AUTOTRADER, Gumtree and CarsGuide announced on Friday that the group is waiving all dealer listing fees for Victorian metropolitan dealers for the duration of Coronavirus Stage 4 restrictions.

The offer of support will be automatically applied to applicable dealers’ invoices.

Richard Dicello, head of motors for Gumtree Australia, said in a statement: “As the automotive industry continues to navigate through the pandemic, the most recent restrictions in Victoria present further challenges to our dealer partners in the region.

“Ultimately we are all in this together and we hope that this initiative will help alleviate some of the financial pressures dealerships are facing as a result of the pandemic,” Mr Dicello said.

The initiative follows the introduction earlier this year of contactless trading badges by Autotrader and Gumtree.

These badges allow dealers to clearly communicate to car buyers on their listings, and inform them of what initiatives they are taking in order to provide a safe, contactless sales experience.

Consumers are also able to filter search results by those dealers offering these initiatives.

Shaun Cornelius, CEO, CarsGuide Autotrader, said: “We will continue to monitor this situation very closely in both Victoria and nationally, and look for ways to continue to support and partner with Australian dealers as we navigate these uncharted waters.”

In June 2020, Gumtree, CarsGuide and Autotrader announced the three brands were combining to create a combined car-buying platform for Australian consumers.

The combined offering will provide three shop windows for online partners, with a combined 38 million+ visits* per month.

*Source: Nielsen Digital Content Ratings, Monthly tagged, March 2020, people 2+, Digital (C/M), Gumtree, Autotrader, CarsGuide.com.au, total sessions, page views.

By John Mellor