Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions of Use

Last updated: 16 June 2026

Welcome to cars.ie. These Terms of Use set out the agreement between you and C.A.R.S (Ireland) Ltd ("CARS.ie", "we", "us") governing your use of the cars.ie website. Please read them carefully before using the site.

By accessing or using cars.ie you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to these Terms of Use and the associated policies listed in Section 11. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.

1. About us

cars.ie is operated by C.A.R.S (Ireland) Ltd, a company registered in Ireland under company number 150050 with its registered office at Keltar, Ballynoe, Whites Cross, Co. Cork, T23 K290. Our VAT number is [VAT_NUMBER].

You can contact us at [email protected].

2. What CARS.ie is — and what can be listed

CARS.ie is a specialist online marketplace for the sale of motor vehicles in Ireland. The only items that may be listed for sale on CARS.ie are motor vehicles — cars, vans, light commercials, and other road-registered motor vehicles. (Set permitted vehicle types: confirm whether motorcycles, caravans, horseboxes or agricultural vehicles are allowed.)

Listings for anything other than a motor vehicle are not permitted on CARS.ie and will be removed without refund. This includes (but is not limited to):

non-vehicle goods of any kind;
"wanted" listings;
general services;
parts-only listings where no vehicle is for sale;
pets, animals, firearms, tickets, or any other non-vehicle item.

Each listing must relate to a single, specific vehicle. A listing may not be edited or re-used to advertise a different vehicle — a new listing must be created for each new vehicle offered for sale.

Users who repeatedly breach this restriction may have their accounts suspended or terminated (see Section 13).

3. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms of Use from time to time. When we do, the "Last updated" date at the top of this page will change.

If you are a registered user, we will email you at least 15 days before material changes take effect. During that period you may terminate this agreement if you do not accept the revised Terms. Business Users (dealers) who continue to create new listings after the revised Terms take effect will be deemed to have accepted them.

For unregistered users, continued use of the site after a change takes effect means you have accepted the revised Terms.

4. Using the site

4.1 Age

Use of CARS.ie by anyone under 18 is subject to the consent of a parent or guardian. Our contract is with the parent or guardian, who is responsible for the minor's compliance with these Terms.

4.2 Access

You are responsible for arranging your own access to the site, and for ensuring that anyone accessing the site through your connection (including minors) is aware of and complies with these Terms.

4.3 Geographic scope

Only users based in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland may list vehicles on CARS.ie. (Confirm whether NI sellers are permitted.) Users elsewhere may browse listings but not place them.

4.4 Availability

Access to CARS.ie is provided on a temporary basis. We may at any time, and without liability, suspend, withdraw or amend any aspect of the site without notice.

5. Registering an account

You do not need an account to browse listings. You do need one to place listings, save searches, set up email alerts, or contact other users.

When you register you must provide accurate, current and complete information, and keep it up to date. You are responsible for all activity that happens under your account, and for keeping your password safe. You must tell us immediately if you suspect your account has been accessed without your permission.

We may deactivate accounts that:

contain offensive, misleading, or trademark-infringing usernames or email addresses;
impersonate another person or organisation;
appear to have been created by automated means or under false pretences;
have been inactive for an extended period.

You can close your account at any time by contacting [email protected]. See our Privacy Policy for how we retain data after an account is closed.

6. Things you must not do

You agree that you will not, and will not permit any third party to:

modify, reverse-engineer, or scrape the site;
use bots, spiders, or other automated tools to access, retrieve or index any part of the site;
collect information about other users for any purpose other than responding to a listing in the manner the site was designed for;
create multiple accounts, or accounts by automated or fraudulent means;
transmit spam, chain letters, pyramid schemes, or unsolicited commercial communications;
transmit viruses, malware, or any other harmful code;
attempt to gain unauthorised access to the site, other users' accounts, or any connected systems;
post content that is defamatory, obscene, indecent, discriminatory, harassing, or that incites hatred or violence;
post content that infringes third-party intellectual property, privacy, or confidentiality rights;
list any vehicle you do not have the right to sell;
list any vehicle with outstanding finance without clearly disclosing that fact;
list a stolen vehicle, or any vehicle with a tampered or unclear identity (for example, altered VIN or mileage);
list anything that is not a motor vehicle (see Section 2);
promote competitor marketplaces on the site;
do anything that places an undue load on our infrastructure or support team.

Breaches of any of the above may lead to your listings being removed, your account being suspended or terminated, and in serious cases to legal action.

7. Listings — what you are responsible for

You are solely responsible for the content of every listing you create and for the vehicle you sell following a listing. In particular, every listing must:

relate to a single, specific motor vehicle;
accurately describe the make, model, year of first registration, mileage at the time of listing, engine size, fuel type, transmission, and any known defects or previous damage;
accurately state the vehicle registration number where requested;
not misrepresent ownership history, service history, or whether the vehicle has been previously written off or imported;
not conceal known defects;
not list a vehicle with outstanding finance without clear disclosure of that fact;
use images that are a true and accurate representation of the actual vehicle offered for sale.

CARS.ie does not verify the accuracy of listings. We do not inspect vehicles, verify ownership, or confirm any claim a seller makes in a listing. Buyers should not rely solely on a listing and are strongly encouraged to inspect any vehicle in person (or arrange an independent inspection) before buying.

7.1 AI-generated or AI-enhanced images

You acknowledge that CARS.ie does not review or police the use of AI-generated or AI-enhanced images in listings. Sellers must ensure that every image is an accurate and truthful representation of the actual vehicle. Buyers should not rely on images alone and are strongly encouraged to inspect the vehicle in person before purchase.

We disclaim any liability for losses or disputes arising from reliance on images that have been modified, enhanced, or created using AI or similar technologies.

8. Your content — your responsibility, our licence

Everything you submit to cars.ie — listing text, images, messages — remains your content. By submitting it you grant us (and our contractors and site users) a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use, copy, display, distribute, and create derivative works from that content for the purposes of operating and promoting the site, including combining your content with other users' content in our searchable database of listings.

This licence lasts for as long as your content remains on the site and for a reasonable period afterwards to allow for back-ups and cached copies to clear. It is granted subject to your rights under data protection law, including the right to have personal data erased where applicable (see our Privacy Policy); exercising those rights may require us to remove the relevant content.

You warrant that you have the right to grant this licence and that your content does not infringe any third-party rights.

9. Dealer listings and subscriptions

Users acting in the course of trade ("Business Users" or "Dealers") must identify themselves as a trader when creating their account or placing listings.

Dealers are subject to additional commercial terms covering ad slots, subscriptions, invoicing, and listing volumes. "Ad Slots" are the positions to which a dealer may upload a single-vehicle listing. A dealer may use only the number of slots contracted at any one time. Repeated overuse may result in the subscription being adjusted to a higher tier.

Dealers must comply with all applicable Irish consumer-protection law, including the Consumer Protection Act 2007, the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act 1980, the European Union (Consumer Information, Cancellation and Other Rights) Regulations 2013, and the Code of Standards for Advertising and Marketing Communications in Ireland.

9.1 P2B Regulation — transparency for Business Users

Under Regulation (EU) 2019/1150 on promoting fairness and transparency for business users of online intermediation services:

Ranking. The order of listings in search results is influenced by factors including whether a premium placement (for example, Bump or Spotlight) has been purchased, any filters or sort order you apply, and in some cases your previous search activity. You can influence the ordering by changing your search filters or sort order.
Ancillary services. Alongside listings we may display insurance, finance, vehicle history check, valuation, and other third-party products. You acknowledge that such advertisements may appear alongside your listings.
Access to data. Business Users have access to data generated through their use of CARS.ie. Information generated during your contractual relationship with us — for example user message history or performance statistics — will not be available once your account is terminated. We retain personal data in line with our Privacy Policy.
Termination and suspension. If your account or access is restricted, suspended or terminated, we will give you a statement of reasons and an opportunity to clarify the circumstances through our internal complaint-handling process (see Section 13).
Complaints and mediation. Business Users may raise complaints about our compliance with P2B obligations, technical issues affecting the service, or measures we have taken that directly affect them, by emailing [email protected]. A case officer will acknowledge your complaint within three working days, issue a preliminary decision within 15 working days of receiving all requested information, and invite comment before a final decision. Where disputes cannot be resolved internally, mediation is available through the Dublin Dispute Resolution Centre.

10. Payment for listings

Publishing a paid listing is subject to payment of the applicable fee. Fees are shown on the site at the point of purchase, quoted in euro, and inclusive of VAT at the applicable rate for private sellers. Dealers are invoiced according to their commercial agreement with us.

Payments are processed by our third-party payment provider, [PAYMENT_PROCESSOR]. When you pay you are redirected to the provider's secure platform. The payment provider is an independent data controller for your payment-card information; we receive only a confirmation of the transaction and limited metadata (timestamp, amount, masked card number). We do not store your full card details. See our Privacy Policy for more.

Where we are required by law or by a competent authority to disclose the identity of a seller in connection with a listing, we may do so. We will limit any such disclosure to what is legally required, and we handle all personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

10.1 Cancellation

Once a listing has been published, your order cannot be cancelled. Before publication you may cancel by contacting [email protected].

Dealers with recurring subscriptions must give 30 days' written notice to cancel, by emailing [email protected].

10.2 Refunds

Where listings are rejected or removed for breach of these Terms or any policy, it is our policy not to issue refunds. If you are unsure whether a proposed listing is acceptable, please contact us before placing it.

11. Associated policies

Your use of the site is also governed by the following policies, which form part of this agreement:

Privacy Policy — how we handle your personal data
Cookie Policy — what cookies we use and how to manage them
Vehicle Listing Policy — the detailed rules for what and how you can list (include only if this exists as a separate document)
Fair Usage Policy — listed below in Section 12
Refund Policy — as described in Section 10.2
Cancellation Policy — as described in Section 10.1

If any policy conflicts with these Terms, these Terms take priority.

12. Fair usage

To keep search results useful for buyers:

each listing must relate to one specific vehicle;
a listing cannot be edited to advertise a different vehicle — create a new listing instead;
you may not create multiple listings for the same vehicle across different sections or counties;
dealers who repeatedly remove and relist the same vehicles to game search rankings may be suspended. Use our Bump or Spotlight products instead.

13. Suspension, termination, and complaints

13.1 When we may suspend or terminate

We may delete any listing and suspend or terminate your access to CARS.ie, at our discretion, including where:

you have breached these Terms or any associated policy;
you have posted manifestly illegal content;
you have submitted manifestly unfounded reports of illegal content;
we receive a lawful request from An Garda Síochána, the PSNI, or another law-enforcement or regulatory body;
you request deletion of your account;
technical issues or extended inactivity require it.

We will give you a statement of reasons and, unless doing so would prejudice an investigation or breach a legal obligation, an opportunity to clarify the circumstances through our complaint-handling process.

13.2 Reporting content

If you believe a listing or other content on the site breaches these Terms, is illegal, or is otherwise objectionable, please use the "Report this Ad" mechanism on the listing, or email [email protected] with full details.

If you are reporting content as illegal under the Digital Services Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065), please explain clearly why the content is illegal. Reports that are not sufficiently substantiated cannot be progressed. If you repeatedly submit manifestly unfounded reports, we may suspend your ability to submit further reports.

13.3 Complaints about our decisions

If you disagree with a decision we have taken about content you posted, or about your access to the site, you have the right to lodge a complaint within six months of the decision. Complaints are handled free of charge. Email [email protected] with full details; a case officer will acknowledge receipt, review your submission, give you an opportunity to clarify the circumstances, and communicate a decision in a timely manner.

If you remain unhappy with the outcome, you may refer the matter to an out-of-court dispute settlement body. Business Users should follow the process in Section 9.1.

13.4 Digital Services Act — our status

CARS.ie is an information-society service provider within the meaning of Directive 2000/31/EC. We do not pre-monitor user content. Under the Digital Services Act we operate a notice-and-takedown process: where we receive substantiated notice of illegal content, we will act to remove or disable access to it within a reasonable period. Where we have not received substantiated notice, we are not deemed to have actual knowledge of illegal content and are under no positive obligation to search for it.

14. Trusted Dealer badges

(Include this section only if the scheme exists on cars.ie; otherwise delete it.) We may display a "Trusted Dealer" badge on certain dealer listings, awarded on the basis of factors such as time in business, verification checks, and independent review scores. The badge is a signal, not a guarantee. Buyers should always carry out their own checks before purchasing. We cannot be held liable for any issues arising from transactions with any dealer, including those displaying the badge.

15. Intellectual property

The cars.ie site — including its design, code, text, images, and the arrangement of listings into a searchable database — is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. Except for content you submit yourself, all intellectual property rights in the site are owned by us or by third parties who have licensed their use to us.

You may reproduce extracts of material from the site for your own personal, non-commercial reference, and you may link to listings or pages. You may not cache, mirror, scrape, or frame any part of the site, incorporate it into another site, or use any of its content for commercial purposes without our written permission.

Product, brand, and model names referenced on the site are the trademarks of their respective owners. Their appearance on cars.ie does not imply any endorsement or affiliation.

For the purposes of Part II, Chapter 7 of the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, to the extent you may have any moral rights in content you submit, you agree not to assert them in respect of our use of that content as permitted by these Terms.

16. Interactions with other users

Your dealings with other users — inspection, negotiation, payment, collection, delivery, after-sales disputes — are solely between you and the other user. CARS.ie is not a party to any transaction and has no obligation to mediate.

The messaging function is for exchanging contact details and asking questions about a listing. It is not intended for concluding contracts, and messages sent through the site do not form a binding agreement.

We do not verify the identity of users and have no obligation to do so. Exercise normal caution, as you would in any private transaction. In particular:

inspect the vehicle, or arrange an independent inspection, before paying;
verify ownership and that the seller has the right to sell;
run a vehicle history check;
be wary of any seller who pressures you into paying before inspection, or who asks you to pay by means that do not offer buyer protection.

17. Our liability

The site is provided on an "as is" basis. We do not guarantee that listings are accurate, that vehicles offered for sale are as described, or that the site will be available without interruption.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we exclude:

all conditions, warranties and other terms that might otherwise be implied by statute, common law, or equity;
any liability for loss of income, revenue, business, profits, contracts, anticipated savings, data, or goodwill, or for any indirect or consequential loss, whether arising in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise, even if foreseeable.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

We are not liable for failures caused by events outside our reasonable control.

18. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify us, our group companies, and our and their officers, directors, employees, agents, licensors and suppliers against any claims, losses, damages, costs and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

your breach of these Terms or any associated policy;
your use of the site in a manner that infringes any applicable law or the rights of any third party, including privacy and intellectual property rights.

19. Banner advertising and third-party links

Banner advertising on the site is managed by third-party advertising partners. Any agreement you reach with an advertiser in relation to an advertising placement is between you and that advertiser; we are not party to it.

The site may link to third-party websites. We have no control over those sites and accept no responsibility for their content or for any loss arising from your use of them.

20. Privacy and cookies

Your privacy is important to us. Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and protect your personal data, and our Cookie Policy explains how we use cookies. Both form part of this agreement.

21. Governing law

These Terms, and any non-contractual obligations arising out of or in connection with them, are governed by Irish law. The courts of Ireland have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms, except that we retain the right to bring proceedings against you in your country of residence or any other court of competent jurisdiction.

22. General

Waiver. If we do not enforce a right under these Terms on one occasion, that does not stop us enforcing it on another.
Severability. If any part of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the rest remains in force.
Assignment. We may assign or subcontract our rights and obligations to a third party. You may not assign yours without our written consent.
Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the associated policies, are the entire agreement between you and us in relation to the site, and replace any prior agreement.
Feedback. Any questions, comments, suggestions or feedback you send us about the site are non-confidential. We may use them without obligation to you.

23. Contact

For any question about these Terms:

Email: [email protected]
Post: C.A.R.S (Ireland) Ltd, Keltar, Ballynoe, Whites Cross, Co. Cork, T23 K290, Ireland