Recently launched trading platform Cartotrade.com has pledged to keep its monthly subscription costs at the same price for the entire life of memberships.

The company is run by the former management team of online trade-to-trade service Autotrade-mail.

Kevin Watson, co-founder of Cartotrade.com, said some may consider the move to be “ill-advised” and it is against the norm for the industry which is “regularly presented with increased costs, particularly from its online suppliers”.

Watson said: “In a time when we’re seeing close to zero inflation, it seems so wrong to us for dealers to be bled dry of their hard-earned profits.

“We want to show our members that we respect their businesses and the costs they incur running them, by keeping our prices low.”

The new company has been running the service for free since it launched in June and co-founder Gee Pugsley said he knows the company has to prove itself to dealers.

He said: “We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far with over £10-million worth of stock having been advertised.

“Of course we will eventually have to charge as any business would, but we don’t need to be making ridiculous profits and that’s why this pledge sits very comfortably with us all and our potential members.”