OPENLANE Europe Reviews 

Bad company ☹️
the waiting time is very long, i waited 2 months until the last car i bought could be used. the damage reports/checks are not done well. there are defects that are not displayed in the ad. long delays on the part of the documents. the support team does not help you at all

This was not the first time in your chat, that i was talking to mr Leo - he is always extremely helpful, and getting things done!!!!

Hello,
This is by far the worst auction platform in Europe. Almost all the problematic cars are sold through them – from damaged vehicles, to cars with tampered mileage, broken gearboxes, and misleading descriptions. For example, you bid on one model, but when the car and documents arrive, it’s a completely different version than what was advertised.

Their complaints department is useless – they never resolve any issue in favor of the buyer and simply ignore all complaints. We personally experienced every issue mentioned above. Even when we provided official documentation from the dealership confirming the mileage was rolled back, they did nothing.

Avoid cars from Italy sold through this platform – it’s a major red flag.

A broken gearbox on a 2022 car, and this was not mentioned anywhere in the description. When we sent them the official inspection report from the dealership, they replied that they wouldn’t compensate us with even a single euro for the repair or replacement.

Complete scammers.

Please spare us these generic, copy-paste responses and actually do something about the issues we raise. This kind of attitude—ignoring serious complaints and then offering empty apologies—is completely unacceptable.

If one of you were in my position and had your complaint disregarded like this, I’d like to see how “pleasant” your disposition would be then. This is pure disrespect and negligence towards clients who spend good money buying vehicles from you.

Stop pretending you care—actions speak louder than words. Start taking responsibility and show some actual respect for your customers.

We stopped working with OpenLane after numerous unresolved issues and a consistent lack of accountability.

Despite being a recurring customer with dozens of vehicles purchased, OpenLane repeatedly demonstrated an unwillingness to take responsibility for clear, well-documented defects. Claims are routinely dismissed with generic, technically weak responses that fail to address the actual problems raised.

In several cases, complaints were closed unilaterally without responding to valid counterarguments or offering any form of resolution. The claims department in particular seems focused on delaying or deflecting until the customer gives up, rather than engaging constructively.

This pattern of behaviour shows a systemic problem in how OpenLane handles after-sales situations. It erodes trust and makes any serious long-term partnership impossible.

For this reason, we have ceased purchasing from OpenLane and cannot recommend the platform to any professional buyer who values transparency, fairness and proper business conduct.

Subject: Complaint against OPENLANE Belgium – Concealment of material defects (Hyundai i30, VIN: KMHDB51TP8U114903)
Dear Sir or Madam,
On behalf of my company VF CARS AUTOHANDEL, I hereby submit a formal complaint against OPENLANE Belgium (formerly Odèsa) in connection with the auction purchase of a Hyundai i30, VIN: KMHDB51TP8U114903.
Case Summary
The vehicle was purchased via the OPENLANE auction platform. Upon physical collection at the auction site, during completion of the standard Vehicle Release Document, our representative identified and recorded in writing two major defects that were not previously disclosed:
• The automatic transmission was non-functional,
• The engine produced excessive white/blue smoke from the exhaust.
These serious technical faults were not mentioned in the auction listing, despite being critical to any commercial decision.
The on-site OPENLANE employee acknowledged the written remarks and advised us to sign the release with comments and file a formal complaint, which would be reviewed.
As the vehicle had already been fully paid for, we had no practical possibility to return the vehicle, and the staff refused to take it back. Therefore, we were forced to collect it under protest and follow the official complaint procedure.
Legal Basis
According to Directive (EU) 2019/771 (replacing Directive 1999/44/EC), the seller — including B2B platforms — is required to disclose all known or detectable material defects. Failure to do so may constitute a misleading omission under Directive 2005/29/EC on Unfair Commercial Practices.
Even for low-cost vehicles sold “as-is,” the platform must:
• Provide sufficient information for an informed business decision,
• Avoid concealing serious technical defects,
• Act professionally and transparently in line with Articles 6 and 7 of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive.
The claim that OPENLANE is not liable for vehicles under €3,000 appears to be an improper limitation of essential legal rights.
Suspicion of Deceptive Conduct
OPENLANE’s handling of this case raises the suspicion of systematic deception or at least grossly negligent behavior, which may be of legal concern. We reserve the right to escalate this matter to other relevant authorities.
Our Request
We kindly ask ECC Belgium to assist in:
1. a formal review of this claim by OPENLANE Belgium,
2. securing a partial or full refund or suitable compensation,
3. and ensuring that such practices are prevented in the future.
Attachments:
• Vehicle Release Document with remarks
• Auction listing (screenshots)
• Correspondence with OPENLANE
• Photo and video documentation of the defects

You as a company have absolutely no rights. Cars come with hidden defects, if the price is wrong they cancel your car without any response. Only they have rights, their customers do not

Every year the quality is worse and worse, hidden defects. Many cars have adjusted mileage. Complaints unsuccessful...

I stumbled upon al these negative reviews and couldn't help it to not leave my opinion. Bought 2 cars from them and none had any problems aside the ones described in the damage report, well one of them had some insignificant hail damage that was not listed, I only noticed it only after six months because it was consisting in very small dents. All in all I find the experience with open lane okay, cars delivered within the estimated delivery time margin. Cars were both under 50k km when I bought them, one I still got today and runs perfect after 1.5 years since I bought it. Can advice you maybe to check dealer rating before buying and carefully loot at the pictures, don't buy the cheapest trash cars you can find from low rating sellers. So, I don't think it's mainly open lane's fault for the problems with your cars. And yea, for both cars I bought the papers arrived literally 1 or 2 days after I got the car. Regarding the customer support I called twice or so to check the payment or transport status and got my answers.

🔴 Very disappointing experience with Openlane

I recently purchased a vehicle through Openlane as a business buyer. Upon delivery, I discovered the engine warning light was on — something that was not visible in the auction photos, as the dashboard area had been intentionally left out of the pictures.

After approximately two weeks of professional diagnostics, it was confirmed that the engine was completely defective, with repair costs nearly equal to the vehicle’s value. This critical issue was not disclosed anywhere in the damage report or vehicle description.

I reported the problem to Openlane immediately, but they refused any solution, citing their policy that technical issues are not accepted for vehicles with over 200,000 km. However, this clause does not justify the deliberate omission of a major hidden defect.

Their complete refusal to resolve the matter amicably and lack of accountability for misleading presentation makes me strongly advise against using this platform. If a broken engine doesn’t qualify as a serious issue, I’m not sure what does.

Buying vehicles from Openlane is not worth it. Too much hidden facts and bad claims servis.

Catastrophic complaint service... I'm breaking up with them after 15 years, they're ungrateful.They also lie in car description.

We are still dealing with an unresolved situation involving a vehicle purchased from OPENLANE Europe without the required documents, rendering it unusable since delivery. After weeks of back-and-forth and repeated requests for resolution, they finally agreed to accept the vehicle return — but with one condition: they will only schedule transport when it is financially convenient for them, to avoid losses on their side.

Meanwhile, we continue to bear the cost of their mistakes: wasted time, internal logistics, and an immobilized vehicle for nearly two months. Our legitimate expenses are being denied reimbursement, not because they are unreasonable, but because we don't have paper invoices for every small operational step.

This entire process has revealed an alarming lack of customer care, responsibility, and basic fairness. OPENLANE Europe is more concerned with protecting their margins than honoring their obligations. Communication is bureaucratic and indifferent, with no urgency or accountability.

We urge others to be cautious. If anything goes wrong, this is the kind of treatment you should expect. We deeply regret doing business with OPENLANE.

LATER EDIT:
Thank you for your generic reply, but after 4 months of waiting, vague apologies and promises of dialogue are meaningless. The vehicle was paid for, returned in good condition, with CMR documentation — and yet, no refund has been processed.

OPENLANE Europe tells us to “contact them directly,” but when we do, nobody answers or takes real responsibility. We are no longer interested in empty words. What is needed is concrete action: the immediate return of the funds that rightfully belong to us.

This case speaks for itself about how OPENLANE Europe treats its customers when something goes wrong.

Pay attention! For anyone who needs proof, I can show you screenshots of how Openlane claims department treats clients who spend tens of thousands euros on their platform. I want to share my recent experience with Openlane, which has unfortunately been quite disappointing. Over the years, I’ve purchased four cars from them, but my latest purchase has made me aware of the risks involved.I bought my most recent vehicle, which was delivered on April 16th. After driving just about 30 kilometers, the check engine light came on. It turned out that the car had a defective NOX sensor. When I raised a claim with Openlane, I was surprised to find it closed with an email stating that they had sourced a non-OEM BMW NOX sensor on eBay for 80 EUR. This response felt quite dismissive, as I can't use generic parts for the vehicles I sell to my customers.I always pay in advance, yet it seems that once they receive the payment, they do not prioritize their clients' concerns. I am not going to contact Openlane anymore; now I am waiting for them to reach out to me. Overall, this experience has left me feeling frustrated and concerned about the quality of service. I hope Openlane takes these issues seriously.

I bought an Opel Astra through Openlane and I can't register it – the registration certificate is flagged as stolen. A criminal case was opened in Romania and the car is now unusable.

After posting a review on Google, they replied publicly saying they take the case seriously. I contacted them privately right away, but they refused to help. Their public reply was just for image – no action behind it.

I do NOT recommend! Poor service, no phone support, only chat robots

It's a scam when they sell, they show the car in good condition after the purchase the car is damaged they are fraud

I bought 6 cars at openlane.eu and so far I didn't experience any big issues. Minor items were quickly solved by the help of my contact person at customer service. Thank you for that, E.M.!

Poor customer experience, lack of communication and information. Not keeping deadlines at all. Do not recommend to buy on this platform.

Car delivered extremely dirty as always, I've gotten used to it. BUT the problem is that after almost a month after taking delivery we still don't have the documents for the car. So we can't register it and it's useless, worthless. We keep urging support, who keep writing constant excuses. The option to file a claim has even disappeared from our complaints section. I don't know where to turn anymore. One extra key does not belong to the car at all.
They want money immediately but their service is disastrous. We have lost a lot of money and have an expensive car that we can only drive in the yard at most.

In the past month I've won a bid on 4 cars, all 4 were denied by the seller. But if I was to make a mistake, I'd have to pay for the car that I've won, make it make sense. Sellers are protected too much while buyers not at all. I'm done trying, it's impossible getting a car.