Frequently-asked questions
What's in the contract you will ask me to sign?
📄 Here's the contract template - yours will be based on this. (Don't fill this one out!)
What does the broker service cover?
When you hire us as broker-agents, we arrange for the purchase and export of your vehicle:
- Using our knowledge from decades of exporting cars from Japan to find you the right vehicle
- Working together to develop a bid strategy
- Moving the vehicle from the auction to the export port
- Getting your vehicle in transit to Canada
- Giving you all the paperwork and instructions you need to clear the vehicle and register it when it gets here
What additional services do you offer?
In addition to these broker services, we also offer a white-glove service - we manage everything, and all you have to do is pick up the keys. Ask us about it!
What doesn't the broker service cover?
Our broker service takes your vehicle from the auction house to the boat. This service doesn't cover:
- Canadian-side import tasks, like customs duties and excise declarations, port (release) fees, and inland transport
- The inspection of your car by a licensed inspector
- Mechanical work to get your car registerable or repair it
- The car's registration and PST payment
If you want our assistance with getting your car from the port to the public roads, we can make separate, additional arrangements - ask us about our white-glove service.
How much does the service cost?
Our broker service costs the greater of either C$1,500 or 10% of your car's purchase price, plus GST. We are confident in the value we provide for your money.
What is refundable, and what isn't?
Your deposit is fully refundable until you win an auction. At that point, no part of the deposit is refundable, and you'll be responsible for any additional costs.
The broker service fee is refundable except for C$500.
How much of a deposit is needed?
Your deposit will be for our estimate of all Japan-side expenses. Note that this will just be an estimate - you are responsible for any additional expenses (and we will refund to you any surplus).
How long do I have to make a decision?
When we send you candidate vehicles, you'll have between 18 and 36 hours to make a decision about whether and how much to bid.
How does the export process work?
Expect the entire process to take between 6 and 20 weeks. By far, the biggest variable is shipping. Global events - even those on the other side of the world - can change the price and availability of cargo space for your vehicle.
Here's a timeline of the process:
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Fill out our intake form to tell us your must-haves, must-not-haves, and budget.
We'll use that info to send you a contract, an invoice, and payment instructions for your purchase deposit.
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Week 1
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We start sending you potential vehicles that match your criteria.
Vehicles are up for auction 6 days a week, and you'll have somewhere between 12 and 36 hours to decide whether to bid on each candidate.
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Week 1
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You were patient and waited for the right vehicle, and your bid on your dream JDM car was accepted! Congratulations - you're now the owner of a gorgeous right-hand drive head turner (and it's only 7,600km away).
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Week 2
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Your vehicle has moved from its auction location to its shipping destination, and it's been washed and prepared for shipment.
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Week 3
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This is the part that requires the most patience: waiting for the car to ship.
Your vehicle will either go on a roll-on, roll-off ("Roro") ferry, or be carefully loaded into a container and transported by a container ship. Either way, shipping timelines and costs are highly variable.
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Somewhere between Week 4 and Week 20
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The ship's docked in Canada and your car's been unloaded! Time to get your documents together and go fetch it (or use our extended service).
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Somewhere between Week 6 and Week 22
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How much does it cost to export a car?
It's very difficult to say in advance. Here's how one recent transaction went. Yours will be different than this example - this is only for illustrative purposes.
Remember, we work for you: we pass all Japan-side fees to you at cost, and we do not receive any payment for our work aside from the broker services fee you pay us.
| Purchase and export costs |
| Winning bid (purchase price) |
¥500,000 |
| Auction fee |
¥88,000 |
Inland transport
The cost of moving your vehicle from its auction site to its shipping location
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¥33,000 |
Wash / cleaning fee
Vehicles must be cleaned of potential soil contaminants by a certified cleaning company in Japan prior to export
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¥10,000 |
Roll-on, roll-off shipping
This is varies a lot, depending on the size of the vehicle. This example is for a kei van.
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¥202,000 |
Bank transfer fees
Charged by Japan-side vendors to receive foreign wires
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¥2,500 |
Our broker services fee
The greater of C$1,500 or 10% of the purchase price
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C$1,500 + GST |
| Total purchase and export fees |
C$9,275
¥858,000 + C$1,575
Exchange rate as of 2024-02-25
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What should I expect once the car arrives?
Once your vehicle arrives in Canada, you need to take steps to clear it with customs and get it registered and road-legal.
Remember, this is beyond the scope of our broker services. We give you the paperwork that you need to clear the car yourself, or we can help you at an additional cost.
Here's how the process went for an example vehicle. These costs are unpredictable, and the costs you incur will not match this example - this is for illustrative purposes only.
| Receiving costs |
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Excise tax
Applies to all vehicles with air conditioning.
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C$100 |
Duty
This depends on the type of vehicle you purchased. In general, the more 'commercial' your vehicle is, the more duty it will attract, while passenger vehicles are zero-rated.
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C$0 and up |
Port fees
The port will charge you a fee for releasing your vehicle from its lot.
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C$360 |
Inland transport
Rough figure for moving a vehicle from the port to Victoria, BC
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C$600 |
| Road-ready costs |
Mechanic services; parts
In the very best case, your car will need an oil change, daytime running lights hookup, and a North American radio.
It will either benefit from, or require, new tires and a new battery.
Sometimes, a vehicle arrives with a more serious issue. There's no recourse - this is part of the risk taken when buying a vehicle overseas.
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C$1,000 and up |
Inspection
Before registering your car, it must pass an inspection.
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C$350 |
| ICBC registration |
C$18 |
GST
CBSA will collect GST based on your vehicle's purchase price and some shipping services.
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5% of your winning bid amount and up |
PST
ICBC will collect used car PST based on your vehicle's purchase price.
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7% of your winning bid amount |
