Things To Keep In Mind When Buying Used Cars From Japan
There are many reasons why a person might be interested in purchasing Japanese used cars, with some of these reasons being due to the great deals that can be obtained, but also because Japanese used cars generally have a good reputation of performing very well.
Before you eveget started looking for a place to buy from, the most important first step you must take as a potential importer is to check two things at your end: Firstly, whether there is any demand for the vehicles you are considering importing. If there is no demand, or if there is demand but no profit to be made, then there is little point proceeding. Then, secondly, you need to look into whether your local regulations and laws will actually permit you to import the cars you are considering ? and if they do, then what will be the cost in taxes and other similar fees?
The next stage when importing any car from Japan is to find a used car exporter over there who will be a good, reliable partner to you in your purchasing. So when looking online for a broker that deals with used cars from Japan, the first thing you want to make sure of is that this broker has a good reputation.
Once you have found a reputable online used car dealer, the next step is to read their terms of business very carefully. Keep in mind that when you import Japan used cars, you need to find out exactly what is included in the overall price.
For example, when you puryour used cars FOB, it means that although the Japan side costs are included, the cost of shipping is not. On top of this, once your vehicle arrives at the destination port, you will be responsible for paying taxes, duty, registration and, potentially, compliance. So, as you can see, there are many costs involved which you need to factor in before making a purchase.
Now, when you think about all the money that will be spent on purchasing your Japan used cars, you can understand why you have to choose a reputable Japanese car exporter. One way to ensure that the whole process is airtight is by finding out exactly how this particular site’s services will work, and a good way to do this is by entering into a dialog with the staff at that particular export company. What you will discover is that there are very few used Japanese car exporters who will really give you good service and com. You may feel like this is a waste of time, but really it is a very effective way of weeding out the poorer options.
One thing to keep in mind is that you have to have a bit of patience once you do purchase your used cars in Japan, as it can take up to three weeks or to get paperwork organized and shipping booked. On top of this, remember that in addition, there is still the time of the voyage when your vehicle is transported over to you by ship.
You may be feeling a little overwhelmed, and that is not surprising if you have never done anything like this before. That’s OK. Just take it step by step and do your rescarefully. Then once you have a good exporter working for you on the Japan side, you will find things then quickly slot into place.
Buying your first car is a learning experience, but do it once and you can easily replicate the process hundreds and, even, thousands of times. I know: I have taken many people through this process myself. So start with one or two cars, and before you know it you could be importing ten or more cars every month and have a very nice used car importing business making money for you.
The author is co-owner of Integrity Exports, a used Japan car exporter that procures used vehicles from Japan car auctions for car importers worldwide. He has over a decade of experience of living and working in Japan, in addition to fluency in Japanese.
This article is (c) Stephen Munday 2011. Permission is only given to reproduce this article in full with the URLs correctly hyperlinked and with the authorship and copyright correctly attributed.
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