Cars are not as described, customer service is awful, they don’t take accountability for any mistakes, absolutely the worst company in the Auction industry. In a 60 day period they cost me over $10,000 in losses due to horrible condition reports and inspection. For a platform that relies solely on sight unseen purchases they’re absolutely terrible
US
Underground S.
Worst auction of them all
Worst auction of them all . They will not stand behind their arbitration. Everyone put their junk threw here do to that . I’ve lost so much money dealing with them . Go to any auction but open lane and you’ll make money
JS
Joey S.
Dishonest, unprofessional, and the worst in the industry!
OpenLane is the worst amongst the online dealer only auction platforms. Their condition reports are fueled by complete lies and backed up by a policy designed to screw the buyer in every way possible. It is very common to see an OpenLane CR in the mid 4s and locate the same vehicle on Manheim or Adesa with a CR in the low to mid 2s. Their transportation is horrendous with it taking three to four weeks and even longer to receive vehicles. They absolutely will NOT provide titles to buyers in a timely manner and will in no way hold sellers accountable for failure to produce titles. After six months, OpenLane simply attempts to wash their hands of the situation and steal the money from your account. If you want to speak to anyone in "management", well that's too bad, they are all too cowardly and unprofessional to deal with the issues their poor leadership and mismanagement causes. They are a sinking ship! If you want to protect yourself and your business, DO NOT do business with OpenLane.
SB
Sid B.
Openlane Arbitration is a joke
Openlane arbitration does not cover anything. Buyer beware. I have a vehicle with a failing fuel pump that wont stay running and a vehicle with $3,000 in emissions issues that they wont cover at all. Might as well go elsewhere.
GG
giray G.
ARbitration costs dealer extra
As a dealer who has purchased approximately 340 vehicles through OPENLANE, my biggest disappointment is not the occasional condition report issue—it's the arbitration process when those issues arise.
Dealers pay for premium condition reports with the expectation that undisclosed problems will be handled fairly. Unfortunately, my experience has been the opposite. OPENLANE often calculates settlements using the lowest-priced parts they can locate, regardless of distance from the dealer, while excluding shipping costs, diagnostic expenses, fluids, and other related repair costs. They also rely on labor rates that many dealers and repair facilities simply cannot find in today's market.
What is even more frustrating is that when a dealer disputes an offer, the burden shifts almost entirely to the buyer. Dealers can be required to obtain additional diagnostics and inspections at their own expense, often costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars, with no clear explanation of how those additional expenses will impact the final outcome.
In my experience, there appears to be very little accountability when condition reports fail to identify major issues. Instead of focusing on why the issue was missed and making the dealer whole, the process often becomes a series of additional requests for documentation, diagnostics, and time-consuming follow-ups that place the financial burden on the buyer.
Time is money for independent dealers. Every hour spent chasing diagnostics, transporting vehicles, and managing arbitration claims is time that cannot be spent purchasing inventory, serving customers, or growing the business.
I believe OPENLANE could significantly improve dealer confidence by using realistic local parts and labor pricing, reimbursing necessary diagnostic expenses, increasing quality control on inspections, and creating an arbitration process that truly seeks to make dealers whole rather than minimizing payouts.
After purchasing hundreds of vehicles through the platform, I expected a more dealer-focused resolution process.
CV
Chani V.
I purchased a 2022 Fiat 500e through…
I purchased a 2022 Fiat 500e through OpenLane. The vehicle report stated only minor cosmetic imperfections and did not mention any technical defects, electronic failures, or issues affecting the operation of the vehicle's systems.
After delivery, it became clear that the vehicle suffers from serious faults affecting the Uconnect system and communication modules. As a result, many essential functions cannot be used correctly, including climate control, infotainment functions, audio controls, language settings, vehicle settings, and other features that are part of the normal operation of the vehicle.
Although the vehicle is able to drive, it cannot be considered fully functional or reliable. A modern electric vehicle relies heavily on its electronic systems, and when these systems fail, the vehicle does not correspond to the condition that was presented at the time of sale.
The estimated repair cost exceeds €3,000 and requires the replacement of major electronic modules. Such a significant defect should have been detected during inspection and clearly disclosed in the vehicle condition report before the vehicle was offered for sale.
I am also concerned about OpenLane's three-day claim and return period. In practice, three days is not sufficient to identify and properly diagnose complex electronic defects in a modern electric vehicle. When the vehicle was delivered, the problems initially appeared to be software-related. Determining the true cause required inspection and diagnosis by an authorized Fiat service center, which cannot realistically be arranged and completed within only three days of delivery.
Complex electronic and communication system failures often require specialized diagnostic equipment, technical expertise, and time for investigation. A buyer cannot reasonably be expected to discover and document such hidden defects within such a short period.
I believe that the current three-day deadline does not provide adequate protection for buyers when hidden technical defects are involved, especially defects that require professional diagnosis by an authorized service center.
The information provided by OpenLane did not accurately reflect the actual condition of the vehicle and prevented me from making a fully informed purchasing decision. I therefore request a formal explanation as to how these defects were not detected or reported before the vehicle was listed for sale and ask OpenLane to review this case and provide an appropriate resolution.
A vehicle that can move but cannot properly operate many of its essential functions should not be described as having only cosmetic defects.
PD
P.Daniel R.
Open lane 1 (800) 556-2811
Open lane 1 (800) 556-2811. The customer service on the phone is really not up to the task. If you're unhappy with your job, you leave it to someone else's
AK
Asaad K.
One of the most untrusted Auctions ever…
One of the most untrusted Auctions ever out there. They still pass vehicles as a green light, and when you get the vehicle, you will find out a loud noise in side the transmission. I mean a kid can tell that the tranny has an issue, and they pass it for a green light???. The level of dishonesty is beyond ethical business code. And that's not the only vehicle. 2 more with major issues and they pass them for a green light. I would give them NO STAR if i can. So i confronted the arbitration manager with the truth and demanded a full return of the 2 vehicles. He ended up locking my account and calling our company an unfit dealer for their business. No wounder why there is so many bad reviews out there proving they are the one who is unfit for this industry.