Online Deals and Reservations terms and conditions

THE TERMS IN THIS SECTION A ONLY APPLY WHEN YOU USE OUR PART EXCHANGE SERVICE

The terms set out in this Section A will apply if you choose to obtain a Part Exchange Valuation (as such term is defined below) in respect of your current vehicle that meets the requirements in clause 3 of this Section A below (“Current Vehicle”) and, at your option and subject to the terms of this Section A, then choose to sell your Current Vehicle in connection with a part-exchange transaction.

This Section A of the Terms sets out the contract terms between you and Autotrader in respect of the Part Exchange Valuation and will be binding on all users of the Part Exchange service.

If you choose to subsequently sell your Current Vehicle to the Dealer, on the basis of the Part Exchange Valuation (as such may be amended in accordance with this Section A) in connection with a part-exchange transaction, there will be a legal contract between you and the Dealer in respect of the sale of your Current Vehicle which is outside the scope of these Terms. Autotrader is not a party to the sale of your Current Vehicle and accepts no liability or responsibility in respect of such transaction.

Please make sure that you carefully check your Current Vehicle and provide accurate information about your Current Vehicle’s condition in the Condition Appraisal. If you do not provide accurate information about your Current Vehicle in the Condition Appraisal (and/or if you later provide additional relevant information to the Dealer), the Part Exchange Valuation you receive may be reduced at the point of Inspection.

1. DEFINITIONS

   1.1. In this Section A, the following terms will have the following meanings unless the context otherwise requires:

2. PART EXCHANGE VALUATION SERVICE

2.1. No obligation to part-exchange. The Part Exchange Valuation Service is optional and provided free of charge as part of building your Deal. You are under no obligation to sell the Current Vehicle to the Dealer (including in connection with a part-exchange transaction) following a Part Exchange Valuation.

2.2. Part-exchange contract between you and the Dealer. If you agree with the Dealer to part-exchange your Current Vehicle, there will be a legal contract between you and the Dealer in respect of the sale of the Current Vehicle which is outside the scope of these Terms. Autotrader is not a party to the sale of the Current Vehicle and accepts no liability or responsibility in respect of such transaction.

2.3. Provide accurate information about your Current Vehicle. Please carefully check your Current Vehicle and provide true, accurate and complete information about your Current Vehicle’s condition at the time you complete the Condition Appraisal. If you do not provide true, accurate and complete information about your Current Vehicle in the Condition Appraisal (and/or if you later provide additional relevant information to the Dealer), the Part Exchange Valuation you receive may be reduced at the point of the Inspection.

2.4. The Part Exchange Valuation is based on the following assumptions (“Assumptions”). It is your responsibility to review the Assumptions and inform the Dealer at the time of (or prior to) the Inspection if any of them are incorrect:

1. the Current Vehicle has not been used by the emergency services, used as a taxi, used by a driving school, or used as a lease vehicle;

2. the Current Vehicle has not been categorised by insurers as a category S (formally category C, structurally damaged repairable) and/or category N (formally category D, non-structurally damaged repairable);

3. the Current Vehicle has not sustained substantial accident damage, including damage that would, had it been assessed by an insurer, have rendered the Current Vehicle categorised as category A (scrap), category B (break), category S (formally category C, structurally damaged repairable) and/or category N (formally category D, non-structurally damaged repairable);

4. any and all safety recalls applicable to the Current Vehicle have been dealt with in accordance with manufacturer instructions and, where required, any defect(s) fully remedied;

5. where the Current Vehicle has a personalised registration number plate, you have all rights, title, and interest to sell that registration plate; and

6. the Current Vehicle has an accurate mileage reading.

2.5. Email confirmation. Once you have completed the Condition Appraisal and submitted your Deal, you will receive a Deal confirmation email from us. The email will contain a link to your account area in the Platform. You should check the Platform. You should check that the details in the email are correct and let us know as soon as possible if anything is incorrect (using the contact details in clause 3.1). The email will contain the Dealer’s contact details to enable you to arrange a date and time for the Dealer to conduct the Inspection within 7 days of the date of the Part Exchange Valuation at the location specified by the Dealer.

2.6. The Part Exchange Valuation is valid for 7 days, subject to clause 4.3 of this Section A below.

2.7. The Part Exchange Valuation is ‘subject to contract’. The Part Exchange Valuation is provided strictly on a ‘subject to contract’ basis and the sale of the Current Vehicle to the Dealer shall only be completed at the point: (i) the Contract of Sale is entered into (following the Inspection and confirmation of Purchase Price); and (ii) a purchase contract is entered into in respect of the Vehicle you are purchasing from the Dealer as part of a part-exchange transaction (where applicable).

2.8. Reservation of the Vehicle that you are interested in as part of proposed part exchange transaction. The Dealer will reserve the Vehicle (that you are interested in as part of the proposed part-exchange transaction) for you from the point you complete your Deal and make the Reservation Payment (in accordance with clause 5 of these Terms). However, if you or the Dealer cancel the Deal at any time before you enter into a purchase contract in respect of the Vehicle (in accordance with the cancellation rights sets out in clause 6 of these Terms), the Dealer will no longer be required to reserve the Vehicle for you. In such circumstances, your purchase of the Vehicle will be subject to the Dealer’s availability once the Inspection has been carried out and the Purchase Price for the Current Vehicle has been confirmed. In circumstances where the Vehicle has been sold by the Dealer, or otherwise becomes unavailable, before you are able to complete your proposed part-exchange transaction, the Dealer may (at the Dealer’s discretion) allow you to part-exchange your Current Vehicle for the Purchase Price in connection with an alternative vehicle or (at the Dealer’s discretion) the Dealer may offer to buy the Current Vehicle for the Purchase Price without a part-exchange transaction.

2.9. Part Exchange Valuation is a guide price only. It is not a guaranteed part exchange valuation, so you should not place any reliance upon this guide price. Part Exchange Valuations given at any time are subject to this Part A and also subject to the Dealer’s part exchange terms, and the actual Purchase Price (where the part exchange transaction goes ahead) can vary as a result.The Part Exchange Valuation is not intended to be used as the sole basis for any decision making and we do not guarantee that the Part Exchange Valuation is the best price available for your Current Vehicle. It is your responsibility to satisfy yourself that you are selecting the best option for you.

2.10. Part Exchange for vans. We are currently unable to provide Part Exchange Valuations for vans via our Platform. Where a Dealer offers the service and you choose to add a part exchange of a van to your Deal, we will ask you to complete the Condition Appraisal and then, when you complete your Deal, we will pass the relevant details on to the Dealer so that they can provide a Part Exchange Valuation of the van to you direct when they follow up your Deal. This section A will still apply.

3. EXCLUDED VEHICLES

3.1. Excluded Vehicles. We are unable to provide you with a Part Exchange Valuation in respect of certain excluded vehicles (as detailed in this clause). To be eligible for a Part Exchange Valuation the Current Vehicle must have a VRM which is registered with the DVLA and must comply with each of the following criteria:

1. it is not a bike or any other non-car vehicle (except, where a Dealer offers the service, the Dealer may provide a Part Exchange Valuation for a van direct to the you, in accordance with these Terms);

2. it has a valuation of £50,000 or less;

3. it is of an age of 15 years and 6 months or less;

4. it has a mileage of 150,000 miles or less;

5. it does not fall within certain prestige brands and models of vehicle which we notify you are unsuitable for part-exchange;

6. it has not been imported, registered outside the UK, and/or re-registered (i.e. where the vehicle has been registered outside the UK and then re-registered back in the UK), and it is not a left-hand drive;

7. it has not been categorised by insurers as a category A (scrap) or category B (break);

8. it has not been stolen and recovered; and

9. it has its true and proper registration mark and chassis number and/or vehicle identification number and which corresponds to the car’s registration documents.

In addition to the above, in some cases, we may not be able to provide a Part Exchange Valuation if the Current Vehicle is an unusual model, has a personalised number plate or has only recently been registered.

4. VEHICLE INSPECTION

4.1. Vehicle Inspection. Before completing the part-exchange of the Current Vehicle or issuing the Final Valuation, the Dealer shall be entitled to check the Vehicle Documentation (which shall include confirming evidence of a service history and the presence of a working key for the Current Vehicle) and conduct an Inspection of the Current Vehicle to confirm and verify the Assumptions and other details you provided in the Condition Appraisal. The Inspection may be conducted in-person, online or over the telephone, at the Dealer’s option. You agree to provide the Dealer with the Vehicle Documentation and any further information and/or photographs or imagery of the Current Vehicle that the Dealer reasonable requests. You agree to inform the Dealer, at the time of (or prior to) the Inspection, if any of the Assumptions or other details you provided in the Condition Appraisal are untrue, inaccurate and/or incomplete and/or of any other information that you are aware may be relevant to the Part Exchange Valuation. In the event of an in-person Inspection, the Current Vehicle may undergo mechanical examination and/or test driving.

4.2. Dealer’s liability for delay or failure to conduct an Inspection. The Dealer accepts no liability for any delay or failure to conduct the Inspection if and to the extent that the delay is due to circumstances beyond the Dealer’s reasonable control.

4.3. The Dealer’s right to change or withdraw the Part Exchange Valuation. Even after you have completed your Deal, the Dealer reserves the right to change the Part Exchange Valuation or withdraw the Part Exchange Valuation, following the Inspection or other checks in respect of the Current Vehicle. This includes (without limitation) circumstances where: (i) the information you provided in the Condition Appraisal is untrue, inaccurate and/or incomplete and/or if you have later provided to the Dealer (or the Dealer has otherwise become aware of) any additional relevant information, as a result of which the Dealer deems that the condition and/or valuation of the Current Vehicle is different to that assessed for the purposes of the Part Exchange Valuation; (ii) any of the Assumptions set out in clause 2.4 of this Section A are incorrect; and/or (iii) in the circumstances described in clause 7.2 of this Part A. If the Dealer decides to withdraw or change the Part Exchange Valuation in accordance with this clause, this will usually be communicated to you in person at the site of the Inspection (or in exceptional circumstances by telephone or email following the Inspection). You are under no obligation to sell the Current Vehicle to the Dealer following a revised Part Exchange Valuation.

5. VEHICLE PURCHASE

5.1. Purchase of the Current Vehicle. Following completion of the Vehicle Inspection, the Dealer will immediately provide you with an on-site Final Valuation, which, subject to clause 4.3 of this Section A, will be the same as the Part Exchange Valuation. For the avoidance of doubt, the Final Valuation will constitute an offer from the Dealer to purchase the Current Vehicle for the Purchase Price subject to the Contract of Sale and your purchase of the Vehicle or, if agreed between you and Dealer, another alternative vehicle from the Dealer as a component part of a part-exchange transaction.

5.2. The Final Valuation will be deemed accepted by you at the point you sign the Contract of Sale. The Contract of Sale will be entered into simultaneously with a purchase contract between you and the Dealer in respect of the vehicle you are purchasing as a component part of the part-exchange transaction (where applicable).

5.3. Once you have signed the Contract of Sale, the Purchase Price will be applied towards the cost of the vehicle you are purchasing from the Dealer under a purchase contract as a component part of the part-exchange transaction, and such cost shall be reduced accordingly, subject to these Terms.

5.4. Title and risk to the Current Vehicle passes from you to the Dealer in accordance with the Contract of Sale. Please confirm this with the Dealer before entering into the Contract of Sale.

5.5. You are under no obligation to sell the Current Vehicle to the Dealer following a Final Valuation. If you do not accept the Final Valuation, it will be deemed to be immediately withdrawn. At your option, you will be able to continue with the other elements of your Deal (i.e. the purchase of the Vehicle and, if applicable, your Finance Application), without continuing with the part exchange of your Current Vehicle (although this may lead to a change in the amount of credit you require for the purchase of a Vehicle). If you subsequently change your mind and decide that you want to add a Part Exchange Valuation to your Deal again, you will need to submit a new Deal via the Platform in order to generate a new Part Exchange Valuation and the Dealer will need to carry out another Inspection before making another Final Valuation to confirm that no relevant factors have changed.

6. VEHICLE HANDOVER

6.1. Information for you to provide to the Dealer. At the time the Contract of Sale is made, you agree to provide the Dealer immediately with:

1. the Vehicle Documentation; and

2. any accessories that should be present with the Current Vehicle.

6.2. You must remove personal possession from the Current Vehicle. You agree to remove any personal possessions from the Current Vehicle and reset any devices on which personal details or information is stored. The Dealer will not be responsible for any personal items in the Current Vehicle once the Current Vehicle is in its possession.

6.3. If you fail to comply with any of the handover requirements set out in this clause the Dealer reserves the right to withdraw the Final Valuation.

7. OUTSTANDING FINANCE ON THE CURRENT VEHICLE.

7.1. Inform the Dealer. You agree to inform the Dealer if the Current Vehicle is the subject of any Outstanding Finance.

7.2. Dealer may agree to settle any Outstanding Finance. As part of the Final Valuation the Dealer may agree to settle any Outstanding Finance sum on the Current Vehicle where the Outstanding Finance sum is the same as or less than the Purchase Price. However, if the Outstanding Finance sum is more than the Purchase Price the Dealer may not wish to purchase the Current Vehicle and the Dealer reserves the right to withdraw any Final Valuation.

7.3. You will remain liable for any Outstanding Finance. If the Dealer agrees to settle any Outstanding Finance sum the Dealer is doing so entirely on your behalf and you will remain fully liable to the lender or finance provider (as appropriate) at all times until the Outstanding Finance sum has been paid in full and the credit agreement has been legally brought to an end. The Dealer accepts no liability whatsoever in relation to any matters relating to Outstanding Finance on the Current Vehicle.

7.4. If the Dealer agrees to settle any Outstanding Finance sum, you must provide the Dealer with a valid settlement letter or grant the Dealer authority to discuss your finance with the lender or finance provider. The Dealer shall use reasonable endeavours to settle payment by the due date advised to the Dealer (if any).

THE TERMS IN THIS SECTION B ONLY APPLY WHEN YOU USE OUR ONLINE FINANCE APPLICATION SERVICE

What is the role of Autotrader? Autotrader runs a platform allowing its Dealers to display their vehicles for sale and to help facilitate you receiving finance quotes from the Dealer’s panel of lenders (or, subject to Auto Trader’s approval, brokers) based on eligibility, as well as the option to be introduced to a Broker to facilitate finance through the Brokers’ panel of lenders. Once you have started your Deal for a Vehicle and decided that you would like to explore car finance or van finance (except if you are VAT registered), Autotrader’s platform will provide you with information to help support you making an informed decision on the different types of finance products and to decide on which finance product is the most suitable.

You will be presented with a choice of finance quotes to select from based on your personal and financial circumstances (including a soft credit search) for you to review and compare. You can then choose if you wish to progress with your chosen Lender to the full application process to receive a decision from the Lender.

This Section B outlines the way Autotrader shall carry out its work for you and will form your contract with Autotrader.

By completing and submitting your Deal, you agree that you:

1. accept our Terms contained herein;

2. acknowledge that Autotrader shall act as a credit broker in making any referral or introduction of you to the Dealer;

3. acknowledge that in making any such referrals or introductions, no advice or recommendations have been given by Autotrader;

4. accept that these Terms shall apply to all activities and transactions arranged by Autotrader;

5. are a UK resident and hold a UK bank account; and

6. have read and understood our Privacy Policy.

About the Online Application Service. The Online Application Service allows you to obtain Estimates of finance products which may be available on the Vehicle based on some options you select, to obtain Personalised Quotes of credit from Lenders, to make a Credit Application with a Lender in respect of the Vehicle and to receive a response to that Credit Application which may result in an Offer (the “Online Application Service”).

The terms set out in this Section B set out the contract terms between you and Autotrader in respect of the Online Application Service and will be binding on all users of the Online Applications Service.

Autotrader is responsible for presenting Estimates; displaying Personalised Quotes (based on lender terms and eligibility criteria and credit bureau checks); submitting a Credit Application to a lender or broker (on your behalf); and presenting lender decisions back to you. If you proceed with any application for finance this will be subject to the Lender’s terms and conditions. There will be a separate legal contract between you and the Lender for the Credit Application and between you and the Dealer for purchase of the Vehicle.

Will you have to pay for our services? There is no charge to you by Autotrader for use of the Online Application Service or for introducing you to Dealers and their panel of Lenders. We will however receive a fee from the Dealer for the service which allows the Dealer to display finance options in respect of the vehicles it advertises on our Platform and we will also receive a fixed fee from the Broker if a Lender from the Broker Panel provides you with the finance to purchase your Vehicle.

The contract for the Credit Application is as between you and the Lender and purchase of the Vehicle in connection with a Credit Application is as between you and the Dealer.

1. DEFINITIONS

1.1. In this Section B, the following terms will have the following meanings unless the context otherwise requires:

2. THE ONLINE APPLICATION SERVICE

2.1. The Online Application Service allows you to obtain Estimates and (where available) Personalised Quotes from the Dealer’s selected Lenders (and, where applicable, the Broker’s lender) in respect of a Vehicle, as part of a Deal. You must be a UK resident and aged 18 or over to apply for finance and any Credit Application is subject to status and affordability checks. You may then (where available), as part of an Deal, make a Credit Application with a particular Lender in order to finance the potential purchase of the Vehicle and you will receive a Decision.

2.2. The Online Application Service is provided free of charge to you and on a no obligation basis. You are under no obligation to use the Online Application Service in connection with a Deal or otherwise purchasing the Vehicle from the Dealer.

2.3. You may only use the Online Application Service if you are interested in applying for credit as an individual. You may only use the Online Application Service on your own behalf. Please be aware that Lenders may apply restrictions as to the use of a Vehicle, including for trade or business purposes.

2.4. The Online Application Service is not available to van buyers who are VAT registered. We are currently unable to offer the Online Application Service to van buyers who are VAT registered. However, in that case, you will have the option to send your finance information to the Dealer at the time you submit your Deal, so that the Dealer can follow up your finance application with you later.

2.5. You must ensure that all details you provide as part of the Online Application Service are honest and accurate in all respects.

3. ESTIMATES

3.1. Build your estimate. Once you have selected a Vehicle and started your Deal, the first step of the Online Application Service is to ‘build your estimate’. As part of this step, you have the option to select different options to indicate your preferences for the Estimates (for example part exchange, cash deposit, mileage, and duration of the credit). However, you should be aware that the Estimates that you receive may not necessarily include all or any of your desired options, because the Estimates can only be based upon what is actually available by each Dealer.

3.2. Estimates are intended to give you a reasonable indication of the finance quotes which could be available for you from Lenders. They are indicative and representative only and are subject to change in accordance with your particular circumstances. All Estimates are provided by the Dealer based on their general information from their panel of lenders and not by Autotrader. Autotrader is responsible for the presentation of the Estimates on the Platform in accordance with the responses provided by the Dealer (based on representative rates), but Autotrader has no responsibility for the content of the Estimates returned by the Dealer (or the data on which they are based) and you should not place any reliance on any Estimate as a guarantee of whether you will be eligible for any credit, or what terms that credit will be offered on.

3.3. Where you obtain an Part Exchange Valuation for your Current Vehicle (as described in Section A above), you should be aware that this is a guide price only. It is not a guaranteed part exchange valuation, so you should not place any reliance upon this guide price. The actual Purchase Price (where the part exchange transaction goes ahead) can vary (which may lead to a change in the amount of credit you require for a Vehicle).

3.4. The Estimates may reflect different types of finance products that are available. These range from Hire Purchase (‘HP ‘), Conditional Sale (’CS ‘) or Personal Contract Purchase (’PCP’). uto Trader provides some general guidance and explanations on the different types of finance products on the Platform, however this is for background information only and does not constitute financial advice or any personalised advice as to what may be suitable for your own needs. Please be aware that the Estimates are not intended to give you an exhaustive overview of every type of finance product that could be available for purchase of the Vehicle. Please also note that it may be that the actual products available via the Dealer’s lending panel are restricted due to the financial purpose, business structure and/or credit appetite of certain Lenders.

3.5. We recommend that you seek your own advice as to what financial quotes are best for your individual personal circumstances. Other finance options may be available, and it is your responsibility to satisfy yourself that you are selecting the best option for you.

3.6. Where Autotrader is unable to offer the full Online Application Service functionality in respect of the Dealer, you will only be able to obtain Estimates and will not be able to obtain Personalised Quotes or submit a Credit Application as part of your Deal. However, you will have the option to send your Estimates to the Dealer at the time you submit your Deal, so that the Dealer can follow up your finance application with you later.

4. PERSONALISED QUOTES

4.1. Obtain Personalised Quotes. The next step in the process is to choose one of the options available to you as an Estimate and proceed to obtaining Personalised Quotes. Personalised Quotes are an indicative interest rate and/or eligibility score that is personal to you and based on your credit score data and the Lender’s suitability criteria. You will need to insert further details in order to receive Personalised Quotes, which are more tailored to your particular circumstances.

4.2. To show you Personalised Quotes, Autotrader will need to share your details with one or both of the credit agencies Experian and/or Equifax, who will share only necessary details from your credit file, including your credit score. See clause 8 of this Section B if you need to contact them to find out more about this and also the Privacy Policy (https://www.autotrader.co.uk/privacy-notice) which explains how Autotrader shares your details and how they use your details.

4.3. In most cases, the Lenders provide Autotrader with their suitability criteria terms and conditions in advance (as may be amended from time to time) and Autotrader uses this information to assess which of the Lenders can offer you suitable credit arrangements. If there are suitable quotes available to you and suited to your circumstances, they will be displayed to you as Personal Quotes. Autotrader also shares your personal details (but not your credit file) with the Dealer so they can continue the finance enquiry. Subject to clause 4.4, your details are not shared with any Lenders until you make a Credit Application, as described in clause 6 of this Section B.

4.4. In some case, where a Lender offers additional capability, we will share your data with the Lender at this stage in order for the Lender to make an assessment based on their complete lending criteria in order to provide: (i) an enhanced Personalised Quote, which could include a “rate for risk” assessment; and/or (ii) an eligibility score, which is the percentage likelihood of you being accepted for a certain finance product. See the Privacy Policy (https://www.autotrader.co.uk/privacy-notice) for further details.

4.5. When you receive Personalised Quotes in accordance with either clause 4.3 and/or clause 4.4 of this Section B, there is no impact on your credit score as only a soft search will be carried out by the credit agencies (as described in clause 4.2 of this Section B above).

4.6. Although the Personalised Quotes are more tailored to you than Estimates, they are subject to changein accordance with your particular circumstances. All Personalised Quotes are provided based on the Lender’s eligibility terms and criteria and credit bureau checks obtained from Experian and Equifax. Autotrader has no responsibility for the Personalised Quote other than to present them to you on the Platform and you should not place any reliance on any Personalised Quote as a guarantee of whether you will be eligible for any credit, or what terms that credit will be offered on.

4.7. Personalised Quote are not available for any particular period of time, and they cannot be saved to use for a Credit Application at a later date. If you choose not to apply for a Credit Application in response to a Personalised Quote, you may find that if you use the Online Application Service at another time to obtain Personalised Quotes, the Personalised Quotes may differ to those you have previously received.

4.8. The Personalised Quote that you receive may not necessarily include all or any of your desired options, because the Personalised Quote can only be based upon what is actually available by each Lender Each Lender may have a different criteria or available options for Personalised Quotes, so this means that the Personalised Quote that may be returned by one Lender on one vehicle may differ from another Lender and another vehicle. Each Dealer has its own selected panel of lenders (and separately agreed rates), which may change from time to time (the Broker’s panel or lenders and their rates may also from time to time).

5. BROKER’S PANEL

5.1. A Dealer may offer the Broker Panel service (unless the Dealer opts out). The Broker Panel service may not be available in respect of all Vehicles.

5.2. Autotrader acts as an introducer to the Broker who is a credit broker, not a lender. The Broker does not form part of the Dealer’s panel of Lenders.

5.3. The Broker can introduce you to a limited number of finance providers(a list of these is available on request from Autotrader) who may be able to provide finance to facilitate the purchase of a Vehicle.

5.4. The rates shown for the Broker on the Personalised Quotes page are representative and specific to the Broker’s lender panel and will be based on your credit score. These are for illustrative purposes only and are subject to change based on additional checks by the Lender and the Credit Application.

5.5. The Broker will receive a commission for introducing you to one of its lenders if your Credit Application is approved. If your Credit Application is approved with the Broker, when you make the Credit Application as part of your Deal, the Broker will pay Autotrader a fixed fee (such fee will not be dependent on the type of finance you select).

5.6. The Broker uses a multiple-proposal approach where it conducts multiple credit searches (which may include multiple hard credit searches), as further described in the Broker’s terms and conditions which are made available to you if you select Personalised Quote from the Broker’s lender or available here: CarMoney T&Cs.

6. CREDIT APPLICATION AND DECISIONING

6.1. Once a Personalised Quote is selected a summary of the Personalised Quote is presented to you. This includes key financial information, an overview of the Lender’s terms and other important information that you should read before choosing to proceed with the Credit Application.

6.2. If you choose to apply for a Credit Application in respect of a Personalised Quote, the Lender will assess whether your Credit Application is successful or not (based on its lending criteria and may also complete a hard check against your credit file) and you will receive a Decision from the Lender. If your Credit Application is successful, you will receive an Offer (which may be conditional). If your Credit Application is unsuccessful, you will not receive an Offer, however we will confirm the name and contact details of the party from whom we obtained our information and we may pass your details to the Dealer and/or the Lender who may contact you to discuss other finance options with you. You will have the opportunity to review your other Personalised Quotes (if applicable) and make another Credit Application if you wish.

6.3. If you wish to apply for a Credit Application in response to a Personalised Quote from a Lender, Autotrader will submit your application to the selected Lender and it may result in a hard check for that Lender appearing on your credit report. Please be aware that each hard check is visible to other lenders and if you make multiple Credit Applications it may have an impact on your credit score and may impact your likelihood of getting credit in the future.

6.4. You may need to answer a series of questions which enable Lenders to gather further information to help them assess your Credit Application. Autotrader is not responsible for the selection of questions or the response options available for each question, which are set by Lenders.

6.5. If you receive an Offer and submit your Deal, the Dealer will contact you(by email or telephone, depending on the contact details you have provided as part of your Deal) to finalise your purchase of the Vehicle, using the Credit Application, including issuing you with the necessary paperwork and putting you in contact with the Lender. The Offer may be available for acceptance within a set period only. If this is the case, the Lender will make this clear to you at the time of providing the Offer. The period which an Offer may be available may differ from time to time and as between Lenders.

6.6. If the Offer is conditional, it means that it may be subject to further verification (for example, the supply by you of evidence) or information as requested by the Lender. If you wish to part-exchange your Current Vehicle then the valuation of your Current Vehicle (once inspected by the Dealer) may mean that the amount of credit you actually borrow from the Lender changes.

7. THE FINANCE PROCESS

7.1. By making a Credit Application through our Platform, you are stating your intention to select finance if available to you via one of the Dealer’s panel of Lenders subject to these Terms and the terms of your Finance Agreement.

7.2. Once the Lender has confirmed acceptance of your Credit Application, the Lender will notify you of the acceptance and any accompanying terms and conditions. Acceptances are valid for a limited period. You will need to submit a new Deal and Credit Application via the Platform if this period lapses. The Dealer’s lending panel reserve the right to withdraw its acceptance of any finance offer, on up to a maximum of 30 days having elapsed from the date the Offer being made and/or any time if they become aware of any information that adversely affects your financial status. If the Lender approves your Credit Application, you will be provided with the Finance Agreement to be signed and at which point a contract will be formed between you and the Lender for the finance and use of the Vehicle. The Vehicle will not be released to you by the Dealer until the Finance Agreement is signed by both parties.

7.3. Once the Finance Agreement has been signed by you and the Lender, the Dealer will be deemed to agree to supply the Vehicle to you. Where you select Hire Purchase, Conditional Sale or Personal Contract Plan finance terms, the Lender will purchase the Vehicle that you have selected from the Dealer for the purpose of financing the Vehicle to you on the finance terms agreed between you and the Lender.

7.4. If you do decide to proceed to finance your Vehicle, completion of your order and delivery of your new Vehicle is conditional on you signing the Finance Agreement with your chosen Lender. The Lender will provide instructions and guidance on how to return your signed Finance Agreement.

7.5. By signing and returning the Finance Agreement you are making an offer to enter into the Finance Agreement. The Lender’s acceptance of your offer to enter into your chosen finance package will take place after you have signed the Finance Agreement and provided all documentation requested by the Dealer and/or the Lender. The Dealer and/or the Lender will determine if the documentation is completed to its satisfaction and the Dealer and/or the Lender will contact you if there are any issues and the Lender has confirmed acceptance to you.

7.6. Where you finance the Vehicle under a Personal Contract Plan, Hire Purchase or Conditional Sale Agreement, you will not own the Vehicle until the Lender has received payment in full, including the optional final payment. Please refer to your Finance Agreement for further details.

7.7. You will be the registered keeper of the Vehicleand you are responsible for taxing, insuring, and servicing the Vehicle while you remain the registered keeper.

8. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

8.1. The table below is intended to help you understand the roles and responsibilities that Autotrader, the Dealer, the Lender and Credit Reference Bureaus each has in the Online Application Service journey, and the contact details should you have a query or issue in relation to each part of the Online Application Service journey:

Meaning	Term
Presenting you with Estimates based on the choices you make (i.e. part exchange, cash deposit, mileage and term)	Autotrader
Providing Autotrader with lender (and, subject to approval by Autotrader, brokers) and the data (including representative rates of interest) that form the basis of the Estimates presented to you.	Dealer
Providing information to you to assist you in making an informed decision about which finance product is right for you.	Autotrader
Presenting you with any suitable Personalised Quotes for finance from the Dealer’s lender panel based on your individual circumstances (including the completion of a soft credit search).	Autotrader
Providing information to Autotrader regarding your credit file resulting from a soft credit search.	Experian and/or Equifax (it may be either or both, to be determined by Autotrader)
Providing Autotrader with the data (including representative rates of interest) that form the basis of the Personal Quotes presented to you.	Dealer
Enabling the application process with Dealer’s Lenders should you choose to apply through the Platform.	Autotrader
Outlining the next steps you need to take with the Dealer should your application for credit be successful.	Autotrader
Completing additional credit and affordability checks (which may include a hard credit search) to assess your application for credit.	Lender
Providing you with all relevant regulatory paperwork and information about the finance product you have applied for (pre-contract information and credit agreement).	Lender
Introducing you to the Broker Panel Service	Autotrader
Providing the Broker Panel Service.	Broker (CarMoney)

8.2. Autotrader always tries to maintain the highest levels of Customer care and is passionate about treating its Customers fairly. So, if you have any concerns about the Online Application Service please contact us at https://www.autotrader.co.uk/contact-us#complain.

8.3. Please contact the relevant parties, based on the responsibilities shown in the table above.

8.4. If you wish to contact the Dealer or Lender, based on the responsibilities shown in the table above, their contact details can be found via their websites.

8.5. If you have a query about your credit file contact Experian and/or Equifax via the contact details to be found via their websites.

9. CONTACTS AND COMPLAINTS RELATING TO THE ONLINE APPLICATION SERVICE.

9.1. We aim to resolve your complaint as quickly and fairly as possible.

9.2. When we receive your complaint, relating to the Online Application Service, we’ll send you an acknowledgement email within three working dayswhich will explain how we plan to investigate it, including a copy of our complaints handling procedure.

9.3. Whilst investigating your complaint we may need to obtain more informationfrom you or any third party involved in the complaint.

9.4. We’ll keep in touch while we’re looking into your complaintand we’ll be happy to answer any queries you may have about how we’re progressing.

9.5. If the complaint isn’t resolved after a period of 8 weekswe’ll send you an email with either our final response or to explain why we’ve not been able to complete our investigation.

9.6. If we haven’t been able to finalise our investigation within 8 weeks, we’ll also let you know when we expect to be able to provide you with a final response. We will also include a copy of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)’s explanatory leaflet, setting out further details of the service they provide and how to refer your complaint to them.

9.7. We have the right to decline any complaint received more than 6 years from the date of the incident you’ve complained about, or (if later) more than 3 years after you were (or ought reasonably to have been) aware of a cause for complaint.

9.8. We will, however, be happy to consider any exceptional circumstances that you feel have resulted in a delay in raising a compliant to us.

9.9. If you are unhappy with Autotrader’s response to a complaint you have the right to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), as follows:

By post:
The Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR

By telephone:
0800 023 4567 or 0300 1239 123

By email:
complaint.info@financialombudsman.org.uk

Website:
https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/