Terms and Conditions

Auto Trader Live Chat and Text Business Rules

Last Updated: 3 January 2023

Chat, Text, Chat Assist and Chat Manager are third party products, supplied and facilitated by a Chat Service Provider, that allow Consumers to communicate directly with an Advertiser via the Auto Trader Platform or on the Auto Trader Dealer Website.

There are four levels of Chat and Text Products, and these are defined in more detail below:

  • Chat;
  • Text;
  • Chat Assist; or
  • Chat Manager.

These products are provided subject to the Main Advertising Terms and Conditions which are incorporated into the Rules by reference.

Terms defined in the Main Advertising Terms & Conditions shall have the same meaning in these Rules unless expressly defined otherwise below. Should a term be defined in both the Main Advertising Terms & Conditions and these Rules, the meaning of the term defined in these Rules shall have precedence in relation to these Rules.

  1. Definitions

    1. “Advertiser” refers to the person, firm or company who enters an Advertising Agreement with Auto Trader;
    2. “Auto Trader Dealer Website” means the bespoke website designed and hosted by Auto Trader for the Advertiser, pursuant to the Advertising Agreement;
    3. “Charges” refers to the monthly charges, where applicable, for all the Chat and Text Products as set out in the Advertising Agreement;
    4. “Chat” refers to the web based instant messaging service available to Advertisers, pursuant to the Advertising Agreement, which is facilitated by the Chat Service Provider and allows Consumers to communicate directly with the Advertiser in real-time;
    5. “Chat Assist” refers to the service provided to the Advertiser directly by the Chat Service Provider, pursuant to the Advertising Agreement, whereby the Chat Service Provider engages directly with Consumers on behalf of the Advertiser via a web based instant messaging service (where the Advertiser has subscribed to Chat) and/or via SMS message (where the Advertiser has subscribed to Text) between the hours of 6pm and 9am 7 days a week (and the “Chat Assist” product incorporates the provision of the Chat product and/or the Text product (as applicable) where the Advertiser has subscribed to such);
    6. “Chat Manager” refers to the service provided to the Advertiser directly by the Chat Service Provider, pursuant to the Advertising Agreement, whereby the Chat Service Provider engages directly with Consumers on behalf of the Advertiser via a web based instant messaging service (where the Advertiser has subscribed to Chat) and/or via SMS message (where the Advertiser has subscribed to Text) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (and the “Chat Manager” product incorporates the provision of the Chat product and/or the Text product (as applicable) where the Advertiser has subscribed to such);
    7. “Chat Service Provider” refers to the third party provider of the Chat and Text Products, which shall either be Auto Trader’s default third party provider from time to time or, if applicable, another third party provider chosen by the Advertiser;
    8. “Chat and Text Product(s)” refers to one, several or all of the Chat, Text, Chat Assist and Chat Manager product(s);
    9. “Consumer” means a visitor to the Auto Trader Platform or the Auto Trader Dealer Website, who interacts with one, several or all of the Chat and Text Products (as applicable);
    10. “Text” refers to the SMS messaging service available to Advertisers, pursuant to the Advertising Agreement, which is facilitated by the Chat Service Provider and allows consumers (site visitors) to communicate directly with the Advertiser via SMS message;

  2. Advertiser Obligations

    1. Advertisers are responsible for managing their Chat and Text Product accounts through the Chat Service Provider’s application.
    2. If an Advertiser Group requires Chats and Text messages from multiple sites to flow into a single site, that single site must be supplied with a chargeable contract/licence and a request must be sent to Auto Trader to arrange set up.
    3. Purchasing a Chat and Text Product does not give the Advertiser the right to implement such Chat and Text Product on their own website (other than an Auto Trader Dealer Website), and such Chat and Text Product shall only be used as specified at paragraph 3 below. Separate charges and terms shall apply directly from the Chat Service Provider for any use beyond that specified in these Rules.

  3. Usage and Availability

    1. Each Advertiser site requires a separate contract and licence from the Chat Service Provider for all Chat and Text Products. These are purchased by Auto Trader on behalf of the Advertiser as part of their Package.
    2. There is no limit to the number of users an Advertiser site can add to handle live Chats or Texts.
    3. Chat and Text are available across all the Auto Trader Platform and on Auto Trader Dealer Websites (subject to paragraph 3.5 below).
    4. Chat Assist and Chat Manager are available on the Autotrader.co.uk Car and Van platforms only as well as Auto Trader Dealer Websites (subject to paragraph 3.5 below).
    5. Chat, Chat Assist and Chat Manager are only available on Auto Trader Dealer Websites where the Advertiser is subscribing to an Auto Trader Car/Van selling package.
    6. Chat Assist (where provided by Auto Trader’s default Chat Service Provider) operates between the hours of 6pm and 9am 7 days a week. Advertisers are responsible for answering chat and text conversations outside of these hours.
    7. Chat Manager (where provided by Auto Trader’s default Chat Service Provider) operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on behalf of Advertisers.
    8. Advertiser acknowledges and agrees that Auto Trader may access information contained in the transcripts arising from use of the Chat and Text Products (which is in anonymised form) and may use such information for internal service monitoring purposes and/or to deliver and improve Auto Trader’s products and services.

  4. Charges and Payment

    1. Chat and Text are available free of charge to Advertisers subscribing to a car, van or bike selling Package.
    2. Auto Trader reserves the right to charge Advertisers for the Chat and/or Text product on giving appropriate notice in accordance with the Main Advertising Terms and Conditions.
    3. Charges for Chat Assist and Chat Manager vary depending on contracted stock level.
    4. Chat Assist and Chat Manager is charged monthly based on the volume of the Advertiser’s contracted stock. Auto Trader reserves the right to amend Charges, in accordance with the Main Advertising Terms and Conditions and as notified by the Advertiser’s Account Manager, if an Advertiser increases / decreases the contracted stock. Stock offers are excluded from the contracted stock calculation.

  5. Liability

    1. The Advertiser is solely responsible for all content provided by the Advertiser when using the Chat product and the Text product. For Chat Assist and Chat Manager, the Advertiser is solely responsible for all content provided by the Chat Service Provider when it conducts conversations on the Advertiser’s behalf.
    2. Auto Trader is not responsible, and accepts no liability, for any content, and/or the delivery of such content, provided by or on behalf of the Advertiser or the Chat Service Provider in connection with any Chats and Text Product.
    3. Auto Trader reserves the right to remove any or all of the Chat and Text Products should the products and/or Consumers using the service be abused (as reasonably determined by Auto Trader). In addition, Auto Trader at its sole discretion may immediately restrict, suspend or terminate the provision of any of the Chat and Text Products on giving notice to the Advertiser in accordance with clauses 11.8 or 11.9 of the Main Advertising Terms and Conditions.

  6. Upgrades or Downgrades

    1. A minimum of 30 days’ notice is required for any downgrade or cancellation requests for Chat Assist and Chat Manager. The Advertiser should contact its Account Manager to discuss upgrading and downgrading any of the Chat and Text products.

  7. General

    1. In the event of a breach of these Rules by any Advertiser, such breach shall be deemed a breach of the Main Advertising Terms & Conditions and Auto Trader will be entitled to such rights and remedies available to it thereunder.
    2. Auto Trader may modify these Rules from time to time on giving at least 15 days’ notice in accordance with our Main Advertising Terms & Conditions.