ComplaintsforAutoTrader.com

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  They will not unsubscribe me, violating FTC guidelines. Their link at the bottom of emails has had a 404 error, and they keep emailing almost daily.Their customer service team said to log into an account - I never made an account, just inquired into a vehicle. I escalated and they told me to call their customer service number. Aggravating - they are not allowed to send emails repeatedly without consent the CAN-SPAM Act prohibits this.

  

  Business response

  08/09/2024

  Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention.  We have unsubscribed you manually from our email list and have began researching the 404 errors.  Have the best day!
  
  Please allow a few days for the manual change to update all our systems.

  Customer response

  08/09/2024

   
  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

  07/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 7-9-2024 I paid Autotrader $99.95 for a 5 month online ad. I received an email from them confirming I was all set and ad was up. For 2 days after I could not find my car listing, then after the 3rd day it was up. Shortly thereafter I received an email from Autotrader saying I had an interested buyer. I replied via Autotrader email. The next email I received was from this potential buyer who was a SCAMMER, now using a different email address. I contacted Autotrader regarding this issue and not protecting my privacy/my personal email address and asked for a refund. No response. I emailed again, received a response and was told NO REFUNDS and that I should not reply to the Autotrader email from buyers and to created a new email address. This is absurd! This is the only company I know of and used (as there have been many) that do not protect their customers email addresses. Normally, all you have to do is reply to an interested party via the companies email and they then send reply to buyer via their email address to protect their customers personal info. I then received yet another email from scammer who is now using a 3rd (different) email address who contacted me directly to my inbox. I asked Autotrader again for a refund, answer "NO". I called Autotrader today for one last effort for a refund who spoke to a senior member supervisor twice. First I was told no refunds, 2nd time, they will give me a partial refund of 50% of the price I paid. From the time ad was visible to time I asked for a refund was 16 days. I want a refund and to also warn potential customers that ********************** will not protect your privacy, they will not place ad on the date they say they will, good luck in hearing back from them when there is an issue and they will not refund your money when you do have an issue. BUYER BEWARE! I do not recommend this company. If you value your time, money, privacy and sanity go elsewhere!

  

  Business response

  07/30/2024

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

    Thank you for taking the time to reach out to Autotrader via the BBB.  Our refund policy is set in our terms of service.  Here's a URL to our terms of service.
  
  ******************************************************
  
  Per our terms of sale, your listing was not eligible for a refund as it was posted to our site.  As the listing was not eligible for a refund, a 50% refund was offered as a courtesy.

  Customer response

  07/30/2024

   
  Complaint: 22059847
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Autotrader does not mention when placing an ad that they DO NOT value my privacy nor do they mention those responding to sellers ads will be victim of scammers having access to sellers/customers personal email addresses via **********************. Since this scammer uses different email addresses there is no way for me to block them as emails will keep coming. Autotrader since causing me these privacy issues (which will never go away or stop) should have at the very least given me a prorated refund for the 2 weeks ad was on their site. Autotrader in my searches, have very poor ratings for many reasons, many being these scammers. As long as Autotrader gets their money they do not care about their customer experiences. Offering me a 50% discount on an ad I've only had for a couple weeks with another 4.5 months to go is insulting. Autotraders greed and unwillingness to make this right with me is totally unacceptable. If they continue to deny a refund, I will continue to fight this in any and every way I can. It would be in the best interest of this company to just issue me a refund.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ************

  

  Business response

  08/07/2024

  ********,

    Thank you for reaching out to the BBB regarding your complaint with Autotrader.com.  It appears you were listing the same vehicle that you listed in 2022 on our site, a 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass for $11,900.
  
  We have researched your case and found that your listing is not eligible for a refund as it was posted to our site, and is still currently active on our site.  A refund of 50% was offered by our frontline as a courtesy.   
  
  Here's a link to our terms of service for listings.
  
  ******************************************************
  
  We appreciate the feedback that you would like a messaging system where you do not have to email potential buyers directly.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Customer response

  08/07/2024

   
  Complaint: 22059847
  
  I am rejecting this response because: First of all, I sent you an email stating I made a mistake on placing another ad with your company as I meant to place with Autohunter as I was never planning on doing business with Autotrader again. I also mentioned in an email that you sent me an email confirming my ad was placed and it was up and live on 7-7. That was not true. I looked for 2 days and it was NOT up. Three days later than you told me ad was up it finally was. Your company is highly deceptive and your greed is astonishing! Your bad business all around. Mentioning that I placed an ad with you here on the BBB in 2022 has nothing to do with the current situation and is yet again an invasion of my privacy. You have no shame! I have all the emails between us which will prove the truth. You're trying to spin this somehow back on me. You state my ad is still active, I DO NOT want my ad to be active. I'm waiting for a refund and for you to remove my ad. Your website and order page mention nothing about your privacy policy (there was an error on your site which hid this info. and I took a screenshot) so I have been unable to view your privacy policy. (I'm sure this is done by design) No where does it state on your site that you do not protect your customers personal email addresses and only after the fact when I reached out to you I was told customer emails are public. Everything about your company is deceptive by design. I'll be taking out an ad in my local newspaper, will describe the nightmares of your company, what you've done and haven't done to/for me and warn innocent people of how you operate. I will be canceling my ad today since you will not and will expect a full refund for all my trouble. Now, if you do not offer any refunds to your customers, it's your responsibility to tell us that you/your site will not protect our privacy as you left that out. My personal email is no good now due to the scammers who have it because of Autotrader and will continue to inbox me as you cannot get rid of them!
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ************

• Initial Complaint

  07/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company engages in non stop calls to me for no apparent reason except that I once used their website. No amount of reporting to the *** ****** them and they will make multiple calls in a row over and over

  

  Business response

  07/29/2024

  Dov,

    I do not see an account with your information, and we do not use an auto-dialer.  Please call ************** (1-866-AUTOTRADER) so we can better assist.

• Initial Complaint

  07/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchased a vehicle on 6/3/24. I have waited almost 7-weeks to receive the title for this vehicle. I have contacted AutoTrader several times asking for the status and have been given various excuses from seller delays to technical difficulties. on 7/12/24 I was assured that the title was mailed that day via Priority Mail and as of today 7/17/24 it has still not arrived. Like all buyers through this company I was required to pay a document handling fee. I am concerned that I may have been conned.

  

  Business response

  07/18/2024

  *****,

    We are unable to locate an account with your information.  Please contact Autotrader at ************** and ask to be transferred to the Private Seller Exchange team.

  Customer response

  07/18/2024

   
  Complaint: 22005215
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This explains fully the problem with this business. They claim to not know me yet this very day I received another temporary plate because of their delays. Whether it's incompetence or dishonesty it's no way to treat customers.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  07/19/2024

  Unfortunately we are unable to locate an account with your information.  Please contact Autotrader at ************** and ask to be transferred to the Private Seller Exchange team.

  Customer response

  07/19/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and note that there is no resolution. However, the basic documents have arrived and so other than to warn other potential customers of the problems with this business I have no further requirements. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The website charges you $50 to create an ad and then the only people that even contact you about the ad are scammers. so you cancel your ad and they won't refund your money

  

  Business response

  07/11/2024

  Justice Hall,

    Thank you for reporting your complaint to Autotrader via the BBB.  We have researched the lack of valid leads to your listing and have identified that this vehicle was likely overpriced.  You listed a 2004 Infiniti G35 with 171k miles for $8,000.   This is almost double what similar year make and models with similar mileage are listed for across the internet.  We suggest lowering the price to be more in line with the current market on this vehicle to attain leads.

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a Kia **** on May 19th. I STILL don't have the title. My temporary registration (which was a complete joke to get from them) will expire in 3 days. I emailed June 19th and they said they are "waiting on the duplicate title". I emailed a week ago as a follow up and still no response. This whole thing has been nothing but stress and problems and I would not recommend this business to anyone.

  

  Business response

  07/11/2024

  Dear ********************,
  
  We appreciate you bringing your concerns to our attention via the BBB, and we apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced.
  
  To provide you with a clear timeline of the events regarding your vehicle purchase:
  
  - Purchase Date: May 20th 2024.
  - Issue Identified: On May 20, we were informed that the title had been signed by the buyer in error. This mistake required us to obtain a duplicate title to proceed with the transaction.
  - Duplicate Title Application: The duplicate title was applied for on June 7th.
  - Processing and Return: The state of Michigan processed and returned the duplicate title on July 10th.
  
  As of now, we are ready to process the deal and complete the registration. We kindly request that you ensure all necessary buyer documents have been returned to us. Assuming all documentation is in order, we expect to finalize the registration within the week.
  
  We understand the frustration caused by this delay and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience. Please know that we are committed to resolving this issue promptly and ensuring you receive the necessary documentation for your vehicle.
  
  If you have any further questions or need additional assistance,please do not hesitate to contact us directly. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

• Initial Complaint

  07/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They allow car dealers to advertise their price as a good or great deal when those dealers then tack on extra fees or price based on certain requirements in the fine print, on a different page, with no indication rhe great deal *** not be great. In short it does not necessarily make the car A good or great deal

  

  Business response

  07/10/2024

  Thank you for contacting Autotrader via the BBB.   Our pricing guidelines for dealers are available here:
  
  ********************************************************************************************************
  
  We have researched your case and found that this dealer's pricing falls within our pricing guidelines.
  
  .

  Customer response

  07/10/2024

   
  Complaint: 21964323
  
  I am rejecting this response because:the business answer says it is with their policy however their policy leads to deceptive practices and needs to be changed 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business response

  07/11/2024

  Thank you for the feedback.   

• 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.

*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. ↩