SEATTLE, Wash. – Dealers wanting to buy and sell used RVs, boats and powersports online now have another option with the recent launch of Wholesale Whale (https://wholesalewhale.com).
Company founder and president David Karstens previously worked as the chief technology officer (CTO) for a multi-store RV dealership based in Boise, Idaho. He said that experience convinced him there needed to be a better, easier way for dealers to buy and sell used inventory from their fellow dealers.
“The process of getting started on the wholesale side was wanting a simple way for dealers to connect with each other to get inventory,” he said. “And it just became apparent in conversations with dealers and from feedback that the current wholesale methods are pretty challenging and not as useful as dealers would want, from a technology point of view.”
So, Karstens and his development partner and CTO, Justin Shaw, launched Wholesale Whale, which Karstens said was specifically designed to make the whole process as user-friendly as possible. For example, a dealer in the market for used inventory can create a “hot sheet” for various types of RVs they are interested in purchasing that fit their criteria.
“A dealer can enter what they are specifically interested in. For example, if I only wanted to be (alerted) when a Class A diesel, in the Southwest, in this condition (i.e. good, fair, acceptable), is listed,” Karstens said. “You can filter the entire process through the lens of your hot sheet.”
Once an RV is listed on the platform that meets a buying dealer’s criteria, he receives a text message or email, Karstens added.
“A dealer can respond directly through that email or text that they want to make an offer on a unit; you don’t have to go anywhere else to log in,” he said. “So, convenience and speed is one of the things that we really focused on.”
RV Listings Made Easy
Karstens said Wholesale Whale also makes it very easy for dealers to list their used inventory on the website, as the platform can connect with a retailer’s dealer management system to download a used RV listing’s pertinent details.
“We can connect directly to (a dealer’s DMS) to pull in those details, which makes it super easy to list,” he said. “So, we pull in all of the data from that unit, like the model year, make, model number, VIN number, maybe odometer reading. And the only thing that you, as a dealer, are really responsible for is the condition report.”
To determine a sale price for a model, Karstens said dealers are expected to use the book value of a third-party source, such as JD Power, and then state how much under book value they are willing to accept for the unit. “So, a dealer listing an RV might say, ‘I’m willing to accept offers up to 20 percent below value for this unit,’” he explained.
In other cases, Wholesale Whale can help a dealership automate the process of disposing of aged inventory. For example, if a dealer has a used RV on their sales lot that is more than 60 days or 90 days old (whichever the dealership decides), that unit automatically gets listed on Wholesale Whale for 10 percent below its book value, Karstens said.
“Every dealer has a unit in the back of their lot that no one is paying attention to, and it’s just growing cobwebs on it,” he said. “Well, now you can set a trigger on that unit and have it automatically listed on the platform. And now dealers nationwide have the opportunity to look at it and put an offer on it.
“But, unlike an auction house, there is no obligation to buy and there’s no obligation to sell,” he added. “But, at least now, dealers have options if a unit is not retailing, or if he’s in the market for used inventory.”
While details about models for sale are listed on Wholesale Whale, Karstens said information regarding both sellers and buyers on the platform are not initially disclosed.
“Both parties have to agree to connect,” he said. Once they do, Karstens said the buying and selling dealers are connected and are able to hash out final details, such as who will pay for vehicle titling and the cost for transporting the RV, boat or powersport unit.
Wholesale Whale officially went live last week. For now, the web platform is limiting the number of participating dealers, but Karstens said more dealers will be added each week.
During a period of beta testing expected to last about 30 days, Wholesale Whale is free for dealers to use. After that time, participating dealers will be charged a monthly subscription fee, Karstens said.
Karstens said he is optimistic about Wholesale Whale’s prospects, in part because his company previously ran an earlier platform, called RV Whale, that had about 250 participating dealers.
“With that learning process, we’ve made a number of changes, just to be a better fit for dealers,” he said. “Our whole thing is to support dealers and get them a useful tool for inventory management that no one else is offering.”
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