ComplaintsforAutoTrader.com

• Initial Complaint

  06/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a vehicle through Autotrader private seller exchange in April of this year. I paid for the vehicle in full via a bank wire transfer on 4/25/2024. After two months I still don't have the title, and I have been continually contacting AT and the private seller since the vehicle was purchased.No one from the Autotrader title department will return my calls or emails with info on the title. The only thing they tell me is they are waiting on the seller to return a document. The problem is the seller will NOT respond to anyone about the vehicle title. AT has been telling me this for over a month. Why have they not obtained the title and transferred it to me? On the Autotrader website they guarantee a clean title for vehicles purchased through the private seller exchange.

  

  Business response

  07/01/2024

  Dear ****************, 
  Thank you for contacting us regarding your vehicle purchase on April 25th. We apologize for the delay and any inconvenience this has caused you.
  We understand your frustration with the seller's unresponsiveness.To resolve this issue, we have obtained a ***** of ******** to apply for a duplicate title on behalf of the seller.
  Please be aware that the process to obtain a duplicate title typically takes about four weeks. We are diligently working to expedite this process as much as possible.
  We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this matter. If you have any questions or need further assistance,please do not hesitate to contact us directly.
  Thank you for your patience and for choosing Autotrader.

  Customer response

  07/03/2024

  I wont be able to accept or close this complaint based on Autotraders response until I have actually received the vehicle title. I would request to keep this complaint open until the title is transferred to me. Thanks 

• Initial Complaint

  06/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Using Autotrader's PSX (private seller exchange), I paid cash to purchase a 2015 **** Mustang. On April 8, 2024, the money was transferred to Autotrader, and the car was picked up on Aprill 11, 2024. the website says the process should take 3 weeks to get me the title. After 4 weeks, I contacted them, and they claim they had issues with the seller. at 5 weeks into the process, I had to request a new paper plate and an update on the title. at 6 weeks I was sent the title to someone else's car and was told mine was sent to someone else on accident. we are now 8 weeks into the process, and I still don't have my title. I have been told they have had my title back from the "shipping error" for over 1 week, tracking was requested, and links sent that didn't work. when an actual tracking number was sent, it shows a label printed 3 days ago, but it hasn't shipped yet. I was led to believe it was to ship in the morning of the day the label printed. I have had communications with the seller, and he stated that this processed has been messed up since day 1 when they tried to get a title from him for a ****** Tundra.

  

  Business response

  06/10/2024

  *************, 

   Thank you for contacting Autotrader via the BBB.   We see we spoke to you on 6/4/24 and let you know we had received the correct title and would be mailing it to you with tracking.  

  Customer response

  06/10/2024

   
  Complaint: 21816305
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Tracking was provided on Wednesday and then sat for 3 days before shipping and a day after I was told I would receive tracking information.  This is after 8 weeks had passed, and expedited shipping was requested. How is that acceptable? 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  06/10/2024

  
  Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your concerns. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced with our process.
  
  After reviewing your case, we found that we received your title and provided you with the tracking information on Thursday, June 6th. Our records indicate that you acknowledged receipt of this information. This action was taken within two days of our initial conversation with you.
  
  We understand your frustration and assure you that we have made every effort to provide you with the information you requested throughout the entire process. We also ensured that your title was expedited in the mail to minimize any further inconvenience and it shows delivered to your home on 6/8.
  
  We are committed to providing excellent service and apologize if there was any miscommunication. If there are any additional concerns or if you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.
  
  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to address your concerns and for your patience.

• Initial Complaint

  05/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a one-year Autotrader ad to sell my vehicle on March 8th. The ad was largely a waste of money, I received 99.9% scam messages from the few messages I did get. I received an email this week that my ad was being deactivated. I got on support chat to discuss and the rep said it was due to inactivity and that an email was sent about that. I did not receive an email about this. I asked her why it would be an option to not fulfill what was paid for. She said I needed to manage my ad and interact with customers. I told her the ad did not need updated as it was complete at the time it was made and that I receive a preview of messages via email and I screen them and will not respond to scam emails for my own safety. She promptly ended the chat without giving me time to copy down the phone number. While I have found mention of inactivity of ads on the site, no where does it define what exactly that means. Regardless, expecting me to respond to the scam messages is unsafe for me and should not be expected of Autotrader customers. I quickly found the ad to be a waste of money but because I paid for it, was expecting them to fulfill the year I paid for. Not only are their customer service reps unprofessional, quitting a civil conversation just because they are done talking, but the expectations are not clearly set, making them come across as scammy as the messages I received from "potential buyers"

  

  Business response

  06/17/2024

  *****,

    We have reviewed your account.   ********************** ads run for 30 days, and you can extend your ad for free in 30-day increments up to 365 days total, all for the same price.  We do not have a listing that runs for a year.  You can find this information here;
  
  ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************.
  
  That said, we have made a one time exception to refund the listing price to the credit card used to make the initial purchase.  A refund of $49 was generated to the credit card used to place this listing.

• Initial Complaint

  05/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Hello,I'm writing because I really need help.I purchased a vehicle from Autotrader Private Exchange (APX) on March 22nd 2024. I paid upfront in full $78,230. before even seeing the vehicle. One of their fees was for plates and title. After 30 days I called APX looking for the plates and title, my son is an active USMC and we were able to secure a loan through Navy ******************** (NFCU). It's been over 2 months and there's no title or plates, even worse, there's no answer when NFCU will get it. I have called APX 2xs/week for the last month (8 times!) trying to resolve this issue without any progress, I have spoken to **, *****, *********, ***** (which was very rude and refused to let me know or give a call back any info about the title) and *****. Now NFCU is threatening to increase the APR if the title is not provided in a timely manner. APX makes up all kinds of excuses and blame everyone but do not give an answer of when the title will be in our hands. Please help me as the interest of my loan will go up because APX refuses to give us the title even though they got paid OVER 2 MONTHS AGO.Thank you.*************************

  

  Business response

  05/28/2024

  ******,

    Thank you for reaching out to Autotrader via the BBB.  We have researched your case and see that you called in on 5/24/24 to discuss your case with one of our agents.  It appears that there was a hold up on your title due to a missing signature on one of your documents.  We're currently awaiting the state of ********** to review the odometer disclosure statement.

  Customer response

  05/28/2024

   
  Complaint: 21755255
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This is the same response they have been giving since April 22 when I called the 1st time (30 after taking possession of the vehicle), "there was a mistake". here's a copy of the **** receipt when I sent them the paperwork mentioned, dated April 26th, over a month ago. Since then they have not provided plates nor title and refuse to give an update. Attached is also letter I received last week from FNCU threatening to increase interest rate.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  05/28/2024

  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We sincerely apologize for the delay and inconvenience you have experienced regarding the transfer of your vehicle title. Here is an update on the situation and the steps we have taken to resolve it:

  
  Initial Submission 4/23: The original title was provided to our third-party registration company. Unfortunately, the back of the title was signed incorrectly, which led to the deal being put on hold.

  
  Review and Hold: It took approximately 30 days (deal sold 3/22) to collect all necessary documents and submit the deal. Two weeks after submission, the registration company reviewed the title and identified the issue, putting the deal on hold.

  
  Error Resolution: Over the next two weeks, we worked diligently to resolve the errors on the paperwork. Despite our efforts, it became necessary to obtain a duplicate title to correct the signing error.

  
  Duplicate Title Obtained: On 5/21, we successfully obtained the new title. It has been mailed out for the necessary signatures.

  
  Expected Completion: Considering mailing and New Jersey processing times, we anticipate that the final registration will be completed no later than 6/19.
  We understand the frustration and inconvenience this delay may cause and appreciate your patience as we work through the necessary steps to ensure everything is completed correctly. We are committed to resolving this matter as quickly as possible and will keep you updated on any further progress.

  Customer response

  05/28/2024

   
  Complaint: 21755255
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  6/19 will be over 90 days, very conveniently after I forwarded ***** the email from NFCU where it shows "loan date: 3/18",  NFCU to increase the loan after 90 days, very disgusting move just because I got the BBB involved. Seems like reviews and complaints do nothing for Autotrader and their employees to changes their ways.  At 90 days I will seek legal advise. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Customer response

  06/24/2024

   
  Complaint: 21755255
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I came to you a month ago trying to resolve my issue with Autotrader, they refused to give me updates on the title of a vehicle I purchased from them back in March 2024. They stated the title would be in my hands no later than 6/19, today is the 20th and there's no title or plates. Please help!!

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  *************************,

    We apologize you are experiencing receiving your title.   Our records show the title has been delivered on 6/26.   If this is not the case, please contact us at 1-866-AUTOTRADER ***************).  

  Customer response

  06/28/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  05/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Due to my temporary move to ******, I was trying to sell my car. I paid $49.00 hoping that this site would help me sell my vehicle. Unfortunately, after I made the payment I was never able to log in to have access to my car listing. Also, after making a $49.00 payment this Autotrader website wanted me to pay additional fees for some car tests and miscellaneousfees to make my listing "stand out" and only required on Autotrader website. Finally, I received only 2 fake scam offers via autotrader, and on the contrary, without paying a single ***** I received real and legit offers for my car via ********** and ******** marketplace. I feel that I was scammed by Autotrader / onlinevehiclelisting and it was a waste of my money and time. During the last few months, I tried calling and asking for a refund from Autotrader but with no success. Please refund immediately: Onlinevehiclelisting /Autotrader.com from 01/22/24 for $49.00 - to the original bank account. at ************************ has been notified and if no response and no refund then the transaction from 01/22/24 for $49.00 will be reversed as fraud-charge back.

  

  Business response

  05/28/2024

  ******,

    Thank you for contacting Autotrader.com via the BBB.  We have researched your case and found your listing was posted live to or site for approximately 3 months.  Unfortunately we can not guarantee the sale of a vehicle on Autotrader.  A complete list of our terms of service, including refund guidelines are available here.
  
  ******************************************************
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My son ******* purchased a 2010 ********** CC Sport through AutoTrader.com on Saturday, March 16th, 2024. The car was listed through the AutoTrader.com website and the seller and vehicle had been listed as verified. The car was listed to be in good condition and without any mechanical issues. Even though the car had been verified by AutoTrader.com, the person selling the car (*******) was not the actual owner of the car. The following day, the car was unable to start, and the dashboard was lit up with multiple codes that were not there the previous day during my son's test drive. In taking the car to our local mechanic, he stated that the car needed a new alternator and also needed to be taken to ********** to have them thoroughly diagnose the car's issues. I reached out to the person selling the car and he stated that he had cleared the codes before selling the car. We asked to return the car for a full refund. He stated that he would not do that. There is a record of this text conversation on the AutoTrader.com "private seller exchange" message board. We then reached out to AutoTrader.com for assistance with locating the seller's information and ask their assistance with returning the vehicle and verifying their copy of the conversation with the seller stating they had cleared the codes on the car intentionally committing fraud. For the past three weeks AutoTrader.com stated that they would reach out to the other party and ask them to contact us. They have not done that. Once AutoTrader.com acknowledged that their verification process was simply making sure they had the person's information that was placing the add and there was little verification done besides this, they seemed to drag their feet with our concerns. The AutoTrader.com website is incredibly and intentionally misleading when it comes to their "verification" of a vehicle and a seller. There is no real verification for the seller and their vehicle and no real protection for the buyer.

  

  Business response

  04/29/2024

  This transaction was completed off of the *** platform we cannot issue refunds on transactions that we have no record of. We advise customers to stay on platform.

  Customer response

  04/29/2024

   
  Complaint: 21627207
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I was not able to keep the transaction on the *** platform because AutoTrader did not properly verify the person who placed the ad as the seller of the vehicle. This person was not the owner of the vehicle or holding the title of the vehicle. AutoTrader had confirmed that they were.

  Furthermore, auto traders "verified" icon is false and misleading. They are not verifying anything. It's simply stating that it's the person paying for the ad. 
  

  I've asked AutoTrader to provide the owners information and they are unwilling to provide it because they don't have it. They didn't verify if ******* was the owner of the vehicle. 
  

  We feel like AutoTrader committed fraud and helped a private seller commit fraud. 

  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  

  Business response

  04/29/2024

  ***,
    Thank you for contacting Autotrader via the BBB.   We're not clear what this statement  means " I was not able to keep the transaction on the *** platform because Autotrader did not properly verify the person who placed the ad as the seller of the vehicle. This person was not the owner of the vehicle or holding the title of the vehicle. Autotrader had confirmed that they were."
  
  We do see you spoke with the client on 5/16 to do a test drive letting them know you were late, but no offer was made to buy the vehicle on our platform. (note the ***** must initiate the offer on our platform, to which the seller can counter. ) We see the next communication between to you and the seller happened on 5/18 saying you bought it the day before and it's having issues.
  
  Additionally, when buying a used car, it's often a good idea to have the vehicle inspected, especially when buying a 15 year old vehicle.

  Customer response

  04/29/2024

   
  Complaint: 21627207
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Again, AutoTrader's own website stated that the vehicle and the owner had been verified. See photo marked #****. It shows the vehicle with a green verified stamp on the page. What exactly was verified? How were we able to complete the transaction on PSX platform when you hadn't verified the owner? 
  

  Also, since you are now acknowledging that you can read the chat history between myself and the person identifying themselves as "*******" you will see that we immediately expressed our concerns about the vehicle and the other party stated that they had used a hand-held scanner to clear the codes on the car in order to sell damaged goods. This is fraud. 
  

  AutoTrader has seemed from the beginning to be more interested in self-protection than anything else. 

  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  

  Business response

  05/06/2024

  Hello **************** -

  First off, we apologize for your issue. I can you tell from experience that purchasing a car from a non-transparent seller is a major headache to the say the least. We have looked into your matter internally across our business and legal teams, and it appears you completed the transaction off of the Private Seller Exchange platform--meaning that you seem to have purchased the car without using our online transaction service. The reason we demand to host these transactions on our site is for your protection. Using PSX's purchasing tools would have allowed Autotrader to verify the condition of the vehicle, as well as the title holder, before any money changed hands. We also offer various warranties and after market support.

  Due to this, we cannot offer you a full refund on the vehicle, however I am working with our business teams to determine if there is some other way to compensate you. We will be in touch soon. We have flagged the seller in our system as well.

  Thank you.

  Customer response

  05/10/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me if Autotrader is going to potentially issue a partial refund from the initial sale. We await your response. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  Customer response

  06/03/2024

   
  Complaint: 21627207
  
  I am rejecting this response because:Hi, I haven't received a response from the business since receiving this email from them on May 6. Could you please contact them and find out what is going on please. Thanks.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  

  Business response

  06/20/2024

  We have worked with our internal business team and are willing to purchase the vehicle back from you for $1,650.  This amount is based on our own proprietary valuation given the current market conditions and condition of the vehicle.
  
  Since you completed this transaction off of our platform, neither PSX nor Autotrader were able to uncover and address the issues you faced with the vehicle's condition. That being the case, our offer is limited to our valuation calculations and subject to our verification of the title and basic information about the vehicle.  
  
  If you are interested, please contact ************************* at **************************** and have your VIN number handy.

• Initial Complaint

  04/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Paid to list a vehicle for sale on their site. Received a constant supply of scam buyers. No legitimate buyers. Contacted customer service, they did not care at all that their site was solely providing scammers trying to ******* my vehicle. Refused refund and did not even offer an apology.

  

  Business response

  05/03/2024

  Thank you for reporting this to Autotrader via the BBB.  We have looking into your issue and will be offering a refund as a courtesy for the cost of the listing.  Please allow 5 to 10 business days for a credit to show on the credit card used to place the listing.

  Customer response

  05/03/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  04/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I paid for an ad to sell my car, but after selling my car, Auto Trader wont remove the add despite repeated requests. I keep getting inquires, which are wasting my time to respond to and wasting the time of multiple people looking to buy a car that was already sold.

  

  Business response

  04/22/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to Autotrader via the BBB.  We see this listing was removed on 4/21/24 when the account holder updated the listing in their account,

  Customer response

  04/22/2024

   
  Complaint: 21544208
  
  I am rejecting this response because it took numerous requests to have my listing removed and multiple people reached out to me trying to buy a car that was already sold. Auto Traders refusal to take action when requested inconvenienced many people and Auto Trader needs to do better in the future. I will never buy or sell with them again but many others will and they should not have to go through this process simply because Auto Trader refuses to take timely action. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business response

  04/29/2024

  ******, your ad was removed as the account owner removed the ad on April 20.   I have reviewed your account and see that no additional messages were sent to your account by new buyers after April 20th.   Note, we do NOT display your phone or your email on our platform.  If you chose to share your email and/or phone with clients to take conversations off platform, we are unable to assist with those unsolicited contacts.

• Initial Complaint

  03/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 16th March 2024 bought a car through Autotrader Private Exchange. (2022 Range Rover Sport)Initial price of the car was $68750 + fees = $75606. Autotrader confirmed to pay this amount and if negotiation changed the price they would issue a refund.Final negotiated price of the car was $62500 + fees = $68800 Therefore I am due a refund of $6806 Calls to Autotrader go unanswered, Tried 6 times thus far.Emails to autotrader go unanswered. Sent 4 mails thus far.Today is March 21st

• Initial Complaint

  02/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have received nothing but phishing attempts as a result of placing an ad on this site. More than 30 messages exchanged and not a single legitimate inquiry.

  

  Business response

  03/07/2024

  ***********,

    Thank you for contacting Autotrader via the BBB.  We have researched your case and see that you listed a 2016 ***** Fit for ****** on 2/18/24.   The ad did post to our site and was live for shoppers to view.  We unfortunately cannot guarantee your vehicle will sell on our platform.    I see the ad was removed by the seller.  If you would like us to reactivate the listing for you, please let us know by calling ************.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩