Car dealers and Autotrader
Discussion
Have any of you seen the car dealers planning protests at Autotrader's offices?
Mass dealer downgrade and cancellations have gone in with Autotrader having made changes which effectively make it harder for people searching to get in touch with the dealerships and it seems its ignited a bit of a tinder box.
Never thought I would see the day Autotrader has its day, but I think they may have well and truly started their own demise this time.
Mass dealer downgrade and cancellations have gone in with Autotrader having made changes which effectively make it harder for people searching to get in touch with the dealerships and it seems its ignited a bit of a tinder box.
Never thought I would see the day Autotrader has its day, but I think they may have well and truly started their own demise this time.
I think AT seem to be overstepping the mark and getting delusions of grandeur, it is at the end of the day a car sales advert website for dealers and private individuals to advertise their vehicles for sale.
Its is ubiquitous and is very good at what it does, it makes a lot of money but the new CEO seems to be trying take it further with this new "Deal Builder" whereby customers can reserve a car for 30 days with no commitment to actually buy, that car is then off the market, in limbo until the customer picks it up.
Its causing massive headaches for dealers, having worked in the motor trade and sold a lot of cars I know what punters are like, al the no shows, changed minds and just forgetting !
So you have 20 grand in a car, Dave has a few beers and decides one Friday night he is buying that motor and reserves it for £23,950, wakes up and realises what he has done, cold light of day he doesnt want it, doesnt tell his other half, and doesnt tell the dealer, who now has a car he cant sell as Dave has effectively taken it off sale for 30 days when under the influence of several of BrewDogs stronger IPA's.
AT, just stick to advertising cars for people and not trying to embed and entwine yourself in the process, stay in your lane, you are going to kill the Golden Goose based on ambition, greed and interference.
Car dealers are generally pretty smart, and your fees are already chunky, but are a necessary evil, this may be that straw that means someone else sets up and does it a bit cheaper, without trying to interfere in the process and becomes the new default choice.
Its is ubiquitous and is very good at what it does, it makes a lot of money but the new CEO seems to be trying take it further with this new "Deal Builder" whereby customers can reserve a car for 30 days with no commitment to actually buy, that car is then off the market, in limbo until the customer picks it up.
Its causing massive headaches for dealers, having worked in the motor trade and sold a lot of cars I know what punters are like, al the no shows, changed minds and just forgetting !
So you have 20 grand in a car, Dave has a few beers and decides one Friday night he is buying that motor and reserves it for £23,950, wakes up and realises what he has done, cold light of day he doesnt want it, doesnt tell his other half, and doesnt tell the dealer, who now has a car he cant sell as Dave has effectively taken it off sale for 30 days when under the influence of several of BrewDogs stronger IPA's.
AT, just stick to advertising cars for people and not trying to embed and entwine yourself in the process, stay in your lane, you are going to kill the Golden Goose based on ambition, greed and interference.
Car dealers are generally pretty smart, and your fees are already chunky, but are a necessary evil, this may be that straw that means someone else sets up and does it a bit cheaper, without trying to interfere in the process and becomes the new default choice.
DT1975 said:
Random search on AT. I see the reserve option (£99 refundable) isn't on every vehicle, not main dealers or Cinch etc, just appears to be the smaller dealers. Surely they have the option of opting in or out, if not then I understand their concerns.
Currently you can opt out but AT are making it mandatory and then taking a cut of the sale for the privilege on top of the advert package fees.Sam the Family Car Guy is the latest Youtuber to do a video on it
https://youtu.be/kOgYgR4XM8Y?si=Ka-AgntsW1X6g0Wi
(Apols, can't seem to embed from laptop)
https://youtu.be/kOgYgR4XM8Y?si=Ka-AgntsW1X6g0Wi
(Apols, can't seem to embed from laptop)
Deerfoot said:
I saw a YT video on this over the weekend. A couple of things struck me.
1, The fees some of these dealers pay Auto Trader are utterly staggering.
2, Why hasn't somebody devised a credible alternative to Auto Trader yet?
Cazoo went off to change their game to just advertise cars.1, The fees some of these dealers pay Auto Trader are utterly staggering.
2, Why hasn't somebody devised a credible alternative to Auto Trader yet?
https://www.cazoo.co.uk/cars/
Maybe this will be their chance?
Slightly off topic (apologies) but is it possible, with an AT search within X miles, to stop the Cazoo / Cinch type "available from XX town near you" adverts appearing.
I want to see only the ones where the physical car is at a known location within my search area. If I wanted to buy a car from an online national delivery company I'd ask for it !
I want to see only the ones where the physical car is at a known location within my search area. If I wanted to buy a car from an online national delivery company I'd ask for it !
Edited by OddCat on Monday 17th November 13:57
Wait till some wag gets a bot net to reserve every car on AT and just take everything off sale, seems an over reach by AT they are trying to be a feudal landlord like Amazon or ebay and control the traders business model, you will offer this and we will charge that, soon they will start to take the money insisting that dealer has an AT trader bank account like ebay and play silly buggers when it comes to paying the dealer.
Their margins are eyewatering at 70% operating profit, and that is all passed on to the consumer, AT want to control the consumer journey so they can monetise every step.
Deerfoot said:
I saw a YT video on this over the weekend. A couple of things struck me.
1, The fees some of these dealers pay Auto Trader are utterly staggering.
2, Why hasn't somebody devised a credible alternative to Auto Trader yet?
I'm sure there's a bit of side-eye at that question in ph towers.1, The fees some of these dealers pay Auto Trader are utterly staggering.
2, Why hasn't somebody devised a credible alternative to Auto Trader yet?
CloudStuff said:
I'm sure there's a bit of side-eye at that question in ph towers.
Well possibly..However, I'm sure a huge percentage of the population isn't aware of PH or the classifieds.
Auto Trader is just the default car buying website in the UK, just like Rightmove is for advertising houses.
Given all the control that AT is now trying to put on it's customer base surely the time is ripe for another platform to give AT some competition.
Autotrader do not wish to just be an advertising platform. They want a chunk out of every part of the transaction process. They have attempted to set prices with their price guides (which are usually inaccurate but there we go) and now want to control the transaction as well.
Basically they want to control every aspect of the UK used car market down to what prices are charged, how finance and payment are arranged and even the part exchange and take a chunk of each bit.
Basically they want to control every aspect of the UK used car market down to what prices are charged, how finance and payment are arranged and even the part exchange and take a chunk of each bit.
Would be interesting to know how much non- local trade dealers get from AT. How far are punters prepared to travel to view a car, unless it s unusual or exotic? I suspect that local independents with an established customer base don t really need it.
Edited by Lester H on Monday 17th November 22:31
AT seem happy for the private punter to use alternative formats as there’s feck all money for them in it compared to dealers. Saw a video where they want to charge 0.25% of the purchase price on top of the already hefty fees which for one average independent dealer worked out to an extra £7500 p/a and for what? A package that they don’t want but will be mandatory when before it was optional.
Seems AT are intent in flexing their monopolistic muscle until the pips squeak.
Seems AT are intent in flexing their monopolistic muscle until the pips squeak.
I think AT is disgusting. And that’s from someone who thinks most car dealers are useless t
ts who don’t even wash the cars they buy in through auction and punt out!
They charge an absolute fortune, and now they are trying to control how the dealers run their own fking business.
Just fk off - you’re just a glorified classified platform, nobbers
ts who don’t even wash the cars they buy in through auction and punt out!They charge an absolute fortune, and now they are trying to control how the dealers run their own f
king business. Just f
k off - you’re just a glorified classified platform, nobbers Another thing too - AT gives the private seller a recommended price to sell based on populated sales data.
This effectively removes the chance of snapping up a bargain from the unassuming private seller.
The was a website called 'dealer auction' that was great until AT bought it.
The market is wide open for a distruptor
This effectively removes the chance of snapping up a bargain from the unassuming private seller.
The was a website called 'dealer auction' that was great until AT bought it.
The market is wide open for a distruptor
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