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We're Looking For
A Drive-Thru Reviewer

At times our love for naughty-but-nice drive-thru meals, and our desire to keep our car's interior pristine, can be a bit of a juggle!

Ensuring that your car maintains that brand-new, pristine feeling is important to a lot of drivers, particularly those who value preserving their vehicle's new features and interior.

People who get the chance to drive the newest models, equipped with amazing specifications and fresh interiors, tend to take extra care in preventing lingering odours and oily fingerprints from spoiling their new car. This is especially crucial for those who have chosen to lease a car, as they aim to return the vehicle in great condition.

So, to help us find the dine-out dishes that make the least amount of mess and smell, we're looking for a new 'Drive-Thru Reviewer'.

The successful applicant will be tasked with exploring and ranking five drive-thru meals within their local area. But their mission goes beyond tasting: the lucky reviewer will be rewarded £300 to evaluate everything from the quality of the packaging, to how messy the food is and how long the scent lingers in their car after that final bite.

To become our drive-thru reviewer you will need to be able to travel to and from each drive-thru, have a car where you can eat your drive-thru dishes, and a full UK driving licence (individuals over 18 only).

If you love a speedy meal on the road, then here is what's on offer:

  1. £300 to cover fuel costs and food
  2. Visit your area's most delicious drive-thrus
  3. Rate and review the car meals you tried and report back to us
  4. Take some photos of your delicious food so we can share it on socials
  5. Enjoy!
Macdonalds drive thru

While drive-thru food undoubtedly offers the convenience of quick and delicious meals on the go, it can also present a challenge when it comes to the eventual sale or return of a leased vehicle. The lingering scent and stubborn marks left behind from last week's lunch can detract from the overall appeal and condition of the car.

With that in mind here are some simple ways to remove the smell of fast food and other undesirable odours effectively, to ensure your vehicle is as welcoming and fresh as the day you first drove it.

1
Thorough vacuuming: Reach under those seats and all those nooks and crannies that are often forgotten about for stray fries and crumbs. It's amazing what a vacuum can unearth - and how much fresher it makes your car.
2
Fresh fabric: If your car has fabric seats, use a fabric cleaner to tackle odours. A gentle scrub can do wonders. Keep an extra bottle on the back seat for freshening up after a meal on wheels.
3
Air it out: Invest in a good-quality car air freshener and, whenever possible, let your car breathe (safely, of course). Open windows and let fresh air circulate, weather permitting.
4
Baking soda hack:If there's a particularly tough food stain you can't wipe off and the scent lingers, try sprinkling baking soda on it. Simply let it sit for a few hours, or overnight if possible, then vacuum. If you have leather seats, though, this method might change slightly, so do your research prior.
5
Hire pros: Before returning your leased car, consider investing in professional steam cleaning for a deeply ingrained odour. Or go the extra mile and hire a full detailing service so your car not only smells but also looks impeccable.

Enjoying Drive-Thrus Safely

Grabbing food on the go is brilliantly convenient, however drivers need to always be aware of their surroundings to avoid hazards and keep everyone safe. Here are a couple of things to bear in mind when using drive-thrus:

Contactless payment: Using your phone to pay for your drive-thru meal is undeniably helpful, but keep in mind that driving whilst on any mobile device is against the law and can lead to hefty fines. To avoid unpleasant consequences and ensure everyone's safety, only use your phone for payment when your vehicle is stationary at the drive-thru window, instead of scrolling while you're in the queue.

Keep it slow: Whilst there are no enforceable speed limits at a drive-thru, it doesn't mean you can go all steam ahead. Ensure you follow safe speed limits in each location. Even if there's no one ahead of you, drive-thrus have challenging layouts that can easily lead to accidental scrapes or collisions if you're not careful; there are also likely to be lots of pedestrians about. Err on the side of caution and keep your speed low to navigate these spaces safely.

Eating and driving: The Highway Code advises against distractions while driving, and that includes eating. To fully enjoy your meal and ensure you're adhering to road safety, we recommend finding a safe place to park before tucking into your food. This not only allows you to give your delicious meal the attention it deserves but also ensures you're not distracted while driving.

Good luck for your Drive-Thru Reviewer application! Whilst you're here browse Auto Trader's leasing options to find your dream car, whether you're navigating drive-thrus, work commutes or holiday road-trips.

Drive-Thru Reviewer Application Terms and Conditions

1. The Promoter

1.1 The Promoter is: Auto Trader Limited of 1 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester M15 4FN.

2. The prize draw

2.1. The title of the prize draw is the Drive-Thru Reviewer prize draw.
2.2. Entrants will be required to successfully complete the online submission form found on the Drive-Thru Reviewer webpage in accordance with these terms and conditions. One winner will be selected at random from all entries which comply with these terms and conditions. The winner will receive £300 towards expenses to visit five locations within their residency area in order to rank their drive-thru meals.
2.3. This is not an offer of employment.

3. How to enter

3.1. The prize draw will run from 10am Monday 3rd June 2024 (the ”Opening Date” to 23:59 on Sunday 14th July 2024 (the “Closing Date”) inclusive.
3.2. All prize draw entries must be received by the Promoter in accordance with paragraph 3.3 below by no later than 23:59 on the Closing Date. All prize draw entries received after the Closing Date are automatically disqualified.
3.3. To enter the prize draw, entrants must successfully complete the submission form found on the Drive-Thru Reviewer webpage between the Opening Date and the Closing Date.
3.4. No purchase necessary.
3.5. The Promoter will not accept responsibility for prize draw entries that are lost, mislaid, delayed, or otherwise not received by the Promoter due to equipment failure, technical malfunction, systems, satellite, network, server, computer hardware or software failure of any kind.
3.6. By submitting a prize draw entry, you are agreeing to be bound by these terms and conditions.
3.7. The winning prize draw entry will be selected by random draw.

4. Eligibility

4.1. The prize draw is open to residents of the United Kingdom aged 18 years or over, except:
  • a) employees of the Promoter or its holding or subsidiary companies;
  • b) employees of agents or suppliers of the Promoter or its holding or subsidiary companies, who are professionally connected with the prize draw or its administration.
4.2. In entering the prize draw, you confirm that you are eligible to do so and eligible to claim the prize. The Promoter may require you to provide proof that you are eligible to enter the prize draw.
4.3. The Promoter will not accept prize draw entries that:
  • a) are political in nature;
  • b) feature content which is likely to be inconsistent with the brand values of the Promoter or which is otherwise considered offensive or derogatory by the Promoter;
  • c) are automatically generated by computer;
  • d) are completed by third parties or in bulk;
  • e) are illegible, have been altered, reconstructed, forged or tampered with; and/or
  • f) are incomplete.

4.4. Maximum of 1 entry is permitted per person during the Promotion Period. Duplicate entries will not be considered.
4.5. The entrant must have a car that they own or have the legal right to drive and are willing and able to participate in an activity where the winner will drive to nearby drive-thrus and test out different foods in their vehicle.
4.6. The Promoter reserves all rights to disqualify you if your conduct is contrary to the spirit or intention of the prize draw.

5. The prize

5.1. The prize is a £300 contribution towards expenses (such as fuel costs, food and other supplies) for visiting five locations in the residency area of the winner to rate and review the drive-thru meals available at each location. The prize is provided and fulfilled by Auto Trader Limited.
5.2. Any other costs and expenses incurred in addition to those set out above and that are incidental to the fulfilment of the prize are the responsibility of the winner.
5.3. Once the winner has been selected and contacted in accordance with section 6 below, exact drive-thru locations that need to be visited and dates of visits will be agreed upon.
5.4. The winner will be expected to provide feedback to the Promoter in relation to the different drive-thrus the winner sampled (for example, what the meal was, photographs of the meal and a short survey/ranking on each).
5.5. It is the winner's responsibility to provide accurate and complete information regarding the meals tried at each location, along with photographs of their meal.
5.6. The Promoter may also ask the winner to record content for its social media channels.
5.7. The prize is not negotiable or transferable.
5.8. The Promoter reserves the right to substitute the prize with a prize of equal or greater value if circumstances beyond the Promoter's control make it necessary to do so.

6. Winner

6.1. The decision of the Promoter regarding any aspect of the prize draw is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into about it.
6.2. The winner of the prize draw will randomly selected after the Closing Date and by the 5th July 2024 (“Announcement Date”).
6.3. The Promoter will contact the winner via the email address provided upon entry as soon as practicable after the Announcement Date. The Promoter will not be able to amend any contact information once the prize draw entry form has been submitted.
6.4. The Promoter must either publish or make available information that indicates that a valid award took place. To comply with this obligation the Promoter will send the surname and county of the winner to anyone who emails Auto-Trader-PR@propellernet.co.uk or writes to the Promoter at the above address (enclosing a self-addressed envelope) within one month after the Closing Date. If you object to any or all of your surname, county and winning entry being published or made available, please contact the Promoter at Auto-Trader-PR@propellernet.co.uk. In such circumstances, the Promoter must still provide the information and winning entry to the Advertising Standards Authority on request.
6.5. To claim the prize, the winner must respond to the Promoter's notification email confirming eligibility and acceptance of prize. This must be done within five working days of the Promoter's notification email being sent.

7. Claiming the prize

7.1. The Promoter will make all reasonable efforts to contact the winner. If the winner cannot be contacted or is not available for any reason or has not claimed the prize in accordance with the timescales specified in section 6 above, the Promoter reserves the right to offer the prize to the next eligible entrant randomly selected from the valid entries that were received before the Closing Date.
7.2. The Promoter does not accept any responsibility if the winner is not able to take up the prize, and a new winner will be selected.
7.3. The prize may not be claimed by a third party on your behalf.

8. Limitation of liability

Insofar as is permitted by law, the Promoter, its agents, or distributors will not in any circumstances be responsible or liable to compensate any entrant, or the winner or accept any liability for any loss, damage, personal injury, or death occurring as a result of entering this prize draw or fulfilling the competition requirements. The Promoter's total aggregate liability to the winner will not in any event exceed the £300 prize amount. The Promoter is in no way responsible for the acts, omissions or otherwise of the drive-thru and attending any drive-thru (and consuming any items from the drive-thru) is at the risk of the winner. Your statutory rights are not affected.

9. Data protection and publicity

9.1. The Promoter will only process your personal information as set out in the privacy policy located at https://www.autotrader.co.uk/privacy-policy.

10. General

10.1. Entrants are deemed to have accepted and agreed to be bound by these terms and conditions upon entry.
10.2. If there is any reason to believe that there has been a breach of these terms and conditions, the Promoter may, at its sole discretion, exclude you from participating in the prize draw.
10.3. If an act, omission, event or circumstance occurs which is beyond the reasonable control of the Promoter and which prevents the Promoter from complying with these terms and conditions the Promoter will not be liable for any failure to perform or delay in performing its obligations.
10.4. The Promoter reserves the right to hold void, suspend, cancel, or amend the prize draw where it becomes necessary to do so.
10.5. These terms and conditions shall be governed by English law, and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.