Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, all our membership plans include a 30-day free trial. No payment details are required to get started, they will be requested towards the end of your free trial.

We accept all major credit/debit cards. Payments are processed securely with Stripe, our trusted payment services provider.

Yes of course, for sales enquiries please call us on +44 (0) 1473 598100 - Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm (GMT/BST).

Absolutely not! MotorDesk is designed to give those with technical experience the options they expect, whilst still being equally usable by those who don't have technical experience.

We provide comprehensive support and training and are always on-hand to assist you!

Of course! Technical support is available via live chat, email, text message and WhatsApp.

Yes, training via video call can be arranged on request.

The 'Vehicles For Sale' platform limit defines how many vehicles you may publish for sale at one time. You can add unlimited vehicles under all our plans, however for example the Scale plan will only allow you to publish 50 of those vehicles for sale at one time - if you have 50 vehicles published for sale and sell one, you can then immediately list another vehicle for sale. The platform limit does not limit how many vehicles you can sell or how often you publish/unpublish vehicles, simply how many can be published simultaneously.

We source our vehicle data from AutoTrader using the AutoTrader API. If you have an AutoTrader subscription with AutoTrader Connect then you will have free access to this vehicle data, subject to your subscription restrictions. If you do not have an AutoTrader Connect subscription then we source the data for you using our wholesale API account - however, unlike with an AutoTrader subscription we are charged each time we retrieve vehicle data and valuations.

The vehicle data charge of £0.15 GBP is charged each time you retrieve new vehicle data in a 24 hour period. For example, when you add a new vehicle to your stock we will retrieve a huge amount of data, ranging from derivative and fuel type to optional extras and MOT history. Once this data is retrieved it remains available under the relevant stock item permanently, and if you request data again for the same vehicle within 24 hours you will not be charged again. The vehicle data charge also applies when using the vehicle analyser, when retrieving vehicle data for invoice part exchanges, and when using the vehicle quick check tool.

The vehicle valuations charge of £0.50 GBP is only charged when you request a valuation for a vehicle and is also only charged once per vehicle per 24 hours, however, a new charge will apply if the vehicle mileage, condition or optional extras are changed and a new valuation is requested.

The image background removal charge of £0.15 GBP per image is applied only when a background is first removed from an image, you may then change the background without additional charges.

You are under no obligation to retrieve valuations or remove image backgrounds, and it is possible to add vehicles without incurring a vehicle data charge.

When using MotorDesk we will only charge your membership plan/add-on fee, and any applicable data charges, as per our plans and pricing. There are no additional costs unless they have been discussed and agreed.

When using some third-party services with MotorDesk then those services may charge you, below is a brief guide to those charges however we recommend you verify these with each service provider. None of these services are required to use MotorDesk.

• SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger & Instagram messaging require a Bird (formerly MessageBird) API account with a dedicated SMS number.
  Typically £0.85 GBP per month.
• SMS and WhatsApp messages will incur a per message charge with Bird.
  Typically £0.02 GBP per SMS message.
• Credit/debit card payment features require a Stripe, Acquired.com or takepayments account and the relevant payment processing fees will apply.
  Typically 1.4% + £0.20 GBP per transaction with Stripe.
• Sage, QuickBooks or Xero accounting software will incur a monthly fee.
  Starting at approximately £12 GBP per month.
• Advertising charges will apply when advertising on marketplaces such as AutoTrader, eBay and DealerAuction.
  Contact marketplaces for pricing.

An application programming interface (API) is a piece of computer software that is designed to be used by other computer software. For example, rather than having a pretty form asking a human for their contact details, an API would simply accept the contact details as an input, and rather than saying 'thank you' it may simply display a '1' to confirm the data was accepted. API's provide a fast and efficient way for computer systems to reliably exchange data, without the complexity of having to use an interface (such as a form) that is designed for a human. In the case of the AutoTrader Connect API for example, this allows the MotorDesk system to manage your stock with AutoTrader, without needing to log-in to the AutoTrader Portal.

Automatic factory fit detection, allowing us to determine which optional extras were fitted to a vehicle at the point of manufacture, is currently available for the following manufacturers:

• BMW
• MINI
• Fiat
• Abarth
• Alfa Romeo
• Jeep
• Chrysler
• Renault
• Dacia
• Alpine
• Volvo

This data is typically available for all vehicles manufactured in the past 15 years, with data also available for many older vehicles. We expect further manufacturers to be added in the near future.

Typical web hosting uses a single web server (computer) to store and serve your website, if that server has a problem, or simply needs to be taken offline for maintenance, then your website will go offline.

High availability web hosting uses at least two web servers to ensure one will continue to serve your website if the other becomes unavailable.

We take this a step further utlising cloud hosting infrastructure to spread our platform and your website across numerous servers ensuring service won't be disurpted if individual or even multiple servers fail.

Yes, all data, images and videos (including your vehicle, customer & sales records) stored in the MotorDesk system are backed up using multiple methods to ensure your data is safe should we suffer a minor mishap or a catastrophic failure.

All data is originally stored on at least two independent web servers, and these servers are routinely backed up each day using two independent backup systems. Our databases also employ point-in-time backups, allowing us to restore to specific points in time - rather than simple hourly or daily backups.

To complement this setup, we also transfer our AES (military-grade) encrypted backups to our geographically strategic and highly secure backup server in Singapore, providing total protection should a catastrophic event affect our UK-based data centre.

And because we utilise the best cloud-based hosting services, we can restore from any of these backup systems to new servers in no less than 3 different continents and 7 different countries, should the need arise.

MotorDesk currently provides API or feed integration with:

• AA Cars
• AutoTrader
• Car Finance 247
• CarGurus.co.uk
• Carhuna
• CarCliq
• ChooseMyCar
• CarsVansandBikes.com
• Dealer Auction
• eBay.co.uk
• JamesEdition
• MOTORS (formerly eBay Motors Group)
• Oodle Car Finance
• PistonHeads
• Your Red Car

In addition to our social media integration we also have a WordPress plugin for feeding third-party websites.

New feeds and API integrations can be developed on request, usually free of charge. If you would like us to integrate with a different marketplace please contact us.

Yes! If you would like us to integrate with a different marketplace please contact us. We can develop new data feeds and API integrations very quickly and are ready to do so upon request at no additional cost.

Facebook Marketplace and Google Shopping do not allow vehicle feeds. We have feeds ready for both in the hope they will change their rules.

We do feed to Facebook Shop which enables you to have a shop of your vehicles on both your Facebook and Instagram profiles, we also post to your Google Business Profile automatically, and your website will be SEO optimised for Google Search.

Of course! The MotorDesk platform is fully GDPR and data protection compliant, and we are registered with the ICO (registration number ZB073696).

However, please keep in mind when using the platform that you must respect customer data. Customers consent to replies to their enquiries, and they may optionally consent to receive marketing communications - it is your responsibility to ensure you respect this consent when contacting customers for marketing purposes.

How could we forget cookie law with the constant nagging consent forms?

We didn't, and the MotorDesk platform is fully compliant. By default, your website provided by MotorDesk does not utilise non-functional cookies and therefore cookie consent is not required. However, your website will continue to request consent in preparation to accommodate your own analytics and tracking codes, should they be required.

Yes! MotorDesk provides several website design templates which can be installed in seconds, these templates can then be easily customised as you wish via our fantastic website CMS - changing the website structure, page layouts, branding and colours with ease.

We also offer bespoke web design services, creating a unique website design for your website. Please contact us to discuss your web design requirements.

No! MotorDesk's dealership websites are provided by a totally bespoke platform developed internally, complete with our own in-house designed website editor.

If you would like to use a WordPress website we offer the MotorDesk WordPress Plugin integrating your MotorDesk vehicle data with your third-party WordPress website.

MotorDesk uses special templates developed in-house and therefore third-party designed templates are not compatible. However, we will be happy to create new templates for you based on the design you provide - please contact us to discuss your web design requirements.

Yes! Please contact us to discuss your web design requirements.