RMG | Automotive FAQ

Question 1

Do you build YMM and VIN lookup infrastructure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Year-Make-Model-Trim selectors, sub-model and engine-variant logic, VIN decoder integration with real fitment validation, customer-vehicle profiles, and cross-reference data. Fitment is the conversion event in automotive. We treat it as core architecture, not a plugin.

Question 2

Can you actually reduce our fitment-driven return rate?

Accepted Answer

Usually, yes, and it’s the highest-leverage margin work in the category. 60–75% of automotive returns are fitment-driven, so we go after the root cause: YMM data that syncs with the catalog instead of lagging it, VIN lookup with real fitment validation, sub-model and engine-variant logic, and pre-cart compatibility confirmation that re-states the vehicle before checkout. The free site audit gives you a realistic range for your catalog.

Question 3

Do you build installer and jobber portals?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it’s where the wholesale half of the business actually lives. Real B2B portals on Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce B2B, and Shopify Plus B2B with tiered pricing, build-list and saved-vehicle workflows, quick reorder, kit assembly, net-terms billing, and approval flows. Installer/jobber AOV typically runs 3x–6x DTC, so we treat the portal as a first-class build, not a fax line replacement.

Question 4

Can you handle ERP integration with NetSuite, SAP, or Acumatica?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ERP integration is core to most automotive builds, not an add-on. We’ve connected NetSuite, SAP, Acumatica, and Microsoft Dynamics for real-time inventory, tiered pricing, order sync, and fulfillment across DTC and B2B. The hard part is the edge cases: core charges, net-terms, partial shipments, dealer-specific pricing, so we build the middleware and sync logic to handle them rather than hoping a connector covers it.

Question 5

Can you handle large catalogs without performance collapse?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Automotive catalogs run deep: hundreds of thousands of SKUs with fitment, cross-reference, and superseded-part data attached. We model fitment as structured data (often through a PIM like Akeneo), architect search and filtering to stay fast at scale, and keep PDPs and YMM selectors responsive on mobile. Catalog size is an architecture problem, and we design for it from the start.

Question 6

Do you work with Adobe Commerce / Magento and Shopify Plus both?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Plus BigCommerce and headless. Automotive is one of the few categories where Adobe Commerce still earns its keep for complex B2B and large catalogs, but Shopify Plus has closed a lot of the gap. We pick based on your catalog complexity, B2B requirements, and ERP integrations, not on what we happen to prefer. If you’re replatforming, you’ll get an honest recommendation either way.

Question 7

Do you do marketplace ads (Amazon, eBay Motors)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Amazon and eBay Motors are real channels in this category, and they only work when the catalog is clean. We run catalog hygiene, fitment-accurate listings, marketplace strategy, and DTC parity as one program, not three disconnected efforts bleeding margin against each other.

Question 8

Can you take over a stalled Magento or Adobe Commerce build?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Rescue work is one of our engagement models, and stalled Magento builds are common in automotive. We start with an honest audit of what’s salvageable versus what needs rebuilding, stabilize the critical paths (fitment, checkout, ERP sync), then get you back to shipping. No blame, no rip-and-replace by reflex; we keep what works and fix what’s actually blocking launch.

Question 9

How long does a typical automotive build take?

Accepted Answer

It depends on scope, but you’ll see something real fast: first wins on the fitment selector, PDP, and installer portal inside 30 days, with most full automotive builds landing in the 3–6 month range. YMM/VIN infrastructure, B2B portals, and ERP integration add time; a focused DTC storefront rebuild moves faster. We scope it precisely in the free site audit before kickoff, so the timeline isn’t a guess.

Question 10

Do you work with accessory and universal-fit catalogs, or only hard parts?

Accepted Answer

Both, and they are not the same build. Chargers, detailing chemicals, tools, cargo gear, floor liners, and apparel do not need a Year-Make-Model gate in front of them, and forcing one there costs conversion. We split the catalog: fitment-gated SKUs get YMM, VIN, and sub-trim validation, while universal-fit and accessory SKUs get merchandising, bundles, spec comparison, and gifting paths built for how they actually sell. Most automotive brands run both halves, and most sites are built as if they only run one.

Question 11

Do you support connected devices and subscription plans?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Telematics units, dashcams, OBD devices, EV charging hardware, and roadside or monitoring plans all need flows a parts checkout does not have: device activation and onboarding, device-plus-plan bundling, subscription billing and upgrades, account and vehicle management, and warranty or replacement handling. We build those on Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, and headless with Recharge and CRM integration, and we treat churn and win-back as part of the build rather than something marketing inherits afterwards.

Question 12

Can you handle oversized freight, hazmat, and core charges at checkout?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and this is where a lot of automotive carts quietly lose money. Bumpers, body panels, wheel-and-tire packages, batteries, and aerosols carry LTL, hazmat, and residential-delivery rules that flat-rate logic gets wrong. We build real-time freight rating (usually through ShipperHQ), hazmat flags and carrier restrictions, dimensional and palletized rules, and core-charge and core-return handling that reconciles back to the ERP. The customer sees the real number in the cart instead of a support email after the order.

Question 13

Do you handle dealer networks, where-to-buy, and MAP?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Plenty of automotive brands sell through dealers, installers, and national retailers alongside their own DTC site, and the two channels fight when nobody designs the relationship. We build dealer locators and where-to-buy paths that route demand without cannibalizing it, MAP monitoring and enforcement workflows, dealer-specific pricing and portals, and marketplace strategy that keeps Amazon and eBay Motors from undercutting the channel you rely on.

Comparison criteria	RMG	Automotive-only “Magento” shop	Generalist ecommerce agency	In-house team
Vertical fluency	Automotive commerce across platforms	Magento muscle memory, light on modern stack	Same playbook every vertical	Deep on your brand only
YMM / fitment infrastructure	Modern YMM, VIN lookup, sub-trim logic	Yes (but built in 2017)	Generic templates	Whoever owns catalog
Accessory + universal-fit catalog	Merchandised on its own terms, no YMM gate	Everything routed through the fitment gate	Generic product templates	Whatever the roadmap allows
Connected devices + subscriptions	Activation, plan bundling, and account flows	Rarely	Sometimes, as a plugin	Competing for the same devs
Modern platform depth	Shopify Plus, Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce, headless	Mostly Magento, light on Shopify Plus	Many platforms, spread thin	One platform, internal knowledge
Installer / jobber portals	Real B2B portals, tied to ERP	Sometimes	Rarely	Capped at one team’s hands
Oversized + hazmat freight	LTL, hazmat, and core charges priced in-cart	Flat-rate rules and a support thread	Whatever the app supports	Handled manually per order
ERP integration depth	NetSuite, SAP, Acumatica, Microsoft Dynamics	Single-vendor history	Sometimes	Internal team owns it
Engagement model	Tiered: build, scale, or rescue	Project, then maintenance retainer	Project or retainer	Salary + benefits forever

Parts, gear,
and whatever
bolts on.

“Said it would fit
my truck.”

A fitment selector that says “compatible” and the customer’s truck doesn’t match

YMM data that the team updates quarterly and the catalog updates daily

A return rate driven by fitment errors that quietly costs 10 to 15 points of margin

Universal-fit products pushed through a vehicle selector they never needed

VIN lookup that “is on the roadmap”. It’s been on the roadmap for two years

Installers and jobbers ordering through email and a fax machine because the B2B portal is unusable

PDPs that look like Pinterest and don’t surface a single spec, dimension, or compatibility note

Oversized, hazmat, and core-charge orders quoted at checkout like a flat-rate box

Marketplace ads bleeding margin while DTC sits with half the catalog uncategorized

Compliance data buried in a PDF nobody opens before they buy

Connected devices and subscriptions bolted onto a storefront built for one-time parts orders

Repeat buyers who built a relationship and then disappear because the lifecycle never recognized them

Every service that gets fitment,
installers, and the repeat buyer right.

YMM, VIN, and sub-trim logic. Built across the catalog.

Real portals, not a fax line.

Amazon, eBay Motors, your dealers, and the install-video crowd.

Devices, plans, and the account behind them.

The system should remember what they drive.

Automotive ecommerce runs
on four numbers.

Fitment accuracy

Return rate (fitment-driven)

Installer / jobber AOV

Repeat-buyer rate

Show you the money.

Here are your other options.

There’s a lot more
to this story.

Here's what happens
after you fill out the form.

30-min
discovery call

Free site audit

Scoped
proposal

First wins inside
30 days

Get them out
of the way.

If automotive isn't the only fit, try these.

Let's audit your storefront.

Parts, gear, and whatever bolts on.

“Said it would fit my truck.”