CARCHEX will be prominently featured throughout KBB.com as a vehicle protection plan provider, offering consumers insight, information, and valuable offers. Visitors to KBB.com are typically looking to research, buy or sell vehicles, and CARCHEX is a natural fit for content on the site. Once the relationship kicks off with Autotrader, the same will be true of the vehicle research and buying site, one of the most popular such sites in the world.

“Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader are two of the most well-known and respected brands in the automotive industry,” said Jason Goldsmith, CEO of CARCHEX. “Through this partnership, information about our vehicle protection plans will be seen by millions of consumers who can benefit from our expertise and value.”

“Our goal has always been to provide visitors the information they need to make great decisions when it comes to buying and selling their vehicles,” said Alec Gutierrez, Director of Product Management for Kelley Blue Book. By featuring CARCHEX on our sites, we are offering consumers a reputable and trustworthy partner for vehicle protection.”

As part of Zurich’s 13th Month of F&I Profit initiative, the CARCHEX direct-to consumer sales and marketing platform delivers a specialized approach and offers an additional revenue opportunity for Zurich auto dealer customers nationwide.

This initiative requires dealers to only provide CARCHEX sales and service data and the CARCHEX team does the rest. This includes identifying two customer datasets: car owners who did not buy a vehicle service contact at time of their vehicle purchase; and customers whose existing coverage is approaching expiration. CARCHEX will then market directly to these eligible customers on behalf of the dealership throughout the life cycle of vehicle ownership. All sales are tracked and attributed back to the original dealership.

″We are very excited to work with Zurich to offer dealer customers a robust opportunity to increase F&I product sales,″ said Jason Goldsmith, CARCHEX CEO. ″Best of all, the time and effort required from Zurich dealer customers is minimal while the upside sales and customer loyalty opportunity is significant.″

″Industry data confirms that car buyers who purchase a vehicle protection plan through the dealership are more likely to return for ongoing service and future vehicle purchases,″ said Marie Knight, Head of Direct Market Strategic Services for Zurich North America. ″The collaboration with CARCHEX expands our capabilities to help Zurich customers maximize F&I sales and improve long-term customer loyalty.″

This initiative was launched at NADA this past January and enrollment is now open. For more information contact dealerships can contact their local Zurich representatives or visit www.zurichna.com/13thMonth.

About CARCHEX

CARCHEX is a leading provider of vehicle protection plans and pre-purchase vehicle inspections. For nearly 20 years, CARCHEX has been protecting automotive consumers while providing an exceptional customer experience. Our enthusiastic focus on our customers has earned CARCHEX an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau as well as a BBB Torch Award for marketplace excellence. CARCHEX has been listed on the Inc. 5000 fastest growing privately held companies 8 times and was recognized as a Baltimore Sun Top Workplace for 7 years in a row.

About Zurich

Tracing its roots in the U.S. automotive industry back to 1922 with the founding of Universal Underwriters, today Zurich provides commercial insurance, F&I products and services, consultative training services, its Streamlined Selling System® 4.0, income development technology, compliance resources and reinsurance programs to the automotive retail industry segment, including franchised auto dealerships. Learn more at http://zurichna.com/automotive.

Zurich North America is one of the largest providers of insurance solutions and services to businesses and individuals. Our customers represent industries ranging from agriculture to construction and include more than 90 percent of the Fortune 500. We’ve backed the building of some of the most recognizable structures in North America – from the Hoover Dam to Madison Square Garden to the Confederation Bridge. Our North American, LEED Platinum® headquarters is located in the Chicago area. We employ approximately 9,000 people in North America and have offices throughout the U.S. and Canada. Further information is available at www.zurichna.com.

Zurich North America is part of Zurich Insurance Group, a leading multi-line insurer that serves its customers in global and local markets. With about 54,000 employees, Zurich provides a wide range of property and casualty, and life insurance products and services in more than 210 countries and territories.

To gather data, the Selling Power research team issued a newly revised and expanded application with detailed sections covering three broader categories: 1) Compensation and Benefits, 2) Hiring, Sales Training, and Sales Enablement, and 3) Customer Retention. Sections were also provided for companies to spotlight any other information that would help us fine tune the rankings. With the changes in the application process, we also revised the scoring process to provide a more data-sensitive ranking while still maintaining strict confidentiality of the raw data provided to us. This means the ranking grid for this year – and years moving forward – is on a new base and not directly comparable to prior years.

Within each broad category we developed unique and proprietary scoring systems for each segment within the categories. For example, within Compensation and Benefits, we ranked compensation data individually; but, with segments like Sales Training, we started with a base training level and scored each company at varying degrees above, below, or at the established base level.

With the new ranking system, the spread between the top spot on down has expanded as expected – and it should be clarified again: These results are not comparable to prior years. Salespeople can achieve success with any of these fantastic companies. With the variety of company sizes and industries represented, it is not effective to state one company is better than another company solely on their point totals; rather, this ranking should be used to explore each of the companies and their unique strengths as a Selling Power Best Company to Sell For.

CARCHEX, the industry-leading provider of direct to consumer automotive products and services, jumped 262 places to 1,161 in Inc. Magazine’s 36th annual Inc. 5000. Over the last 3 years, CARCHEX has grown an astonishing 358%.

This is also the seventh time the company has made the Inc. 5000 a feat that only two percent of the tens of thousands of companies that have applied to the Inc. 5000 have achieved.

This prestigious list highlights the fastest-growing private companies in America. Companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, Yelp and Zillow all gained their first national exposure as honorees of the Inc. 5000.

“Not only are we proud to be included on the Inc. 5000 for the 7th time, but it’s great to see us climbing the rankings for a third year in a row,” said Jason Goldsmith, CEO at CARCHEX. “We’ve invested heavily in our culture, marketing, technology, employee benefits and training to make CARCHEX a place where people love to work. Our investments are paying off in the form of rapid growth and an unmatched experience for our customers as we continue to disrupt the Vehicle Protection Industry.”

The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue is $206 billion, and the companies on the list collectively generated 619,500 jobs over the past three years. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

“The Inc. 5000 is the most persuasive evidence I know that the American Dream is still alive,” says Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric Schurenberg. “The founders and CEOs of the Inc. 5000 tell us they think determination, risk taking, and vision were the keys to their success, and I believe them.”

Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region and other criteria, can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000

About CARCHEX

CARCHEX is the premier provider of direct-to-consumer automotive products and services including auto warranty, pre-purchase inspections, auto insurance and auto financing. The company serves as a consumer advocate throughout all stages of the car buying, selling and ownership process. Protecting automotive consumers for over 17 years and providing exceptional customer service has translated into an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau. For more information about CARCHEXCare Vehicle Protection plans and For A Smarter Way to Do Car visit www.CARCHEX.com.

We’re proud to announce that we’ve been named to Baltimore Sun’s Top Workplace List for an unprecedented sixth consecutive year.

The list is determined solely on employee feedback and it’s great to see that our employees consistently view CARCHEX as a great place to work.

We make it a priority to invest in all areas of our employees’ work life. At CARCHEX, employees are encouraged to take control of their health through the CARCHEX Workplace Wellness Program. This includes programs such as yoga, nutritional advice, boot camp style workouts and in office massages.

Alongside health and wellness initiatives, CARCHEX works with its employees to make a positive difference in the community by supporting local and national charities such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). In the past three years, we have raised more than $80,000 for MADD and have participated in their annual Walk Like MADD event.

CARCHEX is a great place to work because we invest a lot of time and resources into our culture, training, and employee benefits and its great to see these investments paying off.

People interested in a career at CARCHEX and who are looking to join an award winning team should visit CARCHEX Careers for more information.

CARCHEX, the industry-leading provider of direct-to-consumer Vehicle Protection Plans, is pleased to announce that it has been selected as one of The Baltimore Sun’s Top Workplaces. This marks the sixth consecutive year the company has made the list as a top employer in the Baltimore metro area.

“We’re honored to make the list again for 2016,” said CARCHEX CEO Jason Goldsmith. “We make it a priority to invest in all areas of our employees’ well-being. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers.”

“With an employee wellness program and support system in place, we want our employees to feel empowered, appreciated and motivated. Given that this award is a based on employee feedback, we are especially proud to be one of the few companies on the list for a sixth straight year.”

Alongside health and wellness initiatives, CARCHEX works with its employees to make a positive difference in the community with support of local and national charities such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). In the past 3 years, CARCHEX has raised more than $80,000 for MADD.

“Our charity and community work helps us play a direct role in protecting the people on America’s roadways,” said Goldsmith.

The Top Workplaces are determined solely on employee feedback. Each employee survey included 24 questions to measure seven factors, including work/life balance, management, pay and benefits, company values and engagement.

The survey was conducted by WorkplaceDynamics, LLP, a Philadelphia-based research firm that specializes in employee surveys and workplace improvement.

WorkplaceDynamics invited 1,314 companies to participate in this award program.

For career opportunities at CARCHEX, visit: http://carchex.applytojob.com/apply.

Buy with confidence. Get a pre-purchase car inspection on any used car. Contact CARCHEX today.

Watch Where Your Head Rests

Starting from the top down, car headrests are a place where lice can hide. If one of these parasites decides to hang out on the headrest, the next passenger could get infected. The best way to prevent this problem is with a thorough vacuum of all the upholstery. If you are particularly suspicious, over the counter anti-lice powders and sprays are available to help make sure your car is lice free.

Viruses & Bacteria

In reality, these bugs can occur just about anywhere, including inside a used car. Even if the vehicle itself is clean, a recent test driver could have left their germs behind. The best defense is to treat the inside of the car with a disinfectant wipe. Focus on all contact areas such as door handles, locks, dashboard controls and seat adjustment levers.

Another good habit is to clean your hands with a disinfectant gel – or even better wash with warm soapy water – after checking out any used car.

Fungus And Mildew

If the used vehicle has had water damage, you may notice a moldy smell inside. Beware of a strong smell of air freshener, as this could be an attempt to cover up moldy odors. Check out the upholstery for water marks. Also probe deep into seat cushion creases for moisture.

Fungus can aggravate allergy symptoms, and mold can be unusually difficult to eradicate. If you spot the source, vacuum while using a soft brush to lift up any debris. You may need to use a bit of rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth to get it completely clean. Follow up by parking the car in the hot sun for a day, and you may dry out the mildew for good.

Moldy AC Smell

When you inspect any used car, run the AC and check for a moldy odor. Ridding the AC of this smell can be very challenging. Here’s one home remedy: spray a disinfectant into the intake vent of the climate control system while running the AC. If you want this done professionally, take the vehicle to the dealership where a special treatment can usually solve the problem.

Other Issues

Every used car has a story to tell. If you know where to look, you might find areas of significant damage or wear. When in doubt, ask a professional to help you out. Experienced eyes know how to detect problems others may overlook.

Get a 155 point pre-purchase car inspection anywhere in the country. Contact CARCHEX now.