Selling Guidelines

How to provide quality car descriptions for cars?

Required information

For each sale at OPENLANE a good car description is essential. Let us guide you when creating a qualitive vehicle description.

Vehicle identification

To identify your vehicle, we ask you to provide us with these key elements:

1. Is the vehicle Type-Approved? This is essential, especially for selling in the Netherlands. OPENLANE cannot sell vehicles without Type-Approval. Please answer yes or no.
2. License plate: this is not essential in Germany
3. VIN: chassis number
4. Country of origin of the last registration

Vehicle specification

To accurately specify your vehicle, we kindly request that you provide the following essential information (mandatory):

• VAT regime
  For VAT purposes, it is important to mention when the car is considered new. A car is deemed new for VAT purposes if: It has been in use for no more than 6 months or It has been driven for no more than 6000 kilometers. Therefore, it can never be considered or sold under the margin scheme.
• Make, model, trimline (Important)
• Correct mileage
• First registration date
• Fuel type
• Engine size
• Power KW or HP
• Effluent standard
• Gearbox (Manual/ Automatic)
• Number of doors
• Number of seats
• Body type (Not mandatory)
• Body colour (Original colour if the car is wrapped)
• Technical Inspection (MOT): Validity Date
• Vehicle pick-up location
• Electric cars Battery capacity
• Electric cars Battery leased: Yes/ No (unknown)
• Light truck: Yes/No
• Re-import: Yes/No (mandatory in Germany and Netherlands)
• Country of origin
• Was the vehicle first delivered outside of the EU?
• Number of vehicle owners (if known)
• Seller RSP (requested sales price)

Pictures

Clear pictures are essential when detailing a vehicle’s exterior, interior, options and damages, as they enhance the car’s visibility in auctions. It is advised to take your pictures in landscape orientation rather than in a vertical format.

Exterior

The exterior: a minimum of 6 pictures is required *

Interior of Passenger cars

For the interior of passenger cars, we show the essential pictures below, including:

• a clear (legible) image of the Odometer*,
• pictures of the front and back seats*, dashboard* and empty trunk*.

The images shown above represent the minimum requirements for OPENLANE to create a comprehensive report. However, the more information provided, the higher the quality of your vehicle report on OPENLANE.EU. Please ensure that the picture of the odometer is clear enough to accurately verify the mileage and possible (engine-) errors. Additionally, it is important that the picture of the trunk shows it is completely empty.

Interior of Light trucks

For the interior of light trucks, we show the essential pictures below, including;

• a clear (legible) image of the Odometer*,
• Pictures of the open sliding doors*, Front seats*, dashboard* and empty trunk*

Engine

• Additionally, at least one picture of the engine is necessary.

Options

Accurate information of all vehicle options is essential.*

Additionally, capturing clear and detailed pictures of the options enhances the quality of the vehicle report. The navigation system or other multimedia should be shown as clearly functional, and a picture of the tilted sunroof 1 picture in the open position is required.

To ensure the clarity of the pictures, please refrain from including any visible advertising on the pictures, except for the OPENLANE plates or damage arrows.

Body damages

When it comes to body damages, it is important to provide detailed information about ANY damages on the car, accompanied by clear pictures of these damages. We require one close-up picture of the damage and one general picture to identify the correct part of the car. For a few examples, see below.*
Tip: Including pictures with paint thickness device can enhance the quality of the listing on the website and lead to better prices for the car.

*Paint thickness device.

Technical damages

It is necessary to include technical damages and provide a detailed description in the damage comment field. Additionally, it is crucial to mention the condition of the vehicle, i.e., whether it is drivable or not. *

Here are a few examples of damages to include:

• Hail damage
• Interior damage
• Unclean interior, including smell from cigarettes or pets, …
• Technical damages: Engine, gearbox, clutch& flywheel, …

It is necessary to provide information on whether the car has had known previous accident damage. This requirement applies to all countries (Before harm yes or no)* or unknown. If the information about the previous harm is unknown, please indicate “unknown” in the appropriate field. This allows to accurately record the status of the vehicle.

Documents

Please ensure to provide all the necessary documents and items. If registration documents are not received, the vehicle will not be eligible for auction.

Required documents include:

• Registration documents (complete or what is missing) *
• Certificate of conformity: Available yes /no. *
• Service history yes / no. *
• Technical control card (if it is available).

Provide clear pictures of all the registration documents and the certificate of conformity (COC) (when available). Please note that there are exceptions for Italy, Germany and The Netherlands. For these three countries, providing these pictures is not required but it is a plus if you do provide them. However, for all other countries, it is necessary to provide these pictures.

Below are examples of document pictures. It is important that the documents are readable to accurately check the information and present the car correctly on the OPENLANE website. *

Exceptions where pictures of documents are not required include:

• Leasing companies participating in aggregated bidding
• Sellers who bought a vehicle on our platform and wish to re-auction it directly on our platform, without having the documents at the moment.
• Vehicles originating from Italy and The Netherlands.

Additional parts

Please provide information on additional parts accompanying the vehicle and include pictures. This helps to accurately present the vehicle’s condition and provide potential buyers with complete details.

• Vehicle keys (nr)

• Charging cables

• Extra set of wheels

Please clearly specify if the van with 7 seats includes the back 2 chairs (or not) . Also, provide pictures from bike carriers and skyboxes if they are included with the vehicle.

Country specifics

For the Netherlands: BPM and more *

BPM
For vehicles originating from the Netherlands, it is important to include the BPM calculation and provide details such as whether it was used as a taxi or a training car. Please note that for legal reasons, we don’t sell these type of vehicles via OPENLANE.

It is essential to provide the date of first international and national admission for the vehicle.

Please note that we do not sell re-imported cars in the Netherlands.

OPENLANE is not allowed to sell cars without type-approval.

Wrecks
For legal reasons, OPENLANE is not allowed to sell wrecks for the Netherlands.

CNG/ LPG
Due to the absence of type approval, OPENLANE is not allowed to sell vehicles with an unregistered aftermarket LPG installation.

For Italy: CNG and more *

CNG/ LPG
For vehicles originating from Italy, it is mandatory to provide an official confirmation from the seller stating that the technical inspection is available and valid for all CNG/LPG vehicles older than 4 years. If this confirmation is not provided, the seller will be responsible for covering the cost of the inspection and any necessary repairs needed to pass the inspection. This measure ensures that the vehicle meets all safety and regulatory requirements.

Technical inspection
The date of the latest MOT (technical inspection) is required before the vehicle can be listed for auction. Either the inspection exists or is done by the seller before the car is offered to OPENLANE.

When a car is being sold through OPENLANE and the Technical inspection is expired or will expire within one month, we require a copy of the car documents to be submitted within 24 hours after the assignment.

Wrecks
The seller must provide the validity of the MOT Technical inspection before the vehicle can be placed in an auction through OPENLANE. Additionally, OPENLANE will only facilitate local sales and arrange for pick up at the seller’s location.

For Germany: CNG/LPG and more *

CNG/LPG
For German cars, it is necessary to provide the next TUV (HU/AU) inspection date.

Wrecks
OPENLANE will only sell these vehicles for pick-up at the seller’s location.

Drivable/Rollable: Yes/No

Indicate if the car is drivable, not drivable or rollable, not rollable.

The vehicle was 1st Delivered outside of the EU.

This information is needed for OPENLANE to determine whether the vehicle can be included in the auction.

Please ensure to provide these details as they are essential information for potential buyers.

(*) Please note that fields indicated with an asterisk are required.

How to comply to the auction guidelines?

How to submit your vehicles for auction?

• Use the OPENLANE Sell portal, which is available 24/7 and given priority.
• Use a DMS system where a link will be established with the OPENLANE system through an intaker. This setup is only implemented in cases of high volumes and high sales rates.
  This will enhance operational efficiency and ensure higher quality.

Before the auction

Car Description standards & completion

• It is important to accurately and completely describe cars in accordance with the car description standards.
• This can be done through an external inspection company, the OPENLANE Inspection service, or using the Inspect App.
• If data according to the car description standards is missing, the seller will be directly informed to complete the vehicle description.
• Otherwise, OPENLANE rejects the vehicle from being published on the platform.

Auction approval timelines

• OPENLANE aims to approve all vehicles for auction the same working day if the data is transferred before 12:00. If not, it will be the next working day.
• Timings may vary for vehicles inspected via OPENLANE or with individual procedures.

Auction placement

• OPENLANE aims to place offered vehicles in the soonest available auction according to the auction agenda managed by OPENLANE.
• The timing of the auction is determined based on pre-selection guidance.
• Vehicles that do not meet the necessary requirements may be refused for auction.
• If vehicles meet the mandatory requirements, they will be included in the auction within two working days after approval by the quality control department.

Auction refusal conditions

OPENLANE has the right to refuse vehicles in their auctions if:

• Vehicles are other than Used vehicles (B2B vehicles) following the EU legislation and country specifics; vehicles needing a first registration date; wrecks (with varying selling countries) and LCV´s (till max.3.5 tons)
• Vehicles are categorized as not allowed in auction (vehicles without reserve price, consumer vehicles, vehicles missing first registration, vehicles with water or fire damage, technical total loss wrecks, trucks, e-bikes, boats, caravans, motorhomes, trailers, tractors and heavy machines).
• Car description standards are not followed
  certain conditions (seller requested price, vehicle conditions, local market conditions) lead to a non-realistic market offer.
• The reserve price (Seller RSP) is not disclosed.
• Vehicles do not have a market conform reserve price (The seller’s reserved price must align with OPENLANE’s internal price indication model. If the difference is greater than +10%, the vehicle can be refused or the offer will be conditional until payment is received from the buyer)
• Vehicles are put in auction more than 8 times
• Vehicles with the same RSP are put in auction more than 3 times (After the 3rd auction, a price adjustment is required in line with OPENLANE indication, and only published in Target- or Buy Now Auctions. Price adjustments made during the negotiation period become the new RSP going forward)

During the auction

Seller bidding restrictions

• During the auction, the seller is not allowed to place bids on vehicles which are on sale or sold on his behalf.

Vehicle withdrawal

• Vehicles can only be withdrawn until the highest bid equals the RSP.
• Auction withdrawal by the seller must happen using the tools provided by OPENLANE and is allowed before the start of an auction, and during the auction only in case of a Dynamic auction (RSP not reached), Target auction, (target price not reached) or Buy Now auctions without a bid. In all the other cases auction withdrawal is not allowed.

Offer to other parties

• The vehicle is not allowed to be offered to other parties during the Target- or Buy Now Auctions (except simultaneous bidding).
• Simultaneous bidding refers to a fully platform integration between a seller and OPENLANE.

Auction Exclusivity

• During a Dynamic Auction, we do not oblige the vehicles to be exclusive on our platform.
• Exclusive seller auctions: Based on individual arrangements.

After the auction

Bid Evaluation and Transfer

• At the end of the auction, OPENLANE reserves the right to re-evaluate the received bids from buyers and may refuse and not transfer certain bids.
• Offers with a non-market conform highest bid may be considered as not valid.
• Bids with a deviation of more than 10% compared to the OPENLANE indication could be considered as non-realistic and will be reviewed by our auction teams.

Vehicles with a value over 35,000 net

• If a vehicle with a value of over €35,000 net is assigned, OPENLANE agrees with the seller to keep the payment on hold for a certain period of time (5 working days as a standard) and await the buyer’s payment before proceeding.
• In such scenarios, OPENLANE is permitted to transfer the bids as conditional to the seller.

Seller Feedback on Auction Results

• Sellers are expected to provide feedback on auction results within 24 hours after the bids have been submitted. Individual arrangements may vary.
• If the time limit has passed, there will be an automatic refusal.

Vehicle re-auctioning

• A vehicle that remains unsold can be re-offered in multiple auctions, with a maximum of 8 attempts.
• OPENLANE generally aims to sell a vehicle within four attempts, following this order:

1. 1. Target Auction, Buy Now, Dynamic, or Blind
   2. Target Auction, Buy Now, Dynamic, or Blind
   3. Target or Buy Now Auction
   4. Buy Now Auction

• The order of auctions may vary based on individual agreements. Market conditions, legal requirements, seller preferences, and competitive landscape are considered by OPENLANE during auction management.

How to comply to the rules of Assignment?

Seller Response to Highest Bid

• Sellers are expected to provide an answer on the highest bid received within 48 hours after receiving the auction results.
• Acceptance or refusal should be communicated via email or using the OPENLANE Sell Platform.
• Vehicles in Target or Buy Now auctions do not require further feedback if the reserved or target price is reached.
• To confirm or decline the bid, sellers can use the OPENLANE Sell application and provide feedback within the specified timeframe.
• If the seller chooses to use traditional email communication, he should reply to the received email within the given time. Excluded are vehicles in target or buy now auctions.
• Negotiations should be initiated within 24h.

Validity of Highest Bid and Buyer Obligations

• The highest bid by the buyer remains valid for a maximum of 48 hours after the auction is closed.
• After the 48-hour period, the buyer is obligated to refuse the purchase of the vehicle.
• Go to the After Sales Guidelines, for further details and steps.

How to comply to Cancellation rules?

• If a seller confirms a sale but later decides to cancel it for any reason, a cancellation fee of 10% of the sales price (minimum of €300) will apply.
• The fee must be paid prior to any new auction requests being processed.

How to comply to the after-sales guidelines?

Invoicing & Payments

• Normally, non-handwritten invoices should be submitted to the designated mailbox provided by your account manager.
• Upon request, you can activate the OPENLANE self-billing service.
• Payments will be processed by OPENLANE based on the  general sales T&Cs.

Vehicle documents

• The documents of the vehicle (Doc 1, Doc 2, COC etc.) cannot be provided to the driver. Instead, all documents must be sent to the OPENLANE offices in the respective countries immediately after the payment is received.
• The documents must be shipped via Express delivery.
• The documents should arrive at the OPENLANE offices within the specified timeframe below

*Note that this obligation may vary depending on individual arrangements.

Pick-up & transportation

As a seller using OPENLANE for transportation, the following rights and obligations apply:

• Transportation is always connected with selling a vehicle via OPENLANE.
• Sellers must provide vehicles during release with all necessary items and allow free access for truck loading. Sellers are required to provide their signature & stamp on the CMR or freight papers provided by the sender. Additionally, the pick-up location must be easily accessible for trucks with a capacity of 6 to 8 loaders.
• Sellers are obliged to accurately specify the pick-up location when offering vehicles for auction through OPENLANE, otherwise they cannot be auctioned.
  If sellers have a new pick-up location in general, they should contact the Sales Executive or Key Account Manager to update this information.
• The offered  average collection times may vary due to unforeseen circumstances (“force majeure”) or seasonal fluctuations on capacity. The service-levels listed below are general and subject to individual arrangements.

• OPENLANE’s carriers or subcontractors pre-announce the pick-up 1 day in advance. Sellers must provide an active telephone number or e-mail address for for communication to OPENLANE. If the contact information changes, sellers must notify their Sales Executive or Key Account Manager in advance to update the information in our systems.
• The vehicle loading hours are from Monday till Friday during regular business hours, starting from 09:00 end ending at 17:00 CET. Any exceptions to these hours are based on individual arrangements and incur additional fees. Public holidays are not included in these hours.
• Pick-up services are not available for residential addresses.
• Both carriers and customers are expected to adhere to our rights and obligations.
• The following vehicle conditions are mandatory at pick-up:

1. 1. The gasoline level should be a minimum of 15%.
   2. The battery level of EVs (electric vehicles) should be a minimum of 50%.
   3. The key(s) should be available.
   4. For EVs (electric vehicles), the loading cables should be inside the vehicle.
   5. All accessories and loose items, including the second set of tires, should be present in the vehicle and mentioned on the CMR or local freight papers.
   6. The vehicle should be in the starting condition, unless it is specifically being sold as a damaged vehicle..

• Loading one vehicle typically takes about 15 minutes. During this time, sellers must ensure that their parking space is accessible for the entire period.
• If sellers provide a specific pick-up authorization, their vehicle(s) should be ready for release.

• Any costs incurred due to the following situations will be separately charged to the seller: missing Pick-up Authorisations, lost cargo, vehicle not available during loading, empty battery, missing keys, inaccessibility of the vehicle, waiting time.

Self-delivery to the HUB by the seller

When transportation is executed by the seller, the following rights and obligations apply:

• The delivery has to be pre-announced 1 day prior to the delivery to the Hub. Always include logistics@openlane.eu in copy of the e-mail.

 

• In the pre-announcement, include the VIN, License plate, make, model, and specify the delivery in the name of OPENLANE.
• Vehicles must be delivered by truck. For vehicles delivered with transit-plates, the maximum mileage increase compared to the sales condition should not exceed 100 kilometers.
• The vehicles must be delivered before or immediately after payment or as per the agreed contractual arrangement based on the customer’s status.
• All sold vehicles must be delivered to one of our Hubs within the specified timeframe below. The lead times in the table are mandatory without any exceptions.

 

 

• If by exception the vehicle documents are delivered with the vehicle, place the documents in an envelope on the dashboard with the VIN-number written on it.
• Confirm delivery with a local freight paper stamped by the sender and the Hub.
• Ensure the delivered vehicles meet the following conditions:

1. The gasoline level should be a minimum of 15%.
2. The battery level of EVs (electric vehicles) should be a minimum of 50%.
3. The key(s) should be available.
4. For EVs (electric vehicles), the loading cables should be inside the vehicle.
5. All accessories and loose items should be in the vehicle.