Best Place to Source a Car in Japan for Import??

blobert

Hi folks,

After my attempts to find a small engined automatic (either Micra or Yaris) here in Ireland have failed (very few for sale and those that are are overpriced, nothing suitable in the auctions either) I'm now looking to bringing one in from Japan. There is a fantastic range of 1 litre automatics there in good condition, and even after VAT, Duty, VRT etc I should have a decent low mileage car for over 1k less than the same Japanese import would cost here.

I've been looking at two places:

Firstly IBC Japan: www.ibcjapan.co.jp
These guys have quite a few cars for sale themselves but will also bid in the auctions on your behalf. They also check the car out after winning the auction and will send it back if they find any problems.

Secondly is Trade Car View: www.tradecarview.com
This seems to be the Japanese equivilant of carzone and has thousands of cars from various dealers. A great selection again and you can haggle with the dealers and ask questions directly. That said it might be better to do everything staright through one company such as IBC

Anyway I'm looking for advice from people that have imported from Japan or have experience using either of the above or any other companies.

I've been looking around for about a month or two and want to speed things up and order a car soon enough. My old car has died and been got rid of so I'm cycling everywhere until I get a new one.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Tipsy Mac

These lads have been mentioned here before as being good, they have some fixed priced stock and also auction stock www.japaneseusedcars.com.

blobert

Thanks, will have a look at them now.

Any further advice would be much appreciated.

drdre

I think tradecarview is the best.What car are you thinking of importing?

blobert

I'm most likely going to be bringing in a 1999-2000 Toyota Yaris, 1 litre automatic with a CIF price to Dublin of under €3k working out at just under €5k hopefully.

I may go cheaper however. I could get this to Ireland with all VAT VRT etc paid for less than €3k (seems a little too cheap to be true):

http://www.tradecarview.com/stock/detail.aspx?sid=553164

Just to ask when you buy through tradecarreview are you dealing directly with the garage/dealership selling the car?

Are there some sellers that are better than others and how do you know which ones are reputable?

Thanks

drdre

blobert wrote:

I'm most likely going to be bringing in a 1999-2000 Toyota Yaris, 1 litre automatic with a CIF price to Dublin of under €3k working out at just under €5k hopefully.

I may go cheaper however. I could get this to Ireland with all VAT VRT etc paid for less than €3k (seems a little too cheap to be true):

http://www.tradecarview.com/stock/detail.aspx?sid=553164

Just to ask when you buy through tradecarreview are you dealing directly with the garage/dealership selling the car?

Are there some sellers that are better than others and how do you know which ones are reputable?

Thanks

Thats a cheap price as its automatic.Most cars that are automatic go for really cheap.Whats the vrt as you might get way cheaper than 5k. as the car itself is only 1,250 euro.I was looking at getting a new integra type r to sell it but i dont think theres a large market so i might get a toyota levin to drive it and then sell it.Ive never imported before so i think its a better option to get a cheaper car first just incase anything does go wrong

blobert

Thanks,

I believe I can get the above car to Dublin for under €3k including all taxes and duties which is very cheap really (which leads me to think there might be something wrong with the car).

Do you mean automatics are cheaper in japan or here, because I find they are more expensive here (as well as being rarer)?

drdre

blobert wrote:

Thanks,

I believe I can get the above car to Dublin for under €3k including all taxes and duties which is very cheap really (which leads me to think there might be something wrong with the car).

Do you mean automatics are cheaper in japan or here, because I find they are more expensive here (as well as being rarer)?

I dont think theres much wrong with the car as automatics are really cheap over there.I was doing some research for the past week and theres a huge difference in manual and automatic prices.And i mean huge for some models

I might consider getting a car in june just to see how it works
Im thinking of something like this
http://tradecarview.com/stock/detail.aspx?sid=491125

drdre

I think this is how it should be priced as i have found out from afew different people

FOB
+
Shipping + Handling
=
Total
+
Duty 10%

Total

VAT 21%
+
Clearing agent
=
Total
+
VRT
=
Total

Is this how you did it?

blobert

I think that's right, not sure if VAT is calculated on price before or after duty is added, probably won't make that much of a difference on a low price car.

Also not sure of how much a clearing agent will cost, expecting €150-200?

VRT is a very important part of the price. I was initially looking at new model Micra's but the VRT was around €2000 (almost the same as what the car itself was costing), wheras by getting a Yaris from 1999-2000 VRT is only about €750-900, quite a lot less. VRT on an old model Micra is only about €500 but I think I'll pay a bit extra for the Yaris.

Going to test drive a 1 litre automatic Vitz(Yaris) tomorrow, if I like it, I'll get bidding/buying!

Am tempted to go on a cheap car like the one above, in case the process all goes wrong but will probably end up paying a grand or two more for a nicer one.

Any further advice would be much appreciated.

drdre

blobert wrote:

I think that's right, not sure if VAT is calculated on price before or after duty is added, probably won't make that much of a difference on a low price car.

Also not sure of how much a clearing agent will cost, expecting €150-200?

VRT is a very important part of the price. I was initially looking at new model Micra's but the VRT was around €2000 (almost the same as what the car itself was costing), wheras by getting a Yaris from 1999-2000 VRT is only about €750-900, quite a lot less. VRT on an old model Micra is only about €500 but I think I'll pay a bit extra for the Yaris.

Going to test drive a 1 litre automatic Vitz(Yaris) tomorrow, if I like it, I'll get bidding/buying!

Am tempted to go on a cheap car like the one above, in case the process all goes wrong but will probably end up paying a grand or two more for a nicer one.

Any further advice would be much appreciated.

I think clearing agent is maximum 100 euro. Yeah vrt is main expense.Do you just use the VRT calculator or did you call the tax office as that calculator never works for me which puts me off from importing.

blobert

Used the calculator. It take a bit of fiddling with the settings (my mistake was not including the boot as a door in the number of doors part) but you can normally get a quote in the end out of it.

Mc-BigE

To be honest it’s a lot of hassle for a 7-8 year old Yaris and you'll have to wait 2 to 3 months for your car. Are you sure you can't get the same (or similar) car here or in the UK for the same money with Haggling?. On the plus side you will get a very good condition car, but it all balances out after driving on Irish back roads over a few year.

I brought in a 97 Micra and 93 MX5 a few years ago from Japan, both cars were excellent condition, but after 2 or 3 years driving on Irish roads they both seem to deteriorate and the MX5 had a lot of stone chips on the bonnet, not sure if its the quality of the paintwork or I was unlucky, but I’ve been driving the same roads with different cars and no problems with stone chips. But over all I was happy with both cars, very reliable, but had to sell them for less than I paid in the end, after about 2 years driving.

blobert

It is a fair bit of trouble I know, but I've spent the last two months looking in Autotrader, Carzone and the Auction websites and in that time literally only one or two suitable cars have turned up (these were from private sellers in the UK and sold before I could organise a trip over).

I'm going to test drive an imported Yaris today that costs €6k here, I could get a better condition and lower mileage one in for €4k myself so think it's worthwhile. The majority of Micras/Yaris on carzone are Japanese imports anyway so I do not see the point in having to pay the dealer here an extra 2k.

It is annoying having to wait about 2-3 months alright, but it's the summer so I should be all right on my bike for the moment:)

Any further info would be much appreciated. For instance, are the Japanese willing to bargain when it comes to prices, so far they seem fairly rigid on their asking prices?

Thanks

They are in much better nick than irish cars because they use winter tyres rather than gritting their roads with corrosive salt.

I don't buy much of the low mileage on some of these car though. When I was looking at honds some of their 5 year old car looked like they had done twice the milleage.

blobert

ronoc wrote:

I don't buy much of the low mileage on some of these car though. When I was looking at honds some of their 5 year old car looked like they had done twice the milleage.

Some of them do seem a little improbable alright. I've seen 14,000km on a 7 year old car seems ridiculously low.

AsphaltRisin'

wHILE I agree that mileages on many Jap imports must surely have been tampered with, there's one other factor as to why they're often low, most people in japan live in extremely overcrowded cities where the cars spend their lives crawling through gridlocked traffic.

Mc-BigE

you'll also find very little paperwork when it comes to service history, don't always assume the mileage is geniune on japan imports without proof, buying direct from the japanese auction house might be different however.

blobert

Mc-BigE wrote:

you'll also find very little paperwork when it comes to service history, don't always assume the mileage is geniune on japan imports without proof, buying direct from the japanese auction house might be different however.

Would you suggest buying direct from the auction house then? I assume that has do be done through another company, such as IBC Japan (above)?

If you know of any other companies that do the same please let me know.

AsphaltRisin'

AsphaltRisin' wrote:

wHILE I agree that mileages on many Jap imports must surely have been tampered with, there's one other factor as to why they're often low, most people in japan live in extremely overcrowded cities where the cars spend their lives crawling through gridlocked traffic.

How does that reduce the miles travelled?

amg-slurp

I have a 02 Micra (old model), 23000 miles, mint condition
2 years test, taxed. Very clean car
If ur interested, pm me!

drdre

blobert wrote:

Some of them do seem a little improbable alright. I've seen 14,000km on a 7 year old car seems ridiculously low.

That must be clocked as alot of cars from there are.

blobert

Drove this Jap imported Yaris this afternoon:

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=684352

Really liked it, much better than old model Micra and on a par with new model one (but for much less money).

Mileage was very high but car was still in good condition and felt very solid for a small car. Now if I can get a similar car with half the mileage, same condition, and for €2k less I'll be laughing.

Any more websites to try or experiences people have had with different companies would be much apprecited, I want to get ordering as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Robert

drdre

blobert wrote:

Drove this Jap imported Yaris this afternoon:

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=684352

Really liked it, much better than old model Micra and on a par with new model one (but for much less money).

Mileage was very high but car was still in good condition and felt very solid for a small car. Now if I can get a similar car with half the mileage, same condition, and for €2k less I'll be laughing.

Any more websites to try or experiences people have had with different companies would be much apprecited, I want to get ordering as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Robert

Thats good news,Let us know how you get on.I think tradecarview or ibcjapan are the best to buy from as afew people from here and other sites have used them

blobert

drdre wrote:

Thats good news,Let us know how you get on.I think tradecarview or ibcjapan are the best to buy from as afew people from here and other sites have used them

Just talked to IBC and their ship for this month is leaving in a few days but full up. This means I'd have to wait about a month to order with them. I'll have a look some other sites in the meantime as that is too long a wait.

colly10

ronoc wrote:

How does that reduce the miles travelled?

I've heard you don't get anywhere in Tokyo traffic (as in way worse than Dublin) and i've heard their public transport is excellent so you'd barely use the car.

Im not long back from Barcelona where if you have to wait more than 3 minutes for a metro your thinking whats taking so long. If public transport is good and traffic is awful you'd barely use the car.

blobert

Any more websites to try or experiences people have had with different companies would be much apprecited, I want to get ordering as soon as possible.

Max_Damage

http://www.japan-partner.com/

blobert

Have you used these guys before? Unfortunatley they only have 2 Toyota Yaris in stock at the moment.

Thanks

blobert

I've found this which is a 5 door, in good condition with 55k kilometres on the clock for under €4,000 on the road in Ireland:

http://avongroup.com/stocklist/car_detail.php?vehid=8281&PublicAccess=True&search=AV

This one with alloys and body kit is nice also and the same price, but I'm not keen on the colour:

http://avongroup.com/stocklist/car_detail.php?vehid=8303&PublicAccess=True&search=AV

Don't know much about the company though, it's difficult to find any reviews or information on the various exporters.

Would I be right in saying that a car with body kit and alloys would be more difficult to sell on later bearing in mind that a 1 litre Automatic Yaris is more of an old person car than a boy racer mobile? I do prefer the look of the bodykit and alloy cars (but draw the line at tinted windows and modified exhausts) but wonder whether they are likely to reduce the resale possibilities of the vehicle?


Any further advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

gniie

I had just bought a car from IBCJapan and I'm in big trouble with big bills to pay and IBCJapan doesn't want to know.
All involved are trying to blame somebodyelse.
IBC Japan is probably a good company to deal with as long as you are lucky to get a good car!!!
Otherwise they'll all say "we are so sorry that you had such a bad luck, please be understanding"
It is the last time I will import a japanese car and I will avoid jap imports for the future as they cost a fortune to repair( if you are lucky to get someone to do it).
For all the people that were happy with their imports I can only say: LUCKY YOU!

boy2litle

gniie wrote: »

I had just bought a car from IBCJapan and I'm in big trouble with big bills to pay and IBCJapan doesn't want to know.
All involved are trying to blame somebodyelse.
IBC Japan is probably a good company to deal with as long as you are lucky to get a good car!!!
Otherwise they'll all say "we are so sorry that you had such a bad luck, please be understanding"
It is the last time I will import a japanese car and I will avoid jap imports for the future as they cost a fortune to repair( if you are lucky to get someone to do it).
For all the people that were happy with their imports I can only say: LUCKY YOU!

Hello Gniie!

Can you give us more about your troubles? Also tell us more about the car.

Thank you!
Sorry for your bad experience.

boy2litle

blobert wrote: »

Any more websites to try or experiences people have had with different companies would be much apprecited, I want to get ordering as soon as possible.

Hey Blobert!

I've read your post about your intention to buy a car from Japan.

In the end, did you buy any car from Japan? Tell us about your entire experience! Tell us about the car? Did you still have it? It was in reality in the conditions that was described on the web?

I want to buy a car from Japan, at this moment I try to find a good one for me and your experience it will be aprecieted and very helpful.

All the best!

El Horseboxo

I was back in Ireland recently and I picked up a 2000 1 liter automatic yaris with 68k miles on it for 1650 euro for a cousin a few months ago. It was a private sale from a girl who was emigrating to Australia. Everything checked out and all is genuine. Maybe it was luck. But I checked out done deal. Seen the car listed earlier that day. Viewed that evening. Checked out mechanically the next morning and bought that night. It was a present so was happy to get it sorted quickly. The importing from Japan route is more expensive than what I paid and will take much longer. Seems like more hassle too with making sure it isn't clocked.

El Horseboxo

Crap. Didn't see this was from 8 years ago.