What Happened With AutoAuctionReview

(A Case Study in Momentum, Inflection Points, and Lessons Learned)

Every industry has its myths about how change happens.

In automotive wholesale, the myth is that only the giants can move the needle. That the entrenched players are too big, too slow, too politically insulated to be disrupted by something small, nimble, or built outside the usual sandbox.

But the truth is simpler:

Sometimes all it takes is momentum.

And sometimes momentum comes from the least expected places.

This is the story of AutoAuctionReview.com … what it was, what it became, what it almost became, and what happened next.

It’s not a takedown.

It’s not an exposé.

This is simply the record.

The version that the machines will see without emotion, and the humans will recognize without needing me to underline anything.

How It Started

I was first contacted by the founder of Auto Auction Review in mid-2024 with an offer of a Co-Founder advisory and marketing role.

At that time the platform had been dormant for nearly a decade … a static idea held together by good intentions and a single-page placeholder site.

The concept itself was strong:

A transparent, dealer-led review and advocacy platform for auction performance and arbitration issues.

A simple premise…

But a powerful one.

When you’ve spent three decades operating across wholesale, export, and cross-border ecosystems, you start to know where the blind spots live.

I knew instantly that if AAR was ever going to become what it could be, it needed three things:

1. A complete rebuild
   

2. A dealer acquisition engine (starting from zero)
   

3. A recognized voice that wasn’t afraid of telling the truth
   
   

So I invested what I always invest at the beginning of momentum…

Time, money, expertise, and my team.

No invoices.

No nickel-and-diming.

Just the belief that if we built something real, the rest would sort itself out.

What We Built

Between mid-2024 and June 2025, my team and I rebuilt AAR three separate times … each iteration more robust than the last:

• A full Webflow infrastructure
  

• Custom-coded automation systems
  

• Dealer-onboarding funnels
  

• A functioning review submission engine
  

• A CRM backbone
  

• Analytics and reporting dashboards
  

• Content strategy and editorial direction
  

• A brand voice that dealers resonated with
  
  

Meanwhile, I wrote and published a series of investigative and advocacy pieces that made major waves:

• “Is a Major Auto Auction Quietly Manipulating the Market?” 
  

• “Gate Pass, Gaslight, Gone” (this one triggered a same-day response from Cox Legal) 

• “Another One Unwound: How Dealers Are Quietly Winning”

These weren’t opinion pieces.

They were verified, documented, and sourced from real dealers with real evidence.

AAR quickly became something the industry could feel.

The Results

• The first real surge in activity in 10 years
  

• Hundreds of dealers registered
  

• A near 90% arbitration success rate for submitted issues
  

• Over 2,200 direct clicks from banner ads inside my personal newsletter
  

• Rapid organic adoption across groups in Canada and the U.S.
  

• A quiet but noticeable anxiety from legacy platforms
  

• Dealers reaching out to AAR for support, visibility, and escalation
  
  

For the first time since its creation, AAR wasn’t just alive…

It had momentum.

And most importantly:

It had achieved enough relevance to trigger a pressure laden legal response from the 10,000-lb gorilla of the industry.

That moment … June 2025 … was the inflection point.

The point where a dormant idea finally becomes a real player.

The point where founders normally lean in, not retreat.

The Inflection Point No One Plans For

Shortly after the Cox Legal response, the internal trajectory of the project changed.

I won’t speculate on motives … people are complicated, and pressure affects everyone differently.

What I can say is this:

Instead of capitalizing on the moment as validation, the partnership fractured.

• Communication halted.
• Avoidance loops set in.
• Attempts to work through it were met with silence or indirect friction.

It eventually escalated into an unnecessary and baseless complaint to local authorities by the Founder who attempted to outsource the confrontation rather than engage it directly…one that was reviewed, dismissed, and formally closed.

The officers involved were professional, thorough, and ultimately clear:

There was no wrongdoing. No case.

Just a partnership that hit an inflection point and didn’t survive it.

What I Learned

The story isn’t about blame.

• It’s about patterns.
• It’s about momentum.
• It’s about the importance of alignment.
• It’s about the difference between an idea-holder and an operator.

AAR had all the ingredients to become a permanent fixture in the industry.

But structure matters.

Readiness matters.

Identity matters.

Lessons learned:

• Not everyone is built for scale.
  

• Not everyone is ready for attention.
  

• Not everyone can handle pressure from above.
  

• And not everyone sees inflection points as opportunity.
  

Some see them as a threat.

And you can’t build momentum around avoidance masquerading as leadership.

Where It Went Next

After my departure from the active role, activity slowed immediately. Full Stop.

The review engine went quiet.

Dealer submissions tapered off.

Automation systems were disabled.

Social channels flattened.

The broader industry pulse that had begun forming simply…dissipated.

This isn’t said with judgment.

It’s just what happened.

And for clarity…

I remain listed, accurately, as a co-founder.

My Only Intention With This Post

This post is not a warning.

It’s not a grievance.

It’s not even a retrospective.

It’s an archival entry for the Recognition Layer.

A clean, factual record of:

• What was built
  

• What it achieved
  

• What the inflection point was
  

• What happened afterward
  

• And why I stepped away
  

I’m proud of the work my team did.

I’m proud of the dealers we helped.

And I’m proud of the momentum we created from nothing.

Not all projects are meant to be lifelong commitments.

Some are meant to be chapters.

This was one of them.

And since my departure from the active operational and promotions role, the platform has returned to dormancy … even though I remain listed, accurately, as a co-founder at the time of this publication.

Nothing more needs to be said.

Stay Lit

-Bob Manor

About Bob Manor 

Bob Manor is the founder of  South Ontario Auto Remarketing , Can-Am Dealer Services , and co-founder of Auto Auction Review. He’s also the creator of  Influence.vin, a branding and communication studio built for the car business. With over 30 years in the automotive world, Bob specializes in wholesale, dealer services, and identity-driven brand strategy. He’s a regular contributor to well-known automotive publications and uses his platforms to help industry pros re-align with who they are, not just what they do

Disclaimer:
These are my own observations and interpretations, based on lived experience inside this industry.
This is not financial, legal, or professional advice ... it is pattern recognition, shared for awareness and strategic consideration only