Need information about importing

[EMAGDNIM]

I just hope that when I decide to jump on it (which is in a few months), I don't have to say that I want a car that doesn't have any problems other than a few scratches.

Well you're the end user looking at the auction sheets, so I don't think this is an actual scenario that will happen.

[dah_hunter]

your expectations seem a little high/unrealistic. your buying a used car sight unseen from the other side of the planet..

An auction sheet only says so much.. unless you go to Japan your self and wander the auctions http://youtu.be/PIp4UHksS1U your going to end up with something not being perfect.. and that is life,

If you bid a Grade 4 with an A interior, and no comments on the auction sheet, and then it gets here and it has warped rotors/Clunky gear box/Hole in the Exhaust you cant blame anyone for that, you bought the car. you cant Expect a third party (Your exporter) to find and report every possible detail about the car, they have 10's or 100's of cars to look at. that kind of customer service in impossible to give.

Sometimes you just got to pull the Trigger, Take the Plunge, and live with the results, cause are you really living if you never take any risks.. Life is to short.. (End Rant)

[Dragon Humper]

That was a calm and insightfull rant....lol. Ya, it's leap of faith for sure...but sometimes you end up with some really nice surprises too.






Jon.

[Kuma]

I think rants are useful, it helps you see what they actually think of the matter.

It's not much that I want to get a perfect car, just close to perfect as possible. I've always bought new (here in Calgary) and it probably will be hard accepting those small little things like a minor dent in the side or maybe some worn out things in the interior. I just wanted to minimize the potential problems as much as possible, that's why I've been collecting information months before I actually say I want to start bidding.

So on the HST, does the HST affect the car cost or the entire cost of the car+shipping+agent?

[dah_hunter]

Mark At Brave makes his invoices so it only effects the car cost..

however some exporters have the fee's all added together so then it effects everything..

[aaronisonfire]

I made a spreadsheet detailing my cost at the Federal level. Taxes, fees, inspections costs, etc at the provincial level vary a bit. Although I'm unaware with what it costs re: taxes on used cars in Alberta, you're probably home free using the federal total since I can't find any indication that a provincial tax is paid on used cars like in BC.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...Gc&usp=sharing

I just added sections to the breakdown... Section A is the breakdown exactly how I received the invoice. You can see that CBSA gave me their own exchange rate (line 17) on the day of clearance and used the JPY vehicle cost from invoice (line 3) to determine the value of the vehicle for GST (5%) and Duty (6.1%) presented on line 18.

It would be worth explicitly asking for an invoice with just the vehicle cost. I wouldn't want to pay Canadian tax on storage and shipping.

[Kuma]

That is a really nice spreadsheet. Thanks for it.

Why do you have to pay an additional PST on the car? Is it because you live in BC? Or would I have to pay that PST because of the location of the port (I live in Calgary)?

[aaronisonfire]

That is a really nice spreadsheet. Thanks for it.

Why do you have to pay an additional PST on the car? Is it because you live in BC? Or would I have to pay that PST because of the location of the port (I live in Calgary)?

We have to pay PST on vehicles in BC because someone said we have to.

PST is paid on vehicles when they're first registered in BC (and every single time it is sold privately... which is a bit ridiculous). If you're not registering the vehicle in BC, no BC PST. It is not collected at the port.

If you're just picking up in BC, ICBC will give you a transit permit to take it home without registering it. It's $16 per day. You just need to present them with the import documentation.

[Kuma]

I think AB doesn't have to pay anything like that because of the no PST here.

That seems a bit too much, forcing people to pay a tax every time the vehicle is sold. I don't know if this is illegal, but private sellers could always take the money cash and pass the ownership saying it was a gift. I've seen it happen when I used to live in California, but unsure about it here.

I emailed Mark and he got back to me this morning, real nice, he laid the entire procedure out for me. I guess just a few months and making sure no more snow and I'm ready to send in the money!

[amnash]

Here's a question to add to the topic about different auction houses. I know some places are more picky with how they grade the cars. Some 3.5 grades would almost be a 4 or 4.5 and others you would think they'd be no better then a 3...
Is there any info on what auction houses are better then others? Would Suck to buy a 4a expecting it to be mint then find a bunch of imperfections

[aaronisonfire]

I don't know if this is illegal, but private sellers could always take the money cash and pass the ownership saying it was a gift. I've seen it happen when I used to live in California, but unsure about it here.

ICBC got wise to this and gifting a vehicle without paying tax only works if you are immediate family with the person gifting to you. Even though I paid all the money for my truck, my fiancés dad bought it because he works for Toyota. 6 months later ICBC told me when I went to finalize the gift paperwork that I would have to pay tax on the market value of the truck. Obviously since I paid tax on the initial purchase, I wasn't too keen on that. We had him gift it to her instead. She owns my truck now

Here's a question to add to the topic about different auction houses. I know some places are more picky with how they grade the cars. Some 3.5 grades would almost be a 4 or 4.5 and others you would think they'd be no better then a 3...
Is there any info on what auction houses are better then others? Would Suck to buy a 4a expecting it to be mint then find a bunch of imperfections

All I've heard on that front is to stay away from the north island of Japan due to rust.

My 3.5B GTR looks like a minimum 4 to me (but I might be a bit biased!). I believe it got the 3.5 because of replaced panels and some nicks, but even Mark said the repair was done well. It's in much better shape than my previous grade 4B GTST, which had much worse cosmetic damage. My GTR came from USS Nagoya.

[amnash]

Thanks. I guess all auctions close to the water would have the same issues sitting in a lot for months with that salty air. Good to keep in mind.

Did mark at Brave do I compression test on the engine before you had to cough up the dough?

[aaronisonfire]

Did mark at Brave do I compression test on the engine before you had to cough up the dough?

I don't know what Mark's policies are on things like that, you'd have to ask him. I did not ask for this since mine got his seal of approval on the test drive he did after it arrived in his yard.

I doubt you could have it done before auction. I THINK that there is a viewing period for cars before they go up to auction, but I'm not sure how much you're allowed to do with them. dah_hunter will know a lot more about this than I will, as he has been there.

And after auction... well, I think you're on the hook for the car, or the cost to re-auction it, even if it turns out to be a lemon.

[cooke24]

when a car comes up for auction, ususally you only have 1-3 days to check it out in person.

this depends on weather or not your exporter has enough connections with people. he cant be at alll the auction houses at once.

take a few private pictures, look underneath, take a peak of the interior. maybe even start it up if he knows the right people.




as for pst/gst. email me cooke91@gmail.com.

llike i said before aim for 97-99. the interiors are much nicer; slight trim improvements, steering wheel isnt so gay, projector headlights, seats have a red stitching/tirim.


the entire island of japan is near water. we say to avoid the north because it gets cold up there ; salt on roads, lots of snow ect.

[dah_hunter]

you cant do mechanical work on cars at the auction.. you can look at them, sit in then, start them up. thats about it.. there is thousands of cars sitting in row upon row.

cars start being auctioned off pretty early in the morning (Japan time) so if you want to view the cars an then have time to decide you have to get there very early in the AM. and then you have to go find the cars your interested in. (Its best to go the day of the auction cause all the cars will be there) if you go a day or so before then not all the cars will have gone through the inspection yet.

If you tell you exporter to buy a car, and it turns out to be a lemon, you would have to pay the return auction costs for sure. (Unless your really really nice to your exporter.. :-)