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tion’s contact information. (Franchise Agreement, Section 7.3). Digital Marketing. We may create, operate and promote websites, social media accounts (including but not limited to Facebook, twitter, a
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
EzLane Auto Auctions
Automotive servicesSoftware purchasing at EzLane Auto Auctions is controlled by a tight HQ team led by CEO Phillip Steven Polen and CTO Charles Kirkpatrick. The franchise mandates its proprietary EzLane System, and the current addressable market is limited to a single company-owned location, as no franchised units are disclosed in the 2023 FDD.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
1
0 franchised
Unit growth YoY
—
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2023
Royalty
15%
of gross sales
Ad fund
—
national + local
Initial fee
—
per unit
Investment range
$118K–$249K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing. It is a floor, not a total — the filing discloses one of the two headline fees.
15%+of gross sales (FY2023)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.
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rketing including all digital marketing related to your Franchised Business. (Franchise Agreement, Section 7.3). Digital Campaigns. We may negotiate contracts with vendors such as Google AdWords. If y
InstagramMeta
ion. (Franchise Agreement, Section 7.3). Digital Marketing. We may create, operate and promote websites, social media accounts (including but not limited to Facebook, twitter, and Instagram), applicat
TwitterX
tact information. (Franchise Agreement, Section 7.3). Digital Marketing. We may create, operate and promote websites, social media accounts (including but not limited to Facebook, twitter, and Instagr
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
17 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 6 explicit no's; 11 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesFranchise agreement
You must at all times give us unrestricted and independent electronic access to your computer systems and information.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You must send us such reports in the time and manner we may specify in the Operations Manual.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We are an approved supplier of advertising material, but not the only approved supplier of such items.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
In our last fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, neither we nor our affiliates earned revenue or other material consideration from required purchases or leases by franchisees.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
5Item 8
approximately 5- 10% of your operating costs.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
We charge $100/hour plus any costs incurred to test another supplier that you propose.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
We do permit you to contract with alternative suppliers if approved by us and they meet our criteria.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
At our request, cancel or assign to us all telephone numbers under your ownership used in the Franchise Business;
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 11
We have the right to review your business operations, in person, by mail, or electronically, and to inspect your operations and obtain your paper and electronic business records related to the Franchised Business and any other operations taking place through your Franchised Business.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
We may revise the Manual from time to time to adjust for legal or technological changes, competition, or attempts to improve in the marketplace.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
You are not allowed to have an independent website or obtain or use any domain name (Internet address) for your Franchised Business, without first obtaining our written approval.
Operations
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
Computers and Software. We require you to use such computer hardware, software, and systems as we specify, which may include vendor designations.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
We require you to execute an Automatic Bank Draft Authorization and pay most fees to us via ACH electronic funds transfer.
People
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase EzLane button down shirts to use when interacting with auto dealers pursuant to our specifications, which may include a vendor designation.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must comply with our computer hardware, software, and POS specifications.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesFranchise agreement
You must at all times give us unrestricted and independent electronic access to your computer systems and information.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We may elect to offer and require you to attend, either live or electronically, additional training and seminars that we may offer.
The filing answers no to 6 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 11
- Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?Item 12
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Item 11
- Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Item 11
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
The vendor opportunity at EzLane Auto Auctions
For software vendors, EzLane Auto Auctions presents a highly concentrated opportunity. The system consists of a single company-owned unit, with no franchised locations disclosed in the 2023 FDD. This means the total addressable market is exactly one location. While the royalty rate is set at 15% and the initial franchise term runs for 10 years, the absence of a franchisee network means there is no multi-unit operator base to sell into. Any software sale would be a direct, HQ-level engagement.
Who controls software purchasing
Technology purchasing authority sits entirely with the corporate leadership team. The FDD lists Phillip Steven (“Steve”) Polen as CEO and Charles Kirkpatrick as Chief Technology Officer. Steve DeMedicis serves as Chief Strategy Officer. With no franchisees in the system, there is no multi-unit operator influence on buying decisions. A vendor's path to a deal runs exclusively through this small HQ group, making a direct relationship with the CTO the critical entry point.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2023 FDD mandates the use of the “EzLane System” for franchise operations. No other third-party software vendors are named in the disclosure. This proprietary system likely covers core operational functions, but the FDD does not specify its modules or whether it is internally built or licensed from an external provider. For a vendor selling complementary or replacement technology, the key question is whether the EzLane System is open to integration or if the franchisor views it as a closed, all-in-one platform.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD does not provide an Item 8 extract, so the formal procurement model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—remains unknown. Renewal conditions, outlined in Item 17, require the franchisee to pay a renewal fee, sign a general release of claims, provide written notice at least 180 days before the agreement expires, and accept the then-current franchise agreement, which may contain materially different terms. The 10-year initial term suggests a long sales cycle, but with only one unit, any contract window would be tied to a single corporate decision rather than a wave of franchisee renewals.
How to read the EzLane Auto Auctions FDD
The full 2023 Franchise Disclosure Document is available below. For software vendors, the most relevant sections are Item 11 (the franchisor's obligations), which confirms the EzLane System mandate, and Item 17 (renewal and termination), which defines the contractual timeline. Because no franchisee list is provided and the unit count is minimal, traditional operator-level prospecting is not applicable here. This is a pure HQ sale, and the FDD confirms the names of the executives who will make that decision. For a ranked target list tailored to your software category, FranCloud can help you identify where this opportunity fits among broader franchise system targets.
Questions vendors ask
EzLane Auto Auctions, answered from the filing
The buying center includes CEO Phillip Steven (“Steve”) Polen and CTO Charles Kirkpatrick. With a single company-owned unit and no franchisee base, all technology decisions are centralized at the corporate level.
The 2023 FDD mandates the proprietary 'EzLane System' for operations. No third-party POS or operational software vendors are named in the disclosure.
The system consists of 1 total unit, which is company-owned. The number of franchised units is not disclosed in the 2023 FDD.
The procurement model is not detailed in the available FDD extracts. Item 8, which typically outlines designated or approved suppliers, provided no signal in this disclosure.
The initial franchise term is 10 years. Renewal requires written notice at least 180 days before expiration and signing the then-current agreement, which may have materially different terms.
The 2023 FDD was filed with state franchise regulators. You can review the embedded PDF viewer below for the full disclosure document.
Source
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment EzLane Auto Auctions files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
No franchisee network yet. EzLane Auto Auctions’s latest FDD reports no franchised locations.
Related Automotive services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.