It’s a weeknight. A shopper is scrolling through your inventory on the couch. Then they find it: the right trim, the right color, the right miles.
They open your chat and type, "Is this one still available? What's the price?"
What happens next has always mattered. Since October 1st, for California Dealers, it matters in a whole new way.
What the CARS Act changes
The California Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Act takes effect October 1, 2026. Read the DMV summary. At its heart is something shoppers have wanted for a long time: no surprises.
One of the new rules lands squarely on your first written response, whether that's a chat, a text, or an email. Any ad or first written communication that mentions a specific vehicle or financing terms must include the vehicle's Total Price. According to the California DMV, that price has to appear in the first email, text, document, or form that mentions the vehicle or financing.
Not three messages in. Not after a follow-up question. Not tucked away on a page the shopper has to click to find.
Dealers also have to keep records, including those first communications, for two years. So that first reply doesn't just shape the shopper's impression. It's on the record.
Where it gets real: chat and text
Chat and text are where shoppers ask their most specific questions, and they ask them fast. "What's your best price on this one?" "What would my payments look like?" "Is the blue one still on the lot?"
Every one of those moments calls for judgment. Is a specific vehicle part of the conversation? Have financing terms come up? What does the first response need to include?
That's a lot to ask of a script. A chatbot that fires back a vehicle page link, a canned greeting, or "Can I get your phone number?" might have passed before. Now it's a risk.
So here's a simple gut check:
- Go to your dealership website.
- Open your chat.
- Ask about a specific vehicle.
Then read the first reply. Does it recognize the vehicle and include the Total Price? Or does it dodge the question?
Why a real person makes the difference
At ActivEngage, every chat conversation is handled by a real person, with technology supporting them behind the scenes. It's how we've always worked, and it's never mattered more.
Real people pick up on context. They know the difference between "just looking" and "tell me about this one." They can tell when a specific vehicle is part of the conversation, when financing enters the picture, and what that first response needs to include.
And they do it while still sounding like, well, people. Transparency doesn't have to read like a legal disclosure. Done right, it feels like great service. The shopper asked a straight question, and they got a straight answer. That's how trust starts.
When the first response matters, understanding the conversation matters too.
How ActivEngage is handling the CARS Act
Here's what that looks like in practice for our California dealer partners.
- The shopper inquires about a specific vehicle. Could be by stock number, VIN or just year, Make, Model.
- Customer Engagement Experts (CEEs) welcome the shopper, acknowledges the specific vehicle and its Total Price as stated on the dealership site.
- If there's uncertainty as to the precise vehicle, the CEE will inquire directly to get the specific vehicle immediately so the response can follow.
- Conversations are retained for two years so a dealership can inquire and pull the record if needed.
- All California CARS Act requirements in terms of first written response are satisfied in these steps.
The first reply sets the tone
The CARS Act is about honesty. So is a great customer experience. The dealers who come out ahead won't treat the new rules as a hurdle. They'll treat them as a chance to show shoppers exactly who they are, starting with the very first message. And be ready to continue the conversation beyond the price.
So don't assume your chat is ready. Test it. Then test us.
