Which Method Is Right For Me?

There are many ways to acquire a JDM Vehicle. See below for some important information, take your time to read up and get educated before you make your investment.

Knowledge is power!

First of all, when looking to buy a JDM import, you need to know the following:

Japan exports over 100,000 vehicles per month
Many people are looking to profit from this
Used cars in Japan are typically, of low value inside the country
Japan does not have a "flipping" culture as much of the world does
Be prepared to take your time, if it seems too good to be true, it is
On average it takes 10 weeks purchase to delivery, sometimes more, sometimes less
Once your car is shipped it is typically already yours, this is why you pay upfront with 97% of the companies out there

AUCTION

Every single person falls victim here at some point. It is a law of averages.

Auction cars can be good, but in our experience this should be reserved for someone looking for something unique, doesn't mind a project, or dealers looking to turn profit on volume.

Yes, auction can be the lowest buy-in. Even after all the fees it is possible to spend less to get a car here, but it is important as buyers we give consideration to why a car is at auction.

See, if the car was good, roadworthy and clean, why would it not be sold inside Japan? The truth is, speaking with sellers in Japan and all over the world, auctions often contain those cars that people no longer wish, or can afford to keep. A car with a rusty frame or smoke from the exhaust would be near impossible to sell inside Japan without expensive repairs to have it inspected and legal to drive. So, a good avenue is to sell it cheap to the auction houses and get it gone.

"You mean the auction houses sell rusty junk?" No, they do not intend to, at least not without disclosing it, but now you are reliant on an inspector catching this and it is a common opinion that the auction houses have become lax in their standards over the years.

Some sites such as GooNet even reporting a big warning "FRAUD CONDITION SHEETS IN THE MARKET". Sadly, many people are looking to take advantage of the anonymity of these sales to flip Junk.

Here are a few links from others about this if you want to see more

So, should you still consider auction?

YES!

Typically we feel cars over $100K USD might be worth considering auction due to the potential savings.

Auction can be OK if you:

Work with a broker who has someone knowledgeable in Japan at the auction houses
Get the car cheap enough that leaves room for repairs in your budget
If you need something so unique auction is the only option

BEFORWARD/CARFROMJAPAN/GOONET

If you don't know, these are the top companies who help connect dealers and individuals with cars to sell in Japan with the international market.

BeForward is the example we will use, we are not going to compare the 3, but can tell you we typically work with BeForward who have proven themselves to us over the years, and saved us and our customers some serious headaches more than once.

These companies exist by connecting A to B in the most efficient manner possible, think of them as AutoTrader of Japan for foreign buyers. Dealers and nobodies can list here which is the only major risk to buying through them.

With their infrastructure you can get quick freight and good deals with a wide selection, but the risk comes with certain people listing cars on these sites to get those same "junkers" out of the country for profit. Beforward sells only a small percentage of the cars ("Beforward stock") on there, most are "3rd party sellers".

These sites are ideal for browsing inventory and looking at options available in your local language with an easy interface. The potential downside comes when you consider the car needs to be purchased and delivered before you inspect it. Any issues and you are out 5 months of your life only to find you got a lemon. Beforward will make it right, within what they can control, but time is precious and this can really put a damper on your experience.

Still interested in one of these? Yes, we would be too! However you should consider a few precautions:

Work with someone like SushiCars who has experience with these sellers to reduce risk of getting a lemon

Consider "warranty" which can offer some form of recourse if the car is not as expected

Look at "BeForward Stock" as the most trusted inventory, followed by dealers selling like Gulliver or Top Mountain

If condition and hands free experience are more important, consider a local Japanese car via CarSensor market purchase (some of these are on Beforward too!)

CARSENSOR.NET

If you want to best in quality this is going to be your most secure option. CarSensor.net is what many Japanese locals use to buy cars inside Japan.

This means the car is most likely to have the highest standard and best condition, with the most transparency. After all, the sellers here expect the buyer to be local Japanese, with some recourse and a more honorable sales experience.

We have helped hundreds of people get cars from this method and while the cost is marginally higher, the risk is much lower because of the above.

Some car sellers even refuse to sell cars outside of Japan, Auto Spirit and Global Auto for example was refusing to sell certain cars for export. That is the level of pride you can find inside Japan's used car market.

Typically, this is going to be your best option for a quality car. Why?

Highest accountability
Highest probability of quality
Highest track record of expectations being met
You get to pay for the car, then the freight in stages
You get to see the car with a full video tour while at our office, prior to exporting it! Not waiting until delivery and letting the port handle it to find a problem months down the line!

This remains the most common method of purchase for our customers.

Looking to get started?