How to Buy a Car
at Japanese Auctions

Each vehicle has a market price and a minimum reserve set by the seller. The true advantage of Japanese auctions is a massive selection of quality vehicles with verified mileage, documented condition, and transparent data.

Before bidding, you need to understand what similar cars actually sell for at auction.

Open the Statistics section and select your target model. You'll see recently sold cars with their final auction prices.

• Car model (e.g. Mazda CX-5)
• Year range (e.g. 2021–2023)
• Maximum mileage (e.g. 40,000 km)
• Your budget (e.g. 12,000–14,000 euros)

Our managers will provide you prices of recently sold cars from USS auctions. Below is an example of the statistics you will receive:

Here you can see the year of manufacture, the mileage (Odo.), and the Final price (add 000 to have price in yen).

*If you don’t have specific requirements you can use our website to research upcoming lots, and if you found car of your interest, send us a link.

You’ve learned how to find the average auction price — now let’s see how to calculate the total cost to your port (C&F price).

C&F (Cost & Freight) is the total price: vehicle auction price + freight to your destination port + Japanese local expenses + our commission.

• Auction price — the car's purchase price at auction
• Commission — from 4,8%, min ¥95,000 (car dealers may have reduced commission rate)
• Japan domestic expenses — ¥90,000
• Freight — per m³, depends on destination and car's volume

Your deposit is your money held on your Carvector account balance in Japan — it is not a fee. The current deposit amount is always visible in your personal account. After depositing, you unlock extended access to all auctions and tools.

• Access to full information across all Japanese auctions, including closed and exclusive platforms
• Additional interactive HD photos: 360° interior, wheels, undercarriage (available at most auctions)
• On-demand photos or independent vehicle inspection (paid service)
• Unlimited auction sheet translations
• Consultations and technical support from your personal manager

• Deposit is deducted from your final invoice after winning a lot.

If within a month you did not find a suitable car or could not purchase one due to budget constraints, you may request a refund.

• Refund is available no earlier than 1 month after the deposit is credited. This period ensures mutual commitment — we allocate resources and expect active cooperation.
• Due to banking compliance requirements (anti-money laundering and fraud prevention), depending on the deposit amount and destination country, the processing time may be extended by 50–80 additional days.
• Bank transfer fees during refund are covered by the buyer.

After paying the deposit, you can start searching for a car that meets your preferences. When selecting a vehicle, please use the examples from the provided statistics as a reference — choose cars with similar parameters such as year, ±10.000 km mileage, auction grade, and chassis ID if known.

This way, your bids will align with the actual market level, increasing your chances of a successful purchase.

There’s no point in bidding on a car with mileage twice lower than in the examples you received initially — its market price will be much higher, and such a bid won’t be competitive.

Note: If you still want to bid on a vehicle that differs by more than 20,000 km, it’s better to ask your manager to provide updated statistics for similar cars.

Auctions offer 360° interior views and undercarriage photos. Send your manager a car link or lot number to request them.

Each lot's auction lasts only 15–30 seconds, so every second matters. That’s why we need to know your maximum bid in advance — the highest amount you’re ready to pay for the car.

📌If the car is sold for less, your payment will be based on the Final winning price, not your maximum.

During the auction, we place bids on your behalf, up to the amount you’ve set. If the bidding goes above your maximum amount, we simply stop and move on to the next lot.

Auction Price Bid — this is the car-only amount (the winning bid). After purchase, shipping, Japan-side costs, and our commission are added, and the invoice reflects the total price to your port. ✅ 📊 Auction results and statistics are always shown in the Auction Price format, not in C&F.

C&F Price Bid — you set a maximum total budget to your port. Our manager deducts freight, commission, and Japan-side expenses to calculate the car-only bid

• Go to "My Auction Bids" → "WON" tab to see your result and final price.
• If unsuccessful — check "Failed" tab and target the next lot.
• Your manager sends a WhatsApp confirmation shortly after.

• You can first decide whether to withdraw your deposit or keep it for your next purchases.
• Within the same day, you’ll receive the final invoice, which includes all expenses calculated up to your destination port.
• Payment must be completed within 3 days of receiving the invoice.

After payment, your car goes through all export and customs procedures in Japan, then moves to the departure port — typically waiting 2–4 weeks for the next vessel.

• Upon arrival — pay local import duties and taxes.
• We provide all export documents: Export Certificate, Bill of Lading, Invoice, Packing List.
• Tracking updates sent throughout the voyage.