Nieuweautokopen.nl really stops… or not?

Today is January 15th and that means that it is exactly three years ago that I sold my company Nieuweautokopen.nl to eBay, and therefore to Marktplaats. Until the takeover it was a turbulent trip with downs and a few small ups, and with the takeover that trip came to an end, but with a good feeling. Because I ended up in a place where I always wanted to be: the Champions League of online automotive. And now, exactly three years after the takeover, we have decided that Nieuweautokopen.nl will stop. For me personally not an easy decision, but by retaining the people and expertise a decision that I fully support.

Takeover

The past three years have been extraordinarily instructive for me. I started working with one of the founders of the internet as we know it today, also one of the most successful Silicon Valley companies. During the negotiations about the takeover, Marktplaats already stated fairly that they didn’t do it because of the name ‘Nieuweautokopen.nl’. The technology, the people and the way of working and the intellectual property were seen as the real added value. This is quite common in this type of takeovers: just look at the last hundred company takeovers by Facebook and Google. Virtually every acquired company goes up in the big business. That will now also happen with Nieuweautokopen.nl. For three years I could still enjoy the name, but today we take the next step.

What about your dream?

I have never made it a secret that it is my dream to sell cars online. That dream is still there. And after I have sold thousands of cars online with my team, I still believe that the numbers can be higher, especially with today’s techniques. But I also realize that the internet is no panacea, but only a tool for reaching more people. The twenty years that I now spend in the world of online automotive, the first half as a dealer and the last ten years with Nieuweautokopen.nl, have only strengthened me in the idea that it can do better and be bigger. The sale of Nieuweautokopen.nl in 2015 was necessary after the bankruptcy of Koops Furness. Of all the options that we had, this was the best, by far. For me personally, for my business and especially for all people who worked at Nieuweautokopen.nl.

After this day, when I look back at Nieuweautokopen.nl, I continue with my job as automotive spokesman at Marktplaats, full of energy. Work that I do with a lot of pleasure and that I want to continue doing in the coming years. Of course, three years ago I never expected that I could and should be the spokesman of such an A-brand in the Netherlands. Who would not want to work in the Champions League after all?

I also continue with my company #DCDW. With my partners, I am still working on increasing the online sales of new and used cars. I don’t do this under my own label, but under the flag of a brand, an importer or a dealer. Because whether it is immediately visible or modest in the background, online automotive is my profession, my passion. I want nothing but that.

Granted that Nieuweautokopen.nl is ‘out of order’ from today on, gives me a double feeling. A good feeling because I have had success, both personally and financially. Think of the sale to eBay, the collaborations with BMW, the ANWB and ,at an earlier stage, with SsangYong and Autotrader. All this brought me a lot and made me feel like I never wanted to stop.
There is also relief, because Nieuweautokopen.nl demanded a lot of attention. The last sixteen months I was no longer involved in the daily operation and that is quite difficult. That is why it is good that the platform stops and that we can continue to integrate the things that we have successfully integrated into Marktplaats. Issues, such as the Internet Lead Management System (ILMS) in combination with LEF and Websolve, the Cost per Sale Pilot and Call Tracking, they simply continue to exist and are of great added value to dealers every day.

Thanks

I am very grateful to everyone who helped us in the past 12 years that the website has been live. Especially, of course, the customers who gave us confidence in 2005 by buying a new car online. I am also grateful to all dealers who delivered the cars. And I am grateful to all NAK employees, in particular Gerben Beck, who is now also doing cool things for #DCDW. Grateful for all my partners, my wife and most of all the readers of my blogs and articles. Because as long as my blogs are read, the podcast is listened to and I regularly get positive reactions ‘out of the field’ I’m enthusiastic about making online automotive even better!

About Paul and #DCDW
#DCDW was founded by Paul de Vries, the authority in the field of online automotive in the Netherlands. Paul uses his broad knowledge of the automotive industry to help sales people, sales managers and dealer management improve in their lead follow-up, sales and online marketing.

In addition, Paul is a frequently asked speaker, coach and motivator. He presents a podcast every week and two books with a collection of his inspiring blogs have already been published. Paul is also an automotive spokesperson of Marktplaats, an eBay company in the Netherlands.