How To Avoid Japanese Used Car Exporters That Are Scams

Japan has become the go-to place for anyone who is importing a pre-owned vehicle. This is for the simple reason that they are affordable, high performing and reliable. But there comes another big problem— Online scams. If you have been on the internet long enough, then you must have already heard about the nightmares that many people have had to go through. The auto industry isn’t spared as well and if one is not careful, they could be lured into buying a vehicle that doesn’t exist. Usually these scams come as a misrepresentation where the scammer pretend to be a Japanese used car exporter and then they end up asking for money from unsuspecting people who want to import.

If you are still new to importing and don’t have much experience, it is important you know how to easily spot these fraudsters from afar. To help you out, we have set up this post outlining some of the things that you need to look out for in legitimate and trustworthy Japanese used car exporters. Here they are;

Verify The Exporter’s Details

Most scams approach or misrepresent themselves to their potential client (victim) pretending to be a particular company. The reality is that the scammer could even be located in a different country and perhaps doesn’t even know any information about the company that they are misrepresenting themselves with. The first thing to do before you even go through the website’s listings is to check out the website details, their contacts and address. The details including the contacts should match with the ones that they are using to contact you. If they are different, it is advisable that you run and never get in touch with them as they are clearly fraudsters.

You should also consider asking for more information when you feel that you have doubts. And a legit company will be willing to give you any information as they have nothing to hide. But if the person on the other end of the line starts to give excuses, there is something fishy and proceeding to make a deal with such a company puts you in high risk.

Get Full Detail On The Vehicle That You Want

The other thing that you would want to be extra cautious on is the vehicle that you are eyeing. You should get full detail about it including clear footages of every part that you want to know more about. They say pictures speak a thousand words and that saying practically applies in this situation. If you want to get something legit, you need to inquire and learn more about it. You should get all the information that you would have gotten if you were physically present at the dealer’s yard. So if it is a mini truck and you would like to check the vehicle’s engine or chassis, you should get detailed footages either by photos or even a video if you need.

Also when it comes to verifying the vehicle and ensuring that it has a good legal record, you have to get every detail and records right. Be it certification, log book and verifying ownership, it’s all important. Things like chassis number should match those in records and if they don’t, then you should question that.

Don’t also be fooled by the outside look of a vehicle. You should know what’s under the hood and see if there are any faults such as mechanical issues and if the vehicle has been involved in an accident. Such details can be obtained from checking through the vehicle’s records which you can always request.

Making Payments

Now, here comes the most critical part which you need to also be extra cautious or you will just watch your money fly away and never see the vehicle that you bought. Perhaps the step that you should be most careful on is this one as many people easily get lured.

Payment must be made in Company’s bank account in Japan only. If the seller asks you to deposit to another offshore account, even if it is in your country, you shouldn’t fall for that. If they ask you to pay though another bank, then it simply means that they are not in Japan and there is a high chance that their company is a scam.

Another thing that you should be keen on is how the vehicle has been priced. In many instances you will come across a seller who have lowered their prices and just makes it hard to pass. If you try negotiating the price they are soft and easy on lowering it. Such deals which are hard to believe are some that take your money and you never see them again.

Final Word:

Scams are on the rise and there is nothing to do about it other than stay keen and be cautious on the decisions that we make. Connecting the dots and detecting scams is however easy when you know what to look for. With the tips above, you can be able to avoid common scams and work with a legit Japanese used car exporter.

Another thing that you might want to consider is to seek the help of an import broker which is often available in your country. This is especially if you are still new to the game. So once you come across a vehicle that you would like to import, get in touch with a local import broker to help you get that particular vehicle. They can also help you get good shipping offers which will save you some money.

Besides working with a legit company, you may also love to enjoy quality services and a smooth import process. This doesn’t always come easy, but here at Substar, we make it painless and easy for you. Regardless of whether you are a pro in the import world, we are here to help. Check out some of the vehicles in our listings page which ranges from minivans to mini trucks. We can also help you with getting vehicles from auctions which is another good bargain.

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