How does it work?
- How do I pay for my reservation? - You make your secure payment of £99 online via our partner, Stripe. The dealer will hold your vehicle until your deal is complete. We do not pass this £99 to the dealer and will send it back to you.
- What if I change my mind? - If you decide that you don’t want to go ahead, you can cancel your reservation at any time. You’ll automatically get your £99 sent back.
- Where can I see deal updates? - After two hours of submitting your reservation, we will remind you to let us know what’s happened with your reservation. This will be visible in your Autotrader account area, and we’ll also email you.
Reservations are held for 30 days, but you and the dealer can complete or cancel at any time. Feel free to contact the dealer if you need more time.
What happens to my money?
The £99 doesn't leave your account. It's just a pending payment. Similar to what happens when you buy petrol at the pump. But, you will see the amount 'taken' from your available balance. When the funds are made available again, either:
- The transaction will completely disappear from your statement
- The £99 will show as a refund on your statement
How do I get my reservation fee back?
- Getting your money back earlier - Two hours after you have submitted your reservation, you will get an email where we will ask you about your deal. We'd like to know if you bought the vehicle. We'll send the payment back to you as soon as you've let us know.
- Standard refund and cancellation time – If you don’t let us know the outcome within seven days or don't reply to the email, we'll cancel your reservation and give the money back to you. We'll never hold your money longer than seven days.
- I want to cancel my deal - If you don’t want the vehicle or wish to cancel your reservation before the two-hour period, you can cancel your deal from your confirmation email or through your Autotrader account area. We'll then release the £99, usually within a day.