AutoTrader.com, the automotive marketplace, and Experian, a global business solutions company, have announced the launch of a new merchandising tool for used-car dealers. The company says sellers will now have the option to embed links to vehicle history reports directly inside their classified advertising or auction-style listings. This "FreeLink" feature, made available through Experian's AutoCheck solution, gives AutoTrader.com dealers an affordable way to differentiate their listings by providing important vehicle history information free-of-charge to consumers, the company says.

The company says all AutoTrader.com dealers now have access to the AutoCheck FreeLink feature. They simply sign up for Experian's AutoCheck solution online and select whether to embed history reports for all vehicle listings or only those qualifying as "AutoCheck Certified." After the sign-up, participating dealers' current and future listings on AutoTrader.com are automatically linked to history reports and made available without charge to potential car buyers. Enrolled dealers can also access vehicle reports at www.autocheck.com for in-store merchandising and trade-in valuations.

"When listing a vehicle, it is important to provide as much information about the history of each vehicle as possible," said Kevin Laten, partner/owner, The Automotive Group. "It is a valuable sales tool as it gives customers and dealers the confidence they are looking for when buying and selling a car."

An independent consumer study conducted by Morpace International found that 76 percent of used car purchasers considered a vehicle history report very or extremely important. Shoppers are more confident with this trusted 3rd-party information, making Experian Automotive's AutoCheck FreeLink a powerful sales tool, says the company.

"Vehicle history reports have quickly become a staple in the online automotive market because used car shoppers want reassurance of vehicle quality," said Chip Perry, president and chief executive officer of AutoTrader.com. "Integrating Experian Automotive's industrial strength AutoCheck reports via FreeLink into the classified or auction-style listing gives consumers increased confidence in our dealers' inventory and empowers them to make a purchase decision."

AutoTrader.com says its database of 2.2 million vehicles attracts more than 7 million unique visitors per month. A recent J.D. Power and Associates Used Autoshopper.com Study finds that AutoTrader.com controls the single largest share (28 percent) of used vehicles found online and subsequently purchased.

"Our goal is to drive car sales by making vehicle history information accessible to every used car shopper," said Scott Waldron, president of Experian Automotive. "By integrating AutoCheck FreeLink with AutoTrader.com's extensive dealer network and consumer base, we are taking a major step toward this goal. AutoCheck is powered by Experian's National Vehicle Database which houses information on more than 450 million vehicles."