Sell without arming the store down the street

How do I sell a unit without helping my local competitors? Use two protections together on Locates.io. Blind trading keeps your store's identity sealed until both dealers sign, and a radius block hides your units from every dealer within 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles. Dealers far away can buy; dealers nearby never see the unit. Selling is free.

The dealer most eager to buy your unit is often the one closest to you: same brand, same customers, same allocation gaps. Trading with a nearby store can still make sense, but it should be a choice, not something that happens because you listed a unit and they found it.

What is the problem with local trades?

When a nearby store buys your unit, three things can happen that you might not want.

You arm a direct competitor. The unit you couldn't sell becomes the unit they sell, possibly to a customer who shopped you first.

You reveal your position. A buyer learns what you had, how long you had it, and roughly what you'd take. Next month, they know where to look.

You set a local price signal. A unit traded locally at a soft price can become the number a customer quotes back to you.

None is a disaster alone. Over a year they add up to a competitor who knows your inventory almost as well as you do.

What are the two protections?

1. Blind trading

Every Locates.io listing is blind. Buyers see the vehicle, a distance band and an anonymous dealer profile. They don't see your store's name, address, city, dealer code, VIN or exact distance. That stays sealed until both dealers have signed the same version of the agreement.

There's also no dealer-to-dealer messaging. All communication runs through the Locates.io desk. Blind trading keeps your identity private but, alone, doesn't stop a nearby store from buying the unit anonymously. Read more in blind trading.

2. The radius block

A radius block hides your units from every dealer within a distance you choose: 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles. You can set it for your whole store or for individual units.

Dealers inside the radius never see the blocked units anywhere on Locates.io: not in search, not in counts, not in month-end deals, not in buyer suggestions. Nothing tells them something was hidden.

How wide should my radius be?

There's no single right answer.

• Your real competitive radius. If most customers come from within 30 miles, a 50-mile block covers the stores they also shop.
• Your brand's density. Several same-brand stores close together may call for a wider block. In a rural market with the nearest same-brand store 80 miles away, a smaller block may do.
• The unit itself. A unit you'd hate to see on a local lot might deserve a wider block. That's what the per-unit setting is for.
• The cost of the block. A wider radius means fewer potential buyers, and freight from far away costs the buyer more, which can mean lower offers.

What doesn't a radius block do?

• It doesn't stop you from buying from nearby stores. It only affects who can see your listings.
• It doesn't hide units already in a signed deal. Once both sides sign, identities are released to both parties.
• It doesn't change prices. Your units cost the same to a buyer who can see them.

What does it look like in practice?

How does this fit with the rest of Locates.io?

• Blind until signed. Names, cities, dealer codes and VINs are released only when both sides have signed.
• Each side sees only its own numbers. Buyers see their delivered price; sellers see what they receive.
• Locates.io is the rep for both sides. No back channel, no calls between dealers.
• Selling is free. The buyer pays $199 per unit, only when a trade happens, never monthly. See pricing.

What other controls do sellers have?

A must-go rule ties one unit to another, so a hard unit moves only with one buyers want. A private listing keeps a unit off the marketplace while you decide. Month-end prices let you go motivated through month-end, then revert.

How do I set it up?

The radius block is in your store settings, with an override on each unit. Choose a radius, save, and it applies immediately to every listing it covers. You can change or remove it at any time. Questions are answered in the FAQ.

The short version

The store down the street is often the most eager buyer and the most dangerous one. Blind trading keeps your identity sealed until both sides sign. A radius block hides your units from every dealer within 25 to 100 miles. Together, they let you sell to the rest of the country without arming your local competition.