autoadvan

[Conker]

Has anyone had any dealings with this outfit ?
Any feed back good or bad welcome.
Cheers
Conker

http://www.autoadvan.co.uk/

[wibblywobbly]

Well I have

I guess that your enquiry is one that a few people will have thought of making so I will tell you all that I know.

These comments do not apply specifically to AutoAdvan. They are general comments relating to all vehicles sold at auction in Japan and imported to the UK.

1. I am nothing to do with the company.
2. My knowledge is based on my experiences to date.
3. My experience is:

• Autoadvan trade mainly via Ebay, they also have a Japanese website that carries more details of the same stock.
• One feature of Ebay is the feedback section. It allows buyers and sellers to log a brief record of their experiences with a contact. I took the precaution of contacting a previous customer of AutoAdvan and asking for advice. The guy said that they were sound, so I believed him.
• They simply buy their stock on the Japanese Car Auctions and then re-advertise on Ebay. They have a UK representative. He responds to emails quite promptly, and will release his mobile phone number to customers. His English is not brilliant so don't expect long conversations...I get the impression that he is busy!
• If you bid on Ebay then you pay the bid price plus the shipping fees, import duties and agents fees (£1500+?).
• The bid price is 'freight on board'. In other words that gets the vehicle onto the ship.
• If the bidding isn't going too well then AutoAdvan will withdraw the vehicle from an auction. Likewise if they recieve a good offer before the end of the auction then they will also end it (this is common practice on Ebay for all sellers).
• You pay AutoAdvan the bid price before they put it on the ship.
• You pay the Shipping Agents the additional costs when the vehicle arrives.
• My shipping took 6 Oct -14 Nov.
• AutoAdvan hand over all administration to the shipping agent after it has left Japan, and it is the agent that makes contact when the vehicle arrives. Their preferred port is Southampton, but other ports are available, possibly at additional cost.
• When the car arrives the shipping agents handle the release paperwork for customs.
• AutoAdvan will send several bits of paper to you by recorded delivery around 10 days before the ship arrives:

A de-registration form in Japanese together with an English version.
Invoice and packing list.
A V55 that will enable you to register the car.
A list of what is enclosed in the envelope.
Instructions on what to do with them.
Contacts at the shipping agents.

• You will have to fax the agents a copy of your drivers licence and a utility bill.
• Ask the shipping agent for the chassis number, you will need this to get the cover note for the insurance. They can provide this well in advance of the delivery date, while the ship is on its way.
• The paperwork takes a couple of days, the agents I have dealt with are incredibly helpful and friendly, and the car can be picked up as soon as they have their payment in their hands.
• The Customs and Excise release the 386 form around a week after the car arrives.
• You can drive the vehicle home on the road as long as it is insured. The chassis number is written on the windows, this is a legal id number to get you home. You still need to be insured though.
• Next stop is the MOT station. You will have to fit a rear fog light for this.
• Then take all of the documents (plus your cover note), to your local vehicle registration office. You should get the approved paperwork the next day.
• Now you have a registration number, and you can go and get the plates made up.
• All done.

The Risks:

• If the vehicle is less than 10 years old it requires an SVA test. These are intensive and quite expensive (there are ways around this - search on the net for them).
• You are buying a vehicle costing several thousands pounds on the basis of photographs.
• Anyone can make a car look good in a photo.
• A photo will not reveal worn shocks, a leaking head or a blown radiator.
• You should budget to spend at least another grand on the vehicle when it gets here, (service, cam belts, tyres, valeting, exhaust, shocks etc etc etc) if it is perfect then you have a thousand to spend on diesel!
• There is no guarantee with a personal import, and especially not with anything bought via an auction.
• If you buy via a UK dealer you will get a warranty on it, but you will also pay a premium for the vehicle. You pays your money and you takes your choice.

Take my advice and do not get carried away on Ebay. Know what you are buying and don't be afraid to ask lots of questions and retain the answers. If you successfully bid on the basis of information that you have been given, and the information is misleading then you can legally walk away. If you don't ask questions and bid on an old nail, then tough, you have to pay for it, and yes, people have been sued plus costs for trying to walk away.

The descriptions are usually very, very good, and people go to great lengths to accurately describe a vehicle. Be very wary of a gift horse that no one has bid on. It often means that the old hands have spotted something amiss and aren't touching it with a barge pole.

This site is a goldmine of information and all credit goes to the knowledgeable folk who have taken the time to set this forum up, and to the contributors. Read every message on here, it is well worth the time and could save you a fortune. Take the same view as you would when betting on a dead cert favourite in the 2:30 at Doncaster, you could well come out smiling, but it could all end in tears!

If you want to know how some Surfs get treated in Japan visit http://www.HitEnter.Co.Uk and visit the Driving section. Try Surfing in Japan! Then sit and wonder how many of these end up being jet washed and sold at auction? In a state of paranoia I went through all the pics looking for mine!!

These comments do not apply specifically to AutoAdvan. They are general comments relating to all vehicles sold at auction in Japan and imported to the UK. If you are feeling adventurous you can even bid on a vehicle directly on the Japanese auctions via the net, and arrange your own shipping..now there is a scary thought!!

I hope that you enjoyed the read!

Rob G