1. POSITION SUMMARY The In-House Used Vehicle Buyer is responsible for identifying, evaluating, negotiating, and purchasing quality pre-owned vehicles for dealership inventory. The primary objective of this position is to generate incremental used vehicle inventory at appropriate acquisition costs while maintaining the dealership’s standards for vehicle quality, marketability, documentation, and customer service. The Buyer will pursue vehicles through dealership-generated acquisition leads, direct consumer purchases, online marketplaces, previous customers, service customers, and other management-approved acquisition sources. 2. ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The In-House Used Vehicle Buyer is expected to perform the following duties: Vehicle Sourcing and Acquisition - Proactively identify and pursue vehicles that meet the dealership’s inventory needs.
- Work all assigned vehicle-acquisition leads promptly and consistently.
- Generate acquisition opportunities beyond existing dealership showroom traffic.
- Source vehicles through approved channels, including:
- CARFAX acquisition leads
- Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer leads
- VinSolutions leads
- Facebook Marketplace
- Autotrader
- CARS.com
- Previous dealership customers
- Service-lane customers
- Other management-approved sources
- Contact vehicle owners by telephone, text message, email, or other approved communication methods.
- Schedule appointments with customers interested in selling or trading their vehicles.
- Maintain consistent follow-up with customers who are not immediately ready to sell.
Vehicle Evaluation - Conduct a complete physical walk-around and preliminary condition assessment.
- Accurately document vehicle mileage, equipment, condition, damage, warning lights, tire condition, and anticipated reconditioning needs.
- Review available vehicle-history and market information.
- Evaluate vehicles based on current market conditions, dealership inventory needs, estimated reconditioning costs, and expected retail or wholesale disposition.
- Promptly communicate material vehicle-condition concerns to management.
Negotiation and Purchasing - Present the dealership’s vehicle-purchase process clearly and professionally.
- Negotiate purchase terms within management-approved guidelines.
- Obtain required management authorization before committing the dealership to a purchase.
- Maintain disciplined acquisition costs and avoid purchasing vehicles solely to achieve a volume incentive.
- Accurately communicate agreed purchase terms to the customer and appropriate dealership personnel.
- Assist with completing all required acquisition documents.
Customer Experience - Provide every customer with a professional, transparent, and respectful experience.
- Explain that customers may sell their vehicles to the dealership without purchasing another vehicle.
- Avoid making unauthorized representations or commitments concerning a vehicle’s value, condition, payoff, taxes, title status, or transaction timing.
- Maintain customer confidentiality and protect dealership and customer information.
CRM and Documentation - Record all leads, contacts, appointments, appraisals, offers, follow-up activity, and acquisition results in VinSolutions or the dealership’s designated system.
- Ensure that every purchased vehicle is properly attributed to the Buyer.
- Maintain sufficient documentation to verify eligibility for acquisition compensation.
- Submit accurate and timely reports as requested by management.
- Follow all dealership title, payoff, purchasing, accounting, and record-retention procedures.
3. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS Performance will be evaluated using factors that may include: - Number of qualifying vehicles purchased
- Quality and retailability of acquired vehicles
- Acquisition cost compared with current market value
- Estimated and actual reconditioning expense
- Accuracy of vehicle evaluations and appraisals
- Gross-profit potential of acquired inventory
- Lead-response time
- Appointment conversion
- Acquisition conversion
- CRM activity and documentation
- Customer experience
- Compliance with dealership policies and approval requirements
- Ability to acquire vehicles that align with dealership inventory needs
Vehicle volume alone does not establish satisfactory performance. The Buyer is expected to balance acquisition volume with vehicle quality, marketability, reconditioning exposure, and purchase-cost discipline.
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