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OTOLANE Auction Staff are INCOMPETENT

Apr 21, 2025
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Jim
The measure of an online auction is how they handle problems/arbitration, especially if an auction employee is the one listing the vehicle for the selling dealer. Well I purchased a vehicle that had no photos nor a written disclosure showing or stating that the vehicle had copious amounts of pet hair throughout the interior. How the person inspecting the vehicle missed it, is beyond me (or maybe it was intentional!?!?!) One can only wonder. Anyways I sent MY PHOTOS showing the real condition of the interior and all I asked for in goodwill/ compensation for their mistake, miss, oversight etc etc, NOT MINE, was a buy fee credit applied to my account. Instead I was told this by Karen Skeel the arbitration manager: "I reviewed the submitted photos and confirm that a thorough interior detail will resolve the dirt and pet hair. Unfortunately, this is not subject to arbitration, therefore, we can't assist this time." I wasn't debating how to resolve it, I was debating the fact that the true condition of the vehicle wasn't shown or disclosed so buyers could make an informed buying decision. Her reply is akin to telling a buyer who buys a vehicle with an undisclosed cracked windshield that a new windshield will resolve it! Unreal! These online auctions never want to take responsibility for their shortcomings or acknowledge they made a mistake or missed something. If a buyer could see it, find it, hear it, smell it, test it while inspecting the vehicle in person for themselves then it must be in the auction listing. But over and over again when the auctions mess up the only one paying the price is the innocent buyer who is also the only one not able to inspect the vehicle in person. In closing not only did the in my opinion incompetent Karen Skeel not give me a simple buy fee credit, Otolane BANNED me from the auction because I wouldn't back down. So BUYERS BEWARE at Otolane. It's not if they'll SCREW YOU OVER but when!

The first photo below was the best interior photo they took! The other 4 are photos I took when I got the vehicle.


View: https://youtu.be/duyQw8dGB3w?si=FHtRBsT4USgc1xFZ
 

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Did you just say some rude shit while having a tantrum and they decided it wasn't the day for your shit?
Nope. They just want dealers who don't/won't stand up for themselves or call them out when they were the ones who messed up and will just accept the outcome regardless of the facts/evidence presented prove the buyers case beyond doubt! Thanks for the reply :)
 

✨ AI Highlights

A dealer shares a frustrating experience with OTOLANE/Openlane after purchasing a vehicle with undisclosed pet hair throughout the interior — a condition missed or ignored by the auction's own inspector. Despite submitting photos as evidence, the arbitration manager denied a buy fee credit and instead suggested a detail would resolve the issue, leaving the buyer to absorb the cost of the auction's error. The thread highlights concerns about accountability and competence in online auction arbitration processes.

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