Definition
Reconditioning
Reconditioning (recon) is the work of preparing an acquired used car for sale, from mechanical repairs and detailing to the photos that ready it for market.
Recon is what turns a trade or auction buy into a lot-ready vehicle. It covers the mechanical and cosmetic work a car needs, and it ends at the point the car is ready to be photographed and listed.
Recon time is part of days on lot, so a fast, tight recon process is its own form of margin protection. The sooner a car is market-ready, the sooner it can be marketed, and the sooner it can sell.
Related terms
- Vehicle merchandisingVehicle merchandising is how a used car is presented to buyers: its photos, description, and pricing presentation across every listing.
- Days on lotDays on lot (DOL) is the number of days a specific vehicle has been in a dealer's inventory, from acquisition to sale.
- Inventory agingInventory aging is how long a vehicle has sat unsold on a dealer's lot, usually measured in days since it was acquired or first listed.
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