NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR
PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
Autotrader Buy Online Social Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years old at the time of entry. Employees of Cox Automotive Inc. (“Sponsor”), Merkle Inc. (“Administrator”), MWW Group, LLC, and their parent and affiliate companies as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of each such employee are not eligible.
Participation constitutes each entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to these official rules (“Official Rules”). The Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited. Sponsor’s and Administrator’s decisions are final and binding in all matters related to the Sweepstakes. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all the requirements set forth herein.
In the event
there is a discrepancy or inconsistency between any statements
contained in any Sweepstakes-related materials and these Official Rules, these
Official Rules shall prevail, govern and control.
Entrants may not attempt to
obtain more than the permitted number of entries by any means, including but
not limited to using multiple
email addresses, Instagram accounts, identities, or registrations, or by using
any third-party artificial intelligence sites/applications, or robotic,
automated, or programmed methods. Entrants may not tamper with the entry
process, or any related website, or network; circumvent any security measures;
act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner; or take any other action that
in any way undermines the operation of the Sweepstakes or otherwise violate these Official Rules. Sponsor may, in its sole
discretion, disqualify any entrant who engages in such conduct and void all
associated entries. Any attempt to deliberately undermine the Sweepstakes may
violate criminal and civil law, and Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any provision of these Official
Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.
Sponsor: Cox Automotive Inc.,
6205-A Peachtree Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, GA 30328. Administrator: Merkle Inc.
(previously known as HelloWorld, Inc.), 3000 Town Center, Suite 2000,
Southfield, MI 48075.
The Sweepstakes begins on July 23, 2026 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) and ends on August 14, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET (the "Promotion Period”). Meta’s servers are the official time-keeping devices for the Sweepstakes.
To participate, you must have a personal, public Instagram account. Creating an Instagram account is free but subject to the Instagram Terms of Use. Your account privacy must be set to public when you post and remain public until the prizes are awarded (as described in the Prize Drawing and Winner Requirements section below). If entering via a mobile device and using your wireless carrier’s network, standard data charges from your wireless carrier may apply.
During the Promotion Period, take the following actions to receive an “Entry”:
· Follow @autotrader_com on Instagram;
· Post a photo on Instagram of your coffee or car (no visible branding) to your inline feed or use 1 of the following Sponsor-provided images: coffee image or car image (each, a "Sponsor Image"). Submission of a Sponsor Image in accordance with these Official Rules shall constitute a valid Entry and participants are not required to create or submit an original photograph in order to enter the Sweepstakes.
· In the original caption of your post, @mention @autotrader_com and include the hashtag #AutotraderBuyOnlineSweepstakes (your “Post”). The hashtag must be included in the original caption and must be visible in its entirety, including the word “Sweepstakes,” for the Post to qualify as an Entry;
· Your Post must not violate any of the Content Restrictions for your Entry listed below; and
· You must not change your Instagram handle once you post to enter this Sweepstakes through the time when all prizes are awarded so we may communicate with you. See the Prize Drawing and Winner Requirements section for details.
Note: Posts to Instagram Stories, and posts to your inline feed where the hashtag is included in a comment rather than the original caption of your post, will not be deemed entries.
Original Content Not Required. Entrants may satisfy the photo-submission requirement either by submitting their own eligible photograph or by using a Sponsor Image made available by Sponsor for purposes of the Sweepstakes. Use of a Sponsor Image will be treated the same as any other eligible Entry, will fully satisfy the photo-submission requirement of these Official Rules, and will not adversely affect an entrant’s chances of winning.
· Your Post must be in English;
· Except for Sponsor Images expressly provided by Sponsor for use in connection with the Sweepstakes, your Post must be your original work;
· Your Post need not include any reference, positive or negative, to Sponsor’s products or services, and including such a reference will not improve your chance of winning;
· Your Post must be based on your honest opinion and personal experience;
· Your Post must not convey any claims of Sponsor’s products or services that would be deemed unsubstantiated or deceptive if made by Sponsor;
· Your Post must not disparage Sponsor or any other parties through false, misleading, or exaggerated statements;
· Your Post may include the name, likeness, image, social handle, voice, or other identifying characteristics of another individual only if you have obtained all permissions, consents, and rights necessary to include that individual in the Post and to grant the rights described in the “Sponsor’s Use of Social Post Content” and “Publicity” sections of these Official Rules. You may include a minor in your Post only if the minor is your child or legal ward and you are the minor’s parent or legal guardian with full legal authority to grant such rights and permissions on the minor’s behalf. If requested, you must be able to provide written proof of such authority and permissions in a form acceptable to Sponsor;
· Your Post must not contain material that violates or infringes another’s rights and therefore:
o Your Post may not prominently feature, focus on, or intentionally display third-party logos, trademarks, copyrighted materials, branded packaging, dealership identifiers, license plates, or other third-party intellectual property in a manner that suggests sponsorship, endorsement, affiliation, or approval by any third party. Incidental or unavoidable depictions of ordinary consumer products, vehicle features, or background materials may be permitted in Sponsor’s sole discretion, provided they do not violate these Official Rules or create a likelihood of confusion, infringement, or other legal concern; and
o Except for Sponsor Images expressly provided by Sponsor for use in connection with the Sweepstakes, your Post must not contain content created by a third party, such as music (even if made readily available on Instagram), images or artwork;
· Your Post must not make references to or include: alcohol, illegal drugs, prescribed drugs, marijuana, tobacco, or firearms/weapons, any activities that are or appear to be dangerous, or any political agenda;
· Your Post may not be indecent, obscene, sexually explicit, hateful, promote bigotry, racism, hatred, or harm against any group or individual or promote discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or age; and
· Your Post may not be tortious, defamatory, libelous, or contain material that is unlawful in any way.
By posting content that conforms to all of the above requirements, you will receive 1 Entry into the Sweepstakes. Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may disqualify any Post that it finds unlawful, or in violation of these Official Rules.
Limit: 1 Entry per person during the Promotion Period, regardless of method of entry. Multiple entrants may not share the same Instagram account or email address. Any attempt by an entrant to obtain more than 1 Entry by using multiple Instagram accounts, email addresses, identities, registrations, or any other method may result in disqualification of the entrant and voiding of all associated entries.
In the event of a dispute as to the identity of an entrant, Sponsor
and Administrator will rely on the information associated with entrant's
Instagram account used to enter the Sweepstakes. If additional information
provided by entrant to claim the prize is inconsistent
with the Instagram account used to enter, Sponsor and/or Administrator may
disqualify such entrant and such disqualification may
result in the forfeiture of any prizes won. Sponsor, in its discretion, may
require additional documentation from entrant to confirm entrant’s identity.
Posting an Entry constitutes
entrant’s consent to give Sponsor a royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual,
non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, create derivative
works from, and display such Entry in whole or in part, on a worldwide basis,
and to incorporate it into other works, in any form, media or technology now
known or later developed, including for promotional or marketing purposes. If requested,
entrant will sign any documentation that may be required for Sponsor or its
designees to make use of the non-exclusive rights entrant is granting to use
the Entry. Sponsor may, but is not obligated to, review any Entry or other
submitted content before using it for advertising, marketing, promotional, or
other commercial purposes. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion,
not to use, or to cease using, any Entry or other content if Sponsor determines
that additional permissions, releases, rights clearances, or approvals are
necessary or advisable. For avoidance of doubt, Sponsor retains all right, title and interest
in and to any Sponsor Image made available for use in connection with the
Sweepstakes, and no entrant acquires any ownership rights in a Sponsor Image by
using it in an Entry.
Administrator is an independent organization whose decisions as to the selection of the potential winners are final and binding. Administrator will randomly select the potential Sweepstakes winners from all eligible entries received during the Promotion Period, on or around August 18, 2026. Each potential winner will be notified by direct message from @autotrader_com on Instagram. Upon notification, each potential winner must complete the secure online claim form and provide all requested contact information within 3 calendar days after the date notice or attempted notice is sent. After the contact information is received and verified, the potential winner will be required to sign and return a Declaration of Compliance, Liability Waiver and where not prohibited a Publicity Release (“Declaration”), and provide all requested information within 3 calendar days after the Declaration is sent. If a potential winner cannot be contacted, fails to timely complete the online claim form, fails to timely sign and return the Declaration, fails to provide any other requested information within the required time period, or if the prize is returned as undeliverable, the potential winner forfeits the prize. Receiving a prize is contingent upon compliance with these Official Rules. In the event that a potential winner is disqualified for any reason or forfeits the prize, Sponsor may award the applicable prize to an alternate winner by random drawing from among all remaining eligible entries. Only 3 alternate drawings will be held, after which the prize will remain un-awarded.
· 10 Grand Prizes: $1,000, fulfilled by check. ARV: $1,000 each.
The total ARV of all available prizes offered in the Sweepstakes is $10,000.
The odds of winning a prize depend on the total number of eligible entries received during the Promotion Period.
Prizes are non-transferable, and no substitution will be made except as provided in the Sponsor’s sole discretion should the prize become unavailable. In this case, a prize of equal or greater value will be offered. Prizes will be fulfilled approximately 8-10 weeks after winner confirmation. Limit of 1 prize per person. Each winner is solely responsible for all federal, state, and local taxes and any other costs or expenses associated with acceptance, receipt, or use of a prize that are not expressly stated in these Official Rules. Because the approximate retail value of each Grand Prize is $1,000, each winner may be required to complete and return an IRS Form W-9 and any other tax documentation reasonably requested by Sponsor or Administrator before the prize is awarded. Sponsor or Administrator may issue an IRS Form 1099 to each winner for the value of the prize, as required by applicable law.
By receipt of any prize, winners agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor, MWW Group, LLC, Administrator, Meta Platforms, Inc., and their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers, distributors, advertising and promotion agencies and prize suppliers and each of their respective parent companies and each such company’s officers, directors, employees and agents (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any and all actions, claims, injury, loss or damage arising in any manner, directly or indirectly, from participation in this Sweepstakes and/or acceptance, use, inability to use, misuse or redemption of a prize (including any injury or harm related thereto).
Except where prohibited, participation in the Sweepstakes constitutes each winner’s consent and grant to Sponsor and its agents to use the following information about the winner (to the extent provided by winner as part of the Entry or winner confirmation process): winner’s name, city, state, likeness, photograph, Entry, social handle and photo, voice, opinions and/or prize information for promotional advertising or other purposes, in any media without further notice, review, approval, payment or other consideration. Sponsor is not obligated to use any of the above-mentioned information or content but may do so and may edit these materials at its sole discretion, without further obligation or compensation. Sponsor will not use any of the above mentioned information in a manner that is inconsistent with its Privacy Policy or applicable law.
Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Sweepstakes, including but not limited to fulfillment of the prize(s), where any of the following “Issues” occur:
· Fraud;
· Technical failures;
· Human error;
· Any other factor that impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Sweepstakes; or
· Any event or cause beyond Sponsor’s control (e.g. events such as natural calamities, national emergencies, widespread illnesses, declarations of war, acts of God, acts of terrorism) that interferes with any aspect of the Sweepstakes, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.
Where one or more of
the above Issues occurs, Sponsor will make reasonable efforts to award all
remaining Sweepstakes prizes by conducting a random drawing from among all
eligible entries received up to the date of the Issue; and/or modify the prizes
offered.
In no event will Sponsor be
obligated to award more than the stated number of prizes set forth in these
Official Rules. In the event that more winner notifications are distributed or
more prizes are claimed, due to a printing, production, seeding, computer, or
other error of any kind, than the stated number of prizes, Sponsor reserves the right to award
only the stated number of prizes based on the winner selection process
described in these Rules, or if necessary, through a random drawing from among those
entrants who were notified, confirmed to be eligible and where applicable, took
the required action(s) to claim the prize.
The Released Parties are not responsible for:
· Any incorrect or inaccurate information either provided by entrants or caused by printing errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes;
· Technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections to the internet, social media platforms, in phone lines or network hardware or software;
· Unauthorized human intervention in any part of the Sweepstakes, including but not limited to the entry process;
· Technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Sweepstakes, including but not limited to the processing of entries;
· Late, lost, undeliverable, damaged or stolen mail; delayed or misdirected entries or failure to receive entries due to limitation of third-party social network platforms;
· Entries that are erroneously deleted, lost or destroyed or corrupted. In this case, entrants sole remedy is to take the required actions to receive another Entry(s) in the Sweepstakes, if it is possible; or
·
Any injury or damage to persons or property
which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s
participation in the Sweepstakes or to the receipt, use, inability to use or
misuse of any prize.
Except where prohibited, entrant agrees that:
· Any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Sweepstakes or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action and exclusively by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan or the appropriate Michigan State Court located in Oakland County, Michigan;
· Any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Sweepstakes, but in no event attorneys’ fees; and
· Under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, indirect, punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased.
· All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the entrant and Sponsor in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Michigan without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Michigan or any other jurisdiction) which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Michigan.
If any provision of these Official Rules is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court or other tribunal of competent jurisdiction, that provision will be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law. Remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect. If any provision is determined to be overly broad, it will be limited and enforced to the extent allowed by applicable law.
Information collected from entrants is subject to Sponsor’s Privacy Policy.
See this winner list for the Sweepstakes winners. The
winner list will be posted after winner confirmation is complete.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Meta Platforms, Inc.
© 2026 Merkle Inc. All rights reserved.
