BELLS AND WHISTLES
After browsing auto finance websites for days on end, our shopper began to appreciate any extra features or interactive tools companies offer online. For example, almost every company had some variation of a payment calculator available online. Ford Credit’s calculator stood out for the number of variables and interactivity. Many companies provided an explanatory lease versus financing section on their websites, but MBFS offered a ninequestion, interactive “Lease or Finance” tool, with decisions pictured as race cars that would move forward each time you answered a question. Instead of an email address, TD Auto offered a community forum on its website, where consumers could submit questions and receive answers from bank employees as well as other customers. The answers were also sent via email.
As far as educational tools, Toyota Financial Services stood out for its glossary of financial terms. BMW Financial Services offered a list of email addresses within its customer service section to address various inquiry types, such as complaints, questions or feedback.
