AT Price Indicators

[Jack Regan 116]

They would care if every one stopped advertising with em instead of just moaning and still handing over that extortionate amount  of money each month.

[Holmfirth Cars 12]

Yes very true.... 70 % profit,,,,unbelievable 

[sparky 274]

6 hours ago, AAM90 said:

Who else is on the Facebook group Car Sales/ Dealers?

Alot of ranting on there about price markers. An Autotrader manager offered to join the group and answer questions/concerns. So they do know they are upsetting dealers.

 

We've been here before, some of the same people are doing the same moaning but it's all talk, all this will blow over until the next part of the 'customer journey' gets introduced and then we go again, and again. 

 

[awc1000 93]

I would encourage everyone to simply revert to manual listing as mentioned without giving reg number, and cover all number plates within photos with your company logo, then simply write "great value" within the strap line, sure it takes longer but the preset spec listed from giving a reg number for a specific car is often wrong anyway and one of the reasons why many AT values are miles out, example - AT valued a sl55amg as an sl500 and were wrong by £9k, don't forget we often have v5's that are not accurate to the specific model due to lazy franchise input from new and dvla blunders, AT are no different to this, at the end of the day AT are only coming up with values based on the info we give them, they certainly don't have a core of staff in the valuing department like CAP etc do. the less you tell them the less credibility they will have in valuing cars.

It's nothing new, years ago when AT was only in magazine format we all had a few ghost cars priced within a page advert, it still goes on it's just in digital form now, certain supermarkets have been doing this for sometime now - no numberplate's on show, different cars in the picture, claimed higher spec etc, complaining is pointless so simply play the game until the loophole closes.

[andymc1973 199]

So build the ad manually gets around the markers? 

[beckly car sales 1]

not only are we told to price our cars to AT retail price to get a good boy green good price,if you now do that they come up as HIGH fair at best,to get the green good price you now have to drop price by 5 per cent to get out of the red banner

[Nick M.K. 574]

1 hour ago, beckly car sales said:

to get the green good price you now have to drop price by 5 per cent to get out of the red banner

Manually remove date of first reg or the full VRM of the vehicle from your advert, this will result in Unable to provide a valuation and no marker being displayed. No marker is better than HIGH PRICE,  right :-)

On 11/7/2019 at 9:08 PM, awc1000 said:

I would encourage everyone to simply revert to manual listing as mentioned without giving reg number

Absolutely as long as you make sure there is enough vehicle info to appear in searches. 

Edited November 18, 2019 by Nick M.K.

[Merlot 3]

I have tried both manual listing and removing VRM but still gets price markers.... has this worked completely for anyone?

[Harry George 0]

I see it’s gone live now on pc but not yet mobile - strange.

It not only says high price but tells the amount overpriced in their opinion.

Removing reg removes marker but also  removes Experian check and paid for finance examples!

Another dealer I spoke to was told by his rep to ‘not buy high spec cars anymore’.

You couldn’t make it up!

 

 

 

 

[DJC CARS 0]

19 minutes ago, Harry George said:

I see it’s gone live now on pc but not yet mobile - strange.

It not only says high price but tells the amount overpriced in their opinion.

Removing reg removes marker but also  removes Experian check and paid for finance examples!

Another dealer I spoke to was told by his rep to ‘not buy high spec cars anymore’.

You couldn’t make it up!

 

 

 

 

I have the same issue with a highly specced Audi A5, received a call this morning and the customer said my car was overpriced according to AT, my response ask AT to find you one in this specification for cheaper then?

I guess I will have to wait for a customer that actually understands to true value of the specification upgrades.....

[A & S 20]

1 hour ago, DJC CARS said:

I have the same issue with a highly specced Audi A5, received a call this morning and the customer said my car was overpriced according to AT, my response ask AT to find you one in this specification for cheaper then?

I guess I will have to wait for a customer that actually understands to true value of the specification upgrades.....

 

[J.T 39]

This could actually be a blessing in disguise, not that I've suddenly started liking Autotrader the avaricious pricks. I've just been looking at our local main dealers secondhand stock on Autotrader and of course as I suspected the majority of their cars are priced high or fair, my local Mitsubishi dealer has a Shogun that's priced high and Autotrader are telling the customer it's £3,507 over priced!!! Good luck with that one.

[andymc1973 199]

utter disgrace

[Contracts 68]

Had our first customer tell us our RRS is overpriced at £41k as it should be £38,715 or something according to Autotrader.

New salesman got him and does not like negotiating....(another matter)....

I got the call transferred and was direct “so why have you called about our car if it’s to expensive?

Guy was taken back but listed it’s the colours he wants, black pack, opening roof, side steps, Cameras etc.  Either way he was not buying it as Autotrader says....

On a positive just before I went home one of the other guys was taking a holding deposit and finance prop on it do hopefully done. (Need it as the last 10 days have been shocking).

[MarkTVS 209]

It’s annoying, I just bought a mint grade 2 2009 59 white C220 diesel auto saloon, I paid £500 over cap for it so it’s costing me out the door £5079, Autotrader Tells me it’s only worth £5879 and the trade price is £3722, these figures couldn’t be any further out! 

 

At £6395 it will be the cheapest white c class in Scotland and I don’t think that’s me being greedy with my margin either. 

[Casper 272]

9 minutes ago, MarkTVS said:

It’s annoying, I just bought a mint grade 2 2009 59 white C220 diesel auto saloon, I paid £500 over cap for it so it’s costing me out the door £5079, Autotrader Tells me it’s only worth £5879 and the trade price is £3722, these figures couldn’t be any further out! 

 

At £6395 it will be the cheapest white c class in Scotland and I don’t think that’s me being greedy with my margin either. 

I think your margins are where it needs to be really Mark not greedy at all in-fact-as you say very reasonably at just over £1300  I've asked the question before with a few other trader friends at auction and most traders say they are aiming for around a £1500-£2000 mark up . Thats what most seem  to be aiming for really 

Edited December 3, 2019 by Casper

[MarkTVS 209]

1 minute ago, Casper said:

I think your margins are where it needs to be really Mark not greedy at all I've asked the question before  and most traders say they have around a £1500-2000 mark up . Thats what we are all aiming for really 

And that amount seems like a lot to customers  they think we make a fortune, but we probably have close to ten grand a month in overheads before we kick a ball so it doesn’t actually go as far as people think. 

[Casper 272]

3 minutes ago, MarkTVS said:

And that amount seems like a lot to customers  they think we make a fortune, but we probably have close to ten grand a month in overheads before we kick a ball so it doesn’t actually go as far as people think. 

I agree there customers do forgot about overheads insurance preparation etc  

[Harry George 0]

1 hour ago, Contracts said:

Had our first customer tell us our RRS is overpriced at £41k as it should be £38,715 or something according to Autotrader.

New salesman got him and does not like negotiating....(another matter)....

I got the call transferred and was direct “so why have you called about our car if it’s to expensive?

Guy was taken back but listed it’s the colours he wants, black pack, opening roof, side steps, Cameras etc.  Either way he was not buying it as Autotrader says....

On a positive just before I went home one of the other guys was taking a holding deposit and finance prop on it do hopefully done. (Need it as the last 10 days have been shocking).

Still waiting for one of those calls, got plenty £2-3k overpriced and one £2k under priced - that’s how absurd it is. Someone we know has got a 2019 Audi 2019 £10k under! I’ve seen fair priced £2995 cars nearly £700 above market.

All it is, is more misinformation (they call transparency), in quest to become CarGurus. 

Can understand your caller Contracts asking the question and you are lucky to have someone else on it so quickly, but the first guy might realise he missed the best out there and it’s only AT that can be blamed.

I can safely say after being with AT since the magazine days this is by far the craziest thing they have come up with.

 

 

 

[awc1000 93]

1 hour ago, MarkTVS said:

It’s annoying, I just bought a mint grade 2 2009 59 white C220 diesel auto saloon, I paid £500 over cap for it so it’s costing me out the door £5079, Autotrader Tells me it’s only worth £5879 and the trade price is £3722, these figures couldn’t be any further out! 

 

At £6395 it will be the cheapest white c class in Scotland and I don’t think that’s me being greedy with my margin either. 

mark, an interesting point is if you are in scotland why should your car even be priced in line with a car that's in say the south east? no mention by AT of the real logistical cost of someone close to you buying a car from the other end of the country, instead just a biased opinion based on bollocks, i'm all for AT educating the public, but why they don't tell them why a car deserves a premium etc is beyond me, biting the hand that feeds is an understatement with this horrible company now.

[MarkTVS 209]

13 minutes ago, awc1000 said:

mark, an interesting point is if you are in scotland why should your car even be priced in line with a car that's in say the south east? no mention by AT of the real logistical cost of someone close to you buying a car from the other end of the country, instead just a biased opinion based on bollocks, i'm all for AT educating the public, but why they don't tell them why a car deserves a premium etc is beyond me, biting the hand that feeds is an understatement with this horrible company now.

This is my point, it’s supply and demand, if there is not another one in Scotland or within a certain radius then my car is worth more but there computer algorithms don’t comprehend that and point the finger at us as being expensive but how can you be expensive when there are no comparable models to be compared with.

[awc1000 93]

3 minutes ago, MarkTVS said:

This is my point, it’s supply and demand, if there is not another one in Scotland or within a certain radius then my car is worth more but there computer algorithms don’t comprehend that and point the finger at us as being expensive but how can you be expensive when there are no comparable models to be compared with.

Exactly, i think if you are selling premium brands with additional spec then the likely buyer will be clever enough to do research and agree on how and why its priced that way, hence i think things will be ok on certain cars, that's unlikely on basic cars though where the customer is not interested or clued up on model specs - these will just come down to price so it's going to be a serious issue selling box's on wheels.

[A & S 20]

On 12/1/2019 at 11:59 AM, DJC CARS said:

I have the same issue with a highly specced Audi A5, received a call this morning and the customer said my car was overpriced according to AT, my response ask AT to find you one in this specification for cheaper then?

I guess I will have to wait for a customer that actually understands to true value of the specifica

 

[sparky 274]

10 hours ago, awc1000 said:

Exactly, i think if you are selling premium brands with additional spec then the likely buyer will be clever enough to do research and agree on how and why its priced that way, hence i think things will be ok on certain cars, that's unlikely on basic cars though where the customer is not interested or clued up on model specs - these will just come down to price so it's going to be a serious issue selling box's on wheels.

Maybe. Further problems are going to arise when the days in stock markers shows. Imagine having a car with  a high marker and god forbid a 90 plus day in stock marker, you've got no chance.

It's embarrassing reading Chris Penny trying to justify this on the fb page, his spin makes Borris and Jezza sound credible.

[Seamus 0]

Apparently one of my stock, an Audi at £10k is High priced although it has £8k worth of options.. yet one with less spec is showing as £12k under priced, work that one out...

A/T advised me to drop it to what I paid for it excluding prep to be in with the "Great Price"... the race to the bottom begins...

Last month we had a Touareg on for £13k that had £8k of options and Autotrader gave it no marker (pre High Price), there were only 3 comparable cars based on model and specific derivative and the other cars were listed at £12250 which according to Autotrader were a great price with 5k miles more and billy basic spec... Our car was sold full asking but I suspect with a big red flag against it would have been a different story.

The pricing indicator is not transparent as it doesn't include many influencing factors when buying a car, which lets face it are all different in one way or another, not fit for purpose and just clouds the buying publics view. Autotrader need to concentrate on advertising which is their business and we can concentrate on selling cars which is our business.