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.