From advert to answer.
Every morning Motorwatchr reads the private-seller adverts on three of the UK's biggest car sites, joins up the same car wherever it's listed, adds its MOT history and prices it against similar adverts. Here is each step — and what we deliberately leave out.
- 01
Gather
Once a day, early in the morning, we collect new and changed private-seller adverts from Auto Trader, Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace. We only read what anyone can see without logging in, and every car keeps the link to its advert.
What we take from each site - 02
Match
The registration joins it up. The same car on two sites, or taken down and re-posted at a new price, becomes one car with every advert and every price change on it. Auto Trader and Gumtree give the registration; on Facebook we read it from the photos and use it only once the DVSA record matches the advert.
- 03
Check
For every registration, the DVSA's MOT history: each test, its advisories and failures, and the mileage at each one. When the advert's mileage doesn't fit the record, you see both figures.
- 04
Rate
One colour, on value only: the asking price against the average of similar private adverts in our pool. The working is always on show, so you can see why.
- 05
Decide
You get the car, the colour, the flags and the link to the advert. Whether it's worth the drive is your call — that's the part we leave to you.
What “similar” means.
The same make and model, a year either side, a similar mileage, the same fuel and gearbox — private adverts only, over the last 60 days. Not a book price: what private sellers are actually asking.
This car: £5,300 → 18% under (£1,150)
Under the market
10% or more below the average — and enough pounds under to matter, so a cheap car doesn't go green on a few quid.
About right
Within 10% of the average, either side.
Over the market
10% or more above the average.
Not enough similar cars
Grey. We'd rather say nothing than guess.
Beside the colour. Never in it.
Issues sit next to the rating as flags. A Cat N car can still be cheap — the flag tells you why.
- Cat S, N, C or D
- When the advert, the seller or the site's own vehicle check states it
- Spares or repairs, non-runner
- When the advert says so, with the seller's words quoted
- MOT expired or due soon
- From the DVSA's record
- Mileage below an MOT reading
- The advert's figure against the DVSA's, both shown
- Price dropped or re-posted
- From what we saw on earlier days
We read.
We don't guess.
What we show
- +The advert's own words, quoted
- +The site's own labels — private seller, vehicle check
- +The DVSA's MOT record
- +Prices today and on earlier days
What we leave out
- –Deciding who's a trader against the site's label
- –Scoring sellers or guessing at scams
- –Damage the advert doesn't mention
- –Paid book prices — the average comes from real adverts
Tomorrow's list, before you're up.
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