We contacted a few customers who recently purchased a car from a dealer through Gumtree, and asked them “what part of a listing do you find most important when buying a car?” Here’s a selection of the responses we received:

Rebecca, 39, Carer, QLD:
Detailed comments
“An honest description that includes imperfections is great because it shows you’re buying a real car that belonged to a real driver, instead of something make believe. No used car is absolutely perfect.”

Justin, 50, IT specialist, WA:
Photos
“Good quality and quantity of photos of exterior, but especially the interior. Anybody can polish a car but only people who look after cars won’t have tears and cracks inside. It shows if the car has been properly looked after.”

Amanda, 35, Hotelier, NSW:
Negotiable prices
“Listings that have the word “negotiable” included in the pricing is key for me, it makes the car look more achievable for me to consider rather than ads that say ‘set price’ or ‘non-negotiable’. Makes the seller more approachable, too.”