has been tracking for some time through multiple discussions and podcast appearances.

A Dealer Authority blogger is crowdsourcing honest dealer opinions on CRM platforms for a 'Best CRMs in 2026' article, offering quotes and backlinks in exchange for participation. The post invites dealers to share what CRM they use, what they love and hate about it, and what they'd switch to if they could — tapping into what the author describes as significant movement in the CRM space. It's essentially a lead-gen post for source material, with the appeal of a backlink drawing dealers to share candid platform feedback.

A Canadian dealer is rebuilding their website in-house to integrate AI, automation, and backend data tools, but is struggling to find affordable solutions for incentives and rebates data — noting that ChromeData's pricing has apparently changed and that operating in Canada limits available options. The thread highlights a real gap in the market for cost-effective, Canada-compatible incentive and rebate data feeds for dealers running custom-built websites.

A digital marketing professional is troubleshooting lead attribution for a Ford and Chevrolet store sharing one VinSolutions CRM and one ADF feed on the same campus, where used inventory and sales staff are shared across both rooftops. The core problem is distinguishing which store a used-vehicle lead was intended for once it lands in a single CRM inbox. The most actionable suggestion that emerged is using an intermediary email to parse and transform inbound ADF leads before they hit the CRM, effectively creating separate named lead sources per store — though OEM-mandated lead routing can complicate this approach.