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For sellers

FAQ

FAQ - Auction process
1. Auction process
Discover how our auction process is designed to be transparent, efficient, and user-friendly.
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FAQ - Negotiation
2. Negotiation feature
Make the most out of your transactions! Our negotiation feature allows you to engage directly with buyers after an auction, ensuring that you get the best possible deal.
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Start to sell
3. Selling cars with OPENLANE
Discover how OPENLANE can simplify your selling experience and connect you with the right buyers.
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For sellers

Description

2.1 Can I negotiate on every car?

No. Only sellers using the OPENLANE Sell portal* are able to send and receive counteroffers. There is no way for buyers to know whether or not a particular car will be eligible for negotiation, so it’s still in their best interest to maximise their chance of winning during the initial auction.

You can negotiate on Dynamic auctions, up until the requested sales price for the vehicle has been reached. For Target or Buy Now auctions, you can only negotiate if the bid is below the set price.

* The OPENLANE Sell portal is not yet available in all countries.

2.2 Can I use my mobile phone to negotiate?

Both the openlane.eu website and the OPENLANE Sell portal are 100% mobile friendly, so whether you’re buying or selling, you can negotiate from any computer or smartphone with an internet connection.

2.3 How does the negotiation process work?

When an auction ends, the highest bid is sent to the seller for approval. Sellers then have 24 hours to send one of three responses via the OPENLANE Sell portal*:

  • Accept the offer – This means the car is sold to the highest bidder.
  • Decline the offer – This means the car is not sold and the highest bidder misses out. The seller can then auction the car again.
  • Make a counteroffer – The seller proposes a new price to the buyer. This price must be higher than the initial winning bid.

If the seller chooses to make a counteroffer, a new 24-hour window begins. Within this 24-hour negotiation period, the buyer and seller must settle on a new price.

When the buyer receives a counteroffer, they have four options:

  • Accept the offer – This means the buyer agrees to buy the car for the price given in the counteroffer.
  • Send a new counteroffer – The seller will then have the opportunity to accept or decline the offer, or make a new counteroffer of their own.
  • Stand by the initial offer – This lets the seller know the buyer is not willing to pay more than their highest bid. The seller can then accept or decline the offer.
  • Abandon the negotiation – The buyer chooses to walk away, the car is not sold, and the seller is free to auction it again.

Buyers and sellers can send one another counteroffers until the end of the 24-hour negotiation period. Each time a counteroffer is made, OPENLANE will notify the other party via email so they can react as quickly as possible.

*The OPENLANE Sell portal is not yet available in all countries.

2.4 How will I know if I got a counter offer?

Both buyer and seller will receive an email notification as soon as there’s a counteroffer, so keep a sharp eye on your inbox. On the openlane.eu website, counteroffers will be shown in the “decision pending” section of My Bids. On the OPENLANE Sell portal*, you’ll find counteroffers in the “To be assigned” section.

*The OPENLANE Sell portal is not yet available in all countries.

2.5 What happens if I abandon the negotiation?

Abandoning the negotiation allows you to walk away from the sale. All offers are off the table, and the seller can choose to put the car in another auction.

2.6 What happens if I stand on my offer?

This lets the other party know that you’re not willing to increase (buyer) or decrease (seller) your price anymore. The other party will have to accept or decline that offer, there is no more room for counteroffers at this point.

2.7 What happens if the 24 hours are over without having an agreement?

Once the seller makes the first counteroffer, a 24-hour countdown begins. If neither the seller nor the buyer accepts an offer within this timeframe, the most recent offer remains in effect for one day.

1.1 Who collects the vehicle and how quickly?

We handle all the logistics for pick-up and delivery for selected countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Once you’ve received your payment, we’ll make sure the car is off your lot within three working days (five working days for Germany). If you are in any other country, you’ll need to transport the vehicle to an OPENLANE hub in your country and from there, we’ll transport it to the buyer.

Exceptions:
1 – For customers with the level assigned: “Basic”.
2 – Deliveries outside the above-mentioned countries—both require vehicle drop-off at an OPENLANE hub or pick-up by OPENLANE before payment.

1.2 What happens if my vehicle is sold to an international buyer?

With OPENLANE, international sales are as easy as can be. You sell directly to us, and we take care of all the administration and logistics. This comes with certain advantages:

  • You access international buyers without cross-border complications. Because you sell directly to us, you’re only involved in a local sale. The VAT requirements and logistics of delivering the vehicle to the international buyer are all handled by us.
  • You access markets for ‘unsellable’ vehicles. We find buyers for cars that you can’t sell in your own country, for example, heavy diesel cars.
1.3 Do I need to deliver the vehicle to a hub?

You are required to deliver the vehicle to a hub if:

1 – You’re located in a country other than Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
2 – Your assigned customer level is “Basic”*

* in certain cases, a pick-up from OPENLANE is possible. In this case the payment will be processed after the pick-up.

1.4 How do I know the address of the hub I need to deliver the vehicle to?

If you are required to deliver the vehicle to an OPENLANE hub, you will receive an email from OPENLANE after assigning the vehicle. This email will provide details on invoicing and the hub’s address. Refer to section 1.3 to determine whether hub delivery is applicable to you.

1.5 Do I have to contact the buyer directly?

No. For sales with OPENLANE, you sell directly to us and we sell to the buyer. This way you only interact with us, your payment is guaranteed, and you enjoy an easy administration process. We take care of all VAT requirements and paperwork.

1.6 When will I receive my payment?

If you are located in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, or the United Kingdom, you’ll receive your payment within two working days of accepting an offer (only applicable for Advanced, Premium or Partner levels). If you are not in one of these countries, or if you have a “Basic” level account, we will pay the invoice as soon as the vehicle arrives at an OPENLANE hub or when it is pick-up by us.

1.7 How much time do I have to accept a bid?

You have one day to decide whether or not to accept a bid. Once you do, the vehicle is sold.
If you choose to enter a negotiation with the highest bidder, this time will be extended with one day.

1.8 Do I have to sell to the highest bidder?

No, you are not required to accept an offer that does not meet your expectations. If you are an OPENLANE Sell user, you also have the option to negotiate with bids that are close to your desired price.

1.9 How quickly will I know the auction result?

As soon as the auction is closed, you will receive the highest bid under “to be assigned” in your OPENLANE Sell portal.

1.10 How long does an auction last?

Dynamic auctions, target auctions and blind auctions are typically open for 48 hours. Buy Now auctions usually only run for 24 hours. This may differ in the United Kingdom, in which case, your sales expert will keep you informed of the auction schedule.

3.1 Can I sell cars with incomplete documents?

Unfortunately, this is not possible. You must provide all of the car’s documents for us to be able to arrange a sale, including the certificate of conformity (when applicable) and the registration certificate.

3.2 I’m a car trader. Can I sell margin cars through OPENLANE?

Yes, you can. Margin cars are very popular among our buyers. Contact your sales expert for all the details.

3.3 I’m a car trader and I already buy vehicles from OPENLANE. Can you help me resell vehicles I’ve previously bought?

We sure can. Contact your sales expert to get started.

3.4 How is the starting price for the auction determined?

The starting price for each vehicle is based on its market value or established in collaboration with your personal sales expert.

For auctions in your communities, you can manually set the price yourself.

3.5 What does it cost to sell vehicles with OPENLANE?

Listing your cars for auction with OPENLANE is completely free! And you are under no obligation to accept an offer that doesn’t meet your expectations. Our policy is no sale, no fees.

3.6 How do I send my car’s details to OPENLANE?

Our OPENLANE Inspect app for iOS and Android makes it easy for you to inspect your cars quickly. Send the details directly to your OPENLANE Sell portal and simply complete the car description there. Your car is then ready for sale.

3.7 How are OPENLANE’s vehicle inspections arranged?

Inspecting your vehicles is quick and easy with our guided OPENLANE Inspect app for iOS and Android. In the case that you encounter problems with your inspection, you can always contact us.

3.8 How do I list my car for auction on the OPENLANE site?
  1. Fill in our contact form and a member of our sales team will contact you to register you as a seller.
  2. Download the OPENLANE Inspect app for iOS and Android and inspect the vehicle.
  3. Complete the car description in the OPENLANE Sell portal and request an auction on OPENLANE.
  4. Your vehicle will be up for auction at openlane.eu within 24 hours.
  5. As soon as the auction closes, we’ll send you the highest bid and you have one day to decide if you want to accept it.
3.9 Can I only sell vehicles that come from my country, or can I also sell vehicles from abroad?

OPENLANE can auction all European vehicles and vehicles approved for sale in the European market, as long as you provide the necessary documents.

3.10 What types of vehicles can OPENLANE help me sell?

We have a wide network of buyers who are interested in vehicles of all makes and models, including:

  • Passenger cars
  • Vans
  • Light trucks
  • Damaged vehicles
1.11 What is OPENLANE’s auction process?

We offer five different types of auctions:

Dynamic auctions
These make up the majority of the auctions at openlane.eu. The process for a dynamic auction is very simple: the auction is set up for a specific amount of time. Buyers can see what the current highest bid is at any moment. Bidding is closed when the auction ends.

Target auctions
Target auctions are similar to dynamic auctions, but with one important difference: a reserve price is defined in advance. This is listed near the current price. If the target price is reached during the auction, the highest bidder is guaranteed the sale.

Buy Now auctions
In a Buy Now auction, buyers can reserve a car immediately by bidding the Buy Now price. It’s also possible to place a bid for less than the Buy Now price, however in that case, the seller has the right to accept or refuse the offer. For ‘Buy Now and Pick up’ auctions, the basic process is the same, but the car is ready to be picked up as soon as the auction is finished.

Blind auctions
A blind auction offers a particular advantage: buyers do not see each other’s bids. There is no bidding competition, buyers send in their best offer before the end of the auction and we’ll send you the highest bid.

24/7 Stock Sale
In a ‘24/7 stock sale’ you can buy stock cars at fixed prices. Discover a wide range of cars that are available for immediate purchase at the ‘Buy Now’ price, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Stock cars are added on a daily basis, making it easy to find new options regularly. This stock sale is the perfect solution if you prefer not to buy in an auction setting, offering a straightforward and efficient way to acquire vehicles.

3.12 How soon can I start selling online with OPENLANE? And how do I get started?

Our straightforward sales process ensures your cars are off your lot quickly. To kick off your hassle-free car sales, fill out our contact form. One of our sales experts will contact you. They’ll run through our sales process and answer any questions you have.

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