Click here to continue to vendor application.
Bulk posting data specifications, found here: https://www.dodah.com/docs/DodahDataImportGuide.pdf
Dealership application for Dodah.com found here: https://www.dodah.com/signup/dealer.php
Vendor application to bulk post found here: https://www.dodah.com/signup/vendor.php
Local state dealers association chapters and contacts, found here: www.niada.com/member_directory.php?te_mode=map_view
There is no charge to be a Vendor or a Dealer for Dodah.com. Dodah is sponsored by DMS companies wishing to create an ad free, pop-up free website in a sustainable market place.
Unlike Craig's list, and many other websites etc, Dodah.com will only accept dealers' inventory via bulk loading. The private sector (public) may also post vehicles - up to three vehicles at a time - no bulk loading tool will work for the private parties.
Remember dealers are unable to post vehicles individually.
Dealers will need a free Dodah account first. Application for a dealer account can be found here: https://www.dodah.com/signup/dealer.php
Dealerships must be a member of their local state dealers association chapter. There are no exceptions to this rule. Local chapters can be found here: www.niada.com/member_directory.php?te_mode=map_view The application will require the dealerships member number before a Dodah account can be created.
Listing Order
Listing order is always a concern to the dealer. Everyone wants to be at on the first page. This is not a logical reality. Dodah handles priority by the number of clicks (VIEWS) any specific vehicle has received. Vehicles that have no views will be often at the top of any given search result. Once viewed, the vehicle will lose a priority point, allowing other vehicles with more priority points that match the search to be positioned towards the top.
The first reaction of a Dealer is to reload their dealerships inventory to refresh the priority points. Sorry this won't work. Once a dealership loads a specific VIN number and Dealer ID, that priority point cannot be adjusted. Priority Points are reset after 30 days. This is a fair system that gives each vehicle a chance at the top.
Once a dealership has an account set up with Dodah.com the dealer may login in to their Dodah account and view their inventory without affecting the priority points system. Dealers are also able to add a small banner (sized to exactly 400px x 36px static jpeg only) to their listings. They can also change the county that they post to. Currently Dodah only allows the dealer to post in one county at a time. That being said, if a dealer changes his county the effect is immediate without having to reload.
Reloading data is not required every day - Dodah will keep the dealerships data alive for 30 days. However every time you resend a dealers existing inventory the retire date will be reset to 30 days from last bulk posting date. Again this does not reset the listing order.
Here are more thoughts and rules to consider before loading to Dodah.com
1: Dealers are unable to adjust vehicles on the Dodah website. If there is an adjustment to be made, adjust the vehicle in your DMS or posting software tool and resend the feed to Dodah.com. Note: A dealer may delete any of their vehicles from Dodah.com if the need arises.
2: Problems with quotes " and commas , in data feeds (i.e: 20" wheels) will cause issues. Make sure you strip quotes and commas before you send the file.
3: Vehicles with no VIN number will be rejected. The system needs a VIN number - more from a legal standpoint that a technology point. The VIN number must be at least 8 characters. If you have a shorter VIN then add trailing zeros (0).
4: Pay attention to the field lengths in the data description file. For example: exterior color varchar(25) - placing more than 25 characters in this field will cause the feed to fail. We do not truncate. It is a requirement that integrators truncate before the data is sent.
5: No HTML mark-up. Don't even try – our database will flatly refuse any HTML or other type of markup.
6: As a vendor you can load one file with many dealers or a file for each dealer. We recommend a file for each dealer. This is a decision you can make. If one large file fails then all the dealerships contained in that file will fail.
7: The perfect picture size is 640px x 480px. Dodah.com will convert all images to this format. Dodah.com will accept up to 9 images for vehicle.
If you have any more questions, email vendors@dodah.com
Click here to continue to vendor application.
Bulk posting data specifications, found here: https://www.dodah.com/docs/DodahDataImportGuide.pdf
Dealership application for Dodah.com found here: https://www.dodah.com/signup/dealer.php
Vendor application to bulk post found here: https://www.dodah.com/signup/vendor.php
Local state dealers association chapters and contacts, found here: www.niada.com/member_directory.php?te_mode=map_view