A message acknowledging an inquiry can be the first written communication covered by the rule if it references the car or states any dollar amount or financing term.
That makes the reply sequence important. A correctly priced email sent later does not change what the shopper received first.
As part of preparing your store, identify which messages your CRM and other tools send before a person responds.
Quoted by CognitGo uses your inventory and pricing rules to calculate the vehicle quote.
The email presents the total price, the document fee, and the installed-item breakdown. It also carries the applicable exclusions and the offer’s expiration date.
The exact email is preserved as sent. Your team can retrieve it when needed.
Your dealership’s branding. The car the shopper asked about. A clear price breakdown your team can check.
Request sample California quotes to inspect the wording and the price presentation before discussing setup.
Send me sample California quotes →Your store sets the pricing rules. Code calculates the quote; no AI ever writes a number.
Require approval before sending, or let eligible quotes go out automatically.
When the software cannot build a quote, it sends that inquiry to your team for attention. Your internet manager gets the reason and next step.
The rule applies to the first written communication described above. The price must be clear and conspicuous.
Keep the communication for at least two years and provide a copy to the customer upon written request.
Review the automatic messages as well as the replies your people send. The first message matters regardless of who—or what—sends it.
Quoted by CognitGo supports this pricing and recordkeeping work. Other requirements of the CARS Act still apply to the dealership.
Read the first-written-communication requirement →How the software supports the rule, in plain terms. It is not legal advice — confirm your process with counsel.
Under Civil Code § 1784.41, it is the first written reply your dealership sends that references a specific vehicle for sale, or states any dollar amount or financing term for any vehicle. The statute does not limit the channel — an email, a text, or a web message can each be that first communication.
It can. A message that acknowledges an inquiry is the first written communication covered by the rule if it references the car or states any dollar amount or financing term. A correctly priced email sent later does not change what the shopper received first, so review what your CRM and other tools send before a person responds.
The communication itself. Keep it for at least two years and provide a copy to the customer upon written request. Quoted by CognitGo preserves the exact email as sent, so your team can retrieve it.
Quoted builds the first reply with the vehicle’s total price calculated from your store’s pricing rules — code, not AI, writes the number — presents the document fee and installed-item breakdown, and keeps the exact email sent, automatically or after your team’s approval. Other requirements of the CARS Act still apply to the dealership.
We can email you sample California quotes built by Quoted by CognitGo.
If you want to see how it would handle your store’s inquiries, request a free review of your last 30 days of leads. The review uses your cars and pricing rules without contacting those shoppers.
Request a free lead review →