Motor vehicle traders & Consumer Information Notices

This page is for anyone selling vehicles through 21ST AURA who may be a motor vehicle trader under New Zealand law, and for buyers who want to understand the difference between buying from a trader and buying privately.

It is general information, not legal advice. If you are unsure whether you are a trader, or what your obligations are, please get independent advice or check with the Motor Vehicle Traders Register.

Under the Motor Vehicle Sales Act 2003, you are generally considered a motor vehicle trader if you:

• sell more than six vehicles in a 12-month period, or
• advertise or display more than six vehicles for sale in a 12-month period, or
• carry on the business of motor vehicle trading in any other way.

If that sounds like you, you are likely required to be registered on the Motor Vehicle Traders Register before you sell vehicles. Selling as a trader while unregistered is an offence.

21ST AURA does not verify or confirm your registration status. Declaring yourself accurately — private seller or trader — is your legal responsibility.

If you sell as a trader, consumer law applies to your sales. In broad terms, traders must:

• Comply with the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 — vehicles must be of acceptable quality, fit for purpose and match their description. These guarantees generally cannot be contracted out of when selling to consumers.
• Comply with the Fair Trading Act 1986 — no misleading or deceptive conduct, no false representations about the vehicle, its history, price or condition.
• Display or provide a Consumer Information Notice (CIN) with each vehicle offered for sale to consumers, where the CIN requirements apply.

A Consumer Information Notice is the standard disclosure that must be attached to, or provided with, a used motor vehicle a trader offers for sale to a consumer. It sets out key information such as:

• The trader's name and registration details.
• The vehicle's details, including year, make, model and odometer reading.
• Whether there is money owing on the vehicle (a registered security interest).
• The cash price of the vehicle.

On 21ST AURA, trader listings must include the trader's CIN information before they can be published. The platform enforces this at publishing time — a trader listing without CIN details cannot go live.

Providing accurate CIN information remains the trader's responsibility. 21ST AURA displays what the trader supplies and does not check it for accuracy.

If you are selling your own vehicle privately and you are not in the business of trading vehicles, the trader rules above generally do not apply to you. However:

• You must still not mislead buyers — the Fair Trading Act can apply to anyone trading, and misrepresenting a vehicle can have legal consequences.
• You must accurately complete the disclosures on your listing, including damage, money owing, WOF and registration details.
• Buyers purchasing privately are generally not covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act, so honesty in your listing matters even more.

If you regularly sell vehicles, do not list as a private seller to avoid trader obligations — that is against our selling rules and potentially against the law.

Every listing on 21ST AURA is clearly badged as either a private sale or a trader sale, so buyers always know who they are dealing with before they make contact.

Trader listings display the CIN information supplied by the trader. Private listings show that no CIN applies because the sale is private.

If you believe a listing is mislabelled — for example a trader presenting as a private seller — please report it. Our moderation team reviews every report.

• 21ST AURA is a marketplace platform. We do not sell vehicles and we do not become the seller of any vehicle listed by a user.
• We do not verify trader registration, inspect vehicles, or check the accuracy of CIN information supplied by traders.
• We do not provide legal, mechanical, financial or vehicle-history advice or guarantees.
• We never hold, receive or transfer money. Any payment is arranged directly between buyer and seller.