The Importing Process
Finding your dream car of all time isn’t easy, and getting your hands on it is almost impossible. At Affordable Cars, we offer our importing services where we search the auctions in Japan daily, in search of the car you so highly desire. We are committed to helping our customers, and can’t wait to begin this process with you.
The Team
Cade Harris – Sales & Finance Manager
Cade is key at Affordable Car Sales, sourcing high-quality cars daily from Japan Auction Houses. He expertly navigates the auction process, ensuring a varied and appealing inventory. Regularly visiting Japan, Cade collaborates with Daniel Wise, our Importing Agent, for thorough quality checks. He goes beyond standard inspections to find unique vehicles for enthusiasts and discerning buyers. As the main customer contact, Cade’s dedication and extensive automotive knowledge are crucial in helping clients find their dream cars at Affordable Car Sales.
Daniel Wise – Importing Agent
Daniel Wise, based in Japan, is our Importing Agent. Originally from New Zealand, he brings extensive experience from owning a car yard. He supports global dealers, including Affordable Car Sales, in purchasing vehicles from Japanese auctions. Known for his diligence, Daniel inspects hundreds of cars daily, providing thorough examinations and detailed photos. His commitment to quality makes him an invaluable asset to Affordable Cars and his clients worldwide.
The Inspection
We emphasize quality assurance through thorough physical inspections of every vehicle. This ensures each car meets our standards before being offered to you. The use of auction sheets and Daniel’s fluency in Japanese enhance your ability to assess vehicle conditions accurately, providing transparency and confidence when importing a vehicle.
Our rigorous inspection practices, combined with Daniel’s expertise, reinforce our commitment to high-quality vehicles and customer satisfaction. This approach sets us apart, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the vehicle you seek.
The Process
1. We require a $500 holding deposit to begin the journey with you to finding your dream car. This deposit is fully refundable at any time before we make a purchase. Should you decide to change your mind, a car comes up elsewhere or we’re struggling to find exactly what you’re after, your deposit will be refunded.
2. Your salesperson will send you a Google Form questionnaire link to fill in. It is crucial that this is completed in as much detail as you can provide. We want the car we’re looking for to absolutely blow you away when you see it – so please take the time to fill this in thoroughly.
The Process
3. Now we have all the information locked in, you simply need to sit back with a bit of patience and we will search the auctions daily for you. When one within your guidelines pops up – we will send you photos and details for you to approve or deny. This is time critical as we will send you the photos and details in the morning and need your feedback as soon as possible before auctions start at 12pm NZ time. If we don’t hear from you, and the car fits what you’re after on paper, then we will bid regardless.
4. Once the car is purchased at the auction, we will send you a full run down including expected landed costs including the on the road costs for you to confirm.
5. Once the car arrives in NZ, you’ll be given the chance to see the car as soon as it’s delivered to us, in it’s ‘off boat’ condition. The car will then be taken to VTNZ for compliance, and we’ll completely handle the process of getting the car complied, cleared and on the road for you to drive away. We will require the balance paid in full before we register the car – a couple of days before it’s ready to be handed over.
Success Stories
Paul H came to us in January 2024, wanting a 2018 Audi A5 S-Line 4WD with the highest possible specification the car was made with. This specific car proved to be a very rare find, but after about a month of searching the auctions every week, we found the exact one Paul wanted AND at well below market price. Paul saved around $8,000 by importing with us rather than buying in NZ and also found himself with the highest possible specification Audi A5 at the time. He traded in his Audi S4, we exchanged keys and he’s loving his new Audi A5!
Success Stories
Paul W came to us to begin the importing process in March 2023, and hoped we could find him exactly what he was after – the highest specification of a late model BMW 540i. Paul had given us some criteria for the cars specification that he wanted – 4WD, an M-Sport model, low kilometres, but also needed to fit in his budget. After just 2 weeks of searching the auctions, we found one that fitted all aspects Paul wanted. Once bought into NZ, it was complied and groomed up fully for him. The navigation was changed to NZ maps and then it was ready to go. Paul traded in 2 of his cars and he was able to be on the road in no time in his new BMW 540i.
Chloie initally came to us and purchased a Toyota 86 and absolutely loved it. Eventually she decided it was time to upgrade, and come to us wanting a late model Honda Civic turbo. She knew exactly what she wanted, had a budget to stick to, and whilst we were in Japan buying – we found the perfect one for her. Photos & details of the car were sent to Chloie and she fell in love. We ended up bidding on it, winning it, and bringing it over for her.
