Help Topics

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 Writing your advert
Writing a car advert that generates response is simple as long as you're brief and to the point.

Listing every feature your car has may dilute the impact of your ad, and potential buyers will be asleep long before they've had chance to pick up the phone.

Pick out a few important features that make your car a good buy. Air con, metallic paint and leather trims can improve a car's value so include them in your ad.

Mention colour, mileage, service history and number of owners. Be specific, if your car has a low mileage say how low. If it has one owner, a full service history, MOT and road tax make sure it's all in the ad. These are the things that'll interest buyers.

Be realistic about price, asking over the odds will only mean you have to advertise again next week. Check the going rate for your car with
WhatCar's used car price guide. click here

Attach a photo, it'll make your advert stand out and you'll get a better response.

Finally, be honest; lying about the condition of your car will only waste your time and theirs.

Checklist

Key things to include in your advert: Colour
Mileage
Service history
Number of owners
Condition
MOT & road tax (if you have them)
Key features
Colour photograph


NB. If you are placing an advert online and in the magazine, you will be asked to tick a box to state whether or not your vehicle is an automatic. This is for the magazine only as it will help the magazine staff place your advert within the correct Automatic section of the magazine.
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 Duration of placement
Advertisers are offered the option of placing an advertisement for a period of two weeks from the date of first publication on the Auto Trader Web Site located at www.autotrader.co.uk (“the Web Site”), advertisers can also choose to advertise for 2 weeks on the Web Site and 1 week in their local Auto Trader magazine or for 3 weeks on the Web Site and 2 weeks in their local Auto Trader magazine. Advertisements will appear on Auto Trader's Digital Television and Mobile Internet services for a corresponding time period to the option booked via the Web Site.

Price:

Auto Trader
For the price of a standard online advertisement on autotrader.co.uk for two weeks (including VAT) please click here for the rate card. You can also advertise your vehicle 1 or 2 weeks in your local Auto Trader Magazine, or on the website for 3 weeks and for 2 week in your local Auto Trader Magazine, prices vary click here to see the rate card.

Bargain Ad
If advertising in the magazine, you may also be eligible to place a Bargain advert at a lower rate if your vehicle fits a certain criteria. For more information on this click here.

Website Only Bargain Ad
If the vehicle advertised is priced at £1,000 or under, you may be eligible to place a Web Only Bargain for 2 weeks. For more information and the rates applicable click here (the Website Only Bargain is only available to private advertisers).

Top Marques Ad
If your advert fits a certain criteria, you will be given the choice whether you would also like to advertise your vehicle for sale in Top Marques Magazine for an additional cost. For more information on this and the rates applicable, click here.

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 When to sell
When advertising your vehicle with the UK's leading motoring magazine and website, you'll be guaranteed an unrivalled number of buyers viewing your vehicle at any time.

Bear in mind that you may find some vehicles sell easier, and for a better price at particular times of the year. Convertibles often sell quicker during the summer, whilst the market for 4x4s tends to pick up during the winter months.

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 Auto Trader watermark
Following customer feedback we now carry a watermark of the Auto Trader logo on all Private advertisements placed via this site. This move was introduced to dissuade other web sites from running programmes to lift images of vehicles on our site, without having first gained your permission. Please note, if you are submitting a joint web site and magazine advertisement, your photo will not feature our watermark when it appears in the Auto Trader magazine.

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 When will my advert appear

Advertisements supplied on-line to Auto Trader between 9am Monday and 4pm on Friday will be processed in 24 hours and published on the site the following working day. This does not apply to Bank Holidays or any other public holiday. Advertisements submitted between 4pm on Friday and 9am on Monday will be processed and published on the site the first working day following the submission of the advertisement.

All advertisements placed via the Auto Trader web site will be uploaded to Auto Trader's Digital Television and Mobile Internet Services.

Magazine adverts placed via the Auto Trader website will appear in the next available issue of the chosen Auto Trader magazine. This is normally the following Thursday or Friday for adverts placed before midnight on the Sunday prior to publication day. For adverts placed after this time we cannot guarantee publication in the next issue. Adverts will be delivered to the customers' chosen Auto Trader magazine at the same time as they are published on the site.

Top Marques adverts - if your advert fits a certain criteria you will be given the choice whether you would also like to advertise your vehicle for sale in Top Marques magazine. Your advert will appear in the next available issue of Top Marques once the advert has gone into your selected Auto Trader magazine. Please note, the Top Marques classification will be chosen by Top Marques but can be edited by the customer online. For more information on Top Marques magazine, click here

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 Example of a magazine advert
example Auto Trader advert
 Example of a web advert
example Auto Trader advert

Images taken to fit the 4x3 online advert style will be cropped to fit a 2x1 magazine advert style. We recommend that when shooting, you allow more space at the top and bottom of the vehicle to account for resizing the image to 2x1 from 4x3. If photos are taken too close, parts of the vehicle may be cropped.

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 Glossary of terms
4WS
4WD
ABS
Air Con
A/Wheels
CATI (2)
C/Coded
C/Control
Clim/Cont
C/Locking
E/M
E/Seats
E/S/R
E/W
FFSR
FSH
FDSH
FWD/4WD
FWH
H/L, W/W
H/Seats
H/S
Immob
LPG
LWB
MPV
N/S/D
O/D
O.I.R.O
ONO
O/S/D
OVNO
PAS
P/X
R/Cass
R/H/R
R/S/B
RWW
T/Glass
T & T
VGC
VTS
VCAR*
W/Wheels
 4 Wheel steering
4 Wheel drive
Anti-lock Braking System
Air conditioning
Alloy wheels
Alarm (Immobiliser)
Colour coded
Cruise control
Climate Control
Central locking
Electric mirrors
Electric seats
Electric sunroof
Electric windows
Factory fitted sunroof
Full service history
Full dealer service history
Four wheel drive
Free wheeling hubs
Headlamp wash/wipe
Heated seats
Hard & soft tops
Engine immobiliser
Liquified Petroleum Gas
Long wheelbase
Multi purpose vehicles
Near side damage
Overdrive
Offers in the region of
Or nearest offer
Offside damage
Or very nearest offer
Power assisted steering
Part exchange
Radio cassette
Rear head restraints
Rear seat belts
Rear wash/wipe
Tinted glass
Taxed & tested (MOT)
Very good condition
Vehicle Tracking System
Vehicle Condition Alert Registered vehicle (insurance write-off)
Wire wheels

*VCAR status remains with the vehicle for the rest of its life, regardless of it being repaired and checked to be of a safe standard. Inclusion on the VCAR register does not indicate that the vehicle has been repaired.

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 How do I add a photo?
Uploading your photograph to your advert is simple, providing you have a digital or scanned in picture of your vehicle to use. Remember to scan your image at the appropriate size and resolution for publication in Auto Trader magazine to ensure the best possible quality. Click on the red 'ADD PHOTO' button on the Edit screen when placing an online advert and follow the instructions.

Any photos supplied with adverts must be a true representation of the advertised vehicle. We cannot accept adverts supplied with stock or library photos nor can we accept 'cut-outs' or montages. Auto Trader reserves the right to remove such photos from adverts placed for publication on the website or in our magazine(s) as appropriate. For security and copyright reasons all photos uploaded to this site will be watermarked with the Auto Trader logo. For further details Click here

If your supplied image is removed we can add a suitable alternative if you email it to photos@autotrader.co.uk or post it to Customer Services, Trader Media Group Ltd, Willow House, Woodlands Business Park, Ashton Road, Newton-le-Willows, WA12 OHE. Please write your full name, vehicle registration and customer order number (a unique customer order number will be emailed to you once you've placed an advert) on the back of the photograph. We can only return photographs if you include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

If you have opted for a magazine advert and your supplied photo is unacceptable, a photo agent can be arranged.
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 The AA check
An AA check helps potential buyers to avoid purchasing a car with a hidden history. It can detect car fraud by running a check against the registration number to identify if the vehicle is:
  • Currently reported stolen
  • An insurance write-off
  • Still on finance
  • Not on its original number plates
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 Preparing your vehicle for sale
You wouldn't buy a filthy car so neither will they. The first thing the buyer will notice is the car's appearance. Time spent on cleaning your car will help you get the full asking price. Clean inside and out; give it a good vacuum and wax, and don't forget to clear out the boot.


Do a general maintenance check. Replace oil and other fluids, and check the tyre pressure. Remember to keep a record of what you have done.


Get your paper work in order. In a folder, collate all receipts, maintenance records and service history.
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 Handling response
Potential buyers will call at any time so try to be available. You may wish to leave day/night time numbers or a mobile number.


Show documentation of proof of ownership, maintenance records, the owner's manual, service history, and registration.


Allow potential buyers to run a car data check or vehicle inspection (HPI check), this will reassure the buyer that the vehicle is credible.


Be safe - make sure there is someone else at home with you, and don't give out unnecessary information over the phone.


Do not take the vehicle to meet potential buyers however reasonable they may sound.
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 Test Drive
Always allow a potential buyer to test drive the vehicle with you; it'll help you sell the car.


Make sure they are covered either by your insurance or theirs.


Take precautions- keep hold of the keys at all times, and don't leave strangers in the house whilst you take a test drive. You may want a friend or partner to accompany you.
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 Negotiating a price
It's human nature to want to pay a lower price, so have clear in your mind the lowest price you'll be happy with. Don't be pushed into agreeing a lower price; if you are not sure take their phone number and call them back later.


Be calm and polite. Smile, you are more likely to get a successful sale if you are relaxed.


Check the buyer is genuine. Ask for ID and take a telephone number. Give them a ring before they collect the car to check their details are sound.


If the buyer is genuinely interested ask them to leave a deposit, this helps weed out any time wasters.


Keep all numbers of interested parties in case your buyer pulls out at the last minute.
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 Taking payment
Do not hand anything over until payment has been made and cheques have cleared.


Cash is best. If you do take a cheque make sure it's verified.


Write a receipt for both you and the buyer, stating that the car is being sold.
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 Top Marques
At present, you can only advertise in Top Marques magazine via the website if already placing an advert in Auto Trader magazine. If your vehicle fits a certain criteria, e.g. is a certain make and model with a price greater than £8,000, you will be offered the chance to place a single spot advert in Top Marques for £5. Should you wish to take this up, just follow the corresponding links.

Please note: Top Marques will only be offered to Private Advertisers.
The default Top Marques classification will be based on the advertised vehicle but can be changed if required.

For more information on Top Marques magazine, click here
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 Auto Trader Privacy Policy
All personal information collected and used from the Auto Trader site will be processed in accordance with the 1998 Data Protection Act

Information collected
In order to register for full access to the Auto Trader channel we will require you to supply your name, e-mail address, postal address and post code.

On-line advertisements placed on the channel will, in addition require payment details, a land-line telephone number, with a mobile number and e-mail address supplied as an option. Credit Card information is collected over a secure connection

Use of Information
Telephone numbers supplied as part of a vehicle advertisement will be published within the relevant advertisement only for the duration of the booking.

Credit card information is used solely for the purpose of payment processing. Auto Trader retains no record of credit card details.

When you visit our web site, we issue a "cookie" or unique identification code that enables us to recognise your computer. The cookie contains no personally identifying information and is merely used to note which sections of our web site you have recently accessed. Based on this information we are able to understand the relative popularity of sections throughout our site. This in turn enables us to develop relevant content as well as attract advertising from companies that we believe to be of interest to our users.

Auto Trader is part of the Trader Media Group, and information supplied in this site may be shared with other group companies. When you register with our site, we ask you whether you would like to opt-in to receive future notification on changes to the site, as well as offers and services from third party companies that we feel might be of interest to you.

From time to time, we may ask our market research partners to contact you by telephone as part of a survey of our services. You will be able to choose at the time whether or not you want to take part in that survey.

Security In accordance with the requirements of the 1998 Data Protection Act - we have taken measures to ensure that information supplied to us is held securely. As a consequence - we may occasionally request proof of identity before allowing access to your personal information.

Access You have the right to access all personal information supplied to Auto Trader Digital, and rectify any inaccuracies on the information held. A charge of £10 will be made for any subject access request. Further enquiries should be made to enquiries@autotrader.co.uk or sent to Customer Services, Auto Trader Digital, Willow House, Woodland Business Park, Newton Le Willows WA12 0HE.

Amendments and Updates to this policy may be made from time to time. Any revisions will be posted on this page so you will always be aware of what information we collect.
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 Standard terms and conditions
Introduction

By submitting an advertisement to the Auto Trader web site, you are deemed to have accepted the terms and conditions laid out here. These terms and conditions and the contract of which they form part shall be governed by English law. All references to "the customer" refer to the user applying to place an advertisement for a vehicle on the Auto Trader web site. All references to "the web site" refers to the Autotrader.co.uk internet site. All references to "us", "we" or "Auto Trader" refers to Trader Publishing Limited trading as Auto Trader.

This service offers the facility to compose and place an advertisement for a used vehicle on the Autotrader.co.uk web site. Advertisements placed on the Auto Trader web site will also appear on Auto Trader's Digital Interactive Television service and mobile Internet service (currently available to users of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) telephones).

Multiple Advertisements:

Auto Trader is only able to display one advertisement for each vehicle at any one time on the Web Site. If the customer orders a subsequent advertisement for a vehicle which is already advertised on the web site, then the subsequent advertisement will replace the previous advertisement for that vehicle.

The time period for the first advertisement will automatically expire when it is replaced by the subsequent advertisement on the Web Site. Auto Trader will not be liable to reimburse the customer for any period in which the first advertisement has been paid for but has not been displayed.

If you have chosen to place an advert in Top Marques in addition to your advert in Auto Trader magazine, your advert will appear in the next available issue of Top Marques once the advert has been published in your selected Auto Trader magazine.

Price:

Prices vary - click here to see the rate card for Trade advertisers.

For Private advertisers click here to see the Private rate card.

For information regarding available packages click here.

Processing your advert:

Only one vehicle may be featured in each advertisement.

The advert copy you supply must be legal, decent, honest and truthful and must comply with the British Code of Advertising Practice and all other codes under the general supervision of the Advertising Standards Authority and/or any relevant legislation. Auto Trader may refuse, edit and/or require to be amended any advertisement copy and any photographs supplied by the customer so as to comply with these requirements and any other legal or moral obligations.

Auto Trader is not able to verify the truthfulness of any statements (including the authenticity of photographs) made by a customer in the advertisement copy. Accordingly, the customer shall be responsible for any losses, expenses or other costs incurred by Auto Trader caused by an untrue statement or inaccurate photograph supplied by the customer [where it infringes our moderation policy].

In order to meet the technical and production requirements of the Web Site, Auto Trader reserves the right to edit, amend, alter, or delete the copy, photograph supplied by the customer. Where possible Auto Trader will attempt to contact the customer to inform them of these changes prior to publication.

In the event that Auto Trader is unable to accept an advertisement for any reason, we will attempt to inform the customer of this if at all possible. In the event that we reject the advertisement, no charge will be incurred by the customer. No contract will be deemed to exist between the customer and Auto Trader until the advertisement has been accepted for publication on the Web Site.

The copyright in all adverts (including text or photographs) shall be owned by us and you hereby assign all such copyright to us. All uploaded photos will be watermarked for security/copyright reasons before they appear on the AutoTrader Web Site. For full details Click Here.

Payment mechanism available & level of security offered

Payment for on-line advertisements must be made through our Web Site.

To process card payments we will refer you to a dedicated commerce provider, who will take payment via a secure sever (SSL) connection to ensure the safety of your payment on-line.

credit cardsPayment can be made using Visa, MasterCard, Maestro or Click and Buy. To ensure further security when placing an advert you will be prompted to enter the CVC2 security code from your card.
This is the last three digits on the signature strip on the back of your card. Providing this information confirms that the advert placer has seen the card.

Even greater security can be gained by using Verified by Visa or MasterCard Secure Code. Once registered, you will be prompted to enter your password at the checkout to ensuring that no one else can use your card. No other payment method can be accepted.
While every effort is made to ensure the safety of your credit card transaction, Auto Trader can not accept liability for any loss or damage incurred as a result of using the secure payment mechanism.

Fulfilment timing

Advertisements supplied on-line to Auto Trader between 09:00 Monday until 16:00 on Friday will be processed in 24 hours and published on the site the following working day. This does not apply to Bank Holidays or any other public holiday. Advertisements submitted between 16:00 on Friday until 09:00 on Monday will be processed and published on the site on the first working day following the submission of the advertisement.
All advertisements placed via the Auto Trader Web Site will be uploaded in bulk on a weekly basis to Auto Trader's Digital Television and Mobile Internet Services. This weekly upload generally occurs each Friday, although Auto Trader reserves the right to alter the timing of the weekly upload in the unlikely event that other factors necessitate this change.

How to cancel an advert

A full refund can only be obtained if the advert has not gone live on the Auto Trader website. Adverts are processed 7 days a week within a maximum of 24 hours including weekends and bank holidays. Web Site and Magazine adverts are bought as a package and cancellations made after the advert has gone live on the Web Site or publication of any Auto Trader publication will not be eligible for any refund.

However, the publication of an advert can be cancelled to avoid unwanted response (subject to publication deadline). Advertisements can be cancelled by sending an e-mail - quoting the advertisement reference number - to enquiries@autotrader.co.uk or by contacting Customer Services on 0845 345 3450.

How and when your order will be confirmed

As soon as an advertisement has been accepted for carriage, a confirmation email will be sent to the advertiser explaining that the advertisement has gone live on the site.
In the event that an advertisement has been rejected for carriage, Auto Trader will send an email to the customer explaining whom they need to contact in order to find out why their advertisement has been rejected.

How you can change and delete your advert once live

Once your advert has been accepted onto the Web Site, a confirmation email will be sent to you with details on how to amend your advert once it's live on the site.

Please do not delete this email as it also gives instructions on how to remove your advert from the site when your vehicle is sold.

If you need to add or change your photo, you can now do so via the on-line edit functionality. You can supply it via email to photos@autotrader.co.uk or (in the case of photo's only) post it to Customer Services, Trader Publishing Limited, Willow House, Woodlands Business Park, Ashton Road, Newton-le-Willows, WA12 OHE. Please write your full name, vehicle registration and customer order number (a unique customer order number will be emailed to you once you've placed an advert) on the back of the photograph. We can only return photographs if you include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

N.B. For advertisers who are placing their advert both online and in the magazine, please note amending the magazine advert will be subject to the individual magazine deadline. If you make a change to the text using the online edit, we will send the changes the magazine in which your advert is booked however, amendments to your magazine advert cannot be guaranteed once it's been published. For example:
  • Amendments can be made up to the next deadline
  • Once the deadline has passed changes will only take effect for the next publication date and then, only if there are insertions still to be published
Amendments will also be carried in any add-ons to your advert (e.g. Top Marques) again, this is subject to the deadline of the additional magazines.

If you are experiencing any difficulties in relation to amendments or, you would like to discuss whether changes can be made, please contact our Customer Services team on the number/e-mail address below.

If you are experiencing any difficulties, please contact Customer Services on Tel: 0845 345 3450 Mon 8am - 10pm; Tues - Fri 8am - 9pm; Sat - Sun 9am - 5:30pm; or email: enquiries@autotrader.co.uk.

If your email relates to an advert, please include your advert reference number, vehicle registration or postcode with the query.

Liability

Auto Trader will require to carry out routine maintenance and service of 'its' servers and equipment. While Auto Trader seeks to keep disruption to a minimum, it does not guarantee that the advertisement will be continuously available on-line for the duration of the advert.
Where an advertisement does not appear on the Web Site despite confirmation being sent to the advertiser, the customer will be entitled to an additional free week's carriage or a refund of the advert price, unless the omission, cancellation or mismatch was caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond the reasonable control of Auto Trader or breach of contract by the customer. Auto Trader's liability for breach of contract or negligence shall not exceed an amount equal to the price of the advert or series of adverts involved, provided that nothing in this clause shall limit Auto Trader's liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or that of our service or agents or for fraudulent misrepresentation. Any warranties, terms or conditions of any kind whether express or implied, statutory or otherwise are hereby expressly excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Auto Trader shall not be liable for any liability for any consequential, indirect or special loss or damage; any loss of goodwill or reputation; loss of contracts, business and/or opportunity; loss of profits; loss of revenue and/or anticipated savings and/or any economic and/or other similar losses and in each case such liability is excluded whether it is foreseeable, known, forseen or otherwise and whether such losses are direct, indirect, consequential or otherwise.

English law shall govern these terms and conditions and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.

Privacy Policy

All details supplied to Auto Trader with your on-line advertisement will be safeguarded both by our privacy policy and also by the 1998 Data Protection Act.

We process information about you in accordance with our privacy policy. For the privacy policy Click Here. By using our site, you consent to such processing and you warrant that all data provided by you is accurate.

Please send all correspondence to: Customer Services Auto Trader, Willow House, Woodlands Business Park, Newton Le Willows WA12 0HE E-mail: enquiries@autotrader.co.uk.

Telephone: 0845 345 3450 Mon 8am - 10pm; Tues - Fri 8am - 9pm; Sat - Sun 9am - 5:30pm.

Registered office: Trader Publishing Limited, Unit 6, Thatcham Business Village, Colthrop Lane, Thatcham, Berkshire RG19 4LW Registered in England No. 0390968

click here to print our terms and conditions

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 E-Mail advice
Including an e-mail address in your advert will enable potential customers to contact you when you are not available by telephone however, your address will be published on a public website.

Auto Trader takes every step to protect its customer's privacy (see our privacy policy) but, as this information is in the public domain, e-mail addresses can be used by third parties for canvassing or fraudulent means.

Please take the time to visit our Crime Centre and make yourself aware of the types of scams being operated.

If in doubt, do not include your e-mail address in your advert

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 Automatic Style Advert
By checking the Automatic Gearbox option, your magazine advert will be published in the automatic style.


car pic

Note:
This is an example of the single spot automatic style advert
Your advert will be published in the style you've selected.
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 Vehicle Wanted Board
The Vehicle Wanted Board is the place to find the dealers looking to buy your car. You can browse through the vehicles that dealers are currently looking to buy, along with the specific type of each vehicle. They may have requirements for mileage, age or colour on the vehicles they are interested in. Once you find a dealer who is looking for a vehicle that matches the one you want to sell simply call them up and conclude the deal. You should have an idea of the price you want for the vehicle before calling. You can do this by using the vehicle valuation tool on the homepage, or by looking at other vehicles for sale on www.autotrader.co.uk that match your's. By selling a vehicle this way direct to a dealer you will likely get a lower price than if you placed an advert on www.autotrader.co.uk through the sell your vehicle link. However, selling your vehicle this way allows you to very quickly complete the sale in a single phone call.
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Any questions? Visit our FAQ page, click here