The export timeline. So which one is faster? Buying from a dealers stock or buying from the auctions.

First of all we need to understand the process of exporting a used car out of Japan.

  1. A car is purchased by an exporter, agent, Japanese used car dealer, and in our examples case, Provide Cars.
  2. The documentation is usually sent and arrives at Provide Car’s office within a week of purchase. Let’s say a week, though there are exceptions.
  3. The car’s deregistration document (or registration document if it is still registered) needs to be changed to an official “export deregistration document”. This means some documentation writing then a visit to the local “Rikunkyoku” or local city car registration office, with documentation in hand and number plates in hand (if it was still registered). If you have a dot missing or a “t” uncrossed then forget about any success that day! In Japan there are no exceptions, every “t” crossed and every “dot” dotted. If you manage to succeed in getting your “export deregistration certificate”, then you are ready for the next step.
  4. Ship booking. Yes, Provide Cars can only book a car on a ship if you have your “export deregistration certificate”. Plus, you must book at least one week before the boat leaves. Some countries there is only one boat per month, so if you miss this by a few days… well that is a pity!
  5. Send documentation to the export yard for customs clearance. The cars export certificate must be sent to the shipping line’s agent to clear customs on the Japan side. Included with this a various other documents.
  6. Nothing goes wrong and the car is sent/exported to your port.
  7. Documentation is received back from the export yard to Provide Car’s office.
  8. The original “Bill of Lading” is received from the shipping line.

Now what in this process differs from buying from a dealers stock and buying from the auction through Provide Cars?

The dealer has usually purchased his stock a few days to weeks or even months before he sells it. This means most times he has the de-registration document available.

Compared with buying directly from the car auctions, the delay will be perhaps a week after the decision to purchase from a car dealer.

Now add onto this payment. A Japanese used car dealer will not book a car for export until the car has been paid for. Often a TT transfer will take a few days, even up to 5 days, that is basically the time it takes to purchase a car from the auctions and have that cars documentation arrive at Provide Cars office.

So essentially, the time it takes from the moment of purchase, whether from a used car dealer’s stock or from the auctions, to the moment of export, is the same.

So in terms of time saved, there is no issue between purchasing from a dealer stock or purchasing from Provide Cars through the auctions in Japan.