September of this year was not an easy time for the Independence multi-brand holding. In the press and even on television, everyone actively discussed the scandal, which flared up actively around the organization mentioned above. The problem was that this company, essentially car dealerships, simply stopped issuing vehicles to its customers, which, by the way, had already been prepaid as such. The largest dealer in Russia stopped responding to consumer questions and commenting on this situation in any way, spreading rumors that very soon the corporation would simply declare its own insolvency as such - bankruptcy.
How did events develop further?
Deceived buyers began to apply to government agencies and directly to manufacturing companies, whose dealers were the Independence No. car dealerships. Thus, manufacturers began to solve this issue by issuing paid vehicles to deceived buyers, and all this was reimbursed directly at the expense of the manufacturer. In general, losses amounted to at least six billion rubles, which is the largest amount in the history of this business area, respectively.
They were the first to refuse cooperation with the WWII dealer, and then the Volvo Cars company also terminated all business relations with this company. Deceived buyers had to be saved by the manufacturers themselves, however, such a positive development of the situation did not affect everyone, and for many the question remains as to how to return their own money or still get vehicle, for which financial resources have long been paid, respectively.
What news is there about this?
It is worth noting the fact that the scandal has become of interest to a huge number of media representatives who actively keep abreast of the events around the company and the scandal itself. Thus, official sources report that and BMW company, and the car manufacturer Volvo Kars have already terminated the contract with the specified dealer and even held tenders regarding who will continue to be the representative of the official type in Russia. However, the companies have not yet reported the results and we can only wait for statements.
In addition, an investigation is underway into the situation due to which the scandal occurred. By the way, the owner of 50% of the company's shares, Roman Tchaikovsky, does not comment on his position and does not communicate with the press. Investigations showed that Nezavisimost's problems began quite a long time ago - several years ago the company took out its first loan. Now its amount has increased many times and directly amounts to at least seven billion rubles. Earlier it was said that the company is in a hurry to declare bankruptcy, but state-owned banks recently began to report that negotiations are currently underway regarding an immediate loan restructuring. The possibility of returning some part of the loans at the expense of the shares of this company is being considered. However, no official sources have provided more detailed information yet.
How are things going with the issue?
Deceived customers began to talk about the problem, and manufacturers, as has been repeatedly mentioned in this article of our official resource, independently took up the direct solution of the issue. To date, BMW reports that they have been able to completely eliminate the issue of their buyers who paid in full for the vehicle, but still did not receive their goods, respectively. Other car brands and their representatives report that this particular issue is in the active stage of its immediate solution, respectively.
However, it is worth noting the fact that in this barrel of honey there is a fairly large fly in the ointment. After all, a huge number of buyers made only a partial payment for their future vehicle, or the payment was an incomplete amount, but close to a full payment. With such clients, things are somewhat more complicated and it is worth noting that official representatives have not yet commented on this situation in any way and, accordingly, do not report on whether the issue of this formulation of this issue is being resolved or not.
But buyers do not give up and actively try to defend their rights, although no one can clearly answer these questions for them yet, as well as provide any guarantees in this regard in the same way. But we will further try to consider this issue in more detail and together find a way out of such an unpleasant situation, respectively.
Difficulties regarding the direct payment of money spent and / or the return of vehicles will also be faced by those buyers who did not make their purchase on individual, but on legal. According to sources, in this case, returning your money back or getting the promised car back will be quite difficult and not at all as simple as it might seem at first glance or as it was with those customers who were able to get the promised. We will talk about this in more detail later in this article of our official resource.
What to do if cheated at a car dealership?
It is worth noting the fact that not only buyers of the largest Independence dealer face the subject of deception directly in the car dealership, but also many others who use the direct services of car dealerships that are not as widely known to the public as already mentioned above. Needless to say, what are the thoughts of almost any potential buyer of such salons? Few people think about how carefully you should treat all the details of the transaction, and not everyone carefully checks such details. Most live in a dream that they are about to have the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of a new vehicle.
It is worth noting the fact that the issue of direct deception in car dealerships has become almost a "tradition" in almost any of the organizations of this type, and the worst thing is that the statistics are far from the most comforting, regardless of the region of the country and the financial situation of the potential consumer, respectively, that only speaks of the high need to take such issues seriously.
If you have no desire to simply fall for a large enough loan to get your vehicle, be deceived on the authenticity of the offered car, and avoid other unpleasant situations, then stay with us and continue reading this article.
Cheating option - too cheap car
Needless to say, it would be time for all of us to get used to the fact that in the realities of the modern world, in fact, free cheese is only in a mousetrap. And this applies not only to the transport industry of the domestic market directly. If you are strongly offered any product on the terms of an incredible benefit - a car many times lower than its immediate market value, then you should think very carefully about - where could there be a catch? Understand that there is no reason for anyone to work at a loss - there is no point in such a business.
Responsibility of fraudulent car dealerships before the law
It's no secret that any fraudulent activities in our state are illegal and, accordingly, are prosecuted in accordance with the current legislation. Russian Federation respectively. It is worth noting the fact that, in a procedural manner, fraud directly in car dealerships can be qualified by the court in different ways:
- administrative offense;
- criminal offense of the law.
Thus, the very responsibility of fraudsters will also be quite different. In order to qualify a crime, it is worth referring to the Consumer Rights Protection Law and carefully studying the situation in order to find out which provisions of this law were directly violated in this particular case.
Fraudsters can be held criminally liable directly under Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in the event that there is a fact of almost direct deception of the client in the case, the presence of actions that imply such deception, respectively. This point may refer to any options that are offered by the specified organization: taking out insurance, fraudulent actions regarding the sale of low-quality goods to the buyer, fraudulent actions regarding the final amount of the cost of the vehicle, and so on.
For the rest, you should prove the presence of illegal actions of the car dealership regarding you specifically and in the best way possible. this process you can be helped by such a professional in their field as a lawyer and / or a lawyer.
Help of a lawyer or independent solution of issues?
Each person accepts the answer to the question posed independently. However, if you fall into the hands of scammers (in "Independence" or any other car dealership), you should have only one solution - to fight for justice and, above all, for your own interests. You should not give up, and even more so that we are not talking about small amounts of money.
If you are well versed in the topic, have sufficient qualities of pressure, perseverance and penetration, then you can easily improve your own knowledge of jurisdiction and go to the expanses of self-protection of your own rights and your financial situation. You can also independently engage in the representation of your own interests in all state instances directly if you have sufficient knowledge and experience of a procedural nature directly.
In the event that you do not differ in such immediate qualities, then it is best, of course, to entrust the direct solution of this issue to the shoulders of a true professional in their field. At the first consultation, your lawyer (lawyer) will tell you about the prospects for your case and the realities with which you can continue to work accordingly. Thus, you will immediately determine the goals and you can always be sure of a positive guaranteed result from your lawyer directly.
What conclusions can be drawn from the current situation?
Needless to say, regarding the article of our resource indicated above in this article, it is rather difficult to speak about any specific conclusions or decisions, respectively. Recall that the immediate problem was that this company - in fact, car dealerships, simply stopped issuing vehicles to their customers, which, by the way, had already been paid in advance as such.
The largest dealer in Russia stopped responding to consumer questions and commenting on this situation in any way, spreading rumors that very soon the corporation would simply declare its own insolvency as such - bankruptcy. Deceived buyers began to apply to government agencies and directly to manufacturing companies, the dealers of which were the Nezavisimost car dealerships. Thus, manufacturers began to solve this issue by issuing paid vehicles to deceived buyers, and all this was reimbursed directly at the expense of the manufacturer. In general, losses amounted to at least six billion rubles, which is the largest amount in the history of this business area, respectively.
The main feature that can be summed up as a result of everything that was said above in this article - never give up and continue to use all the methods available to you in order to prove your rights and get what belongs to you by law. Needless to say, even if you still can’t get your vehicle or sue money from the largest dealer in Russia, Independence, then this is only a temporary phenomenon and when more precise decisions are made on this case and signed relevant documents, then your situation will improve significantly, and your issue will be resolved fairly quickly.
Important! For all questions when cheating at a car dealership, if you don’t know what to do and where to go:
Call 8-800-777-32-63.
Or you can ask a question in any pop-up window, so that a lawyer on your issue can answer and advise you as quickly as possible.
Consumer protection lawyers, and attorneys who are registered on Russian Legal Portal, will try to help you from a practical point of view in the current issue and advise you on all issues of interest.
In the fall of 2017, the Pyatnitsa TV channel launched the reality show "Heirs": the offspring of wealthy families had to live for four days in the Russian outback for 1,000 rubles. The hero of the second issue, 20-year-old Anton Nusinov, began the program with a presentation of his life: pictures from London and a huge family estate in Russia, holidays in the best resorts in the world, a flight on a business jet and moving around the city on a Rolls-Royce with a personal driver.
The voiceover said that Anton's dad is a real oligarch, but "either ruined or hiding." Alexey Nusinov, the father of a young man, in 2016 took 9th place in the Forbes rating of "15 main debtors of Russia." Nusinov Sr., one of the two founders of the Independence car dealer, was declared bankrupt in December 2015, the creditors' claims amounted to about 800 million rubles. He successfully sold his stake in Nezavisimost to Alfa Group structures in early 2008 before the global crisis, but got burned in real estate. And now he is watching with bitterness how his main brainchild, Independence itself, is living its last days, which ceased operations at the end of 2017.
Dive into darkness
Former CEO of the Nezavisimost group of companies, Elena Zhuravleva, still cannot believe that the company is dead. “I pass by the salon on Berezhkovskaya embankment, and it is all dark. The signs are off, people are not visible, there are no cars in the parking lot. It still seems to me that something can be done, ”Zhuravleva says sadly.
She joined the company in 2007 as chief financial officer, in the spring of 2014 she became chief managing director, and in February 2017 she was replaced by Nikita Shchegol, the former head of the Formula Kino cinema chain, then controlled by A1 investment company. It is part of the Alfa Group of Mikhail Fridman, German Khan and Alexei Kuzmichev, and now A1 owns a little less than half of Independence (49.95%), the rest belongs to Roman Tchaikovsky, who, together with Alexei Nusinov, founded the company in early 1990 -X. A1 attracted Nikita Shchegol as an anti-crisis manager, but he did not cope with the task. “The main task was to understand the current situation, form an anti-crisis team and form an action plan that would help the group of companies restore stability,” says an A1 representative. “It was planned to restructure the debt, which was not done, and as a result, the group lost the opportunity to continue functioning.”
Automakers and dealers have known about the problems of Independence for a long time, but the rapid ending of this story came as a surprise to everyone.
In September 2017, Nezavisimost, the third largest BMW in Russia in terms of sales, suspended sales of cars of this brand, German manufacturer simply disconnected the dealer from the ordering system due to numerous customer complaints about delays in receiving paid cars. Then BMW deprived the company of dealership, almost immediately Jaguar followed suit. Land Rover Volvo. On November 24, Gazprombank filed lawsuits against six group companies demanding that they be declared bankrupt, on November 27, Nezavisimost announced that it had closed all shopping centers in Moscow and the regions and completely stopped selling new cars. The total debt of the company, according to its data, amounted to about 6 billion rubles. In December, calls to the company's central office at 71 Leningradskoe shosse were answered that the company's general director was no longer there, and instead of him a "liquidator was working as part of the curtailment of operating activities."
“This is the sad anniversary of the 10-year partnership between one of the leaders in the automotive market and the best investment company in Russia,” says Elena Zhuravleva. More than 10 years ago, she was invited to the position of CFO at Nezavisimost just to prepare a deal to sell a stake in the company's capital to Alfa Group and Goldman Sachs.
Arrival of Alpha
Nusinov, along with fellow student Roman Tchaikovsky, went into business in the early 1990s, almost immediately after graduating from the journalism department of Moscow State University. Novice entrepreneurs, Nusinov says, had a contact at the Volga Automobile Plant and could buy Zhiguli at “normal prices” and sell them in Moscow. FROM domestic cars the partners quickly switched to foreign cars - at first they imported cars from Finland and Estonia, and in 1992 they acquired the Nezavisimost company, which had already signed a dealership contract with Volvo. In 1995, dealer contracts were signed with Hyundai and Audi.
Soon Tchaikovsky and Nusinov had a third partner - Arkady Briskin. He lived in Germany and was responsible for the supply of cars from the Audi and Volkswagen factories to the Moscow showrooms of Independence. Briskin received 30% in the company's business selling German foreign cars. Quick jump to imported cars largely made the company attractive to investors.
“Western manufacturers came to Russia with their own methods and culture and taught us all the time,” recalls Aleksey Nusinov. “We took them abroad and showed how to do business, there were constant consultations in Russia, big conferences were held every six months, a specialist was attached to us from the representative office, who constantly helped us.”
By the mid-2000s, the company already had IFRS financial statements, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, Volkswagen, Mazda added to the brand portfolio. Nezavisimost built Europe's largest center for sales and service of premium cars, in 2006 began construction of the largest center in Eastern Europe body repair cars of all brands. Alexey Nusinov says that the company did not attract debt financing and developed using its own funds. The company did not have a CEO - the shareholders themselves were in charge of management. Russian automotive market almost doubled from 2005 to 2007, to 2.8 million sold cars in year.
Nezavisimost followed the new trends and wanted to build an automobile “village” on the Kiev highway. The company leased 12.8 hectares of land for 49 years, the cost of the lease was $13 million. They expected to receive money for the construction of the "village" through an IPO, but in 2007 negotiations began with A1. According to Alexey Nusinov, initially the owners planned to sell 30%. "Investors wanted to enter a company in a growing market, package it up and take it to an IPO," he says. In 2006, Independence's revenue amounted to $680 million, in 2007 - more than $1 billion. And Independence itself was estimated at $340 million. Plans changed dramatically when Roman Tchaikovsky bought out the share of the third shareholder of Independence, Arkady Briskin. Nusinov found out about this after the fact, did not want to be a junior partner and sold his stake to Alfa and Goldman Sachs structures. Since then, Nusinov, according to him, has not communicated with Tchaikovsky.
However, it follows from the arbitration cases that Nusinov, Tchaikovsky and Briskin in 2010 took a loan from Promsvyazbank for the construction of an office and exhibition center on Berezhkovskaya Embankment, under personal guarantees - about $ 60 million. Nusinov failed to pay off in full, and on December 10, 2015 he was declared bankrupt.
“The creditors took away the already built facility, in which $100 million was invested, and also demanded money on guarantee. But a guarantee is not money, what should I return? - says Alexei Nusinov. “I had to go bankrupt.” It was not possible to bankrupt a German citizen Briskin in a Russian court. Tchaikovsky refused to communicate with Forbes.
Conquest of regions
Nusinov wonders why the story of Independence ended in failure. “There were no large construction projects, and Roman is a very attentive, cautious and not risky person,” says Nusinov. “Tchaikovsky is a strong manager, it is difficult to explain why one of the most successful and powerful companies in the car market went under,” says Vladimir Mozhenkov, one of the founders of the AvtoSpetsCentre group of companies.
Independence began its credit history in April 2008 by signing an agreement with Western banks for a $70 million syndicated loan. The company was proud of the loan agreement. “We showed the market that we learned how to borrow money,” recalls one of the former Independence employees. In the summer of 2008, negotiations began on the acquisition of Transtechservice, the largest car dealer in the Volga region. On its basis, the shareholders of Independence were going to build a federal dealer holding with a presence in all key regions.
Analysts then estimated Transtechservice at $400-500 million, and Nezavisimost at $800 million. The deal did not take place, but even the 2008 crisis did not correct plans for regional expansion. In the summer of 2008, the former head of the Mosmart retail chain, Eric Blondeau, became the managing director of Nezavisimost, his annual income was estimated at $ 1 million - twice the average compensation of managers of a comparable level.
At the end of 2009, it became known that Independence was negotiating the purchase of the Yekaterinburg holding Autoland, which owns salons in Yekaterinburg, Ufa and Magnitogorsk. At the end of 2008, Nezavisimost's revenue amounted to $1.3 billion, and Autoland's revenue was $558 million. This time everything went well, and Autoland became part of the Moscow company at the end of 2010. In February 2010, the company borrowed 1.1 billion rubles from Sberbank to refinance loans, and in the autumn the bank issued another 2 billion rubles to Independence. The company opened new stores in the regions, increased retail space in Moscow.
Despite the rapid growth of the business, in 2011, Eric Blondeau was replaced by the former head of the Audi representative office in Russia and Volkswagen Group Rus, Oscar Akhmedov (he, like Blondeau, left the company three years after his appointment). And on March 14, 2014, the financier Elena Zhuravleva was appointed the chief managing director of Nezavisimost, who was supposed to solve the main problem - to reduce the debt burden. By that time, Nezavisimost’s total debt was $260 million. After the annexation of Crimea and the imposition of sanctions, the ruble began to fall, and by the end of 2014, the company’s debt in rubles had almost doubled. But outwardly, nothing foreshadowed the collapse.
In May 2014, Nezavisimost opened a new Audi showroom with a showroom (1,000 sqm) on Berezhkovskaya Embankment. The gala evening was hosted by the popular TV presenter Timur Rodriguez, Cuban cigars were spun in the hall to the performance of trumpeter Vadim Eilenkrig with a jazz ensemble, an aerial acrobat girl flew under the roof, conversations were held on the second floor in the lounge area with hookahs and a view of Moscow City.
From the moment of opening, the car dealership brought only losses - rental payments exceeded income. Exactly the same situation has developed with another large car center of the company - for the sale of BMW in Kotelniki on the 15th km of the Moscow Ring Road. The trading floor occupied 7000 sq. m, the rent cost $ 2 million per year. The complexity of negotiations with tenants is evidenced by the example of Avilon, which in the fall of 2017 began selling BMWs at a site in Kotelniki that had been vacated after Independence. Having recalculated the rent, Avilon decided that it would be more profitable to buy the auto center from the owner, the Belaya Dacha company.
Elena Zhuravleva says that managerial mistakes were not fatal, but debts ruined the company. “It all started with a loan from Sberbank for $50 million, because of some dispute with Alfa, Sberbank did not renew it,” says Zhuravleva. According to her, in order to pay off, Independence cleared its accounts in two weeks and was left with practically no working capital. Why didn't Alfa-Bank help, because at the beginning of 2014 Alfa Group consolidated 49.95% of Independence? “The shareholders had a clear position: we do not lend to our companies,” says Zhuravleva. The representative of A1 adds that the share in the capital of Nezavisimost has always been considered as a portfolio investment and the company did not interfere in the operating activities of the car dealer.
In 2015, Independence began to sell off assets. Leroy Merlin bought a land plot from the company on Kievskoye Highway, the Khimki-Peugeot car dealership went to the dealer Chinese cars, a huge body shop was sold to the St. Petersburg company Evroavto. The staff of "Independence" was reduced from 4,000 to 1,600 people. According to Zhuravleva, in 2015 the savings amounted to 2 billion rubles. But there was still not enough working capital, and Zhuravleva went to ask the shareholders for money. “I wanted to prove to them that it is possible to work with money. Give, I say, for three months, we will return it on time and make a profit,” she says. - A1 and Tchaikovsky gave $5 million each, we returned it on time and showed the profit. Then we received funds again on the same conditions, but you can’t do business on short money.” In 2014, revenue amounted to 52.5 billion rubles (in 2013 - 57.1 billion rubles), in 2015 - 47.1 billion rubles, in 2016 - 28.6 billion rubles. Since 2012, the company has not shown a profit.
The top management of A1 was constantly looking for a replacement for Zhuravleva and did not hide this from her. According to a source in the investment company, they needed a person who would talk about the real state of affairs in Independence. “Everything that happens in the company cannot be understood by sitting on the board of directors. We were shown presentations, then all plans failed, distrust of the numbers they brought us reached its peak, ”explains the Forbes interlocutor. But Roman Tchaikovsky remained the head of the company all this time, and Zhuravleva was considered his man.
The problem was solved by Zhuravleva herself, announcing at the end of 2016 that she was leaving. Nikita Schegol became the new leader of Independence. Roman Tchaikovsky didn't mind. The Formula Kino cinema chain, which was previously managed by Shchegol, was sold by A1 to Alexander Mamut in April 2017.
Shareholders A1 and Tchaikovsky in equal shares sent 1 billion rubles to save the company. Zhuravleva also asked for this amount, according to her plan, the money would have saved the company in October 2016, but she received it only in January 2017. "Independence" got the last chance. They promised to show the result in six months, but the plan did not work. Already in May, it became obvious that the money would not help. The company continued to generate losses and was unable to service current loans. A1 decided not to put off the problem any longer and honestly told the banks about the unviability of the car dealer.
Lenders responded to honesty by demanding that the car dealer be declared bankrupt in the fall of 2017. The history of "Independence" is over. Shareholders of A1, according to Mikhail Fridman, lost $100 million on this project. Elena Zhuravleva is working on the creation of a children's school in Skolkovo and is engaged in crisis management. Alexey Nusinov is thinking about returning to the car market. “Business I know, why not? he says. “I communicate with Alfa, but so far, not very seriously.”
- With the participation of Elena Berezanskaya and Ekaterina Kravchenko
Mikhail Fridman:
“From time to time we lose something, it happens”
What can you say about the results of your Russian company A1? After the bankruptcy of the Nezavisimost car dealer, A1 has no large assets left.
The purchase of "Independence" really turned out to be unsuccessful. After the crisis of 2008, a difficult situation developed in the industry, and the company, unfortunately, could not get out of this crisis, the market continued to fall. And the management also made various mistakes. I don't think this is a significant blow for A1, I'm sure that Independence's clients weren't hurt. From time to time we lose something, it happens. The company was heavily leveraged from the start. And in a falling market, this is usually an unbearable burden.
How much did A1 lose on investments in Independence?
Approximately $100 million
What are the shareholders' plans for A1 today?
We are in the process of rethinking and refining our business model. Knowing the realities in crisis situations, we can successfully engage in crisis management. For example, helping non-controlling shareholders fight infringement of the rights of minority shareholders, restructure bank debts on mutually acceptable terms, negotiate with honest authorities, etc. All this has been and, I am sure, will be in demand on the Russian market in the foreseeable future. And we are also thinking about the best way to build the A1 management compensation system.
According to the Autobusiness Review magazine, in 2016 sales of new cars from Nezavisimost fell by 27.5% to 9.1 thousand units, although the overall decline Russian market, was much less - 11%. The group's revenue decreased by 11%, amounting to 29 billion rubles.
In July this year, the group closed dealerships in Moscow (Volvo, Land Rover/Jaguar and Volkswagen) and Yekaterinburg (Volvo, Mitsubishi and Kia). On September 28, Gazprombank, one of Nezavisimost’s largest creditors, posted 11 notices of intent to go to court “due to signs of bankruptcy” against the companies of this group in Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Ufa.
The representative of "Independence" and then explained this to the "usual technical procedure". According to him, negotiations are underway with the bank to settle the debt. As for the situation with BMW, the representative of the dealer told RBC that Independence lost about 300 million rubles on sales of cars of this brand in 2017. due to their low margins.
The total debt of Independence is about 6 billion rubles, a representative of the group told RBC. In addition to Gazprombank, Sberbank is the key creditor of Independence. Its representatives did not respond to requests from RBC.
Photo: Nikita Infantiev / Kommersant
The representative of A1 said that the management of the dealer group is now implementing an anti-crisis plan with the support of banks and importers. “We support management in the negotiation process and make every effort to resolve the situation,” he added. Roman Tchaikovsky was unable to promptly comment on the situation.
Kirill Yakovenko, an analyst at Alor Broker, believes that a combination of factors could have aggravated the situation in Nezavisimost: the crisis state of the economy, a sharp decline in sales in 2016, weak market activity compared to other participants, an illiterate strategy for working with auto concerns, as well as an increased debt burden. “Six months ago, one of the dealer’s shareholders, the A1 group, already capitalized Nezavisimost by $20 million, but in order to continue the operation of such a business, even then it was necessary to narrow the number of car dealerships and be the first to curtail contracts with inefficient brands,” he notes. According to Yakovenko, it will be extremely difficult for the group to continue working.
A representative of Independence told RBC that several scenarios for the development of events are being considered, including the restructuring of credit lines and the launch of a financial recovery procedure for the company. “We have brands in our portfolio that allow the company to show profit from sales, and work will be focused on them,” he said, without specifying which brands he was talking about. ”, concerning the future fate of the company. “There are already successful precedents on the market for resolving situations that are similar, if not much worse than [the situation] with the Independence Group,” he says.
A Peugeot representative told RBC that the contract with Independence expires at the end of the year and the possibility of extending it is now being considered. The press service of Mitsubishi RBC reported that dealership"Independence" in Ufa continues to work. Land Rover/Jaguar and Ford Sollers also say they continue to work with the dealer.
Consolidation continues
Meanwhile, Independence's competitors are becoming more active. At the end of September, the Kommersant newspaper, citing sources, wrote that the Avilon car dealer group could take over the Belaya Dacha BMW dealership in Moscow, which was leased by Nezavisimost. Andrey Pavlovich, CEO of Avilon, confirmed to RBC that the company is interested in expanding cooperation with BMW and is now considering the possibility of developing the project at Belaya Dacha under its own brand. “At the moment, this issue is at the stage of negotiations, and as soon as we come to a final decision, we will immediately report on the results,” he said.
Avilon can also include in the portfolio brand Volvo. As Pavlovich told RBC, the company applied for dealership. New salon, according to the CEO, can be located on Volgogradsky Prospekt in the capital, where most of the group's car dealerships are concentrated. It is planned to sum up the results of the tender in November. Volvo spokesman Anton Svekolnikov declined to comment. A BMW representative said that the company is ready to consider cooperation with dealers who have already proven themselves in working with the brand.
Vladimir Bespalov, an analyst at VTB Capital, notes that the potential withdrawal of Nezavisimost from the market will not drastically affect it: “Competition in Moscow among dealers is high, so other participants will quickly fill the vacated niches.”
In August compared to August 2016, up to almost 133 thousand pieces. However, premium import brands that are not produced in Russia generally showed a negative trend.
Auto dealer "Independence" has stopped selling cars in their showrooms in the capital. The group, against which the bankruptcy lawsuit was filed, has several centers in the regions.
Auto dealer group "Independence" closed the last car sales points in Moscow. This was told to RBC by a source close to the group, and confirmed by a partner of the company. The representative of "Independence" confirmed to RBC the closure of all the Moscow salons of the group.
The website of the car dealer and phone numbers of car dealerships do not work. According to the official websites of Audi and Volkswagen (the last two brands with which Nezavisimost had dealer agreements), the company is no longer their official dealer. Volkswagen representative (combines Volkswagen brands, Audi and others) said that there were no "changes in the status" of Independence: the company remains a dealer of its brands.
Now the group continues to operate several auto centers in the regions - Ford in Yekaterinburg and Ufa, Peugeot - in Yekaterinburg. A representative of Ford Sollers told RBC that the group's car dealerships in these cities continue to sell cars, but from December 1, the contract with Independence will be terminated. A Peugeot spokesperson said the deal with the dealer is valid until the end of 2017.
Independence’s problems escalated in early 2017. The company changed the manager and began to optimize business processes. The total debt of the group is about 6 billion rubles. Its main creditors are Gazprombank and Sberbank. On November 24, Gazprombank filed bankruptcy claims against a number of Independence structures.
At the beginning of 2017, the group had eight dealerships owned and four leased in Moscow and the regions. In July, the car dealer closed a number of car dealerships in Moscow (Volvo, Land Rover/Jaguar and Volkswagen) and Yekaterinburg (Volvo, Mitsubishi and Kia). At the end of September, Independence lost its contract with BMW. Then the representative of the dealer told RBC that the group was considering the possibility of terminating the agreement due to unprofitable sales of this brand. According to him, in 2017, Independence lost about 300 million rubles on sales of cars of this brand. due to low margins. Later, Kommersant, citing its sources, reported that the Avilon car dealer group could take the Belaya Dacha dealership, which Nezavisimost rented for sale. BMW cars. In October, Volvo, Jaguar/Land Rover, Mazda and Mitsubishi also canceled their dealer contracts with Independence. As a result, the dealer was left with only Audi, Ford, Volkswagen and Peugeot.
Andrey Pavlovich, Chairman of the Board of Avilon AG, told RBC that Avilon is now in the process of completing a deal to buy a BMW auto center. According to him, dealers specializing in the sale of specific brands may show interest in other Independence car dealerships. “Car centers are very difficult to convert to other activities, and the network in Moscow is very well-established in terms of location. If banks suddenly sell Land Rover centers, then dealers of this brand will be more interested. It will be possible to work there only with those brands with which Nezavisimost worked,” he concluded.
Auto dealer "Independence" has stopped selling cars in their showrooms in the capital. Bankruptcy-sued group has several centers in the regions
Auto dealer group "Independence" closed the last car sales points in Moscow. This was told to RBC by a source close to the group, and confirmed by a partner of the company. The representative of "Independence" confirmed to RBC the closure of all the Moscow salons of the group.
The website of the car dealer and phone numbers of car dealerships do not work. According to the official websites of Audi and Volkswagen (the last two brands with which Nezavisimost had dealer agreements), the company is no longer their official dealer. A representative of Volkswagen (which unites the brands Volkswagen, Audi, etc.) said that there were no "changes in the status" of Independence: the company remains a dealer of its brands.
GK Independence bankruptcy 2017, sale of property
In Moscow, auto dealer companies "Independence" stopped selling cars completely. There may be loss of funds by customers who have purchased a car on an advance payment. Several car dealerships in the regions continue to operate.
The Nezavisimost website is not working at the moment and the telephones at points of sale in the capital are silent. The Nezavisimost company is no longer listed as an official dealer on the Russian websites of the Volkswagen and Audi brands.
While the Ford showroom is operating in Yekaterinburg and Ufa, Peugeot is in Yekaterinburg.
"Independence", bankruptcy
Gazprombank (GPB) filed a lawsuit for the bankruptcy of a number of companies in the Nezavisimost group of car dealerships, according to the file of arbitration cases.
Thus, on November 24, GPB filed bankruptcy claims against Independence Real Estate Ural LLC, Nezavisimost Yekaterinburg M LLC, Nezavisimost Yekaterinburg K LLC in the Arbitration Court of the Sverdlovsk Region, as well as bankruptcy claims against Nezavisimost MTs LLC, Masterpromtorg LLC , LLC "Independence - used cars", LLC "Independence - Khimki" to the Moscow Arbitration Court.
Earlier, the bank notified about its intention to apply to the court for bankruptcy of about 20 companies that are part of the Independence structure. The notifications concerned the companies of the Nezavisimost group in Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Ufa, as well as those controlled by the Cypriot Independence German Motors Limited and Independence Holdings Limited. In particular, among them were Volkswagen dealer Avto Ganza LLC, as well as Audi and Peugeot dealers.
Car dealership "Independence", scandal
In February, the shareholders of Nezavisimost funded the company (the amount was not specified) and replaced the top management. In 2015, Nezavisimost restructured its debt to Gazprombank by 2.6 billion rubles. (as Kommersant reported, the loan was extended until at least 2019). In A1, “Kommersant” noted that they were in the process of negotiations with banks, and “it will be possible to talk about additional investments only after they are completed.” Earlier, Interfax sources claimed that A1 refused to finance the dealer and would not prevent its bankruptcy if one of the counterparties initiates this process.
In A1, Kommersant was told that "historically, they were a financial investor in the Independence Group of Companies and were not involved in the operating activities of the company."
At the end of last year, the dealer's management reported a difficult financial situation in the company and requested financial support, which was provided, according to A1. “A1 actively supported the management in the process of negotiations with creditor banks, but, unfortunately, as we see, the situation did not normalize,” the shareholders said.