BUYING CARS 'FOB' | |
| At Eastern Auto Imports we give customers what many dealers will not, the opportunity to purchase a car direct from Japan. 'FOB' means 'Free on Board' so the price you pay is for the vehicle in Japan and we arrange to have it loaded on board a vessel to the UK. | |
| The customer then does the rest, i.e. pay the shipping, import duty, VAT and shipping agents fees. Don't worry if this sounds to much bother as between us and our UK shipping agents we make the process very simple and provide free advice all the way. | |
| The only things then left to do is collect car from the port (delivery can usually be arranged at reasonable cost), fit a fog lamp, MOT the car and then register it with the DVLA. | |
| Advice will be given from start to finish and all the paperwork needed to register the car will be supplied. Typical costs are detailed below - | |
| EXAMPLE | |
| 1993 Toyota Estima (Lucida) - Usual on-the-road price at a UK dealer would be : | £4995.00 |
| FOB Japan price - | £1695.00 |
| Shipping, Duty, Vat etc | £1350.00 |
| MOT | £40.00 |
| Fog Lamp | £5.00 |
| DVLA Registration (incl 6mth Road tax) * correct at 01.02.05 | £ 128.75 |
| TOTAL | £3218.75 |
| Plus our one off agency fee of £150 | £3368.75 |
| You can see from the example that good savings can be made for the time it takes to fit a fog lamp, MOT the car and drive to your local DVLA office. | |
| If you have any questions about buying FOB that are not answered below then please do not hesitate to contact us. | |
| Common questions - | |
| Q - How much work is needed for paying duty and sorting out customs clearance etc? | |
| A - Not a lot, about a week before the ship is due in, the shipping agent will contact the buyer to advise them of the exact costs involved and you then make a bank transfer direct to the shipping agent and they do the rest. They will then advise you when the vehicle is ready for collection. | |
| Q - When I get the car home, can I drive it straight away? | |
| A - No, firstly you need to arrange insurance (on the chassis number as at this stage there is no vehicle registration number) then fit a fog lamp and switch then take the car in for an MOT. You can drive to and from the MOT station provided your insurance is in place. | |
| Q - What happens after I have MOT'd the car? | |
| A - This bit is very simple - take the Japanese documents we supply, the MOT certificate, the customs papers (supplied by shipping agent), the V55 (we supply) and a cheque for £38 plus the cost of 6 months road tax to the DVLA. They will take the documents and send you a tax disc, amended MOT certificate, your insurance papers and a V948 (permission to get no. plates made). You can then fit the number plates, display the tax disc and off you go. Lastly, inform your insurance company of the new registration number. | |
| Q - Do imported vehicles get given a 'Q' plate from the DVLA? | |
| A - No, they are issued a standard age related number plate. | |
| Q - Is it true you can get supplied a stolen vehicle from Japan? | |
| A - It is highly unlikely as to register the car you need the Japanese papers and the cars are checked with Interpol in Tokyo. | |
| Q - What if the ship sinks with your car on it? | |
| A - Good questions. All the shipping lines have insurance for that sort of thing. | |
| Q - How ling does it take to get the cars from Japan? | |
| A - Usually 6 - 8 weeks. | |
| Q - What if I buy from your stock in the UK instead? | |
| A - That is absolutely fine. All UK stock will be customs cleared, MOT'd and ready for the new owner but will of course cost a bit more due to the amount of time we spend on each car to make sure it is just right before sale. | |
| Q - Can I get servicing and repairs done for a car I purchased from Japan. | |
| A - Yes, We have never had a car that we cannot get serviced or repaired in the UK, we are able to supply service parts for most cars. | |
| Q - What is in it for Eastern Auto imports if I buy FOB then I guess that takes away some of your profit? | |
| A - We charge a flat service charge of £150 for sourcing the vehicle, arranging the shipment, paperwork and providing help all along the way and yes we make less but it takes less of our time so can afford not to make much. | |
| Overall, buying FOB is very easy - you order car, pay for car, get notice of arrival, pay fees to shipping agent, mot car, register car at DVLA and drive away.The final thing to do is to enjoy the money you saved! | |
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