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Our Services At Ignite Consulting Partners, we provide a full range of compliance solutions tailored to the unique needs of independent and franchise dealerships. From regulatory training and document reviews to advertising audits and custom consulting, our services are designed to protect your business, streamline operations, and build lasting trust with lenders and customers. Explore how we can help you stay ahead of compliance challenges and drive your dealership forward. Tailored Compliance Every business is unique, and so are its compliance needs. Our consultants work with you to create strategies that suit your goals, policies, and operational nuances. Online Training We took our decades of experience in compliance training and combined it with a digital platform to make education easy for you. There are over 30 customized courses for BHPH and Independent Dealers. Risk Management We'll help you identify and assess potential compliance risks, develop mitigation strategies, and keep your risk assessments up-to-date. Document Review Documentation is the backbone of compliance. We ensure all your paperwork—from policies to procedures—aligns with industry standards. Ad Review We'll ensure your dealership's advertising is compliant with all applicable regulations, protecting you from potential fines and legal action. Compliance Accountability Groups Network with other compliance professionals in CAGs, sharing best practices and staying informed on the latest regulations and trends. Website Review Our team will make sure your website adheres to consumer protection laws, clearly discloses all fees and charges, and is accessible to everyone. Safeguards Program Implement a robust data security plan to comply with the FTC's Safeguards Rule, protecting sensitive customer information and preventing data breaches. Written Policies and Procedures The best way to create an effective policy manual is to work with our experts who will create customer policies just for you. Cookie cutter policies can be worse than no policies at all. Ignite can help you create policies for every compliance need.

Secure your peace of mind with our robust Safeguards program. Committed to protecting your sensitive information, we employ security measures aligned with industry best practices. Our systems ensure privacy and prevent unauthorized access, keeping your data safe and secure at all times. Safeguards “The Works” package has the core resources you need to help jump start your Safeguards project and protect your customers' information and your business. This package is full of meaningful content that will save you vast hours of work, and is available at $999. Here's what's inside: IGNITE’S ORIGINAL SAFEGUARDS TOOLKIT ISP Safeguards Overview 10-Step Plan for Success Internal Questionnaire for Risk Assessment List of Mandatory Requirements for your ISP RISK ASSESSMENT MODULE “ The Works ” also contains a risk assessment outline with questionnaires, tips, and reminder lists to help your teams through the process. This will help you ensure that you are accurately and thoroughly reviewing all of your potential risk points so you can target the areas that need it most! From the FTC – “You cannot formulate an effective information security program until you know what information you have and where it is stored. After completing that inventory, conduct an assessment to determine foreseeable risks and threats – internal and external – to the security, confidentiality, and integrity of customer information. Among other things, your risk assessment must be written and must include criteria for evaluating those risks and threats.” INFORMATION SECURITY PROGRAM (ISP) MODULE The FTC says that an “Information security program means the administrative, technical, or physical safeguards you use to access, collect, distribute, process, protect, store, use, transmit, dispose of, or otherwise handle customer information.” A written ISP is a major requirement of the rule and also one of the toughest documents to write yourself. In this 70-page document, Ignite provides: Requirements Listing for Your Safeguards ISP Encryption Policy Email Policy Mobile Device Policy Data Retention Policy Policy for Employees Working Remotely Physical Security Policy Incidence Response Policy and much more! SAFEGUARDS INCIDENT RESPONSE PLAN Another mandatory Safeguards requirement is a written Incident Response Plan. In “The Works,” Ignite provides a practical outline to the Incident Response Plan. It organizes those requirements into a single document, from defining the plan’s goals to documenting the postmortem after an incident. It also helps establish a team of initial responders to an incident with defined roles, responsibilities, and means of communication. SERVICE PROVIDER/VENDOR MANAGEMENT The Service Provider/Vendor Management module is an important addition to “The Works.” Based on years of experience helping dealers and finance companies manage third party relations, this document is essential to ensure you manage external risks on an ongoing basis. It is our attempt to provide guidance that is both effective, practical, and can be customized for businesses of varying size and complexity. Included in this section, you will find: Safeguards Letter to Service Provider Service Provider Questionnaire Safeguards Service Provider Contract Amendment Service Provider/Vendor Management Policy Automotive industry professionals can save themselves weeks of work by taking advantage of Ignite’s one of a kind package ONLINE now for just $999. Do not wait! Get "THE WORKS " today and be ahead of the curve by June 9th. Get the Safeguards Package

Gain practical insights every Monday with our free Tip of the Week. Benefit from our expert advice on dealership operations, customer service, compliance, and more. Sharpen your skills, one week at a time. Tip of the Week Our weekly nugget of wisdon isn't just any old newsletter. It's a gateway to continuous growth, learning how industry experts tackle everyday work challenges with fresh perspectives and creative solutions. It's like having a weekly coffee chat with the brightest minds in the business, right in your inbox. We keep the Ignite family (that’s you!) engaged and enlightened, sparking those 'aha!' moments that transform the way you see your role and responsibilities. From uncovering the secrets of overcoming roadblocks, to shining a light on the most common compliance mistakes, our tips are real world advice that you can start using that day. We're fostering a culture of lifelong learning, because when you ignite your mind, there's no limit to what you can achieve. Join us on this journey of discovery and become part of a community that's growing smarter, together. Recent topics include: Navigating the Roadblocks to Safeguard Implementation Making the Most of Training Opportunities Website Compliance - What's on YOUR Website? Top Ten Deal Jacket Mistakes E Oscar 4.0: How Not to Drop the Ball Resolving the Top Three Spot Delivery Problems Joe Allen 3 days ago 2 min read THE CLASS ACTION LAWYERS ARE WATCHING There's been recent activity from some class action law firms that have gotten my attention. We've had a few dealers forward demand... Joe Allen Mar 4 2 min read RETURN OF THE CARS RULE Don't say we didn't warn you. The demise of the Cars Rule may have been a bit overstated. A few weeks ago, we predicted that we'll soon... Joe Allen Feb 18 3 min read WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS UPHEAVAL MEAN? I've spent a lot of time fielding questions about the recent upheaval at the CFPB so this week's Tip is devoted to the question of what...

It seems that at least once a week, a bankruptcy question comes up in one of the dealer/creditor social media groups that we follow.  The questions usually involve either selling a vehicle to someone that has filed bankruptcy, or repossessing a vehicle from a bankruptcy debtor.  Unfortunately, what usually follows the question are a bunch of anecdotal comments , some good, some not so good, and the person posting the question has to play "Russian Roulette" when deciding which advice to follow.   This is a Tip of the Week , not an advanced class on Bankruptcy , so we're not going to try to delve into the numerous fact patterns that may present themselves or try to anticipate every question.  Instead, we're providing four very basic pieces of advice to better prepare our friends and clients when it comes to these issues: What is the Automatic Stay? First, it's imperative to understand that the "automatic stay" protects the debtor and its property as soon as the bankruptcy case is filed.  Think of it as a magic shroud that offers impenetrable protection.  You don't want to violate the automatic stay, that can get expensive in a hurry.  Much of the advice we read in these social media comments ignores the fact that only the court can lift the automatic stay, you can't just take matters into your own hands, no matter how egregious the actions of the debtor. Subscribe to Pacer Secondly, every creditor should have a subscription to Pacer , which is a government website that tracks all open federal cases .  This enables you to check on the status of a case by simply putting in a name or file number.  Having access to this information is invaluable , and it doesn't cost a thing unless you print more than so many documents a month. Have a Creditor's Rights Attorney Thirdly, every debtor should establish a relationship with a creditor's rights attorney.  The Federal Bankruptcy Code is subject to interpretation by individual judges.  For instance, when I used to handle bankruptcy cases in Dallas, there were three judges, and they handled issues like "cram down" , "valuation" , and other matters somewhat differently, so it was always important to understand the personal preferences of the judge.  There's also something called "local rules" , and even "local, local rules" (no, I'm not making this up) and these have to be considered when deciding on a course of action.   Trustees and Debtor's Counsel Lastly, understand that the debtor's attorney isn't the only adversary you may have in a bankruptcy case.  Upon filing, a Trustee is appointed, and its job is to marshal the assets of the debtor and protect the estate .  Sometimes this can put the Trustee at odds with a creditor.  The Trustee can play a big role in how the case proceeds, so it's important to factor them into your analysis. Conclusions When it comes to bankruptcy issues, practicing "Internet Law" can be costly.  Plenty of social media commentators mean well, but they may not be intimately familiar with the code, know the right questions to ask, or understand the impact that a local bankruptcy judge or trustee can play.  While Ignite doesn't represent clients in bankruptcy matters, we are a good source of knowledge on the "do's and don'ts" and can help guide clients to the right analysis and resources.  Please reach out to info@ignitecp.com to learn more.  If you are on our Training Unleashed Learning platform, we have a Bankruptcy Class that is a great source of information for those folks in your organization that are responsible for handling bankruptcy matters.

Well we certainly stirred things up with last week's Tip of the Week about dealers receiving demand letters threatening Class Action lawsuits based on Can-Spam, TCPA and Do-Not-Call practices claims. The common thread of these allegations are that consumers are receiving unsolicited texts and emails from Dealers. As we mentioned, a few dealers had previously reported receiving letters like this. It's Worse Than We Thought Did we say a "few"? Practically as soon as our email went out, we started hearing from other dealers who had received similar letters. Of course, they weren't certain as to what, if any, next steps they needed to take. Being that these are being sent by law firms with experience bringing class action cases, we strongly recommend both investigating your practices in this area and consulting with experienced resources on your reply. A Few Pointers In our conversations with various dealers, we did learn a few things that we'd like to pass on: first, we encountered some businesses that had a credit application or other verbiage on their website that included a consent and acknowledgement from the customer that it would receive text or emails. That same verbiage didn't always carry over to the company's Facebook page or other social media platforms, though. It's important to look at all of those intake sources and make sure that adequate language is present. Secondly, although claims being brought for wrongful use of auto-dialers are on the decline, there is still danger, so don't simply assume that you or your service provider don't use an auto-dialer. It's still a good idea to obtain the consumer's consent to be contacted in that manner, even if it's not something that you believe you are doing today. Lastly, don't rely on your service providers to keep you out of trouble. Some are well versed in the compliance aspects in all of this, and some simply aren't. Keep in mind that the service contracts that you are signing with service providers in all likelihood place the ultimate compliance burden on you, not them, so ask them hard questions and make sure they fully understand your process. This is the first time we've repeated a Tip of the Week in quite some time, but given the traffic we received, we thought it wise to once again remind our audience to understand what their credit applications, consent disclosures and pre-qualification campaigns say on this subject and make sure you are protected.  If you have any questions please email us at info@ignitecp.com

There's been recent activity from some class action law firms that have gotten my attention. We've had a few dealers forward demand letters regarding Can-Spam and Do not Call claims. These hostile letters threaten class action implications, and before you can shout out "arbitration", remember that arbitration agreements are usually signed at closing and only provide coverage if a vehicle is purchased.  To make matters worse, these letters came from different firms in different parts of the country, so it's not like it is just one firm taking an interest in these potential cases.  What's This All About While the letters vary to a degree, they all claim that their consumer clients received unsolicited text and email messages offering to sell and/or finance a vehicle. Some claimed that the consumer is registered on the National Do Not Call list and that such a message is a violation that entitles the consumer to damages. One of the letters included Telephone Consumer Protection Act allegations and possible claims due to improper use of an auto dialer. Each of the letters make demand for information about systems used, names of vendors, and other proprietary matters. Now For Some Good News Happily, I don't believe any of these letters will turn into lawsuits. In one, the consumer in question had filled out an online credit application and had consented to future contact. In another, the recipient was a previous customer of the dealer and had executed a consent disclosure for future contact when the vehicle was purchased. That's great news for those dealers in question, because defending a class action lawsuit can be a "bet the business" scenario. Not So Fast Let's not celebrate too fast, though, because there is a lot to unpack here. I recently looked at a credit application consent that was very narrowly worded to only apply to communications that result from a vehicle purchase and creation of an account. Had that been the wording being relied upon to create a defense in one of the above-mentioned letters, the outcome isn't quite so clear. In another document I reviewed, the consumer's consent to communications only applied to servicing and collection efforts and didn't cover sales and marketing solicitations, which lots of dealers regularly send with the belief they have legal coverage. Tip of the Week - Don't take Your Disclosures for Granted This week's tip is to double check online credit applications, consent disclosures, pre-qualification campaigns, and other documents that are being relied upon to offer protection from these types of actions. While you are at it, check those paper credit applications being signed at the dealership and those consent to communicate forms that are so popular. Make sure they offer broad protection from these types of cases, because based on what we've seen, there's a bunch of lawyers looking for an easy payday. For any questions please reach out to Ignite at info@ignitecp.com

Schedule a free compliance consultation with Ignite Consulting and take the first step towards ensuring your business is compliant with all necessary regulations. During this call, we’ll discuss your business needs and provide guidance on how to stay on top of compliance requirements. Don't risk legal trouble down the road- let Ignite Consulting help you navigate the complex world of compliance.