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
Aged internet leads for dealers
Lead reactivation for car dealers: aged internet leads into booked appointments
Lead reactivation for dealers means going back to shoppers who sent an internet lead, called or visited and didn't buy, and booking them in again. Setterly does it by two-way AI text and books showroom visits, test drives and finance callbacks into your calendar.
You pay per booked appointment, with no setup fee and no retainer.
Updated October 22, 2026
At a glance
The gap: dealer benchmarks put internet lead appointment set rates at 10% to 40%, so most internet leads never book.
What we work: aged internet leads, third-party leads (CarGurus, Cars.com, Autotrader), unsold showroom traffic and finance declines where appropriate.
How: two-way AI text from a registered number in your dealership's name, bookings into your calendar.
UK proof: 114 appointments for CarFinance247 over Christmas; 91 appointments from 725 leads for a UK franchised dealer group.
Price: pay per booked appointment. No setup fee, no retainer.
Why do most internet leads never buy from you?
Because most never get to an appointment. Maritz suggests internet appointment set rates of 10% to 40%, show rates of 40% to 80% and 30% to 50% of shown customers buying (Maritz). DemandLocal reports internet leads closing at 6% within 30 days, against 14% for phone leads (DemandLocal).
Read the other way, the large majority of internet leads you paid for didn't buy from you that month. Many bought elsewhere. Some are still shopping, waiting on a trade-in number, or put it off. Those leads sit in your CRM as "lost" or "aged".
Which dealer leads can be reactivated?
| Lead type | Typical source | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aged internet leads | Your website, OEM leads, chat | The biggest pool for most stores |
| Third-party marketplace leads | CarGurus, Cars.com, Autotrader, TrueCar | Check each provider's terms |
| Unsold showroom traffic | Walk-ins logged in the CRM | Often the warmest |
| Service customers | Service drive (service-to-sales) | Equity position matters |
| Finance declines | Your F&I records | Handle with care and counsel |
CarGurus and Cars.com leads are not cheap: a lead-tracking provider's view quoted in a DealerRefresh thread is that CarGurus should be below $40 per lead and Cars.com below $50 (DealerRefresh), while an agency benchmark puts some marketplaces far higher (TXC Auto Agency). Sources disagree, but every one of those leads was paid for.
How is this different from data mining or equity mining?
Data mining and equity mining look at existing customers' loans, leases and equity to find people who could trade up. Lead reactivation works the shoppers who inquired and didn't buy. They complement each other: equity mining finds the right offer for past buyers; reactivation books a conversation with past shoppers.
Setterly focuses on the conversation and the booking. It texts each lead about the vehicle or request they sent, answers questions about availability, trade-ins and next steps, and offers times.
How does Setterly book dealer appointments?
- Export: aged leads from your CRM with the vehicle or request each shopper sent.
- Two-way text: a short first message about their original inquiry; the AI handles replies like "already bought", "what's my trade worth?" and "only weekends".
- Booked: showroom visits, test drives or finance callbacks go into your calendar or your BDC's queue with conversation notes.
Messages respect TCPA quiet hours and state rules, and opt-outs are honored immediately. See texting compliance. For a full comparison with AI BDC software, see AI BDC for car dealers.
Real 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.
What results has Setterly delivered for automotive?
These are UK automotive campaigns, reported as delivered.
- CarFinance247 (a UK car finance broker): 114 appointments from 3,895 leads, December 2025 to January 2026, over Christmas (case study).
- A UK franchised dealer group with 20+ sites: 91 appointments from 725 leads.
- A five-site UK used car dealer: 61 appointments from 827 leads.
- Flexed and Eden Leasing (UK car leasing brokers): 109 and 93 callbacks from 1,135 and 725 old leads.
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 UK franchised dealer group with 20+ sites
- Appointments booked
- 91
- Leads worked
- 725
- Reply rate
- 65%
- Pipeline
- £136,500
A five-site UK used car dealer
- Appointments booked
- 61
- Leads worked
- 827
- Reply rate
- 65%
- Pipeline
- £109,800
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 resultsHow 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.
Frequently asked questions
What is lead reactivation for car dealers?
It is re-engaging shoppers who sent an internet lead, called or visited and didn't buy, so they book a showroom visit, test drive or finance call.
Does it replace my BDC?
No. It works the aged leads your BDC doesn't have time for and passes booked appointments and notes to your team.
Can you work CarGurus and Cars.com leads?
Where the provider's terms and the shopper's consent allow it. We check lead source and consent with you first.
Do you text finance declines?
Only where it is appropriate and compliant for your store. Finance is regulated, so involve your compliance lead and counsel.
How much does it cost?
You pay per booked appointment. There is no setup fee and no retainer. CRM integration is optional and carries a one-off fee.
Are your results from US dealers?
Our published automotive case studies are from UK businesses and are labeled that way.
Sources
- Maritz, dealership internet sales metric FAQ
- DemandLocal, BDC and internet department performance statistics
- DealerRefresh forum, cost per lead on CarGurus (vendor view, 2024)
- TXC Auto Agency, Cars.com lead cost benchmark 2026 (agency blog)
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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