Dear buyer,

You’re already aware that everyone at OPENLANE is committed to making buying and selling as quick and efficient as humanly possible, and as enjoyable as legally allowed. It’s why we’re constantly tweaking our systems and adding new functions and options. What are they?


Bid withdrawal

We are currently testing this new option with a view to introducing it permanently. Why? Because we believe there are certain times when you might want to withdraw a bid:

1. There are several vehicles that interest you. And they’re all being auctioned at the same time! You want to improve your chances of winning one, but can’t really afford to have them all assigned to you. Why not bid on them all and withdraw your remaining bids after you win one?

2. You’ve just placed a bid on Awesome Car. And then you see Even Better Car ... In the past, this would have been a problem. But not anymore! Withdraw your bid on Awesome Car and place a bid on Even Better Car.

3. A specific customer has begged you to place a bid on a specific car. A few seconds, a few clicks and you’re in the running to win the car. But as quick as you’ve been, it’s time enough for your customer to change their mind ... You immediately realise just how valuable the Bid withdrawal option is.

Instant confirmation after ‘Buy now’

In the past, you used to be forced to wait until the auction finished to confirm the car and wrap up your purchase. But if you’re anything like us, you probably like waiting a lot less than you like immediate confirmations. Which is why we updated the system. You’re now able to confirm your ‘Buy now’ purchase as soon as you’ve pushed the ‘Buy now’ button without waiting even a moment.


Notifications about similar cars

It’s important to stay up-to-date with everything that happens in an auction after you’ve placed your bid. Which is why we send you emails. You’ll still receive them, but if the email informs you that you’ve lost an auction or the seller has refused your bid, it will now include good news too. Thanks to complicated algorithms, the email will include listings for any similar cars that are due to go under the hammer.


Feedback on blind auctions

Once upon a time, the buyers who made bids in our blind auctions were sent feedback on their bids. We realized this was happening, decided it wasn’t what we had planned and stopped the feedback being sent. Ordinarily, this would have been the end of the story, but we noticed that when the feedback was being sent, buyers were more successful and there were more cars being assigned. And so we decided to bring back the feedback. You still won’t be able to see the amount of the highest bid in a blind auction, but when you place a bid, you will be able to see whether you’re the highest bidder and you’ll be sent an email if you’re outbid. At the end of the day, making this info available will help everyone to bid more successfully and live happily ever after.


Plans for the future

Would you believe that minimizing your interactions with the taxman play a part in the happily ever after? It all comes down to that ‘Final Delivery Document’ we currently ask you to upload when you take delivery of a new car. The taxman believes this document is incredibly important to ensure we comply with the kinds of regulations that tax authorities find incredibly important for reasons that only they can understand. The good news is that our transporters are allowed to upload these documents. The tax authorities still receive what they need and you’re free to start selling your new car from the moment it arrives on your doorstep. A win-win situation. We hope to have it up and running in August.

But for now, it’s time to go to OPENLANE and make the most of all the changes and updates that are already in place. I would really like to know what you think of them, so please email your thoughts and feedback to me at [email protected].


Happy bidding!


Gino Vleminckx
Chief Commercial Officer
OPENLANE