Before you buy your car with an importer there are key facts that will help you check that the car they are recommending is the quality they are promising.
Buying an import can make great savings, but when you are spending so much money, it is important you know you can trust the importer to buy to the quality car they are promising. This is our essential guide to getting the best from your car importer to make sure he sells you a quality car.
- Insist your car comes with a full service history. This is a booklet which is stamped and dated by the garage who performed the work. More modern cars have these online, but you should still be sure to check the history and the mileage to make sure they match your expectations.
- Get the mileage certified. This is a simple process for UK and should be in the service history book. Alternatively, you can run an online HPI check which will also verify your mileage independently (and much more) Japanese cars have their mileage verified via the export certificate.
- Ask to see the log book and full confirmation of the spec. The UK V5 log book will show the car is genuine and you can match the chassis number, the registration details and the ownership of the car. The full confirmation of the spec for Japanese cars comes from the auction sheet and the condition report.
- Insist on seeing quality photos or a video – inside and out. Don’t accept photos taken in the rain and watch out for missing photos i.e. if a back light hasn’t been photographed you’d be smart to suspect there is a reason why.
Make sure you are getting everything you expect: 2 keys, at least 5 ml of tread on each tyre, the original book pack, the locking wheel nut, the official documents (V5 log book, export certificate, Jevic inspection report, MOT certificate, full service history, HPI certificate. These costs will bite you later.
These are the basic expectations you should be getting. If there;s a problem with getting hold of any of this information, then be warned!
These are our minimum standards which apply to every car we buy for our clients. Contact the team to find out how easy importing your dream car can be and spread the cost with finance from your Kenyan partner banks.
