Am I the only one who thinks AutoTrader have made a massive mistake?

[GreenGiant 287]

If any of you have tried to manually add a vehicle via the Portal, you will probably have found the whole process deeply frustrating, as the quality of the vehicle data (spec, derivatives etc) is shockingly poor.

I'm losing the will to live with it all.

A/T have signed up with Glass as supplier for their vehicle data. This is a 10-year deal.

Previously, when they got the info from CAP, the vehicle data was pretty good, with just a few discrepancies that could easily be rectified. Additional options could be selected and the ads truly reflected the vehicles we were trying to sell.

Now, the whole thing is a joke. Complete model ranges are missing or inaccurate, standard and optional spec is generic rather than specific - Apparently, 'exterior mirrors', 'speakers' and 'clock' are attractive standard options that we have to now de-select in order to not look complete numpties. Important extra options are not shown as being able to be selected, so they all have to be added manually or shown in the 'Attention Grabber' to give us a chance of appearing in a search (and don't get me started on just how crap that is now)

 

This change was just imposed without any consultation and with no thought to the implications.

The latest from A/T is that they hope to have the data accurate 'by Easter'.

Seriously.

6 months to get the data back to where it was before some fool signed a deal with Glass to buy data that they haven't got.

And can't provide, as they don't have the resources to supply it.

But I expect they still got a fat bonus

Nobody at A/T is listening. Their own forum (now online via the smashing new 'Explore' link) is full of very angry Motor Dealers, but this is just the tip of the iceberg as most Traders don't contribute.

 

I'm gonna wind back my spend with them in the New Year - I know they won't really care but i'm not paying them to make things worse any more. I've signed up with Motors (thanks Andy & the team) and really hope it works and they gain momentum so we can all make the jump.

 

[Wood235 36]

Time To Jump Ship Like Many Of Us Have! Still Selling Plenty Of Cars Aswell!

[jimreidvehicle 255]

GG- Not being an AT customer anymore, I got fed up being ripped years ago! I don't fully understand what problems you are experiencing, is it the data that Glass's hold that is the main problem or the description of the data held? Is there going to be a knock on affect to retail customers with this? With spec being so important now you have to have this stated 100% correctly online as we all know as it can be a deal breaker.

What is the MAIN problem as I understood that no changes were being made until the new year, sounds like that is not the case?

 

Jim 

[Gavin@Rousdon 137]

 When you put the reg number in on Dealer Portal it brings up a list of options that the car may or may not have. Up until maybe a week ago the discription of the option was fairly close to what the manufacturer called it i.e COMAND NAVIGATION or BMW Professional Media, Parktronic, 17" Crown Spoke Alloys, now the options AT offer are just the gerneric names such as 'Alloy Wheels', 'Parking Sensors', 'SAT NAV' etc etc. 

 

A real step backwards in quality. The only good thing is lots of dealers can't be bother to type in the correct product name so hopefully those of us who make the effort may reap some benefit.

[Sensei 12]

havent done anything on the trader for a long time .. i do eBay ... and i also do pistonheads

[GreenGiant 287]

Jim

It's as Gavin says - the data that AT get comes indirectly from the manufacturers and would, until recently, typically include make, model, derivative and correctly-named options (COMAND,, Champagne Nappa Leather, etc, etc). We would tick the appropriate boxes for the correct spec, hit SAVE and job done.

This was when they got the data from CAP.

NOW, the model specific detail is shockingly poor. Just think how many trim/alloy/media options there are, for instance, on a BMW 3 Series. Just making sure the correct details are in an ad to make it attractive is difficult enough when you have the full list.

But now the choices are:

Cloth trim

Full Leather Trim

Half Leather Trim

Alloy Wheels

Satellite Navigation

In Car Entertainment

Speakers  (...seriously)

 

That's it.

Take it or leave it.

 

The implications are enormous, as cars with extra, desirable spec are going to disappear into the mire of standard spec vehicles, unless we spend a considerable amount of time adding each extra individually. This is not what we are paying for.

Do AT care?

You tell me. They say they do, but then they tell us it's going to be 6 months before it's fixed.

 

It is completely unacceptable on every level. What AT seem to be oblivious of is that the Glass organisation doesn't have the resources to fix this The data will never be complete. And some fool has signed a 10-year agreement for it.

 

I've got the rep coming in on Monday for an ear-chewing. Not going to change anything, but it might make me feel a bit better.

[GreenGiant 287]

I guess the answer to my question is

 

Yes.

 

Oh well, I'll just suck it up and crack on then.