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TORONTO and REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — OPENLANE has not only taken steps to upgrade its U.S. open auction website but has rolled out a new site specifically for Canada, as well.

Both the enhanced OPENLANE.com and the newly launched OPENLANE.ca will feature revamped vehicle detail, search and bid/buy confirm pages. Moreover, all of these pages are upgraded with a "fresh" interface that is easier to read.

Among the upgrades is a one-screen online listing page, instead of the previous five-page process. This benefits dealers and regional sellers as it makes the vehicle listing process quicker and easier.

"Our goal is to provide a seamless experience for dealers and consignors who buy and sell quality wholesale vehicles on our open auction," stated OPENLANE president and chief financial officer Peter Kelly.

"With the new enhancements to both sites, we are evolving our technology to meet the demands of today's challenging and fast-paced marketplace and serving the needs of our valued customers," he added.

Moving on, officials discussed the enhancements to OPENLANE.com and OPENLANE.ca sites and how they benefit both buyers and sellers.

Starting with buyers, the upgrades include:

—New "Comments" section that gives additional purchase information for each unit. These details include including additional disclosures, additional vehicle information (seller-provided), incentives and promotions.

—New camera icon for "Damage" information. This icon links up to picture of the vehicle damage specified by the seller. 

—A feedback widget that allows users to give the company feedback regarding the upgraded vehicle detail page or any other comments they may have.

—DataScan Field Services legend. Vehicles that have undergone a third-party inspection from DataScan Field Services will have user-clickable pop-up legend of DFS' inspection condition terms that will appear in the "Damage Condition" section of the vehicle detail page.

—A new "Auction Type" search filter that allows users to tailor their inventory searches by "Place a Bid" (auction) or "Buy Now" (fixed price)

—A select transport function that gives users the option to add OPENLANE Transport services to their purchase from the bid/buy confirm page.  

Moving on, the enhancements for sellers include:

—New "Comments" section that lets sellers make their listings more detailed. Using this function, they can include such items as additional disclosures, additional vehicle information and seller-provided incentives and promotions.

—A new "Save and Preview" feature that allows them to preview a completed listing before the unit is sent to auction.  

—Enhanced "Damage" information. Basically, sellers can add photos to each damage line by simply selecting from those posted earlier. 

Offering his comments on the new Canadian site, Scott Esplen, of the Humberview Group, noted: "OPENLANE.ca is a fantastic new site that provides me with more features and functionality. I have relied on the OPENLANE's Canadian auction site for four years to purchase high quality used vehicles and have been extremely pleased with the efficiency it has added to my dealerships.

"The new features the company is announcing will provide even greater time and cost savings to me, which is the ultimate benefit any company can give its customers," he continued.

Officials emphasized that it will redirect all Canadian customers who previously accessed their accounts via www.onlane.com to new Canadian-branded site, www.openlane.ca.