Sourcing used cars: choose between importing and wholesale only after the file is complete
The choice starts with the route, not the promise
Choose between importing yourself and sourcing through a wholesaler on a per-vehicle basis, after determining who manages the Dutch registration process, document checks and receiving inspection. For a vehicle from an EU or EFTA country, the RDW describes an appointment at an inspection station and an application for Dutch registration. For that inspection, the Dutch government lists the foreign registration certificate, valid proof of identity and, where necessary, additional documents such as a CoC or foreign MOT report. This makes importing a route with specific file steps; these passages say nothing about the margin, repair quality, delivery time or commercial quality of an individual wholesaler. A wholesaler can therefore take work off your hands, but this only becomes a useful choice when that handover can be verified for each vehicle.
Turn receipt into a verifiable sales milestone
Even when delivery is through a wholesaler, the dealer remains responsible for what they add to inventory and explain. Use a standard receiving inspection for every candidate vehicle: run the registration check, check the mileage and service history, and record deviations before pricing and publication. This aligns with the points the RDW highlights when purchasing. The check does not replace a technical inspection and does not prove that a car is defect-free; it does show which information was verified before the sales conversation. Only then compare your own route with a wholesaler's offering, including the tasks that genuinely remain with your team.
The decision register that keeps the choice verifiable
Use one register for both imports and wholesale purchasing: “For each used car, record the sourcing route, file owner, required registration and vehicle documents, receiving checks, any recycling contribution and the decision before publication.” This makes clear whether a process step has been assigned or merely assumed. For cars and light commercial vehicles receiving Dutch registration for the first time, the Dutch government states that a recycling contribution has been mandatory since 1 May 2021; the passage also includes used imported cars. Include it as a separate checkpoint, without attaching a fixed cost price or financial outcome to it. “This assessment is limited to the supplied government information on importing, registration applications, purchase checks and the recycling contribution; it does not support a comparison of margins, quality, delivery times, return terms or capacity between individual wholesalers and importing yourself.”
