Without renegotiation and surcharge

Auctions as a source of additional purchases

The Kumtepe car dealership in Bonn-Bad Godesberg buys around 800 additional vehicles per year on average. Almost a quarter of this comes from the auctions of the Buchbinder Group. In addition to the car rental company's e-auctions, it is above all its live auctions in Neunburg vorm Wald in the Oberpfalz that owner Hüseyin Kumtepe and his son Atanur participate in.

Hüseyin Kumtepe's car dealership was founded in Rolandseck in Remagen 15 years ago and was successful from the start. Only nine years later, in 2014, the company moved to Bonn, where the car dealership was able to develop and expand. The company now presents itself as a used car dealer and independent master car repair shop. More than 800 vehicles change hands here every year, mainly passenger cars, but also light commercial vehicles such as panel vans and flatbed trucks.

All incoming and outgoing models are serviced in the workshop in order to largely rule out unpleasant surprises.

A large part of the traded vehicles are return leases from companies in the area, for which the lessee can usually get better conditions from the car dealership than from their lessor, as well as private vehicles and self-financed vehicles from craftsmen. In order to be able to adequately cover the constantly high demand, the Kumtepes also like to go to car auctions. The auctions of the Buchbinder Group play the most important role here.

"In 2015, I became aware of the then new option through magazine advertising and initially bought the first cars through the company's online auctions," says Atanur Kumtepe. "Right from the start, I thought it was good that the vehicles at Buchbinder were sold without reservation and renegotiation, and that there was no surcharge like at other auctions." According to Kumtepe, it also convinced him that all vehicles are not only inspected by neutral experts before they are sold, but that they all come from the Buchbinder fleet: "This not only means that all current damage is known, but also all previous damage That helps me a lot when evaluating the vehicle and with the calculation, but also in the sales talk with the customer."

Since December 2018, the Kumtepes have also been using the opportunity to purchase the vehicles at the Buchbinder Group's live auctions. Up until the start of the corona pandemic, more than 1000 vehicles of all types and price ranges came under the hammer four times a year in a three-day event at the group’s logistics location in Neunburg vorm Wald – and that’s how it should be again after the crisis. "The selection on site is huge, I always find something suitable for our dealership," explains Atanur Kumtepe. "I can select suitable vehicles online in advance, view detailed information and photos about them and even see when they will be auctioned." Before the live auction, it is still possible to get a personal impression. "If everything goes well, I bid. After each live auction, I drive home with an average of 15 to 16 vehicles.""

Buchbinder's unique "all-round carefree package" ensures that Atanur Kumtepe and other interested parties have a really good time at the live auctions at every event. "We have numerous free services available for all on-site participants in our auction," says Christina Schmalisch, Remarketing Team Leader at Buchbinder. "This means that our guests don't have to pay for food, drinks, hotel accommodation and our VIP shuttle transfer from the hotels to the event locations and back, nor for our extensive supporting and evening program. In addition to joint dinners and music and show performances this also includes sweepstakes and joint excursions." So if you want to, you only have to worry about getting to and from the event and can concentrate fully on the auction or enjoy the program in between.

Word has gotten around among dealers and garages not only in Germany but also in other countries that live auctions are worthwhile and fun – from the Netherlands to Slovakia and Italy. In the end, Atanur Kumtepe was also taken with this internationality.

"Everything is just right," says the car dealer from Bonn. "Hotel, shuttle service, the great Buchbinder team from the sales professional to the waiter, who takes care of all my questions and requests in a friendly and quick manner. I also meet fellow dealers from Germany and abroad with whom I can talk shop wonderfully. In addition to the evening events, I particularly like the excursions, for example a river cruise on the Danube or to the Christmas market, which Buchbinder also offers and organizes free of charge."

So it's no wonder that Atanur Kumtepe regrets that the live auctions cannot take place at the moment. Until they start again, the car dealership will increasingly use the other purchasing opportunities offered by the Buchbinder Group: "I prefer to buy at the live events, but the e-auctions were always very attractive for us even before the Corona period "After all, the conditions here are just as good as those at the on-site events. In this way, we will be auctioning around 200 Buchbinder vehicles again this year."

As a further alternative, the Bonn car dealership uses direct sales from the Buchbinder Group. Very good, trusting contacts have grown here in recent years. "All in all, I will be very happy when the live events start again and I can come out of the day-to-day business so pleasantly and at the same time successfully. It's just a double win for me every time."