Motor vehicle listing policy

• Image Guidelines
• Use as intended, and keep it onsite
• In-trade sellers
• Dealer Microsite
• Special Offers
• Franchise Packages

Image Guidelines

First three photos

• Your first three photos must show the vehicle for sale.
• We recommend using a large, clear image of the vehicle.
  

Images of other vehicles

• No stock photos – except for new or demonstrator cars, with the consent of the rights holder.
• No images of vehicles other than the vehicle for sale.

Overlays, branding, and messages

• Overlays, text, images, watermarks, photo borders or other enhancements can't be used to promote additional information, offers or messages.
• If you're in-trade and want to advertise your dealership brand, contact your account manager.

Contact details

Images and listing descriptions can't include:

• Phone numbers.
• Dealership addresses.
• Websites.
• Any other contact details.

Non-vehicle images

Up to two non-vehicle images may be used, of:

• Your dealership brand
• Dealership yard
• Report about the vehicle (e.g. MotorWeb VIR, AA report, CIN).

Non-vehicle images can't be used to advertise or promote finance or other offers. Images of the actual vehicle for sale must also be used. Non-vehicle images cannot be used in your first three photos (see above).

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Use as intended, and keep it onsite

Listings aren't for general advertising

• Listings must be used for the sale or promotion of an actual or specific vehicle that is for sale. 
• Listings can't be used solely for the general advertising of your brand, business or dealership.
• You must not use a Trade Me Motors listing to promote a business or website.
• If you wish to use Trade Me purely for advertising, check out our advertising service.

Sale of a specific vehicle

• Listings must promote a specific vehicle and shouldn't be used for multiple or generic vehicles.
• You may not use a listing to offer to sell additional vehicles outside of Trade Me or list a per-vehicle price (e.g. if you have two of the same motorbike for sale that you want to promote through Trade Me, you must create two separate listings).

One listing per vehicle

• Don't create multiple listings for a single vehicle.

URLs

• URLs or website links may not be used in listing descriptions. 
• If you want to include a link to your website, ask your account manager about our Sitelink product.

Relisting

• Listings can't be reused or edited to advertise a different vehicle.
• The relist function may not be used to manipulate search results, or artificially improve the search position of a listing.
• There are also additional specific terms for relisting Motors listings, depending on the vehicle and listing type (e.g. classified or auction).  

Withdrawing auctions

• Listing a vehicle by auction is a commitment to sell it through Trade Me.
• Auctions may not be withdrawn because it hasn't reached the price you wanted – consider setting a reserve price.
• If you don't want to commit to the auction process, consider using a classified listing.

Keyword spamming

• Listing descriptions may not use excessive or irrelevant keywords.
• Keywords must be relevant to the specific vehicle for sale.
• We may remove listings that appear to attempt to manipulate search results.

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In-trade sellers

Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) 1993

• The CGA sets out quality guarantees that any business or person in-trade must provide to their customers.
• You cannot contract out of these guarantees if you're in-trade, and selling to a consumer (someone who's not in-trade).

Listing descriptions can't attempt to contract out of the CGA, where the buyer is a consumer.
Don't:

• Imply the buyer will not have the benefit of protection under the CGA.
• Claim that a vehicle is being sold 'as-is, where-is'.
• State that you're selling on behalf of a private seller.

We'll remove any listings that breach these requirements.

Selling to another business or person in-trade

When selling to another business or person in-trade, you can contract out of CGA guarantees if there's an agreement, in writing, between both parties.

If you intend to contract out of the CGA when selling to another in-trade person you must make it clear in your description that:

• you intend to do so
• this only applies to buyers who are a business, or in-trade
• any claims of contracting out of the CGA do not and will not apply to consumers.

If your listing description isn't clear that any terms intended to contract out of the CGA apply to in-trade and business buyers only, we may amend, remove, or deprioritise your listing.

Registered motor vehicle traders

If you sell six or more vehicles in a year, you're likely to be required by law to register as a registered motor vehicle trader (RMVT).

If so, you must register and state your RMVT number in your listings. You authorise us to search the Motor Vehicle Traders Register on your behalf to check your RMVT status.

Offshore vehicles

You may only sell a vehicle that is offshore if you are a registered vehicle trader. 

If you're a registered vehicle trader and want to sell an offshore vehicle, you must:

• Hold clear authority to sell the vehicle.
• Ensure it is intended for imminent transit to NZ. 
• Indicate in the listing that such vehicles are offshore or in transit. 

You may sell an offshore boat, however you will need to be clear in the listing description that the boat is located offshore and additional costs to ship the boat to NZ may apply.

Consumer Information Notice (CIN)

• Motor vehicle traders must display a CIN when selling a car online via auction.
• The CIN must be in a prominent position on the listing and be provided to the successful buyer.

Pre Order

To list new vehicles for pre-order, you must:

• Have express authority from the manufacturer.
• Be clear in your listing that the vehicle is available for pre-order only.
• Have authority from the rights holder, if using stock photos.

'New' vehicles are brand new vehicles that:

• Haven't been manufactured or driven.
• Haven't yet been shipped to NZ. 

Security interests

Anyone selling cars on Trade Me is required to ensure that the buyer of the motor vehicle takes the motor vehicle free of any security interest. 

Any security interest on the vehicle must be disclosed in the listing.

Prices and fees

• All prices must be in New Zealand dollars (NZD) and include all applicable GST (if any).
• Listings fees and success fees (if applicable) are to be paid by the seller. Fees may not be added to the winning bid amount.

Correct vehicle details

You must provide one of the following for the specific vehicle you're selling:

• VIN
• Chassis number
• Number plate

Whichever you choose to provide, it must be the correct one for the vehicle you're selling. 

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Dealer Microsite

There are two types of images on the Dealer Microsite.

• The Hero image (available to all dealers)
• The Display Ads (only available to those who have “Microsite - Ad Free” product)

The Hero image

• Our 'Microsite' product is to help dealers advertise and promote their dealership brand.
• Like listing images, the Microsite Hero image can't be used to promote additional info, offers or messages.
• Examples of information not allowed in this image are:
  • Contact details
  • Finance offers
  • Other special offers
• This info can be displayed in your listing so it isn’t needed in your Hero image.

The Display Ads

• The primary purpose of these is to promote your brand and to remove other advertisers from your Microsite. You cannot resell any display advertising space to any third party.
• The display ads must:
  • not contain content that is, in Trade Me's opinion, offensive, predatory, misleading, inaccurate, inappropriate or illegal.
  • not mention Trade Me unless agreed to by Trade Me in writing;
  • not mention any other third party unless you have that third party’s consent; and
  • comply with New Zealand industry standards, including, but not limited to, standards provided by the New Zealand Interactive Advertising Bureau and the Advertising Codes of Practice issued by the Advertising Standards Authority ("ASA").

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Special Offers

• Our Special Offer product is designed to help dealers advertise and promote unique and time-sensitive offers on motors listings.
• To make sure buyers have a great experience when browsing and searching your vehicles, we have some rules for you to follow when utilising Special Offers for your listings on Trade Me Motors.

Special Offer policy

• Dealership Branding: Special Offers may not be used to promote a dealership, or provide additional dealership information or messages not unique to the car in the individual listing.
• Contact details: Special Offers must not include any contact details, dealership addresses, website addresses or other contact details. This information is displayed elsewhere in the listing so there's no need to include it in your Special Offers.
• Finance Offers: Offers displayed must meet all requirements set forth by the CCCFA and FAC.
• Quantity: Every vehicle you list may have a Special Offer. However, each listing may only have one special offer at a time.
• URLs: You may not include any URLs or website links in your Special Offer description. Please paste the link in the required field when setting up your special offers.

Special Offer images policy

• Size: You may use an image to accompany your special offer. Images should be sized at a minimum of 609 px x 456 px and be a ratio of 4:3 to ensure they display correctly and look great on-site. Images that do not meet this size requirement will not be uploaded.
• Promotion: This image must be used to promote the specific special offer rather than for the dealership itself.
• Finance: Finance offers displayed must meet all requirements set forth by the CCCFA.
• Contact details: Images must not include any contact details, dealership addresses, website addresses or other contact details.

Any breach of these policies may result in the adjusting, editing,  or removal of your listing, or listings. Continued breaches can result in the removal of all of your listings, or your access to Dealerbase.

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Franchise packages

Vehicle condition and vehicle status policy

Dealers on a Franchise package must abide by the following policies when listing their Brand New, Certified Used and Ex-Demo vehicles. Please note – this is for Franchise Dealers only, those are dealers on a Franchise Starter, Franchise Gold or Franchise Platinum package.

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