Top Tips For First Time Car Importers From Japan.

Do your homework: Find out about the company you are thinking of importing with. Look for their reviews and social media feeds to see what people are saying about them. Make sure their social media and their reviews are up to date. Find out where their offices are. These should be published on their website. A phone number or email address is not enough.

Understand about Jumvea: The Japan Used Motor Vehicle Exporters Alliance (JUMVEA) is an organisation which exists for the used car exporters in Japan and is not a policing organisation. They are not resourced to inspect their members and monitor their trading standards.

Make sure you are getting one clear price: You should expect to pay the C&F price if you want your clearing agent to handle the clearing and duties when your car arrives. If you want the import company to give you the final price then ask for the duty paid price. Some companies will also deliver your car to Nairobi to save you the journey.

Be clear on the quote you receive: Be sure you avoid hidden costs, by finding out whether the following are included in your quote:

Get the photos: Inside and out from all angles. A picture is worth 1000 words. One or two pictures is not enough. A video is also helpful, but watch out for skimming over parts of the car.

Don’t rely on price: There is so much more to buying a car than a good price. We have heard stories of cars arriving with no seat belts, damaged windscreens and even no seats. Look at all the details available and ask all the questions to get a true sense of the value you are getting from each car you like. This will help you get the best value for your money.

Ask for the condition grade: This is your easy explanation about the car’s condition. Condition grades also known as vehicle inspection sheets are available with every car and ranks it from perfect all the way to serious damage. Some companies like MHH Japanese Cars publish these with each car so you can see it easily while you are browsing.

Understand the Auction Sheet: If you are buying from a car auction your car will have an auction sheet. Our blog about Japanese Car Auction Sheets will tell you a lot of key information; Features, age, transmission, engine size,2WD / 4WD, air conditioning, DAB etc.

Ask about the details: Small things can soon add up, so always ask about how many keys your car is coming with, whether it comes with a set of mats and the quality of each of the tyres. Avoiding this could give you a costly surprise in a couple of months. Make a list of the key questions you want to know before calling your exporter. You should consider asking:

- Is this a car they own or a car from a wholesale dealer?

- How long have they had the car in stock?

- Can the car pass the roadworthiness inspection as it is?

- Has the car had any sort of damage or has it been repaired at all?

- Does the car have any issue that are not visible?

- Has the car ever been in an accident? If so, how severe?

Consider asset finance: Buying cheap can be a false economy with a car. If you can afford asset finance, it can be a smart way to get better value out of your car. By spreading your payments you can buy a better quality car from the outset. This is going to reward you with lower maintenance costs in the years ahead. NCBA and I&M Bank offer up to 60 months asset finance loan on imports for just a 20% deposit.

Verifying mileage: Importing has come a long way in the past few years to make the process more official. Understanding mileage is much easier these days. Japanese used cars are serviced at 3 years, 5 years and 7 years. The mileage is recorded at each service and will appear on the export certificate. A quick sense check will tell you if the car has had any unusual changes in its mileage.

Check the service history records: The service history records for the car should also be available. If you can’t get them, think twice about the car.

Get the right certificates: There are several key documents you need to receive:

• The Export certificate which is issued when the car is deregistered.
• Bill of Lading which is your official shipping document and is released when your car is on the water.
• QISJ certificate; this is the required roadworthiness inspection which must take place before the car leaves Japan.

You will need the originals of all of these sent to you. Photocopies will not be accepted by the authorities. Also be clear when in the process you will receive your documents as you will need them to clear and register your car if you are using your own clearing agent.

Ask for extras: Buying the car is so exciting, that getting extra value from your importer can be forgotten in the heat of the moment. Ask them for a free 3 month warranty to be included or ask for delivery to Nairobi to save you the time and effort. If you don’t ask, you won’t get.

Shipping and insurance: Most cars are shipped roll on / roll off boats. The cars are driven onto the boats and secured with straps. Request that your car is not shipped on the deck of the boat where they are subjected to the weather. All MHH cars are shipped below deck to given them maximum protection.

Marine insurance is a must: Be your sure exporter has arranged this for you and that it is for the full value of your car, not just the value of the scrap metal.

There’s a lot to think about when sourcing and importing a car from Japan. But if you put the time in, you will get the best value in return. For a stress-free importing experience, it’s best to choose a reputable car import company. They are going to understand what you need and have flexible import services to suit your budget. So don’t feel afraid of importing your next car, but look forward to getting behind the wheel of the car your have long dreamt of driving.