Whether you’re buying or selling, our number-one goal is to make sure you walk away as satisfied as possible. That’s why we offer the negotiation feature. It’s an opportunity for buyers and sellers to agree on a sales price that both parties are happy with.
This is great for buyers because instead of having an offer rejected by the seller, you have the chance to negotiate with them and secure the purchase even if they didn’t find your initial offer satisfactory.
It’s also great for sellers because you work with buyers to reach mutually beneficial deals—and better deals mean you move more stock more quickly and with less effort.
Learn more about the negotiation feature in this video:
How does the negotiation feature 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:
1. Accept the offer – This means the car is sold to the highest bidder.
2. Decline the offer – This means the car is not sold and the highest bidder misses out. The seller can then auction the car again.
3. 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. If this doesn’t happen, the offer is automatically declined, and the sale is off the table.
When the buyer receives a counteroffer, they have four options:
1. Accept the offer – This means the buyer agrees to buy the car for the price given in the counteroffer.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
Where do the negotiations take place?
Buyers send and receive counteroffers on their ‘My bids’ page, in the ‘decision pending’ section.
Sellers send and receive counteroffers in the ‘To be assigned’ section of the OPENLANE Sell portal.
Both platforms are mobile-friendly, so whether you’re buying or selling, you can negotiate from any computer or smartphone with an internet connection.
Is negotiation possible after every auction?
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.
This is great for buyers because instead of having an offer rejected by the seller, you have the chance to negotiate with them and secure the purchase even if they didn’t find your initial offer satisfactory.
It’s also great for sellers because you work with buyers to reach mutually beneficial deals—and better deals mean you move more stock more quickly and with less effort.
Learn more about the negotiation feature in this video:
How does the negotiation feature 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:
1. Accept the offer – This means the car is sold to the highest bidder.
2. Decline the offer – This means the car is not sold and the highest bidder misses out. The seller can then auction the car again.
3. 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. If this doesn’t happen, the offer is automatically declined, and the sale is off the table.
When the buyer receives a counteroffer, they have four options:
1. Accept the offer – This means the buyer agrees to buy the car for the price given in the counteroffer.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
Where do the negotiations take place?
Buyers send and receive counteroffers on their ‘My bids’ page, in the ‘decision pending’ section.
Sellers send and receive counteroffers in the ‘To be assigned’ section of the OPENLANE Sell portal.
Both platforms are mobile-friendly, so whether you’re buying or selling, you can negotiate from any computer or smartphone with an internet connection.
Is negotiation possible after every auction?
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.
