Bye bye autotrader

[NickGCS 14]

9 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

 

Do you have the Call Whisperer that tells you "This is an enquiry from Autotrader?"

I do now Nick yes (only since mid March), I know we have had 2 direct sales this month pre match data already thanks to this! 

Interesting to hear you mention the £175 for eBay motors pro? It’s probably the only platform I’ve never tried tbh. We operate fixed pricing and I just feel it’s inviting best price brigade but at £175 I’d only need 1 extra sale a month off it! 

[Nick M.K. 574]

With eBay Motors Pro it's better than eBay auctions in the sense that it is indeed fixed pricing just like on any other Classifieds website. It does attract some very price aggressive buyers but you get some good ones. 

The £175 (up to 25 cars) may not be available as a deal now as they are pushing a combined package eBay / Gumtree for around £230 which is great value. 

I will leave someone else to explain the downside of dealing with some Gumtree buyers but I will probably go for that package.  

 

"Right now, you’re advertising your cars on eBay Motors only.  But you could be getting up to 50% more leads on the combined eBay Motors and Gumtree Motors marketplace for only 30% more than you currently pay (1) when you sign up to our Spring offer (available for a limited time only).

Typically, this means, for dealers paying £175/month, would now pay just 30% more or £53 more per month to advertise in both places (current rate card of joint Plus package - £568/month)."

[NickGCS 14]

Thanks Nick I’ll def look into that, certainly worth a go if nothing else! 

I tried gumtree for nearly a year and it just attracted complete idiots, plus they started advertising Zuto and the likes on my ads which was the final straw! 

[Nick M.K. 574]

I find that advertising websites are a bit like airlines. 

Same aircraft, similar number of seats, different pricing, completely different travellers :-)

[Tony911 79]

On 3/29/2019 at 10:06 AM, Mark101 said:

My enquiries are coming from all angles, FB, Ebay, CarGurus and Google itself.

If this continues, AT will remain in the past for me.

How many sales? Enquiries and sales 2 different things. Let us know thanks

[Mark101 536]

2 hours ago, Tony911 said:

How many sales? Enquiries and sales 2 different things. Let us know thanks

Stock total around 16-18 cars, sold 10 (7 gone, 3 deposit).

Last 2 were 1 x CarGurus (free package only) and 1 x Google search for used cars.

To be fair AT was still live for the first 3 weeks of the month and I am hopeless at asking people where the leads derived.  Having said that and there can be many reasons, it has really picked up, my phone rings regularly and there is a general buzz of activity, cars in, PX in, cars out etc - gone a little crazy busy to be fair and I like it.

Edited March 31, 2019 by Mark101

[TangoVictor32 90]

AT are like virgin media

Just been on the phone to them for charging me £54 pm for landline and broadband

New packages elsewhere are £31-38 for 12 or 18 months

However the only good thing with virgin is the engineer visits are free whilst others charge from £90-150 per visit or per hour!

AT does sell for me the others hmm

[Mark101 536]

9 minutes ago, TangoVictor32 said:

AT are like virgin media

Just been on the phone to them for charging me £54 pm for landline and broadband

New packages elsewhere are £31-38 for 12 or 18 months

However the only good thing with virgin is the engineer visits are free whilst others charge from £90-150 per visit or per hour!

AT does sell for me the others hmm

TV32 - I fully expected to go crawling back to AT in 3 months but based on this months business (as in busy ness), I am no longer fully expecting to, but keeping an open mind.

[Tony911 79]

36 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

Stock total around 16-18 cars, sold 10 (7 gone, 3 deposit).

Last 2 were 1 x CarGurus (free package only) and 1 x Google search for used cars.

To be fair AT was still live for the first 3 weeks of the month and I am hopeless at asking people where the leads derived.  Having said that and there can be many reasons, it has really picked up, my phone rings regularly and there is a general buzz of activity, cars in, PX in, cars out etc - gone a little crazy busy to be fair and I like it.

You putting good margins across them? What price does your stock range from?

[Mark101 536]

6 minutes ago, Tony911 said:

You putting good margins across them? What price does your stock range from?

Check your inbox 

[Barclaywoodmotorco 4]

hi guys 

last year i paid them £4300 a month got so pissed of with losing a car each month or at least thats what it felt like !!!!!!!!!

just felt like i was working for them .

so reduced it to £2400 and still pissed of with paying that a month .

like the most of you, i work so hard at this job its no walk in the park,

and when you want to take a holiday you still have to pay there bill when your on the beach !!!!!

 

 

[David Ayers 171]

40 minutes ago, Barclaywoodmotorco said:

and when you want to take a holiday you still have to pay there bill when your on the beach !!!!!

If you close up just cancel your contract (30 days notice) and start it up (instantaneously) when you return.

 

 

 

[DPF 18]

2 hours ago, Barclaywoodmotorco said:

hi guys 

last year i paid them £4300 a month got so pissed of with losing a car each month or at least thats what it felt like !!!!!!!!!

just felt like i was working for them .

so reduced it to £2400 and still pissed of with paying that a month .

like the most of you, i work so hard at this job its no walk in the park,

and when you want to take a holiday you still have to pay there bill when your on the beach !!!!!

 

 

~\_(£••£)_/~ 

[Arfur Dealy 823]

22 hours ago, DPF said:

 

 

12 hours ago, Barclaywoodmotorco said:

hi guys 

last year i paid them £4300 a month got so pissed of with losing a car each month or at least thats what it felt like !!!!!!!!!

just felt like i was working for them .

so reduced it to £2400 and still pissed of with paying that a month .

like the most of you, i work so hard at this job its no walk in the park,

and when you want to take a holiday you still have to pay there bill when your on the beach !!!!!

 

 

You can actually temporarily cancel, I do it twice a year usually for 3 & 2 weeks. HTH

[MattR 177]

On 4/1/2019 at 6:56 AM, Arfur Dealy said:

 

You can actually temporarily cancel, I do it twice a year usually for 3 & 2 weeks. HTH

I did this last year for the first time, my rep (who has now left....) suggested it to me so hope the new one is as helpful. 

[Mark101 536]

Post AT divorce - 2 sold and gone and 3 dippers taken, could be a great Month if it continues.

I had to turn two other people away as I was laready dealing with a walk on (who bought) and an appointment who arrived early (and bought).

Time of the year, Ebay or FB - who knows?

[justina3 518]

1 minute ago, Mark101 said:

Post AT divorce - 2 sold and gone and 3 dippers taken, could be a great Month if it continues.

I had to turn two other people away as I was laready dealing with a walk on (who bought) and an appointment who arrived early (and bought).

Time of the year, Ebay or FB - who knows?

Or the right stock and prepped well when all around you is junk, I often forget that option, when i asked someone yesterday why they chose us they said they seen two before and was blown away by the difference in condition prep. 

 

[Mark101 536]

Just now, justina3 said:

Or the right stock and prepped well when all around you is junk, I often forget that option, when i asked someone yesterday why they chose us they said they seen two before and was blown away by the difference in condition prep. 

 

To be fair, the last lot just said "we have been looking for ages."  Perhaps that is why.

[trade vet 702]

I have been following this thread about AT with interest as our present deal with them runs out this month.Its going to be a grand per month ( inc vat) to rotate 12 cars out of 20.We have just given them notice and will be replacing them with Car Gurus,Ebay and Gumtree/Motors where we can do 25 for about I think £600.FB has been good for us.I don’t think punters search Auto Trader the way they did,they just search for the car they want in their area....No doubt you digital experts will not agree.The last straw for me was reading the latest AT financial accounts,100 pages of bullshit about what an ethical company they are and other stuff....

[Mark101 536]

3 minutes ago, trade vet said:

I have been following this thread about AT with interest as our present deal with them runs out this month.Its going to be a grand per month ( inc vat) to rotate 12 cars out of 20.We have just given them notice and will be replacing them with Car Gurus,Ebay and Gumtree/Motors where we can do 25 for about I think £600.FB has been good for us.I don’t think punters search Auto Trader the way they did,they just search for the car they want in their area....No doubt you digital experts will not agree.The last straw for me was reading the latest AT financial accounts,100 pages of bullshit about what an ethical company they are and other stuff....

100% right in my experience TV.

Everyone has said, seen your car on Google, Facebook, CarGurus or EBay.

I wasn’t expecting it by dropping AT but just today I have had three walk ons (sold to two of them) and one appointment (Sold).  The place is buzzing and I never got local traffic from AT.

[Rory RSC 596]

14 hours ago, trade vet said:

I have been following this thread about AT with interest as our present deal with them runs out this month.Its going to be a grand per month ( inc vat) to rotate 12 cars out of 20.We have just given them notice and will be replacing them with Car Gurus,Ebay and Gumtree/Motors where we can do 25 for about I think £600.FB has been good for us.I don’t think punters search Auto Trader the way they did,they just search for the car they want in their area....No doubt you digital experts will not agree.The last straw for me was reading the latest AT financial accounts,100 pages of bullshit about what an ethical company they are and other stuff....

FWIW - a few years ago on run of the mill stock I would have said suicidal move. 

Now I think you will continue much the same as you are and see little change. The other platforms are nowhere near as far behind as they were.

[Arfur Dealy 823]

I wish I had the balls to drop them... I really do.....

[Mark101 536]

8 minutes ago, Arfur Dealy said:

I wish I had the balls to drop them... I really do.....

 

4 minutes ago, C B said:

Me too

If it is working for you, I wouldn't change.  It stopped working for me, so I changed.  A massive risk yes but so far I have had my second best month and already have a few deposited during April.

EMP, FB and Google for me.  Total bill around £400 p/m for at least 13 cars (more on FB).

[justina3 518]

I was reading on the IMBD facebook page autotrader now list your car higher on the listings due to recommendations ! is that customer reviews ?

[JimmyGlen 13]

28 minutes ago, justina3 said:

I was reading on the IMBD facebook page autotrader now list your car higher on the listings due to recommendations ! is that customer reviews ?

Hi @justina3, it was me who posted it. It can't be review driven, as there was a private first in the search when filtering by 'Recommended'.

I'd love to know what algorithm AT use to power this search filter. 

Stevie