'Trade' sellers on Auto Trader

[Fatboy40]

I've not bought, or sold, a car in seven years and have just started scanning the Auto Trader website for a new one for my wife. Seven years ago I looked at the odd car here and there that was sold by what claimed ot be a 'Trade' seller, ultimately some dodgy bloke selling a clapped out shed from his terraced house, but it seems that this sort of things is all over Auto Trader now

Why does someone, selling a cheap car from their home with photos of it parked by the side of the road in what looks likes a suburb of Kabul, class themselves as a trade seller ?.

Can any of these people actualy be trusted ?, do they just buy cheap sheds and then try and make a small profit on them ?.

[alpha channel]

It seems that type of seller (and there's one not far from where I live), for the most part, buys the cars from auctions then sells them on for profit or at least goes out and buys an old banger, tarts it up then tries and flogs it on for a quick profit (the joker near me bought a, very badly, modded Astra, nasty arsed black alloys, crappy looking boot spoiler you might otherwise see on a touring car and it took him the better part of six months to shift). Generally I wouldn't buy from these people. You might very well get a bargain but you're equally likely, if not more so, to get a lemon.

I've had particularly bad luck when it comes to buying cars (or rather it feels like it anyway). In one case it was the engine, in another the head gasket. The most reliable (petrol) car I've ever bought came from a garage, had 116,000 miles on it I and I only ever had to change the tyres when needed (paid slightly over the odds for it but still...).

[jimbouk]

Isn't there a legal requirement to declare yourself as a trade seller if it isn't a true private sale (not just on Autotrader but generally)?

[alpha channel]

I think so, I would imagine you'd be liable for tax on any profit you make. I'm sure that legislation was put in place so that if someone was selling vehicles privately but was doing so on a regular basis (i.e. they're flogging motors on a monthly basis and aren't a one off sale and aren't a garage/registered business) and selling multiple vehicles at the same time then they have to park/display those vehicles a set minimum distance apart. I think it was something to do with minimising interference with other residents.

[Zak33]

a private seller is someone selling a car registered to themselves, owned by themselves, used by themselves and not being sold for profit.

Anyone else is a trader.

You wana be more worried about the people selling cheap cars for profit who DON'T advertise that they are traders....

[mikerr]

Maybe autotrader doesn't allow multiple adverts unless you tick the trader box ?

After all many small time traders used to pretend to be private sellers to avoid warranties etc