Autotrader price manipulation
Discussion
Been on the lookout for an F30 Touring. Why on earth do dealers persist with this constant price tweaking? It's put me off ever dealing with someone like this.
The ad in question - https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202403217...
The ad in question - https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202403217...
Traders can apparently use an automated pricing model whereby Autotrader automatically changes prices based upon other cars being advertised and sold.
I bought a car several years ago, and the trader didn't know what price I'd seen on the advert. He was a bit pissed off to find it was £3-400 less than he thought.
I bought a car several years ago, and the trader didn't know what price I'd seen on the advert. He was a bit pissed off to find it was £3-400 less than he thought.
The obvious problem, and difference from the other gougers like the airlines and TicketMaster, is that those sellers also complete the purchase online and know what the price paid was.
AT won't have that unless they can persuade dealers when removing the ad also to update the sold price - but what's the benefit to dealers to do so accurately ? That's just giving away valuable price discovery information to the market.
That implies the dynamic pricing is mostly being driven by interest shown and clicks received, not sales. Which is wide open to being gamed.
AT won't have that unless they can persuade dealers when removing the ad also to update the sold price - but what's the benefit to dealers to do so accurately ? That's just giving away valuable price discovery information to the market.
That implies the dynamic pricing is mostly being driven by interest shown and clicks received, not sales. Which is wide open to being gamed.
Newc said:
The obvious problem, and difference from the other gougers like the airlines and TicketMaster, is that those sellers also complete the purchase online and know what the price paid was.
AT won't have that unless they can persuade dealers when removing the ad also to update the sold price - but what's the benefit to dealers to do so accurately ? That's just giving away valuable price discovery information to the market.
That implies the dynamic pricing is mostly being driven by interest shown and clicks received, not sales. Which is wide open to being gamed.
Though autotrader want to move into the transaction part of the sale too… so this is just one of the stepping stones to getting there, and a product they have just released to all dealers: https://www.motortrader.com/motor-trader-news/auto...AT won't have that unless they can persuade dealers when removing the ad also to update the sold price - but what's the benefit to dealers to do so accurately ? That's just giving away valuable price discovery information to the market.
That implies the dynamic pricing is mostly being driven by interest shown and clicks received, not sales. Which is wide open to being gamed.
PistonBust said:
Dynamic pricing on a used car is just daft. I suspect it is more to do with someone at the dealer just playing on their computer each day.
I work for the airlines and dynamic pricing is very much part of the MO but a 5 year old Beamer?
Is it daft?I work for the airlines and dynamic pricing is very much part of the MO but a 5 year old Beamer?
I sell the only car of its type on AT I ask for a premium. I sell one of ten I don't.
Prices going up or same model cars selling for more? I put my price up to reflect the market.
Basic economics. You already do it by your own admission.
PistonBust said:
Dynamic pricing on a used car is just daft. I suspect it is more to do with someone at the dealer just playing on their computer each day.
I work for the airlines and dynamic pricing is very much part of the MO but a 5 year old Beamer?
As pointed out no more daft than it is for a crappy seat on a flight. I work for the airlines and dynamic pricing is very much part of the MO but a 5 year old Beamer?
cadmunkey said:
I see quite a few cars that show a 98% drop in price for a day then next day has gone back up to full price. Is this an error on Motorwatchs behalf or are dealers making a lot of typos when changing prices of their cars? Seems so strange.
Sounds like they're advertising it at say £300, meaning £300pcm? Searching y price sometimes throws up such things?
SFTWend said:
This has been raised before and I was surprised that most felt this practice was fine.
Each dealership must be employing someone full time to keep changing all the windscreen prices.
These dealers with 100 cars listed and a price update every day don’t have anyone sat there doing it manually. It’s all automated and adjusting based on what else is on the market that’s comparable.Each dealership must be employing someone full time to keep changing all the windscreen prices.
SFTWend said:
This has been raised before and I was surprised that most felt this practice was fine.
Each dealership must be employing someone full time to keep changing all the windscreen prices.
Oh yes I got a thorough "WTFAYBOA" for whining about the dynamic pricing of a Fiesta ST on the lengthy price crash thread.Each dealership must be employing someone full time to keep changing all the windscreen prices.
That it took them ages to sell it, and private sales are excluded from comparison, and, and, and, is what makes it a crock of s
te and really puts me off using anyone who employs it.But if anyone would like to pay more just because a cheaper version somewhere miles away had left the market (not necessarily sold, of course), you feel free!
cadmunkey said:
I see quite a few cars that show a 98% drop in price for a day then next day has gone back up to full price. Is this an error on Motorwatchs behalf or are dealers making a lot of typos when changing prices of their cars? Seems so strange.
And nobody bought it at 98% of it’s full price?KungFuPanda said:
cadmunkey said:
I see quite a few cars that show a 98% drop in price for a day then next day has gone back up to full price. Is this an error on Motorwatchs behalf or are dealers making a lot of typos when changing prices of their cars? Seems so strange.
And nobody bought it at 98% of it’s full price?Seems logical to me, dealers are leveraging ATs data to price there cars accordingly.
My mum recently bought a Jag E-pace. When arriving at the dealership the price had gone up, they blamed dynamic pricing but I suspect the showroom will always display the higher ‘dealer’ price. Obviously a deal was done at the lower price they had seen on AT.
My mum recently bought a Jag E-pace. When arriving at the dealership the price had gone up, they blamed dynamic pricing but I suspect the showroom will always display the higher ‘dealer’ price. Obviously a deal was done at the lower price they had seen on AT.
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