Lets’ start with COST – Selecting your own car from Japan and importing it yourself allows you to avoid the profit margins of ‘middle-men’.
Now QUALITY – You can choose to pay much less for the same quality car, OR put some or all of the savings into buying a much better quality car.
Most end users prefer the latter option – they simply do not want the cheaper car once they see the true condition.
A very cheap car is priced less for a reason – it may not be as safe to use and will cost more over the years in repairs and maintenance.
The below graph compares auction buy price, dealer profit margin, our service fee and import costs (such as shipping and taxes) on a car costing $20,000 to import – highly simplified of course but you get the idea -> save money or buy a better car, your choice.
So, is it cheaper to import your own car ?
We are asked this constantly. The answer is almost always, YES, for the SAME QUALITY car.
YOUR SAFETY – The used car business is one of the most deceptive and competitive worldwide.
Exporters based in Japan and importers / dealers in other countries make a living from selling cars for more than they paid.
Winding back odometers, falsifying auction reports, and hiding poor condition and past repairs are all common practice to increase profit margins – done so professionally that the average person would not know.
The lax import laws in most countries together with international transport through a number of hands makes it easy for these scammers to operate.
That means a 1st time importer with no idea of how the car import industry works has virtually no chance to avoid being taken advantage of one or more times along the way.
This can be very stressful and expensive but can be easily avoided by engaging a professional import agent with a good track record.
TOP 10 MISTAKES Made by the 1st Time Car Importer
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Buying a car with false km or misrepresented specifications (wrong year or model)
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Buying a car with poor condition / accident history that needs expensive repairs
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Receiving no car or the wrong car after sending money overseas
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Buying a car that is not eligible for import to their country
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Shipping a car without an Import Approval
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Overcharged on the auction price or agent fees in Japan, shipping, import taxes etc.
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No idea of the import process and costs
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Getting hit with unnecessary local charges for Quarantine cleaning
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No idea of import laws for airconditioning gas and asbestos
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Claiming a falsely low purchase price at Customs clearance
View Facebook Review from this client
View auction inspection details and pictures for this 1993 R32 GTR
I’ve always loved the R32 Nissan Skyline GTR…. since the Bathurst days. I finally decided that i wanted one as a collectible as good ones are hard to come by. After exhausting myself looking for one in mint stock condition locally, I decided to import one from Japan.
I called a few importers and Geoff @ Prestige Motorsport seemed to me someone who genuinely was interested in helping me find the GTR I was after. After signing up, Geoff kept me informed with cars I may be interested in and which auctions to look out for.
I eventually found the right car and Geoff kept me updated about the details of the car and sent lots of photos before the auction so I knew what I was paying for.
I’m very happy with the car and the service I received from Geoff at Prestige Motorsport to source my 1993 R32 GTR. I would happily recommend him to whoever is interested to source a car from Japan.