AutoTrader Cashback & Offers

Read on to find out more about AutoTrader.

Why advertise with AutoTrader?

The AutoTrader group has been around since 1977, and started out as a magazine before moving online. After so long in the business, it’s no wonder that it is Britain and Ireland’s leading expert in buying and selling used cars. The numbers speak for themselves: half a million people use AutoTrader to sell their cars each year, and buyers can find more than 450,000 cars for sale at any one time. As a result, you’re twice as likely to sell your car within a week when you advertise with Autotrader.

Instant access to car buyers nationwide

As soon as you place an advertisement with AutoTrader, your vehicle can be seen by used car buyers all over the country. This will get your car noticed as quickly as possible and help you get a better deal than you would by trading it in at a car dealership. Buyers can now browse cars for sale with AutoTrader on their home desktop or on their mobile devices with the AutoTrader app, meaning maximum visibility for your ad and a quicker, easier sale.

Handy tools to make your car sale easier

AutoTrader wants to make selling your car as straightforward as possible. While selling a car for the first time might seem daunting, the AutoTrader website has all the resources you need to guide you painlessly through the process. Find out how much your car is worth by using the valuation tool, which returns a reliable price guide based on your registration number and your car’s mileage. AutoTrader also has an abundance of tips, guides and videos on everything from how to photograph your car to how to prepare your paperwork. And when you place an ad, you'll get access to a dashboard that tells you how many views your ad is getting, so you’ll know if you need to make any adjustments.

Get found through a market-leading car search

AutoTrader has been refining its search feature for years, making sure it helps buyers find exactly what they’re after. And that benefits you too – it means your ad is more likely to be seen by people with a genuine interest in your vehicle. AutoTrader’s car search allows buyers to set their price range and refine the results by make, model and location. Buyers can also choose to browse according to body type, using helpful picture icons, and have access to all kinds of additional filter options, like mileage, fuel type and colour. If a buyer is interested in your car, they can save their search on their account, making them much more likely to come back to your ad later.

Sell through a brand that car buyers trust

Some buyers approach private sellers with caution, which is why it’s all the more important to sell through a trusted name like AutoTrader. AutoTrader makes sure that buyers feel as confident as possible, by providing them with all the tools and advice they need to make a safe and informed purchase. Their vehicle check tool is cheap to use and allows buyers to perform a history check to make sure they aren’t about to buy a vehicle that’s been stolen or written off by an insurance company. The AutoTrader website is also full of information on insurance and finance options, with a whole section dedicated to first time buyers. Here new drivers can read up on buying tips and look at reviews on good first cars. Because AutoTrader ensures its users are confident and informed it is the ideal place to sell your car.

A marketplace for every vehicle

AutoTrader isn’t just a marketplace for used cars. Motorists can also use the AutoTrader website and app to buy and sell used vans, bikes, motorhomes and other types of vehicle. AutoTrader has been selling bikes for nineteen years and offers free advertising on all bikes under £1,000. And, if you want to trade in a van, AutoTrader can connect you with 850,000 buyers nationwide. To help you out, you’ll find sections on the AutoTrader website dedicated to each type of vehicle, complete with specialised search tools and comprehensive advice on advertising and selling. Fans of rare and vintage cars will also find a special area of the website with classic cars for sale.

A range of seller packages

AutoTrader's advertiser packages vary in price according to your vehicle’s value. Within each vehicle price bracket, packages increase in cost, going from Basic to Standard to Premium, with the Basic package for vehicles under £1,000 being absolutely free. By opting for a Standard or Premium package, you’ll enjoy several advantages that’ll increase your ad’s exposure and help you make a faster sale. These include the ability to add extra photos and to have your ad featured higher up in search listings. Standard package ads generally receive twice as many views as Basic, while Premium ads receive four times as many – so spending a little more can make a big difference.

AutoTrader Vehicle Check

When buying a used car, you want peace of mind that you are buying a car from a genuine seller and one way of doing this is through a history check.

AutoTrader offers a free 5-point background check that covers whether a car has been stolen, scrapped, written off, imported or exported, as standard on every full-page advert. This information is valuable, but it doesn’t give you the full picture, so this is where AutoTrader’s full vehicle check comes in.

With a full vehicle check you can find out whether a car has been reported stolen, has any outstanding finance and other information such as the number of previous owners, the date it was first registered, the annual road tax cost and much more.

5 ways you can use AutoTrader 

Here are five tips for getting it right when you sell your car online.

1. Get extra photos on your listing

Upgrade from a Basic to a Standard or Premium package and you’ll be able to add fifteen extra photos to your listing and have more photos appear in buyers’ search results. Don’t underestimate the impact this will have for your ad – AutoTrader have found that a listing with twenty photos will get thirty-nine percent more views than one with only four.

2. Upgrade to a new car

If your family has outgrown your old car, finding a new home for it via AutoTrader is the first step towards buying something bigger and better. In the AutoTrader marketplace you’ll find estate cars with ample storage space, as well as 4x4s and SUVs with extra safety features and off-road driving capabilities. AutoTrader also allows buyers to part-exchange their old vehicles with dealers, which can save hassle. 

3. Make sure you’re selling at the right price

Regardless of how much you pay for advertising your old car, your advert will only work if you ask for the right price. To make sure you’re asking for the right amount, use AutoTrader’s online valuation tool to see a price guide. AutoTrader comes up with a personalized price indicator by analysing market average prices, based on make, model, age, mileage and other factors. To make these indicators as accurate as possible, the data is constantly updated based on over 500,000 trade used car listings each day.

4. Get your car sale-ready

Used car buyers are after a bargain, so it’s crucial that your car is presentable and in full working order before you negotiate a deal. Make sure the electrics are working and get any minor problems fixed, as any issues could become an excuse to knock down the price. Buyers will expect your vehicle to be clean and, above all, to match your description and photos. Consider paying for it to be valeted, as the increase in price this might bring could well be worth it. Finally, get together all your car’s paperwork so that your buyers can verify this against the information from their vehicle check.

5. Sort out the red tape

You're getting a great deal on an AutoTrader ad, so it'd be a shame to let bungled paperwork spoil your car sale. After you’ve sealed the deal, there are a few things left to do – and AutoTrader's advice section will help guide you through the process. You’ll need to inform the DVLA that you’ve sold your car, and give all the paperwork relating to the car to the new buyer, such as MOT certificates and receipts from any repairs. Finally, you'll need to let your insurers know that you’re no longer the owner of the car.

Shopping with AutoTrader

Still have questions about selling your car with AutoTrader? Take a look at the FAQs below for more information on fees and policies.

How much does it cost to advertise a car on AutoTrader?

The cost of advertising a car with AutoTrader depends on two things: firstly, the price of your vehicle and, secondly, whether you choose a Basic, Standard or Premium advertising package. If you are selling your vehicle for under £1,000, advertising your car with the Basic package is free. The Basic package allows your ad to remain listed on the AutoTrader site for two weeks, the Standard package for three weeks, and the Premium package for six. Standard and Premium packages also offer special features that will help boost the number of views your ad receives. 

Can I sell my car if it has been written off?

Yes. Having your car written off by your insurance company doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t sell it. When an insurance company writes off a vehicle, they will categorize it as either A, B, S or N. Cars that are classified as cat A or B are too severely damaged to sell on AutoTrader, but, if your car is classified as S or N, you are still allowed to sell it. Category S cars will have suffered structural damage, but can still be repaired. Category N cars have been damaged to a lesser degree, and can also be repaired and returned to the road.

What do category C and category D mean?

Cat C and cat D refer to the old write-off categories used by insurance companies, which have recently been replaced with cat S and N. Cat C describes cars that have suffered significant damage, while cat D describes vehicles with a lower level of damage. Cars classified as cat C or cat D can still be bought and sold through AutoTrader without reclassification under the new system.

Can I sell my car if it has outstanding finance?

No. It is illegal to sell a car if it still has outstanding finance. Until you’ve paid for your car in full, it belongs to the finance company and is therefore not technically yours to sell. If you still have finance left to pay on your car but would like to sell it, contact the finance company to request a settlement figure for you to pay back the rest of your loan. You may also need to pay an early repayment and/or an administration fee. Any outstanding finance will show up in your vehicle’s history check.

Is it free to sell a car on AutoTrader?

Basic package ads for cars worth less than £1,000 are free, but all other ads are chargeable. When it comes to the final transaction, AutoTrader will not charge you a final value fee (unlike some other online marketplaces). So, once you’ve paid to have your car listed on the AutoTrader website, you won’t have to pay anything extra when you sell your car. 

More retailers like AutoTrader

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