Poor Management & Director Staff - Anonymous employee Autotrader Employee Review

2.0
Mar 29, 2013
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Initially, great pay (4% of total revenue) on top of salary. Dealer Sales had Service Consultants to help service the accounts, while Advertising Consultants (Sales) were allowed to SELL.

Cons

Commission structures changed on a quarterly basis. Territories constantly realigned. District Sales Managers (DSM's) rotated often. Many DSM's had poor people skills and/or no training (flying by the seat of their pants) - very unprofessional. Some that "thought" they were professional used typical sales strategies..."Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Dealer, that..." Dealers considered them a JOKE. Many DSM's were Advertising Consultants (Sales) who knew how to sell, but not how to manage others. When AutoTrader Magazine stopped the presses, the .com side used the help of print reps to sell online packages. Once these deals were inked, many of the print reps were laid off/fired. Also, huge layoffs and firings across the country, starting in 2008. The layoffs were done in large masses, doubling the work load of the Dealer Sales team. Many firings occurred over 2009, 2010, 2011 under the radar. Great overall site, but not focused on the consumer. Little testing with new products. Dealers sometimes lost faith in new products. Many dealers were burned in 2007/2008 when ATC raised rates by 15% or more. Wouldn't recommend working here - at all. You will not have a work life balance.

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5.0
Jun 15, 2026
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Pros

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Cons

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3.0
Sep 12, 2025
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CEO approval
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Pros

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Cons

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