My beef with Autotrader CENSORSHIP
04-21-2006 | 12:03 PM
#1
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My beef with Autotrader CENSORSHIP
My beef with Autotrader CENSORSHIP
What do you guys think?
So I placed on online ad to sell my C280 in the Autotrader.
I filled out all the required fields, uploaded the picture, paid my money and submitted the ad.
Well after three days I finally get a call and they tell me that they cannot print my ad because I have http://wplem/280 in the text.
I figured I would put up a quick website because a black and white picture in the Autotrader could not possibly do justice to my car. Basically they told me that I could not put a web address into my ad. I placed a big ad for most of southern Ontario and it would have cost around $130.00.
They said the web addresses are reserved for businesses only and they would not allow it in print. I told them that it was only to allow people to look at more pictures of my car. They insisted that I could not print it, so I cancelled the ad.
What a crock, this is censorship at its best. I pay for the ad and they tell me what I can and cannot put into it. I am extremely disappointed in this and I want to get some support from the member base so I can direct a staff member from Autotrader to this post.
This policy of theirs discriminates against everyone who places a private ad. Why should we not be able to direct prospective buyers to a homepage explaining more about the car?
They just lost my business forever, I am simply going to put a for sale sign on the car and be done with it.
Please post here to show me some support and then I will send this URL to an Autotrader exec to tell him how displeased we are that they discriminate against private sellers.
I filled out all the required fields, uploaded the picture, paid my money and submitted the ad.
Well after three days I finally get a call and they tell me that they cannot print my ad because I have http://wplem/280 in the text.
I figured I would put up a quick website because a black and white picture in the Autotrader could not possibly do justice to my car. Basically they told me that I could not put a web address into my ad. I placed a big ad for most of southern Ontario and it would have cost around $130.00.
They said the web addresses are reserved for businesses only and they would not allow it in print. I told them that it was only to allow people to look at more pictures of my car. They insisted that I could not print it, so I cancelled the ad.
What a crock, this is censorship at its best. I pay for the ad and they tell me what I can and cannot put into it. I am extremely disappointed in this and I want to get some support from the member base so I can direct a staff member from Autotrader to this post.
This policy of theirs discriminates against everyone who places a private ad. Why should we not be able to direct prospective buyers to a homepage explaining more about the car?
They just lost my business forever, I am simply going to put a for sale sign on the car and be done with it.
Please post here to show me some support and then I will send this URL to an Autotrader exec to tell him how displeased we are that they discriminate against private sellers.
04-21-2006 | 01:05 PM
#2
Junior GTcars Poster
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Toronto, Ontario
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this issue really isn't about censorship per se (when you think of censorship you think of an act that usually discriminates against a race, lifestyle, etc.), but it's all about BUSINESS.
imagine what would happen to autotrader if private ads were allowed to have web links. the whole catalog would be nothing more than a huge list of web addresses, and potential customers would be turned off at going through a book full of text. hence, why the autotrader is predominently picture based with little but contact information.
sure it's unfair that autotrader does this, but it's to protect their business really and since it's a private firm, they have every right to do what they want to protect what they've built. i'm sure they refunded the cost of the ad, so if you don't like their business practice, than don't use their service, it's really as simple as that.
imagine what would happen to autotrader if private ads were allowed to have web links. the whole catalog would be nothing more than a huge list of web addresses, and potential customers would be turned off at going through a book full of text. hence, why the autotrader is predominently picture based with little but contact information.
sure it's unfair that autotrader does this, but it's to protect their business really and since it's a private firm, they have every right to do what they want to protect what they've built. i'm sure they refunded the cost of the ad, so if you don't like their business practice, than don't use their service, it's really as simple as that.
04-21-2006 | 11:36 PM
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damn i would be pisssed !
06-04-2006 | 10:30 PM
#5
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That would **** me off too.
06-07-2006 | 01:29 PM
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What a load of crap (on the customer's part)
"I pay for the ad and they tell me what I can and cannot put into it" <-- IT'S THEIR BUSINESS. Don't like it, don't use it.
If they allowed that, then people could post links to their homepages with all sorts of , redirect people to **** sites, who knows. AutoTrader doesn't want to have to deal with that or to have to individually verify each link, so they have a public ban on it. Makes perfect sense to me. If people want to know more about the person's car they can use the e-mail address that you CAN enter or their phone number which is also displayed.
"I pay for the ad and they tell me what I can and cannot put into it" <-- IT'S THEIR BUSINESS. Don't like it, don't use it.
If they allowed that, then people could post links to their homepages with all sorts of , redirect people to **** sites, who knows. AutoTrader doesn't want to have to deal with that or to have to individually verify each link, so they have a public ban on it. Makes perfect sense to me. If people want to know more about the person's car they can use the e-mail address that you CAN enter or their phone number which is also displayed.
06-17-2006 | 04:02 PM
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wtf does this look like communist china screw autotrader and their BS, i just go to meets and talk to friends about who wants to buy the car then i mail pics selectively. the last time i used autotrader i got lots of calls but from ppl who were trying to lowball and undercut my price at least by 30%. your better off selling your stuff to a chop shop but if you cant see your loveable car cut up like a hostage in iraq then word of mouth is the next best thing.
06-17-2006 | 04:04 PM
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duplicate post sry
Last edited by pur evil; 06-17-2006 at 04:06 PM. Reason: sry
06-18-2006 | 07:31 PM
#9
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damn, id be realy pissed. wtf..
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