Frequently Asked Questions:
How does
it work?
The Bonsaicars© system, while seemingly
complex, is quite simple. Bonsaicars exclusively offers its members online
access to Japan’s major National Auctions through our own servers. We are
partners to the main auction exporters and have been exporting cars from
Japan to the UK for the last 5 years. We offer our clientele an extensive
choice - an average 70,000 - of cars that go through the auction system on
a weekly basis. Whatever vehicle you may be searching for, our staff in
the UK and Japan are on hand to help find you the best car for your given
budget. Get the very most for your money through Bonsaicars.
If you are reading this, you are now a member. Click the
link in the member login section of your e-mail to open up our member only
site. By default you will be presented with a price guide that is specific
to the vehicle that was selected on our contact page. The table
illustrates the matching cars that have recently sold through our system
with overview information e.g. year / grading / mileage in km and UK All
In - the price that the vehicle eventually cost in the UK. The purpose of
this page is to highlight what you as a potential bidder can expect to pay
for your vehicle of choice, should you choose to use our system, but this
is just the beginning.
To actually see available cars for the next auction
(Tues, Wed, Thur, Fri) available after 3pm on day of subsequent Auction,
use the links View Cars for Auction. Scroll down the long list of cars –
bearing in mind some cars are named differently in Japan (see introductory
email) – and peruse to your heart’s content the vast array of vehicles
available for your inspection, including pictures and reports (see
link)
Once you have selected a car in which you may be
interested, all that remains to be done is to let us know at
reports@bonsaicars.com and we will get a qualified mechanic in Japan to
examine the car and confirm what is written on the auction sheet (see
report for explanation of sheet). We then have people bidding on your
behalf. If bidding is successful, we arrange all aspects of the
exportation process from Japan –such details as de-registration, docking
etc) and the importation to the UK (shipping, import duty in the UK, VAT
and SVA where applicable).
What are the risks involved?
One of
our major selling points is that through using our system, developed over
several years, risk is practically eradicated. Removing the element of
risk is key to our role to the private individual or smaller dealer who
might opt for our service. You know what you are buying, you are not
taking an importer’s word for it. You will have access to a properly
organized system superior to the vast majority of systems from which your
local importer would buy his cars. And we are here throughout the process
to answer any and all queries
How do I know what I am buying?
Prior to purchase you have photographs and an auction report as well
as an independent mechanic’s report and a thorough description of any
imperfections on the bodywork. The tyres are rated, as are the interior,
the general condition, the mechanics and the major mechanical parts. At
this point the mileage is warranted and cross checked on an HPI equivalent
system in Japan. If there are any discrepancies whatsoever, the
kilometrage (mileage) is marked by a ? and thus the mileage is not
warranted.
All cars auctioned in Japan are put through a rigorous
grading system and graded from 5 to 2. 5 - going from perfect and as new
down in ½ increments, 4.5 being excellent overall condition, UK showroom
equivalent, (very low mileage). Grade 4 is a car in very good condition
with low mileage.and so on, we recommend only buying grade 3.5 and
above
What
sort of details can I expect to see?
All vehicles that
we purchase for customers are inspected first by the auction house and
later by one of our qualified mechanics prior to bidding. You can expect
to see photographs, bird's eye view body work reports down to the smallest
scratch, thorough evaluation of condition by grading then a translation of
mechanics report and final check before bidding ensues.
To whom will I send
payment?
Payment is to be sent to the Auction Clearing
House directly. As soon as the Telegraphic transfer (T.T.) arrives in the
Japanese account, the deregistration process and export
begins.
How
can I be sure it is going to a trustworthy company?
Japan Bank References are available.
Shipping Company References
(YuwAutotrade Ltd Southampton)
Maritime and Custom Agents References
(ITS Maritime Ltd Southampton)
Large pool of Satisfied Customers for
references.
What
about shipping of the vehicle(s)?
Shipping takes place
from the ports of Nagoya or Osaka, and the vast majority of our cars are
shipped to Southampton, though we can also ship to other UK ports if need
be. Our links are strongest with Southampton port vis-à-vis SVA etc.
Who will handle
Shipment, Tax and VAT?
Bonsaicars will handle all
aspects of the importation, Shipping is handles by our choice shipping
line which is YuWAutotrade, Southampton.
Will I be allowed to drive the
vehicle in the UK?
All vehicles we source will
evidently be eligible to conform to UK type approval, be it through SVA if
the car is under 10yrs old or otherwise - MOT for all cars - we can advise
and help with the best options according to your requirements.
How long will it
all take?
Once a bid has been made, if successful, as
soon as the Japanese part of the payment is received, the cars will be
deregistered within 7 days and further shipping to the UK takes approx 5
weeks. If the car requires SVA then it will take a further week or so
before registration is finalised. Cars over 10 yrs do not require SVA only
an MOT. (Japanese cars require only a rear fog light to be fitted to pass
UK MOTs.)
How can
I be sure that the car will not have been crashed?
Cars
are graded, (pls see question above), therefore we can guarantee that non
grade R cars have never had any form of accident. Grade R can represent
fantastic value for money, our mechanics know the full history of the car
and will know if a car has had a minor shunt in its life, a little
accident or a bad crasht. Though all R grade cars are fully repaired, we
will not bid on cars which have at some point in their lives had serious
accidents.
How
can I insure that the car will not have been
stolen?
All cars bought into the UK from Japan require
Interpol checks on the Chassis numbers. We only deal with the auction
houses directly and have never in 5 yrs had any issues regarding stolen
cars
What
about parts?
Japanese import spare parts are in
plentiful supply in the UK and in many cases are considerably cheaper than
UK sourced cars. The majority of parts are interchangeable with most
models but please do get in contact if you have a particular query as we
liaise with many of the import clubs and may be able to help.
Will I be able to get
insurance?
Of course you will. Most insurance companies
now quote for Japanese imports. Please find below a list of some that we
recommend:
Adrian Flux, Tesco, Priviledge, Bell Direct. Please contact
us if you require advise
Do you offer warranties?
Yes, we
are agents for Warranty Wise and offer warranties on all Japanese imports,
prices are very competitive with a wide choice of cover, including MOT
insurance and tyre insurance.
Will you take my current car as Part
Exchange?
As a rule, we do not accept part exchanges,
though if you have a Japanese import which we can sell as part of our net
of services, then we are happy of offer the value for which we can source
your part/ex in Japan
I am interested but
not yet convinced, how do I proceed?
Please peruse the
member only parts of our site through the member login section on your
email response. See thousands of cars in real time 4 nights a week. Call
us, email us for more info or for an informal chat, we are here to
help!
What are
the costs involved?
All the costs are clearly broken
down on our option & cost section, all prices quoted in this email
include option1 and our sourcing fee.
How big a saving can I expect?
Your
car will be sourced cheaper than any equivalent car physically in the UK,
depending on the choice of car 15-35% or more is realistic with up to 45%
possible, for a better quality car. Large savings are to be had, have a
look, it costs nothing to find out.
How can I access these
auctions?
Newly added on bonsaicars.com - though more
cars are available to members.
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