A UK franchised dealer group with 20+ sites
- Appointments booked
- 91
- Leads worked
- 725
- Reply rate
- 65%
- Pipeline
- £136,500
AI BDC for franchised and independent dealers
AI BDC for car dealers, paid per booked appointment
An AI BDC uses software to respond to and follow up dealership leads. Most AI BDC products are monthly subscriptions. Setterly works differently: it texts your aged and unsold leads, holds a two-way conversation and books showroom visits, test drives and finance callbacks, and you pay per booked appointment.
No setup fee, no retainer, nothing for your team to configure.
Updated October 22, 2026
At a glance
Human BDC: salaries, training and turnover, and limited evening cover.
AI BDC software: published plans from about $1,995 a month per store (TECOBI, vendor) to volume-based BDC plans (eliteBDC, vendor).
Setterly: done-for-you AI on your aged leads, paid per booked appointment.
UK proof: 91 appointments from 725 leads for a UK franchised dealer group; 114 for CarFinance247.
Human BDC, AI BDC software or pay per appointment?
| Option | Published pricing | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| In-house BDC | Wages, training, management | People who know your store |
| AI BDC subscription | TECOBI: $1,995 a month (up to 100 cars a month) and $2,995 (100 to 300), with a setup charge on monthly terms (TECOBI, vendor-published) | Software plus some managed services |
| Volume-based BDC | eliteBDC prices plans by lead volume (eliteBDC, vendor-published) | Managed lead response |
| Other AI platforms | Dealer Funnel publishes per-rooftop plans (Dealer Funnel); Matador and Impel program prices have been reported secondhand (DealFlo) | Software, usually on contract |
| Setterly | Per booked appointment; no setup fee, no retainer | Done-for-you reactivation of aged leads |
Spyne's buyer guide lists the category's common pricing as subscription, per user, per conversation, usage-based or enterprise (Spyne). Prices checked October 2026; confirm directly with each vendor.
Where does Setterly fit alongside your BDC?
Setterly isn't a replacement for answering new leads fast. Your BDC or AI tool should still handle new internet leads in minutes. Setterly works the leads that fell out of that process: aged internet leads, unsold showroom traffic and third-party leads from CarGurus, Cars.com and Autotrader that never booked.
Booked appointments arrive with notes, so your BDC or sales team can confirm and run them.
What should an AI BDC improve?
Appointment set rate and show rate. Maritz suggests internet appointment set rates of 10% to 40% and show rates of 40% to 80% (Maritz). Every percentage point of set rate on aged leads you've already paid for is extra showroom traffic without extra lead spend. Read our BDC appointment set rate benchmarks for definitions and ranges.
How does Setterly work for a dealership?
- Export aged leads from your CRM with the vehicle or request each shopper sent.
- AI texts each shopper about their original inquiry and handles replies about availability, trade-ins and finance next steps.
- Appointments land in your calendar or BDC queue with notes.
Messages come from a registered number in your dealership's name and respect TCPA quiet hours and state rules (compliance).
Automotive results (UK campaigns)
These are live Setterly campaigns for UK businesses, shown as reported (UK figures, in pounds). Every business that sells to homeowners or car buyers works the same way: leads go cold, the AI re-opens the conversation by two-way text and books the appointment.
A five-site UK used car dealer
- Appointments booked
- 61
- Leads worked
- 827
- Reply rate
- 65%
- Pipeline
- £109,800
CarFinance247
A UK car finance broker
December 2025 to January 2026, over Christmas
- Appointments booked
- 114
- Leads worked
- 3,895
- Reply rate
- 33%
- Pipeline
- £171,000
Flexed
A UK car leasing broker
- Callbacks booked
- 109
- Leads worked
- 1,135
Eden Leasing
A UK car leasing broker
- Callbacks booked
- 93
- Leads worked
- 725
A UK short-term car leasing company
- Appointments booked
- 106
- Leads worked
- 1,133
- Reply rate
- 47%
- Pipeline
- £127,200
Pipeline = appointments booked x the client's average order value.
All resultsReal conversations from UK campaigns
Anonymized text threads from live Setterly campaigns, from the first message to a booked appointment or callback.
09:415G
S
Setterly AI
SMS Conversation
Hi, it’s Alex. Is this the same person who applied for finance for a Toyota Corolla earlier this month?
Next day
Hi, are you still looking for car finance at the moment, or all sorted now?
Next day
We help people compare options from multiple lenders to find something that could work for their budget, would you still like to chat about this?
Yes.
You were approved but we couldn’t reach you by phone. Are you still looking for finance for a new car, or already sorted?
Still searching.
Are you still looking for a Toyota Corolla, or after something different?
Yes, Toyota Corolla.
When would you like to be driving your new car?
Soon as I get a good one.
Roughly how much per month would you feel comfortable spending on the finance?
£200.
Sounds like we can help you finance your Toyota Corolla. Are you free for a quick chat tomorrow at 10:30am, or would 4pm work better? It’ll just be with your account manager to run through your options.
Yes I am.
Perfect, I’ve asked your account manager to give you a call. Look out for a call from the team.
Appointment booked
Car finance
Three follow-ups, qualified the monthly budget, booked with an account manager.
How much does Setterly cost?
You pay per booked appointment. There is no setup fee and no retainer. CRM integration is optional and carries a one-off fee, agreed with you before any work starts.
See how pay per appointment works and how we handle texting compliance, or book a 30-minute call. US line: +1 363-203-5214.
Related pages and guides
- Lead reactivation for car dealers
- TECOBI alternatives
- Matador and Impel alternatives
- Franchised dealers
- Independent dealers
- Pay per appointment
- BDC Appointment Set Rate Benchmarks for Car Dealers (2026)7 min read
- Aged Internet Leads: How Car Dealers Turn Them Into Appointments8 min read
- Facebook Marketplace Leads for Car Dealers: How to Book More of Them6 min read
Frequently asked questions
What is an AI BDC?
An AI BDC uses software to respond to, follow up and book dealership leads, doing some of the work of a business development center team.
How is Setterly priced compared with AI BDC software?
Most AI BDC products are monthly subscriptions. Setterly charges per booked appointment, with no setup fee and no retainer.
Do I still need a BDC?
Yes for new leads and phone traffic. Setterly works aged and unsold leads and passes booked appointments to your team.
Which leads do you work?
Aged internet leads, unsold showroom traffic and third-party leads where terms and consent allow. We check sources with you first.
Does it work for independent and BHPH stores?
Yes. Any store with a list of shoppers who inquired and didn't buy can use it. Finance-related messaging needs extra compliance care.
Are your results from US dealers?
Our published automotive case studies are from UK businesses and are labeled that way.
Sources
- TECOBI pricing (vendor-published)
- eliteBDC sales BDC pricing (vendor-published)
- Dealer Funnel vs Matador comparison (vendor-published)
- DealFlo, Impel alternatives (secondhand Nissan program pricing)
- Spyne, dealership AI buyer's guide
- Maritz, dealership internet sales metric FAQ
Setterly figures come from live client campaigns in the UK. Third-party figures belong to their publishers; vendor figures are marked as such. Compliance notes are general information, not legal advice.
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