FAQ
Plain answers about how Japan Motor Source works.
- What does it cost to use you?
- Searching, shortlisting and quoting are free. Our service fee is a flat $1,000 + GST per car, invoiced when compliance is complete. The car, shipping, customs and compliance are invoiced by the parties doing that work, and you get a written landed-cost estimate before you bid.
- Do I pay anything before you win a car?
- Only the deposit. Searching, shortlisting and quoting cost nothing. A deposit is only required once you ask us to place a bid - nothing is paid before that. The deposit is $1,000 for bids under ¥2,000,000, or 10% of the bid for bids of ¥2,000,000 or more. It is refundable if we don't win the car. Payment one, to the Japan bidding company, falls due only once the lot is won.
- What's the deposit?
- A deposit is only required once you ask us to place a bid - nothing is paid before that. The deposit is $1,000 for bids under ¥2,000,000, or 10% of the bid for bids of ¥2,000,000 or more. It is refundable if we don't win the car.
- How long does it take?
- In our worked example, a 2018 Toyota Alphard 2.5 S, the car was compliant and ready to register 11 weeks after the shortlist email. Treat that as indicative, not guaranteed: auction timing, sailing schedules and compliance scope change it on every car.
- Who does the compliance?
- Compliance is completed by our partner workshop in Australia. It is done before handover, and this is the phase you pay us for.
- Do I need an account to browse auctions?
- No. Anyone can browse auctions, view vehicle details and run the calculator. An account is required to save vehicles.
- Are calculator results a final quote?
- No. Estimates are indicative only. Final costs depend on auction outcome, freight, exchange rates, duties, compliance and other third-party charges.
- How fresh is the auction data?
- Listings show a freshness timestamp so you can see when data was last updated. During short outages we may show cached listings with an honest banner.
- Can you confirm if a vehicle is eligible to import?
- Eligibility is confirmed per vehicle. Our What Can I Import page explains the concepts in plain language - ask us about a specific model for guidance.
- What happens after I enquire?
- Your enquiry creates a lead for the sourcing team. You'll receive an acknowledgement and a team member will follow up using your preferred contact method.
- Do you hold stock for sale?
- No. Japan Motor Source is not a dealership listing cars for sale from our own stock. We help you source from Japanese auctions.