Used cars (Autotrader)

Name: teatree

Hello doyoo user, You have to be logged in to use these functions... Login or register Close window

Send message to member

Product:	Autotrader
Date:	13.03.06 (1029 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good local spread

Disadvantages: you get cold calls

Autotrader are a group of magazines that advertise cars and other vehicles. That's all. No editorial, no articles, just pages and pages of cars.

The magazines are divided into regions - eg Thames Valley or Southern, as the point is for locals to have a single place they can find a used car.

If you have a car to sell, it's simple - just place an ad - the cheapest is a single block ad with photo - usually £25 for two weeks, but this varies from region to region. The larger your ad the more expensive. The idea is that people in your region will purchase the magazine and see your ad and phone you up.

Car dealers also use the magasine to place ads - it's clearly demarcated in the magazine whether the advertiser is a dealer or private.

The magazine is more effective in selling your car than the local newspaper in my experience. However, be prepared for lots of cold calls to be made to you once you place your ad. Rival newspapers will phone to ask you to place an ad with them if you haven't sold it yet. Autotrader themselves will also phone to ask you to renew the ad if you haven't sold also - and be warned they will try to get you to place a bigger ad the next time round (on the grounds that smaller ads don't sell your car as well and this is proved by the fact that you haven't sold it yet!!). Sometimes you get dealers phoning wanting you to sell your car through them.

But cold calls are a fact of life these days, especially if you put your phone number in a mag. I would not put my home number in there, but use a mobile and purchase a new sim just to field calls from the ad.

Autotrader now have a web-site autotrader.co.uk. This is cheaper to advertise on. There is argument whether it is more effective. I personally think yes, as young on-line savvy people are more likely to look on the web for a car during their lunch hour than buy a mag. Be aware that older buyers tend to distrust the web.

Hope this is helpful to someone and thanks for reading.

Summary: A good way of selling and buying used cars.