Aged Internet Leads: How Car Dealers Turn Them Into Appointments
Cameron Richards, Founder8 min read
Aged internet leads are shoppers who sent an internet lead, didn't buy and dropped out of your active follow-up, usually after a few weeks. Most dealership internet leads end up here: Maritz puts internet appointment set rates at 10% to 40%. Working aged leads with short, specific two-way texts about the vehicle they asked about is one of the cheapest ways to add showroom appointments.
How many internet leads end up aged?
Most of them. Maritz's dealership benchmarks suggest internet appointment set rates of 10% to 40%, show rates of 40% to 80% and 30% to 50% of shown customers buying. DemandLocal reports internet leads closing at 6% within 30 days, against 14% for phone leads and 25% for showroom leads.
| Metric | Benchmark | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Internet appointment set rate | 10% to 40% | Maritz |
| Show rate | 40% to 80% | Maritz |
| Close rate after show | 30% to 50% | Maritz |
| Internet lead 30-day close | 6% | DemandLocal |
| Phone lead 30-day close | 14% | DemandLocal |
Run those numbers on 300 internet leads a month and well over 200 of them never set an appointment. That's your aged pool, and it grows every month.
Why do internet leads go aged?
- Slow first response. Maritz treats 30 minutes or less as the benchmark; many stores miss it, especially after hours.
- Follow-up stops early. BDCs focus on fresh leads. After a couple of weeks, older ones rarely get real attention.
- The vehicle sold. The shopper asked about one stock number. When it sold, nobody offered alternatives.
- Timing. Waiting on a trade-in, a bonus or a lease ending. Not ready yet doesn't mean not buying.
How should you sort aged leads?
| Segment | Age | Angle |
|---|---|---|
| Recent aged | 30 to 90 days | Still looking? New arrivals match what you asked about |
| Older aged | 90 to 365 days | Did you find a vehicle? Trade-in check |
| Unsold showroom | Any | Follow up the visit and the vehicle |
| Third-party leads | Any | CarGurus, Cars.com, Autotrader leads that never set |
Leave out anyone who bought from you, opted out or whose consent doesn't cover texting.
What should you say to an aged lead?
Be specific and easy to answer:
Hi [First name], it's [Name] at [Dealership]. You asked about the [year model] a while back. Are you still shopping, or did you find something? Reply STOP to opt out.
Good replies to handle: "already bought" (thank them, ask about trading later), "what's my trade worth?" (book an appraisal), "only Saturdays" (offer Saturday times), "the price was too high" (offer similar vehicles). Keep pricing and payments for your sales team.
How often should you message aged leads?
Two or three messages over a couple of weeks is enough for most aged campaigns, then stop. Respect TCPA quiet hours (8am to 9pm federal) and state rules, which are stricter in Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and others (ActiveProspect). Our compliance guide covers the basics.
Who should work aged leads?
Your BDC can, if they have time, but fresh leads always win their attention. Many stores use an AI BDC platform for live leads and a separate process for aged ones. Setterly works the aged pool for you by two-way AI text and books showroom visits, test drives and finance callbacks with notes. You pay per booked appointment. There is no setup fee and no retainer. CRM integration is optional for a one-off fee. See AI BDC for car dealers and lead reactivation for car dealers.
Our published automotive results are UK campaigns: 91 appointments from 725 leads for a UK franchised dealer group with 20+ sites, 61 from 827 for a five-site UK used car dealer, and 114 for CarFinance247, a UK car finance broker. Past results, not a forecast.
What's the takeaway?
Aged internet leads are the biggest pool of paid-for demand most dealers have. Sort them, message them specifically, handle replies properly and book appointments. Read our BDC appointment set rate benchmarks to see where your store stands.
Frequently asked questions
What is an aged internet lead?
An internet lead that didn't buy and has dropped out of active follow-up, usually after about 30 days.
What percentage of internet leads set appointments?
Maritz puts internet appointment set rates at 10% to 40%, so most internet leads never set an appointment.
How old can an aged lead be?
Leads up to a year old commonly reply, especially shoppers who were waiting on timing or a trade-in. Check consent and opt-outs first.
Should the BDC work aged leads?
If they have capacity. In practice, fresh leads take priority, so many stores use a separate process or service for aged leads.
Is texting aged leads compliant?
It can be, when consent, quiet hours, state rules and opt-outs are handled properly. Check with counsel.
Sources
Works for: Car dealerships, Independent dealers, Buy here pay here
