Vehicle Acquisition Network (VAN) vs. J5Drive

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What is Vehicle Acquisition Network (VAN)?

Vehicle Acquisition Network (VAN) is buy center software for franchise and independent auto dealerships, built for buying used cars directly from private sellers. Dealers use it to buy from consumers in their market before those cars reach the auction lane. How it works: - VAN scans 25+ online marketplaces for for-sale-by-owner vehicles and puts them in one dashboard, matched to your buy box (year, make, model, mileage) inside your territory. - It filters out listings from other dealers, scam listings, and Do-Not-Call numbers, decodes each VIN, and adds live market valuation. - Your buyer calls, texts, and emails sellers from inside VAN, and every conversation stays attached to the vehicle. - One click pushes a car into vAuto, where your manager appraises it. CARFAX and AutoCheck reports run inside VAN. - VAN runs inside VINCUE Buy Center Pro as VAN Mode, where VINCUE applies your buy plan to each private-seller car. Plans: - Professional ($1,695/month): the core platform plus an Acquisition Coach™, an experienced private-party buyer who meets with your team. Every plan includes one. - VAN Accelerate™ ($2,495/month): adds automated text and email outreach, automated follow-up for unresponsive sellers, automatic replies to KBB ICO leads within minutes, and automatic responses to AccuTrade leads. - VAN Managed Buyer™ ($5,995/month, 90-day initial term): VAN hires, trains, and manages a full-time buyer who works only for your store on sourcing, outreach, and negotiation. Your desk inspects, makes the final buy decision, and signs the check. Listed prices are starting rates; final price depends on territory size and number of users. Software plans go live in about four days, and Canadian dealers are billed in CAD. VAN was founded in 2013 by Tom Gregg and serves dealers in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. To see VAN on your market, call 855-952-4949.

What is J5Drive?

J5Drive serves as a comprehensive online management platform tailored for small, independent used-car dealerships, including those that function as Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) lots. This innovative software integrates crucial elements like vehicle inventory, customer details, various types of contracts, payment tracking, outstanding balances, and receipts in one place. Its robust inventory management capabilities allow for VIN scanning, detailed cost and pricing breakdowns, as well as the ability to upload photos and perform inspections. In terms of accounts receivable, J5Drive effectively monitors contract balances, payment due dates, and overdue periods. The platform enables dealers to engage with customers through WhatsApp, SMS, and email for sending invoices and notifications about overdue payments, provided the customers have opted in. Additionally, it supports separate logins for dealership owners, sales staff, and collections personnel, tracks vehicle-level profitability, allows for easy imports via Excel and CSV formats, and provides weekly data backups to ensure security. The interface is designed to be user-friendly and is available in both English and Spanish, functioning smoothly across various web browsers. Subscription plans are offered at three tiers: Basic for $49/month, Pro for $149/month, and Max for $299/month, with the Basic option limited to managing up to 10 vehicles in active inventory. To help potential users evaluate the software, there’s also a 30-day free trial available. Ultimately, J5Drive aims to enhance operational efficiency and customer engagement for independent dealerships, making it a valuable tool in the automotive management sector. This comprehensive solution not only simplifies day-to-day operations but also fosters better relationships between dealers and their clientele.

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VAN acquisition dashboard showing appointments, showings, and acquisitions.

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Integrations Supported

CARFAX

DealerSocket

DriveCentric

Experian AutoCheck

VINCUE

VinSolutions Connect CRM

vAuto

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Integrations Supported

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API Availability

Pricing Information

$1695 per month

VAN offers three plans. Professional ($1,695/month): self-service private-party sourcing with listings from 25+ sources, AI filtering, unlimited custom searches, CARFAX, AutoCheck, and vAuto, and a dedicated Acquisition Coach™. VAN Accelerate™ ($2,495/month): adds automated text and email outreach, automated follow-up for unresponsive sellers, and automated response to KBB ICO and AccuTrade leads. VAN Managed Buyer™ ($5,995/month, 90-day initial term): a full-time buyer who handles sourcing, outreach, and negotiation for your store while your team makes the final buy decision. Software plans are live in about four days. Price depends on territory size and number of users; Canadian dealers are billed in CAD.

Pricing Information

$49/month

Basic is $49/month and supports up to 10 cars in active inventory. Pro is $149/month, and Max is $299/month. A 30-day free trial is available.

Free Trial Offered?

Supported Platforms

SaaS

Supported Platforms

SaaS

Customer Service / Support

Standard Support

Web-Based Support

Customer Service / Support

Web-Based Support

Training Options

Documentation Hub

Webinars

Online Training

Training Options

Documentation Hub

Company Facts

Organization Name

Vehicle Acquisition Network

Date Founded

2013

Company Location

United States

Company Website

www.buywithvan.com

Company Facts

Organization Name

J5Drive

Company Location

United States

Company Website

j5drive.com

Categories and Features

Auto Dealer

The Vehicle Acquisition Network (VAN) is a specialized software designed for auto dealerships to facilitate the purchase of used vehicles directly from individual sellers. Unlike traditional Dealer Management Systems (DMS) or sales Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, VAN functions as an acquisition-focused CRM that complements existing systems like vAuto, CARFAX, AutoCheck, and VINCUE Buy Center Pro, as well as most dealer CRMs. VAN aggregates listings from over 25 online platforms where vehicles are being sold by their owners, aligning them with your specific buying criteria. It equips your purchasing team with the necessary tools for effective communication with sellers and streamlining the scheduling of inspections. For dealerships that prefer not to handle this process in-house, VAN offers the VAN Managed Buyer™ service, which provides a dedicated, full-time buyer who is managed by the VAN team. Subscription plans begin at $1,695 per month and each package comes with the support of an Acquisition Coach™.

Not specified

Automotive Data

The Vehicle Acquisition Network (VAN) transforms listings from private sellers into purchasable vehicles for dealerships. By aggregating for-sale-by-owner listings from over 25 online platforms, VAN filters out dealer advertisements, fraudulent posts, and Do-Not-Call numbers. It decodes every VIN and integrates real-time market valuations, enabling buyers to identify which vehicles are worth pursuing. CARFAX and AutoCheck reports are available within VAN, allowing for seamless evaluation as a vehicle can be sent to vAuto for managerial assessment with just a click. The VAN PACE™ reporting feature monitors appointments, showings, acquisitions, and buyer interactions, providing used car managers insight into any bottlenecks in the process. Buyers can access all necessary data from a unified screen. VAN caters to dealerships across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada.

Not specified