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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Last updated on November 2024
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Last updated on November 2024
Q) How much I can save?
You can save around $10,000 when importing a car worth $50,000. For a $20,000 car, your savings will typically be around $2,000 to $3,000. The more expensive the car, the greater your savings. In fact, we’ve helped a customer save over $30,000 on a $150,000 car like a Porsche 911 or Mercedes GTS. These are substantial savings. After you inquire, we’ll provide an update on how much you can save on your specific import.
Q) Best advice on importing?
The process of finding a car at Japanese auctions is similar to searching on TradeMe, but Japanese auctions offer 10 times more selection and much better prices. Our best advice is to start with test bidding so we can provide you with auction list translations and auction results. This will give you first-hand experience of how the auction process works. Once you gain confidence, you can start placing live bids. Starting with practice or test bidding is our top recommendation for importing.
Q) What are the top two reasons to import a car?
1. Unique and Hard-to-Find Vehicles: Many cars you’re looking for may not be available anywhere in New Zealand, but they’re often accessible through Japanese auctions.
2. Save While Getting More: Looking for a car with lower mileage, a newer model year, and better specifications - all at a great price? Importing through Japanese auctions is the smart choice.
Q) How long does the import process take?
On average, the entire import process takes 1-3 months. Here’s an example timeframe:
• Winning the Auction: It may take a couple of weeks to win a car at auction, though finding and securing a rare car could take longer.
• Shipping Booking: Once purchased, booking your car on the next available ship can take one week and up to a month.
• Shipping Time: The journey to New Zealand typically takes 2-3 weeks.
• Delivery and Compliance: After the car arrives, it will take a few days to be delivered to the compliance center. Compliance inspections and issuing a WOF generally take up to a week, but this process may take longer for modified or specialized vehicles. Once complete, simply register the car under your name at VTNZ or AA. We keep you updated throughout the process.
Q) How can I find out if my car is available at Japanese auctions?
Once you apply, you can access Sales Statistics, which include data on over 2 million previously sold cars and their prices, an excellent starting point. Also, we’ll respond via email or call to let you know if your desired car can be imported. If it can’t, we’ll suggest other options or help you explore alternative cars you might be interested in.
Q) How can I find out the price of a car in Japan?
1. Start by checking the average prices.
2. Review sales statistics for a broader understanding.
3. Contact us, and we’ll conduct a more detailed price check for you.
4. Place practice bids, and we’ll update you on current selling prices at Japanese auctions.
We’ll assist you in determining the right price and ensuring the car fits within your price range.
Q) What should I do next?
Register, Bid and Win
Start by placing test bids to learn through experience, we’ll guide you from there.
If you haven’t registered yet, make sure to do so first, as registration is required to view Japanese auctions.
Register directly here: REGISTER
What is the cost of your service?
Our service fees start at $1,000 + GST for the importing service. Here’s the fee structure:
• For cars costing up to $19,999: $1,000 + gst
• For cars costing $20,000+: $1,500 + gst
• For cars costing $30,000+: $2,000 + gst
• For cars costing $50,000+: $4,000 + gst
• For cars costing $100,000+: $6,000 + gst
• For cars costing $200,000+: $8,000 + gst
We assist you with everything, including helping you register the car under your name. With our service, you are guided from A to Z and always well taken care of. You’ll be assigned a dedicated team member who will support you throughout the entire process. Our office lady Lynn is always helpful with updates, and you can reach out to Nick anytime for additional support. We strive to make your importing experience smooth and pleasantly memorable, so you’ll return for another car and recommend us to your family and friends.
• Finding your ideal car at Japanese auctions
• Purchasing the car and preparing it for shipping
• Arranging freight and customs clearance
• Supporting you with vehicle compliance once the car arrives in New Zealand
Please note that compliance costs are variable. Throughout the process, we’ll keep you updated with photos from the port, arrival dates, and car pick-up instructions via email, calls or in person if needed.
Q) How much I can save?
You can save around $10,000 when importing a car worth $50,000. For a $20,000 car, your savings will typically be around $2,000 to $3,000. The more expensive the car, the greater your savings. In fact, we’ve helped a customer save over $30,000 on a $150,000 car like a Porsche 911 or Mercedes GTS. These are substantial savings. After you inquire, we’ll provide an update on how much you can save on your specific import.
Q) Best advice on importing?
The process of finding a car at Japanese auctions is similar to searching on TradeMe, but Japanese auctions offer 10 times more selection and much better prices. Our best advice is to start with test bidding so we can provide you with auction list translations and auction results. This will give you first-hand experience of how the auction process works. Once you gain confidence, you can start placing live bids. Starting with practice or test bidding is our top recommendation for importing.
Q) What are the top two reasons to import a car?
1. Unique and Hard-to-Find Vehicles: Many cars you’re looking for may not be available anywhere in New Zealand, but they’re often accessible through Japanese auctions.
2. Save While Getting More: Looking for a car with lower mileage, a newer model year, and better specifications—all at a great price? Importing through Japanese auctions is the smart choice.
Q) How can I find out if my car is available at Japanese auctions?
Once you apply, you can access Sales Statistics, which include data on over 2 million previously sold cars and their prices, an excellent starting point. Also, we’ll respond via email or call to let you know if your desired car can be imported. If it can’t, we’ll suggest other options or help you explore alternative cars you might be interested in.
How can I find out the price of a car in Japan?
1. Start by checking the average prices.
2. Review sales statistics for a broader understanding.
3. Contact us, and we’ll conduct a more detailed price check for you.
4. Place practice bids, and we’ll update you on current selling prices at Japanese auctions.
We’ll assist you in determining the right price and ensuring the car fits within your price range.
Q) How long does the import process take?
On average, the entire import process takes 1-3 months. Here’s an example timeframe:
• Winning the Auction: It may take a couple of weeks to win a car at auction, though finding and securing a rare car could take longer.
• Shipping Booking: Once purchased, booking your car on the next available ship can take one week and up to a month.
• Shipping Time: The journey to New Zealand typically takes 2-3 weeks.
• Delivery and Compliance: After the car arrives, it will take a few days to be delivered to the compliance center. Compliance inspections and issuing a WOF generally take up to a week, but this process may take longer for modified or specialized vehicles. Once complete, simply register the car under your name at VTNZ or AA. We keep you updated throughout the process.
Q) What should I do next?
Register, Bid and Win
Start by placing test bids to learn through experience, we’ll guide you from there.
If you haven’t registered yet, make sure to do so first, as registration is required to view Japanese auctions.
Register directly here: REGISTER
Q) What is the cost of your service?
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
CALL NICK ON 021950789 - 9 AM to 5 PM
Answers to the Most Common Questions
What is a car auction grade, and what does it mean?
The auction grade provides a reliable indication of the car’s overall condition. After reviewing the grade, we examine the car map to identify the locations of any marks or flaws. Next, we analyze the Auction List description and send you a translated version via email. These details combined give you a comprehensive understanding of the car.
Q) - 2010 cars with 20,000 kms? Really? Yes - this is true - and only in Japan.
Imagine living in cities with 10,000,000 population! Imagine commute hassle. Imagine parking for $100 per day. Imagine Toll Roads fees of $300 per month. This is a daily reality for Japanese - so the car is not for A to B but from Home to Train Station Parking lot in Japan. So now we solved the low mileage dilemma on Japanese cars. Buy with confidence.
Want to add more mileage to almost new Japanese car? Import one from Japan with us.
- Do I need to make a deposit? Yes, when you are ready to buy make a $1000 refundable deposit to our ANZ account or by PayPal. Payments are accepted only from New Zealand bank accounts or cards issued by NZ banks. We will email you all the details.
- For how long I can have Access to Japanese Auctions? After registering you have 1 month access. After making a deposit, you have access if you actively bidding to win a car. Auction access we provide is there for you to import a car using our service. If you are not bidding on a car, but actively checking auctions, we reserve the right to cancel your account and refund a deposit.
- Can I give access to Auctions from my account to others? No. Only one access per user. If you email and ask us to share account with your family or friend who want to import, we can approve on case by case basis. Auction access is given for the purpose of importing the car using our service within 1-2 months time.
- How discounts work? Sometime we run discount offers during big holidays, like on Black Friday or New Years. Only one discount offer can be used at a time.
Auction lists:
We base our buying decision on what's written in the auction list. Japanese people are very honest and when it comes to the car description, they are very meticulous as well.
Auction list can tell a lot about the car.
On the car diagram you can see the marking like A is a scratch and A1 is a very small scratch, will come out after wash, A2 will need a cut n polish and A3 might get away with cut and polish and touch up, or might need painting.
Same goes to the U marking - U is a dent.
Please find Inspection Guide attached.
It's true - some cars do not worth importing - they are already cheaper in NZ.
- NZ New Cars - we have an internal market for registered NZ Cars like Mazda 3 or Toyota Camry - they always cheaper to buy locally.
- Cheap cars like $5500 to $6000 NZD. Like Toyota Vitz, Mazda Demio, Honda Fit, Toyota Corolla 2004-2006 - they are cheap in NZ - because there are a lot of them.
- Can I import a car with auction grade 3.5 - does it worth it? ? Yes, 100% worth it. Because grade 3.5 cars sell much cheaper than grade 4 or 4.5. By $500 to $4000 cheaper. Still, a nice car - but would have more marks around the body - like scratches or dents. I am talking light "supermarket" scratches here - nothing serious. Some marks can be cut and polished or be done with a touch-up. Dents can be removed with paintless dent removal for $60 (some). To paint a panel is $150+ Many dealers buy grade 3 and 3.5 and bring the car to the better state in NZ, you can do the same - and save even more. We can guide you and explain to you about the car condition. We have imported grade 3.5 cars - so can suggest which car is ok to import and which one is not. It's not for everybody though. Some people prefer a car in excellent condition - and we can easily find one. On the other hand - some people don't mind about a wee scratch here and there - they know they will add more to it - then 3.5 grade and associated savings is a way to go.
Here is a good example. A2 is a light scratch. B1 is a small pin dent.
What I would do:
- Paint left front bumper half: $120 (have big size A4 scratch there)
- Cut and polish and touch up left rear door (have size A3 scratches) and do the same for the rear bumper. (have size A2 scratches)
- Right seal have small size B2 dent - it's not that visible - cut and polish and touch up.
Same color paint can be bought at any car paint shop. So you can walk around the car and touch it up.
Sounds like what you would like to do - consider grade 3.5.
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
Answers to the Most Common Questions
What is a car auction grade, and what does it mean?
The auction grade provides a reliable indication of the car’s overall condition. After reviewing the grade, we examine the car map to identify the locations of any marks or flaws. Next, we analyze the Auction List description and send you a translated version via email. These details combined give you a comprehensive understanding of the car.
Q) - 2020 cars with 20,000 kms? Really? Yes - this is true - and only in Japan.
Imagine living in cities with 10,000,000 population! Imagine commute hassle. Imagine parking for $100 per day. Imagine Toll Roads fees of $300 per month. This is a daily reality for Japanese - so the car is not for A to B but from Home to Train Station Parking lot in Japan. So now we solved the low mileage dilemma on Japanese cars. Buy with confidence.
Want to add more mileage to almost new Japanese car? Import one from Japan with us.
- How much do you charge for your services? We charge $1000 to $8000 commission for the importing service. It depends on the price of the car, see below. $20,000+ CAR - $1500
- $30,000+ CAR - $2000
- $50,000+ CAR - $4000
- $100,000+ CAR - $6000
- $200,000+ CAR - $8000
- How do I pay for the car? First payment is after 2-3 days we have bought the car. We will email tax invoice for the cost of the car, customs GST, freight and our commission. Payment is to our ANZ account. Can pay by Credit Card as well (2.9% fee apply for C.C.) Payment by credit card should not exceed $9000. Payments are accepted only from New Zealand bank accounts or cards issued by NZ banks. Last payment is for the Vehicle compliance and Registration, paid directly to compliance centre, after your car arrived.
- What is the time difference? Time difference between Japan and New Zealand is -4 hours, 1 pm in NZ is 9 am in Japan. Auctions are open from 9am Japan time. So we have time to place bids and win your car.
- What cars can not be imported into NZ? - Any car between the year 2001 to 2003 - these years does not meet NZ Emission Regulations. Left hand drive cars. Cars without ESC - all cars must have ESC - Electronic Stability Control, we check for it before we buy. Keep in mind, we can import ANY car which is 20 years and older. So cars from year 2000 down, like 1999, 1998, 1989 and so on, can be imported! No ESC required for these cars. Very easy to import.
- Do you import old sport cars? Sport cars like GTR, Silvia, Evo, WRX etc.. They are expensive there - bidders from USA, UK, AUS putting ridiculously high bids on them. Like if you are after Supra turbo - look at $25,000 just to start. Some GTR go for over 50,000 NZD!
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Looking for a factory 1994 or 1995 Toyota supra RZ twin turbo manual with very little modifications. Can you help? Yes we can. Many stock Supras in Japan, with one owner and service history, low mileage and high auction grade 4+
- What cars you don't import or are not worth importing? Some NZ New cars are cheaper to buy locally. If you see on TradeMe most of the cars have a registration plate number - means other dealers don't import them, means these cars are cheaper to buy locally. If cars cars on the TM don't have a plate number, they are a fresh import - and we can import them too.
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Can I import a car for parts only? Yes! Any car can be imported for parts, does not matter what year etc. Don't need to pass/pay for Compliance and Rego, just pick up the car from Compliance Centre or we can even deliver it directly from port to your home - that's all!
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Can I import a car for the track or farm only? Yes! If you are going to use it on track only or just drive it on your farm - can import any car, any year - and no compliance - just take it home)
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What cars are not available in Japan? Korean cars, Chinese cars, Some NZ New cars - those which are built only in Australia. Also some cars are just not available in Japan. It's easy to check - after you subscribe for Auction Access - go to the Sales Statistics to check if these cars were selling before or not. Sales Statistics will show you the last 3 months of sales history. Also, it shows for how much these cars are going for in Japan. Great reference point to start.
- Do you overbid on the car? Yes - it's a normal practice to overbid by 10,000 to 30,000 JPY more then actual bid. It's done to secure the car or/and to have a buffer in case if bidding went a bit too high. It takes just 30 second for a car to get sold at Japanese Auctions - so the bidding happens really fast. But in most cases we buy cars for less then you have asked us!
- Do I need to make a deposit? Yes, when you are ready to buy make a $1000 refundable deposit to our ANZ account or by PayPal. Payments are accepted only from New Zealand bank accounts or cards issued by NZ banks. We will email you all the details.
- For how long I can have Access to Japanese Auctions? After registering you have 1 month access. After making a deposit, you have access if you actively bidding to win a car. Auction access we provide is there for you to import a car using our service. If you are not bidding on a car, but actively checking auctions, we reserve the right to cancel your account and refund a deposit.
- Can I give access to Auctions from my account to others? No. Only one access per user. If you email and ask us to share account with your family or friend who want to import, we can approve on case by case basis. Auction access is given for the purpose of importing the car using our service within 1-2 months time.
- How discounts work? Sometime we run discount offers during big holidays, like on Black Friday or New Years. Only one discount offer can be used at a time.
Auction lists:
We base our buying decision on what's written in the auction list. Japanese people are very honest and when it comes to the car description, they are very meticulous as well.
Auction list can tell a lot about the car.
On the car diagram you can see the marking like A is a scratch and A1 is a very small scratch, will come out after wash, A2 will need a cut n polish and A3 might get away with cut and polish and touch up, or might need painting.
Same goes to the U marking - U is a dent.
Please find Inspection Guide attached.
- What is a Car Diagram and how to read it? Car Diagram comes with every Auction list and can tell you a lot about the car. Basics are that marking A stands for the Scratch, and U for the Dent. A1 is small - will come out with cut and polish. A2 is also can be polished. A3 might do with touch up or needs paint. These are the basics. An example is given below.
- Why some cars are cheaper to buy Locally in NZ?
It's true - some cars do not worth importing - they are already cheaper in NZ.
- NZ New Cars - we have an internal market for registered NZ Cars like Mazda 3 or Toyota Camry - they always cheaper to buy locally.
- Cheap cars like $5500 to $6000 NZD. Like Toyota Vitz, Mazda Demio, Honda Fit, Toyota Corolla 2004-2006 - they are cheap in NZ - because there are a lot of them.
Here is a good example. A2 is a light scratch. B1 is a small pin dent.
What I would do:
- Paint left front bumper half: $120 (have big size A4 scratch there)
- Cut and polish and touch up left rear door (have size A3 scratches) and do the same for the rear bumper. (have size A2 scratches)
- Right seal have small size B2 dent - it's not that visible - cut and polish and touch up.
Same color paint can be bought at any car paint shop. So you can walk around the car and touch it up.
Sounds like what you would like to do - consider grade 3.5.
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
REGISTER AND BUY DIRECTLY FROM JAPANESE AUCTIONS
Provide your basic details to get started.
Already a member? Check email for login details.
Continue with the rest of the application
REGISTER AND BUY DIRECTLY FROM JAPANESE AUCTIONS
Provide your basic details to get started.
Already a member? Check email for login details.
Continue with the rest of the application
General Rules to import a car into the New Zealand
- Emission Code: Cars must have a triple emission code. We check for it after you've placed a test bid online.
- ESC - Electronic Stability Control: All cars must be equipped with this feature. ESC is similar to traction control. We check if a car has it before we buy.
- Years which can be imported: 2004+ for petrol. 2008+ for diesel. Can not import cars from the years 2001 to 2003.
- 20 years and older: Any car which is 20 years and former can be imported. No rules apply - easy to import.
We know what cars can be imported. Register and start placing test bids online. We will confirm if a car can be imported then. Or suggest similar makes and models.
PAYMENT Process
- $1000 Deposit: Make a $1000 deposit on our ANZ account, to make your test bids into live bids.
- Credit card payment: Credit card payment is possible up to $9000 by cards issued by NZ banks only. 2.9% surcharge will apply.
- Car finance/loan: Regular car finance (car loans) does not work when importing, make sure you have funds ready before placing bids.
- Car payment: We will email you invoice 1-3 days after we win the auction.
- What is the meaning of the letters on the car diagram (map). What does it mean?
INSPECTION SHEET CODES
The numbers 1,2,3,4 are used to qualify flaws and damage as approximately minor, small, medium, or serious.
The following letters represent the type of flaw or damage.
A Scratch marks
B Bend/distortion or dent
BP Panel repair
C Corrosion or rust
E Dimples or dents
F Film/tinting on glass
G Chip in glass
H Hole
K Flaw
M Mark
P Paint damage
R Rust
R Repaired crack in glass
RX Repaired crack in glass that needs to be replaced
S Rust
T Temporary spare tyre
U Dents
W Wave in paint (Often caused by repair work)
X Damage
X Crack in glass
XX Body-part replaced
XXX Body-part replaced
Y Crack or hole
- Any more detailed information about flaws description? Size of the flaw is measured by 1-2-3-4. In most cases size 1 will come off after car wash and waxing. Size 2 can be removed with cut and polish. Size 3 and 4 would require panel to be painted - however still can mask it with cut/polish and touch up - if you not fused about look of the car. Also, there are some strict auction houses, Like Toyota TAA, Nissan NAA, and Honda - their markings of A1 or A2 will be hard to notice when you look at them car.
- Also most marks like A1 or U1 - you would need to get very close to the panel to be able to see it.
- Below is a general description.
- In reality - have to go case by case, depending on the overall auction grade, auction house, car color (on black and blue colors flaws stand out more) etc..
- We will advice you about each car.
- How do you do bidding on the car. Do you bid my maximum price first or try to buy car for less? We always bid on the car in small amounts and trying to get it for as less as possible. We begin bidding from the start price, going gradually up. And bid up to your budget and then stop. It's a common practice to push bidding by 20,000 ¥ to 30,000¥ more than planned. If we happen to buy car cheaper, we will recalculate accordingly and you pay less then we budget for.
- What time auctions start in Japan? Auctions start form 9 am and last up to 9 pm Japanese time. All days with Sundays off. Because of the 4 hours time difference with Japan - we check cars at night. 10pm NZT is 6pm JPT - se we can see cars loaded into the auction system for tomorrow. We will email you mostly at evening time, and can have a quick phone call chat about the car too.
- If we buy car cheaper than my budget - do I pay less? Yes - this is a beauty of the auction - that sometimes can get lucky and buy car cheaper then planned. We will provide you with auction final result - recalculate total amount to import which will be less. At the same time - good bidding strategy is to set high bidding price, in order to secure the car.
- How about underbody rust - how do we know if car or doesn't have rust in Japan? Auction grade 4.5 guaranty no rust. For the auction grade 4 - they describe rust on the auction list - and if i see rust - I don't recommend this car for you. We shop from mainland auctions, don't buy cars from Northern Auction where lots of snow. We shop from checked and trusted auctions which display rust.
- Does all cars pass compliance in NZ? We did not have even one case when car does not pass compliance. All cars pass. We make sure about it before we buy the car at auction for you. Keep in mind though that compliance is only one variable cost - they have independent inspectors who will check the car and might ask to change lower arm bushes or brake pads, or other repairs if needed - same when you take your car for a WOF check. We work very close with our compliance centres and they don't overcharge - only do what is necessary.
- Does compliance cost varies? Compliance cost will vary depending on the city. It's is from $450 to $750 for the compliance fees alone, plus any other costs if repairs are needed. Same like when you take your car for a WOF.
- Can I use loan and import car on finance? Yes, now you can only if you apply for the loan through HARMONEY. They can arrange an unsecured loan for you at great rates. You can apply for loan through their website only, takes 10 min to complete: https://www.harmoney.co.nz/
- Do you import Skyline R32-34, Evo, STI, Silvia, Fairlady year 1991-1998? Yes we do. Any car which is 20 years and older can be imported. Even though some of them have modifications and rust - they pass compliance in NZ. Many coming in stock condition, one owner, service history. If you are after mint Supra or GTR and have at least 25K++ budget - we can look into it.
- Are the vehicles insured whilst in transit? Yes, car is insured all the way from Auction house in Japan - to Compliance Centre in New Zealand. We use second largest freight company and they are excellent in car freight. Keep in mind that missing or stolen parts, or damages under $500 are not insured.
- Inner cargo in the car? - We don't have control over shipping and MAF steam cleaning. For biosecurity reasons MAF can remove floor mats, alloys etc. and any other inner cargo and leave it in Japan.
- How cars are transported - by container or other way? To major ports like Auckland, Wellington, Littleton and Nelson we use a Roll On Roll Out (specialised car carrier ships). Cars are driven on the ship, positioned and tied, then driven off the ship in NZ. We use container shipping for the Napier, Tauranga and for the Dunedin. Container shipping takes longer time because ship have stops at other ports (like Singapore or Hong-Kong) before going to New Zealand. Both are safe ways to transport a car.
- Service and maintenance, what is the first thing you must do for imported car? Very important that you service the car according to its age and mileage. That's why we email you reminders to change oils in engine, transmission, and check/top-up fluids in power steering and breaks systems, and add coolant into the radiator if needed. Compliance centre will check for many things and issue WOF, but it's your responsibility to maintain the car. Never overlook the car service. Engine and transmission oils must be changed on time. You can determine the condition of the oil by its color and level. If oil is dark, better flush it and replace with new oil. Engine oil must be changed every 5,000 to 15,000 kms depending on the vehicle. Transmission oil recommended to be changed every 25,000 to 60,000 kms depending on the vehicle, or read cars manuals.
- Additives and revitalisants - shall you use them? It's a proven fact that additives to the car engine and transmission will prolong their operation and life. Consider XADO additives. It's a very advanced nano technology which prevent, restores and protects car mechanisms. It's same like when after your wash a car, you want to apply a protective wax on it. Do the same for engine and transmission, change oil and add protective additive. Here is the website: https://www.xado.co.nz/automobiles It's not advertising, it's a good advice which you should consider taking.
- How about tempered odometer - do cars from Japan come with correct milage? The myth about incorrect odometers still stick around - well decades ago in 90s yes some cars had tempered odo reading. Not anymore. Like for 20 year no more )) Now it's a DOUBLE SCREENING for odometer. Every single car odometer checked before auction by Japanese Auction House. And before shipping to the NZ - checked by MAF NZ. Every car we import comes with odometer certificate.
- Can I choose and buy a car from another company in Japan and use you just to import the car into NZ? No. We buy cars directly from the Japanese Live Auctions. It's cheaper and Auctions show vital information for Vehicle Compliance in NZ. Auctions are obliged to inspect and write up a report for every car.
- What is the most essential information do I need to provide to get an accurate importing estimate? Please make sure to include these things when inquiring:
- - Year
- - Mileage
- - Engine Size
- - Your Budget
- This information alone is sufficient.
- What is the meaning of the letters on the car diagram (map). What does it mean?
INSPECTION SHEET CODES
The numbers 1,2,3,4 are used to qualify flaws and damage as approximately minor, small, medium, or serious.
The following letters represent the type of flaw or damage.
A Scratch marks
B Bend/distortion or dent
BP Panel repair
C Corrosion or rust
E Dimples or dents
F Film/tinting on glass
G Chip in glass
H Hole
K Flaw
M Mark
P Paint damage
R Rust
R Repaired crack in glass
RX Repaired crack in glass that needs to be replaced
S Rust
T Temporary spare tyre
U Dents
W Wave in paint (Often caused by repair work)
X Damage
X Crack in glass
XX Body-part replaced
XXX Body-part replaced
Y Crack or hole
Any more detailed information about flaws description?
Size of the flaw is measured by 1-2-3-4. In most cases size 1 will come off after car wash and waxing. Size 2 can be removed with cut and polish. Size 3 and 4 would require panel to be painted - however still can mask it with cut/polish and touch up - if you not fused about look of the car. Also, there are some strict auction houses, Like Toyota TAA, Nissan NAA, and Honda - their markings of A1 or A2 will be hard to notice when you look at them car.
Also most marks like A1 or U1 - you would need to get very close to the panel to be able to see it.
Below is a general description.
In reality - have to go case by case, depending on the overall auction grade, auction house, car color (on black and blue colors flaws stand out more) etc..
We will advice you about each car.
-
Auction Sheet Abbreviations
?
AC Air conditioner - FA/AT Automatic transmission
- F5 Manual (5-speed) transmission
- PS Power steering
- SR Sunroof
- AW Original alloy wheels
- NAVI Navigator
- AAC Climate control air conditioner
- CA Column automatic transmission
- F6 Manual (6-speed) transmission
- PW Power windows
- TV Television
- KAWA Leather seats
- AIRBAGU Airbag
- How do you do bidding on the car. Do you bid my maximum price first or try to buy car for less? We always bid on the car in small amounts and trying to get it for as less as possible. We begin bidding from the start price, going gradually up. And bid up to your budget and then stop. It's a common practice to push bidding by 20,000 ¥ to 30,000¥ more than planned. If we happen to buy car cheaper, we will recalculate accordingly and you pay less then we budget for.
- What time auctions start in Japan? Auctions start form 9 am and last up to 9 pm Japanese time. All days with Sundays off. Because of the 4 hours time difference with Japan - we check cars at night. 10pm NZT is 6pm JPT - se we can see cars loaded into the auction system for tomorrow. We will email you mostly at evening time, and can have a quick phone call chat about the car too.
- If we buy car cheaper than my budget - do I pay less? Yes - this is a beauty of the auction - that sometimes can get lucky and buy car cheaper then planned. We will provide you with auction final result - recalculate total amount to import which will be less. At the same time - good bidding strategy is to set high bidding price, in order to secure the car.
- How about underbody rust - how do we know if car or doesn't have rust in Japan? Auction grade 4.5 guaranty no rust. For the auction grade 4 - they describe rust on the auction list - and if i see rust - I don't recommend this car for you. We shop from mainland auctions, don't buy cars from Northern Auction where lots of snow. We shop from checked and trusted auctions which display rust.
- Does all cars pass compliance in NZ? We did not have even one case when car does not pass compliance. All cars pass. We make sure about it before we buy the car at auction for you. Keep in mind though that compliance is only one variable cost - they have independent inspectors who will check the car and might ask to change lower arm bushes or brake pads - same when you take your car for a WOF check. We work very close with our compliance centres and they don't overcharge - only do what is necessary.
- Does compliance cost varies? Compliance cost will vary depending on the city. It's is from $450 to $750 for the compliance fees alone, plus any other costs if repairs are needed. Same like when you take your car for a WOF.
- Can I use loan and import car on finance? Yes, now you can only if you apply for the loan through HARMONEY. They can arrange an unsecured loan for you at great rates. You can apply for loan through their website only, takes 10 min to complete: https://www.harmoney.co.nz/
- Do you do shipping to other cities? Yes. Shipping to Tauranga, Napier, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Whangarei and Dunedin and any other town is additional. Car will be shipped to the nearest port and then delivered by transporter. Examples: To Tauranga Via Auckland port, to Napier Via Wellington port, to Dunedin Via Christchurch port. This additional cost will be added after we buy the car. Keep in mind - we can deliver your car to ANY local town in NZ as well at modest additional fee.
-
Dunedin $250
- Tauranga $250
- New Plymouth $350
- Palmerston North $300
- Napier $600
- Plus GST
- Can change any time
- Are the vehicles insured whilst in transit? Yes, car is insured all the way from Auction house in Japan - to Compliance Centre in New Zealand. We use second largest freight company and they are excellent in car freight.
- How cars are transported - by container or other way? To major ports like Auckland, Wellington, Littleton and Nelson we use a Roll On Roll Out (specialised car carrier ships). Cars are driven on the ship, positioned and tied, then driven off the ship in NZ. We use container shipping for the Napier, Tauranga and for the Dunedin. Container shipping takes longer time because ship have stops at other ports (like Singapore or Hong-Kong) before going to New Zealand. Both are safe ways to transport a car.
- Is it okay for me to look for the car locally in NZ and try to import one from Japan at the same time? We would prefer you to approach our company only if you want to import a car though us. Looking for the car in Japan takes our time, and we don't want it to be waisted )
- Just checking that cars would not have been written off in Japan in any way? Flooding, radiation etc? There is no such thing as selling written off cars on Japanese Auctions. Japanese are honest people and would never do it. They have special TAU system for flood or radiation, it's separated from main auctions. At regular auctions, they sell cars with gradings like R or RA - damaged repaired cars. We don't buy these cars. Normally we shop for auction grade 4 and 4.5, and 5. Sometimes grade 3.5 - these cars are good too. Also, every car is screened for radiation before the auction and before shipping to NZ by MAF - with radiation meter photographed and pictures emailed to us. Also, all cars have a compulsory odometer check done by MAF. So we are safe here.
- How about tempered odometer - do cars from Japan come with correct milage? The myth about incorrect odometers still stick around - well decades ago in 90s yes some cars had tempered odo reading. Not anymore. Like for 20 year no more )) Now it's a DOUBLE SCREENING for odometer. Every single car odometer checked before auction by Japanese Auction House. And before shipping to the NZ - checked by MAF NZ. Every car we import comes with odometer certificate.
- Can I choose and buy a car from another company in Japan and use you just to import the car into NZ? No. We buy cars directly from the Japanese Live Auctions. It's cheaper and Auctions show vital information for Vehicle Compliance in NZ. Auctions are obliged to inspect and write up a report for every car.
- What is the most essential information do I need to provide to get an accurate importing estimate? Please make sure to include these things when inquiring:
- - Year
- - Mileage
- - Engine Size
- - Your Budget
- This information alone is sufficient.
- Can I use a Japanese cable to charge up an Electric car? Electric vehicles like Nissan Leaf, come with Japanese Cable which have to be changed to NZ Certified cable and charging station have to be arrange in accordance with Electric Vehicle Charging Safety Guidelines. We are not supplying you a car, but helping to import it on your behalf, so you would need to arrange cables and charging station etc..
- For buyers who are not familiar with electric vehicles, we recommend that you get advice about the NZ charging cable (ie EVSE) that would be suitable for your car.
- More information can be found here:
- www.worksafe.govt.nz/worksafe/information-guidance/all-guidance-items/electric-vehicle-charging-safety-guidelines
- Here a couple of companies which can help you with that:
- www.juicepoint.co.nz
- www.bluecars.co.nz
- Q) What do 'numbers' written right next to wheels in the Auction List mean? (e.g. 7 or 8) This is shows how many percent of the tread left on the tyres. From 1 to 10. 5 is 50%, 7 is 70%. Cars will 1-2 still can pass compliance and get WOF, but would need to be changed during next WOF.
- Q) what does 'T' mean on the bottom of the auction sheet. Car have a spare tyre.
- Q) If we missed / bidding closed then the same car will be relisted? Yes - car will be relisted next week often at the same auction, if was not sold.
- Q) What is a cut of time to place or change or cancel the bid? 1.5 hour before the auction time. Make sure to make your decision and update us 1.5 hour before auction end time.
- Q) Best advice on importing? Importing a car is about same like buying from the TradeMe. But you get ten times more selection and best prices. Our best advise - start bidding. Found the car you like - place a Test Bid - learn by doing it.
Follow these steps to win a car at Japanese Auction
Comunication
Get Access to Japanese auctions. Check "How to Bid" guide, watch informational videos. Ask questions, tell us your preferences.
Get into action
Browse car auctions, place bids, request translations. Checking auctions using computer is better then on the phone.
Timing
Try to place most bids one day in advance. Same days bids ok too.
Follow these steps to win a car at Japanese Auction
Comunication
Get Access to Japanese auctions. Check "How to Bid" guide, watch informational videos. Ask questions, tell us your preferences.
Get into action
Browse car auctions, place bids, request translations. Checking auctions using computer is better then on the phone.
Try to place most bids one day in advance. Same days bids ok too.
Provide your basic details to get started.
Already a member? Check email for login details.
Continue with the rest of the application
Provide your basic details to get started.
Already a member? Check email for login details.
Continue with the rest of the application
"I never worry about action, but only inaction" - Winston Churchill
SHIPPING TO
Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson, Dunedin, Tauranga, Napier, Rotorua, Taupo, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Whangarei, Timaru, Picton, Queenstown, and other cities.
OUR HOURS
Monday to Saturday
09:00 am - 9:00 pm
Inquiry Email 24/7:
info@importyourcar.co.nz
CONTACTS
Inquiry and bidding:
9AM - 11AM - 098898095 - Julian
1 PM - 8 PM - 021950789 - Nick
2 PM - 9 PM - 09 8893885 Chris
Already bought the car:
2PM - 7PM - 098899556 Nick
Call/Text Nick - 021950789
Messengers:
Skype << click I am on Skype always
iMessage or WhatsApp +6421950789
WeChat - NickImport
OUR SERVICES
• Choosing car
• Auction Access
• Bidding, buying
• Shipping
• Customs Clearance
• Vehicle Compliance
OUR EMAILS
info@importyourcar.co.nz
info@importyourcar.co.nz
chris@importyourcar.co.nz
nick@importyourcar.co.nz
julian@importyourcar.co.nz
jenny@importyourcar.co.nz
lynn@importyourcar.co.nz
SHIPPING TO
Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson, Dunedin, Tauranga, Napier, Rotorua, Taupo, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Whangarei, Timaru, Picton, Queenstown, and other cities.
OUR HOURS
Monday to Saturday
09:00 am - 9:00 pm
Inquiry Email 24/7:
info@importyourcar.co.nz
CONTACTS
Inquiry and bidding:
9AM - 11AM - 098898095 - Ricky
1 PM - 8 PM - 021950789 - Nick
2 PM - 9 PM - 09 8893885 Chris
Already bought the car:
2PM - 7PM - 098899556 Nick
Call/Text Nick - 021950789
Messengers:
Skype << click I am on Skype always
iMessage or WhatsApp +6421950789
WeChat - NickImport
OUR SERVICES
• Choosing car
• Auction Access
• Bidding, buying
• Shipping
• Customs Clearance
• Vehicle Compliance
OUR EMAILS
info@importyourcar.co.nz
info@importyourcar.co.nz
chris@importyourcar.co.nz
ricky@importyourcar.co.nz
nick@importyourcar.co.nz
julian@importyourcar.co.nz
jenny@importyourcar.co.nz
lynn@importyourcar.co.nz
Ultimate Motors Ltd - trading as - Import Your Car - All Rights Reserved - Copyright @ 2009-2024
