General Motors Financial on Tuesday announced alliances with both OPENLANE and DataScan Field Services to support a new online remarketing program for off-lease vehicles.

The GM Financial DealerSource program is designed to be used by GM dealers when leased vehicles financed by GM Financial begin to come off of a lease.

GM Financial launched its lease program that’s available only through franchised dealerships in December 2010. The company expects the first leased vehicles to start returning to GM dealerships as leases mature next month.

Key features of the GMF DealerSource program include the ability to scan vehicle identification numbers (VIN) using a smartphone, accepting digital signatures, the ability to floor vehicle purchases directly with GM Financial, live customer support and integrated vehicle transportation options.

GMF DealerSource officially launched Nov. 1.

GM Financial explained its new end-of-lease program can be broken down into three main components: customer communication, dealer-grounding process and vehicle remarketing.

GM Financial begins notifying customers of their end-of-term options six months prior to the vehicle’s turn-in date. Customers have the choice to lease or purchase another vehicle, turn in the vehicle they are currently leasing, or purchase their current vehicle.

Three months from lease maturity, GM Financial mails an end-of-term guide to customers. The kit includes a wear-and-tear guide and a measuring tool that helps determine if dents, dings and tire tread warrant additional charges, and provides step-by-step instructions for turning in the vehicle, making the customer’s end-of-lease experience a smooth transition.

Beginning at 45 days to maturity, GM Financial encourages the customer to meet with a third-party inspector to have the vehicle inspected at a local GM dealership prior to turning in the vehicle. 

For returned lease units, GM Financial offers the grounding dealer 48 hours to purchase the grounded vehicle at a market-based price set by the company.

Vehicles not purchased by the grounding dealer are made available through an online auction exclusively to GM dealers that participate in GM’s certified pre-owned vehicle program.

Unsold vehicles then go into a two-day online auction exclusive to GM franchised dealers.

Any unsold vehicles are then made available to all dealers utilizing OPENLANE.

“We wanted to provide our dealers and customers with a convenient, efficient and hassle-free lease turn-in process,” said Dan Heinrich, vice president of asset remarketing at GM Financial. “In order to do that, we’ve created a website for our dealers to access during the vehicle turn-in process. Our customers will receive a step-by-step guide outlining exactly what to expect from GM Financial as they approach the end of their lease term.

“Our goal was to develop a cutting-edge turn-in process for grounding GM vehicles. It was essential that the program be compatible with the needs of our dealer partners, meaning, it needed to be online, mobile, or even available on a smartphone or tablet device,” Heinrich went on to say.

OPENLANE chief executive officer Peter Kelly emphasized his operation has extensive experience in online remarketing and a deep understanding of the needs of both dealers and lenders.

“We’re proud to partner with GM Financial to build an industry-leading program for GM dealers which will significantly improve their experience of managing an off-lease portfolio, grounding lease returns, and purchasing vehicles from GM Financial,” Kelly said.

“GM Financial has been a tremendous business partner through the deployment and we believe that GMF DealerSource will be a very important part of the remarketing process for GM Financial and GM dealers in the years to come,” he went on to say.

In a related development, GM Financial selected DataScan Field Services as the exclusive provider for pre-term and post-term vehicle inspections.

DataScan contends that GM Financial is reinforcing its commitment to developing a stronger, more transparent end-of-lease process. DataScan’s technology-driven inspection service are designed to offer the captive finance company greater efficiency and a more streamlined experience for both dealers and consumers alike.

“GM Financial is dedicated to providing dealers and consumers with top-notch service and the ultimate in proactive, transparent communication,” said Brent Sergot, vice president and general manager of DataScan.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to offer the expertise and technology GM Financial is looking for to empower its dealers while keeping customers informed throughout the end-of-lease process,” Sergot continued.

Heinrich added, “DataScan provides state-of-the-art services specifically tailored to our needs and the needs of our dealer partners. With DataScan’s assistance, GM Financial can now offer an efficient and technology-driven end-of-lease process for our dealer partners.”