autotrader.com

Autotrader Messaging app is awful (the only way to communicate with your Buyer)

Listed my car for Sale on Autotrader, and I was able to sell it, this review is for the Messaging app only...The messaging app is awful, it is the only way to communicate with buyersSometimes I did not get any text and email messages when someone messaged me from the app.Other times the messages that I send after logging into the app would not go throughThere were times where I read all the messages in the app and it still shows as unreadI hope you will agree when I say 'timing' is everything when you are trying to sell your vehicle, I lost a couple of buyers because my messages would not go through, or I would not be notified when I got a message from a buyer in the app.The messaging app that they created for communicating with a buyer is the main hurdle for selling your carThey do not allow you to put your phone number in if you want to talk to the buyer directly (as the AI that is monitoring the app deletes it) Lastly my Buyer also mentioned (without me asking him) that the Messaging app is awfulThe one star is because, inspite of all these hurdles, I was able to sell the car (I was ready to take my ad down and sell my car elsewhere).

Date of experience: Jan 14, 2026