Does the Autotrader URL still use the accurate date in it?

[carlosvalderrama]

For context, I'm currently browsing mk6 Golf GTi's for my wife as a replacement for her leggy Mito turbo.

One I found here: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202112230...

isn't exactly a peach, but according to the URL has been occupying the forecourt for nearly a year now. Which given the situation around used cars seems strange.

Is the URL not to be trusted any more? Or is this maybe a mild fishing scam in a sense of "Oh, just sold but I have another at nearly the same price." Or maybe the poor sod paid massive overs for it in auction and cannot get it moving?

[MRichards99]

By entering the reg into https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/, it's been untaxed since February 2020 and that was the date of the last V5 issued as well. MOT history suggests it hasn't done too much since 2020 (~1,500 miles), a runaround for the trader perhaps?

[carlosvalderrama]

Yeah maybe so.

The ad also gives it a MOT that's got about 3 weeks on it now, so it does look like the URL still shows the date. Looking at their other cars slow turnover isn't unknown, there's a cheap X3 that's been sat there since March.

100 internet points to the finder of the oldest ad on Autotrader.

[sixor8]

These 'appointment only' fellas aren't proper traders to me. It's their side-line it seems; if there are no premises where I can just turn up unannounced and poke and prod the cars on a forecourt, what's the point.

[samoht]

The majority of newly appearing ads have today's date as the URL, or a date within the prior few days (eg taking a few days to set it up before it goes live).

In some cases an ad may be taken down as a buyer has said they'll buy it, only for it to fall through later (e.g. finance application rejected) and it reappears.

I think there are some cases where a trader may 're use' an ad by changing the details perhaps, but those seem fairly rare I think.

So yeah, the AT system does still seem to assign URL ids based on the date.