On this page, you’ll find the most essential information about the tools and services offered by OPENLANE. We’ve included a short description of each, along with reasons why you should use it, how it works, where to find it, the exceptions (if any), and a link to a more detailed description.
Tools available to all customers:
- Bid agent
- My bids
- Notifications
- Price guidance
- Transport
- The negotiation process
- My recommendations
Additional tools available to continental European customers only:
- Consumer market price
- Copy of car documents
- Estimated transport times
- Mobile App
- Seller score
- Ultimo
- Optimo
Bid agent
Enter your maximum bid. The Bid agent bids for you - but never more than is necessary to keep you in the highest bidder’s seat.
• You’re free to get on with your work, knowing you’ll bid when required, but never go beyond your limits. • Activate the bid agent using the switch on the car details page. You can set it as your default bidding method in ‘My account’.
• Pressing the ‘Buy now’ button always wins the car, even if you’ve activated the bid agent.
More information regarding Bid agent
My bids
Follow all your bids in different auctions at once. Tools such as Ultimo, x-Time and the price barometer are also available from ‘My bids’.
• With a full overview, you’ll find it easier to win auctions! • Go to ‘My bids’ via the navigation menu at the top of the website.
• You can’t use the bid agent from ‘My bids’.
More information regarding My Bids
Notifications
A message that pops up in your browser or if you are a continental European customer, also on your mobile phone.
• Go about your business freely, knowing you’ll be informed about the most crucial auction events. • You’ll need to allow your browser and phone to show these pop-ups. Adjust the settings in ‘My account’ to make sure you only receive the notifications you want.
• Available for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, iOS and Android.
More information regarding Notifications
Price guidance
For continental European customers, the price barometer shows how attractive your bid looks against the estimated sales price.
• Bid your way from the red zone, through the yellow zone and into the green zone for your best chance of success.
• You’ll find the price barometer on the right of the car details page.
• Price guidance is not available for ‘Buy now’ auctions.
For UK customers, the current estimated value of every vehicle can be found on the bottom right of the car details page.
• ‘CAP clean’ indicates the top trade value of the vehicle and lets you know if it’s ready to be sold and has a current MOT, full service history, all documents and spare keys.
• ‘CAP average’ is applicable if the vehicle is in reasonable condition given its age and mileage, but is not in the best condition.
• ‘CAP below’ indicates the trade value of a vehicle that’s in below-average condition considering its age and milage.
• ‘CAP retail’ provides an estimate of the vehicle’s current retail value.
Transport
After you’ve bought a car, you can have it delivered to an OPENLANE hub nearby, or directly to your location.
• Buy cars from virtually everywhere and have them smoothly transported to your doorstep.
• If you’re a continental European customer, you can check the transport options on the car details page. When completing your purchase, you can select your preferred transport.
• We are not able to offer standard transport for some routes and car types. However, you can always ask us for a quote!
The negotiation process
For some auctions, the seller and highest bidder are able to negotiate on the price of the car after the auction has ended.
• Instead of rejecting low offers, make counteroffers and agree on a new price.
• Buyers have the chance to increase their bid to secure the sale.
• Sellers save the time and effort required to arrange a new auction.
• Please note that negotiation is only available for certain auctions.
My Recommendations
A customised collection of available cars, selected every day just for you.
• Artificial intelligence matches data from your past views, bids and purchases with the more than 4,000 cars available every day at OPENLANE.
• ‘My Recommendations’ shows the cars you’re most likely to want, saving you time and effort.
• Access ‘My Recommendations’ from any page through the ‘My account’ menu.
Consumer market price (continental European customers only)
The consumer market price shows the average price for a vehicle on the consumer market in your country.
• This helpful guide tells you how little or how much to bid. It includes VAT, but doesn’t take damage into consideration.
• Find the consumer market price on the right of the car details page.
• Please note that the consumer market price is not available for all cars in all countries.
Copy of car documents (continental European customers only)
Get a digital copy of the car documents as soon as they arrive at the OPENLANE premises!
• You don’t have to wait until the original car documents reach you to start preparing to register the car in your country.
• You can request a copy of the car documents when completing your purchase. Once available, you can download them from ‘My account’.
• It’s not always possible to predict when the seller will release the car documents. Make sure to check the car details page for more information.
Estimated transport times (continental European customers only)
Using data from the past year, we estimate the date the vehicle will be delivered, or if you’re arranging your own transport, the date it will be ready for pick-up.
• You know approximately how long it will take your car to be delivered, or when it will be ready to be picked up, so you can plan accordingly.
• Look for the estimated transport times under the ‘Delivery options’ section on the car details page.
• Estimations are based on historical data. Depending on the circumstances, actual delivery times may vary.
Mobile App (continental European customers only)
Our mobile app lets you find cars, manage your bids and receive notifications about the most important auction events when you’re on the go.
• Keep an eye on your current bids and browse upcoming auctions from virtually anywhere.
• Download the app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store and make sure to keep an eye out for updates.
• The app is currently only available for iOS and Android.
Seller score (continental European customers only)
Using a classic 5-star system, we score our sellers based on four key performance indicators.
• Know what to expect from a certain seller in terms of quality of vehicle descriptions, chance of assignment, time until assignment and time until vehicle release.
• Find the seller score in the ‘Origin’ section on the car details page. Make sure to log in first.
• Since the seller score is based on historical data, it’s not available for new or very small sellers.
• You’ll find the price barometer on the right of the car details page.
• Price guidance is not available for ‘Buy now’ auctions.
More information regarding The Price Barometer
For UK customers, the current estimated value of every vehicle can be found on the bottom right of the car details page.
• ‘CAP clean’ indicates the top trade value of the vehicle and lets you know if it’s ready to be sold and has a current MOT, full service history, all documents and spare keys.
• ‘CAP average’ is applicable if the vehicle is in reasonable condition given its age and mileage, but is not in the best condition.
• ‘CAP below’ indicates the trade value of a vehicle that’s in below-average condition considering its age and milage.
• ‘CAP retail’ provides an estimate of the vehicle’s current retail value.
Transport
After you’ve bought a car, you can have it delivered to an OPENLANE hub nearby, or directly to your location.
• Buy cars from virtually everywhere and have them smoothly transported to your doorstep.• If you’re a continental European customer, you can check the transport options on the car details page. When completing your purchase, you can select your preferred transport.
• We are not able to offer standard transport for some routes and car types. However, you can always ask us for a quote!
More information regarding transport
The negotiation process
For some auctions, the seller and highest bidder are able to negotiate on the price of the car after the auction has ended.
• Instead of rejecting low offers, make counteroffers and agree on a new price.• Buyers have the chance to increase their bid to secure the sale.
• Sellers save the time and effort required to arrange a new auction.
• Please note that negotiation is only available for certain auctions.
More information about the negotiation process
My Recommendations
A customised collection of available cars, selected every day just for you.
• Artificial intelligence matches data from your past views, bids and purchases with the more than 4,000 cars available every day at OPENLANE. • ‘My Recommendations’ shows the cars you’re most likely to want, saving you time and effort.
• Access ‘My Recommendations’ from any page through the ‘My account’ menu.
More information about 'My Recommendations'
Consumer market price (continental European customers only)
The consumer market price shows the average price for a vehicle on the consumer market in your country.
• This helpful guide tells you how little or how much to bid. It includes VAT, but doesn’t take damage into consideration. • Find the consumer market price on the right of the car details page.
• Please note that the consumer market price is not available for all cars in all countries.
More information regarding Consumer market price
Copy of car documents (continental European customers only)
Get a digital copy of the car documents as soon as they arrive at the OPENLANE premises!
• You don’t have to wait until the original car documents reach you to start preparing to register the car in your country.• You can request a copy of the car documents when completing your purchase. Once available, you can download them from ‘My account’.
• It’s not always possible to predict when the seller will release the car documents. Make sure to check the car details page for more information.
More information regarding Copy of car documents
Estimated transport times (continental European customers only)
Using data from the past year, we estimate the date the vehicle will be delivered, or if you’re arranging your own transport, the date it will be ready for pick-up.
• You know approximately how long it will take your car to be delivered, or when it will be ready to be picked up, so you can plan accordingly.• Look for the estimated transport times under the ‘Delivery options’ section on the car details page.
• Estimations are based on historical data. Depending on the circumstances, actual delivery times may vary.
More information regarding Estimated transport times
Mobile App (continental European customers only)
Our mobile app lets you find cars, manage your bids and receive notifications about the most important auction events when you’re on the go.
• Keep an eye on your current bids and browse upcoming auctions from virtually anywhere.• Download the app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store and make sure to keep an eye out for updates.
• The app is currently only available for iOS and Android.
More information regarding the mobile app
Seller score (continental European customers only)
Using a classic 5-star system, we score our sellers based on four key performance indicators.
• Know what to expect from a certain seller in terms of quality of vehicle descriptions, chance of assignment, time until assignment and time until vehicle release. • Find the seller score in the ‘Origin’ section on the car details page. Make sure to log in first.
• Since the seller score is based on historical data, it’s not available for new or very small sellers.
Ultimo (continental European customers only)
When an auction closes, Ultimo gives you an extra five minutes to submit your best and final offer.
• Maximise your chance of being assigned the car by the seller! • The car details page shows whether Ultimo is available for an auction. It’s not available for x-Time auctions.
• When Ultimo is active, you’ll receive an email or browser notification with a link to the car details page. Only you have access.
More information regarding Ultimo
Optimo (continental European customers only)
Optimo combines transport with 2 must-have services: a payment delay and a vehicle inspection upon arrival in the local hub.
• Optimize your cash flow while gaining extra confidence about the state of the car you bought.• Order Optimo when completing your purchase in My Account.
• Not available for every vehicle, make sure to check the transport options on the car detail page.
More information regarding Optimo
