The godfather of remarketing, Wierd Meijering, launched the website Autoveiling.nl twenty years ago. This platform was intended to become the go-to place where RDW-approved companies could purchase large numbers of cars coming off lease via an auction. Today, Autoveiling.nl remains that place for purchasing cars, and the empire has been significantly expanded.
Put simply, remarketing essentially means finding a new home for a car that is, for example, coming off a lease. Because what actually happens to your car after the four-year lease contract ends? It is precisely this niche that the AVN Group has entered.
The first venture within the group was the auction of cars to enthusiastic car dealers looking for attractive, newer vehicles. However, the concept now also includes a comprehensive application for inspection, fleet management and settlement.
From Peugeot dealer to 100,000 inspections
Before the remarketing venture began, Wierd earned his living as co-owner of a Peugeot dealership. It was here that he gained the necessary automotive experience, particularly in the field of used cars.
In November 2002, Autoveiling.nl was founded and took off. Less than seven years later, Autoinspectie.nl was added to this. And in 2012, Wierd started an IT company for the automotive sector.
This online application enables leasing companies, fleet managers, dealerships and other large corporate clients to manage and monitor the inspection workflow, for example for a car coming off-lease.
The same process is also followed when there is a change of driver, in order to document any damage and, where necessary, have the previous driver pay for it. With the Inspection App, it is possible to inspect a car yourself and/or have this carried out independently by a professional inspector from Autoinspectie.nl. As a result, more than 100,000 cars now pass through the application every year.
The fairy tale from Kaatsheuvel
\ \Ten years ago, both Autoinspectie.nl and Autoveiling.nl were incorporated into the AVN Group, a group that brought together inspectors, auctioneers and IT specialists. And although many people know Kaatsheuvel from a very different fairy tale, the AVN Group has also grown into a magical story.
The live Hammer Auction is one of Autoveiling.nl’s showpieces. Companies can log in here and bid against each other in real time on vehicles that pass by one by one.
GPS tracking for efficiency
The AVN Group’s fleet consists of around 25 vehicles. “With a GPS tracker on board, we enjoy various benefits. For instance, we always know where a colleague is. This makes it possible to react quickly, including in terms of planning. We can easily see each colleague’s fuel consumption. We regularly recognise those colleagues who drive most economically. And the Trackjack app is also ideal for responding quickly to any incidents,” says Wierd.
Wierd concludes: “At the AVN Group, we drive our own cars and, under the motto ‘you reap what you sow’, we regularly swap cars. Administratively, it’s ideal to be able to look back from time to time. And the GPS tracker is easy to swap.”