Autobytel Gets Lost in the Gender Gap

When it comes to automotive ignorance or the fear of being snowed by a car salesman, I yield to no woman. I’ve bought my last two cars through brokers, solely because I know a mismatch when I see one. Sending me into a dealership is like dispatching a Cub Scout to war.

That’s why a story in the paper last week caught my eye. It described the effort of an Irvine online car-sales company to attract female buyers.

Like other Internet companies, Autobytel.com figured that women would gravitate to online buying because of the perception they’re more likely than men to dislike the dealership experience.

While lots of car-savvy guys actually enjoy the primal experience of jousting with a salesman, many women do not. It has something to do with the men not listening to reason.

Surveys apparently have indicated that women feel belittled or ignored by dealership sales staffs or that they feel vulnerable to price discrimination.

Online buying made perfect sense.

Except that, so far, many more men than women are visiting online sites. Autobytel.com has reported that only 23% of its customers are women.

Enter the “For Her” zone.

That’s what Autobytel.com calls its feature for women. I guess you could call it a Web site for chicks to click.

Because my feminine side needs constant monitoring, I visited “For Her” to see what was shaking.

By the time I stumbled out, I felt as though I’d been trapped in a Norman Rockwell time warp.

I encountered “Melissa Monroe’s Total Body Tune-ups.” That sounded like something you’d find in Cosmo, but the article quickly dashed my hopes.

It turned out to be “tips” on “proper lifting and carrying techniques” for women taking long road trips. It was the latest in a series and followed an article on “the importance of taking regular stretch breaks when driving long distances.”

Dirty Hands!

Anyway, for those women clueless about how to carry bags, some sample tips from Ms. Monroe:

* Always bend at the knee when lifting an object (or a child!).

* If you use bags that must be carried on one shoulder, switch shoulders occasionally. Repeatedly using the same shoulder . . . forces that shoulder to wrench up toward your ear, causing muscular asymmetry.

* If you must carry an item with both hands (in front of you), keep the item as close as possible to your center of gravity.

From there, I clicked over to “Frequently Asked Air Bag Questions.”

There are 19 such questions.

Sample: Who is at risk from air bags?

Answer: Very few people.

Q: Are all air bags the same?

A: No. Air bags differ in design and performance.

Another article offered unsuspecting women drivers tips on how to avoid getting lost--or, as the author put it, “Travel Tips to Avoid Losing Your Way . . . And Your Sanity” when you’re on the road.

One tip: “Expect the unexpected. Be prepared to have trouble finding your destination, especially in unfamiliar city areas.”

Not patronized enough yet, little missy?

Another feature dealt with inflating your tires. After explaining the virtues of properly inflated tires--presumably something the author figured women had never before considered--the article got specific:

“Checking your tire pressure is easy, although depending on the last time your tires were cleaned, it may mean that your hands get dirty.”

My feminine side has never been more insulted!

Maybe this online company knows American women better than I. Maybe America’s car-buying women crave tips on carrying their luggage or how to avoid getting lost on solo trips.

My guess is that they want a good car at a fair price. They can get information like that in “For Her,” assuming that the rest of the stuff in there doesn’t leave them aghast.

Knowing how clever women are, however, I may be overlooking this possibility: The geniuses behind “For Her” are applying reverse psychology.

After being patronized like this on the Internet, no woman will ever feel belittled again in the showroom.

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Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Parsons by calling (714) 966-7821 or by e-mail at [email protected].