CATA Works For You

• CATA Officers, Board and Staff
• CATA Office Location
• CATA Meeting Facilities
• CATA Bulletins
• Chicago Auto Outlook Sales Forecasts
• Illinois Motor Vehicle Advertising Regulations
• Illinois Motor Vehicle Franchise Act
• Illinois Automotive Repair Act
• Illinois Automotive Collision Repair Act
• CATA Attorney Contacts
• CATA Legislative Consultants
• Unemployment Claims
• Dealer Forms
• Workplace Posters
• Automotive Tax Rates

• Auto Outlook New- and Used-Car Newsletters: "Auto Outlook" is a monthly synopsis of market trends and indicators prepared for CATA members. The purpose of this information is to give dealers a statistical comparison of how the Chicago area is doing in relationship to the entire country's sales. The "Outlook" also gives data for personal analysis of market performance, including other forces which may affect local sales. An historical record of the market will assist our dealer members in making good choices about sales market in our area.
• New Car Dealer Advertising Campaign: The CATA continues to dedicate significant funding to help promote the local dealers and dealership. Various and timely radio campaigns, ranging from why it's best to "buy used cars from a new-car store" to reasons why the dealer is the best place for all to have vehicle service performed are produced and purchased by the association. The impact is significant and helps our dealer image in the market.
• Seminar Series: A wide variety of seminars enables members to learn more about issues that affect them. Topics range from operational improvements to regulatory compliance to legislative issues. Seminars are free of charge to CATA members and are announced in both the CATA Bulletin and in separately mailed promotional notices or broadcast fax.
• Better Business Bureau: The Chicago Automobile Trade Association continues to enjoy a strong relationship with the Better Business Bureau. One example of this relationship is the Advertising Review Program the CATA set up with the BBB. With the assistance of the BBB, CATA members have a clearer understanding of dealer advertising. The CATA has also worked with the BBB to create the Membership Identification Program for BBB Accredited Dealers. It gives CATA members an opportunity support of the mission and standards of the BBB. Participating members can use the logo in print and electronic advertisements, plus other business documents, as long as they appear exclusively in the 19 northern-Illinois counties served by the local BBB. The BBB Dynamic Seal program on the internet is the largest of its kind and www.bbb.org is now ranked at 327 as the most trafficked website in North America - this may provide benefits to your dealerships SEO goals. The BBB has worked hand-in-hand with the CATA in helping dealers with the Bureau's "Letter Grading" system. This business and consumer group is one of the first organizations to rate businesses on their honesty and fairness to customers, has recently changed its rating system to reflect companies activities by providing letter grades A+ through F, updating the previous "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory" method. The new system, the BBB reports, provides more specific information for businesses to find trustworthy suppliers and vendors, and provide a more precise guide to improving operations. The new letter grades are displayed on individual company profiles called "BBB Business Reviews." All are free and accessible online at www.bbb.org. Computers automatically calculate the new letter grade utilizing a national mandated algorithm. On each company's Reliability Report page, a box states "Click Here to Update Your Company Information." Companies can update the information used to calculate their ratings by going to www.chicago.bbb.org/updatecompany. Steve Bernas, president and CEO of the BBB serving Chicago and Northern Illinois, said he has seen more and more businesses use both inquiries and complaints as tools for evaluating their own business operations and determining where changes can be accomplished that are helpful to their customers. "Nobody likes to get complaints but when they are used as improvement tools, they become valuable," he said. It is critically important that all CATA members in northern Illinois consider providing the latest information to the BBB at www.chicago.bbb.org/updatecompany. The information will remain confidential and is the basis of providing accurate Business Reviews under the new ratings system. The BBB in northern Illinois began in 1926 and has been serving businesses and consumers with more than 4 million U.S. and Canadian business reviews that are available to consumers for free.
• Business Forms: The CATA has long provided some of the forms necessary to sell new and used vehicles at no charge, and will continue to do so. But at a time when all budgets tight-including ours at the association-the delivery costs for those forms can no longer be borne by the CATA. Instead, when member dealerships place an order for forms, they also must also provide their UPS or FedEx account number, which will be charged for the delivery fees. To avoid these fees, dealerships near the CATA headquarters in Oakbrook Terrace are welcome to send a representative to collect the forms in person.