Questions people actually ask
If your question is not here, ask it. We answer in writing and we do not mind being pinned to it.
Why are there two prices on every car?
Because two different people buy them. FOB Japan is the car loaded on a ship — that is what a buyer with their own freight forwarder wants. CIF Larnaca adds ocean freight and marine insurance and is what almost everyone in Cyprus wants. Showing one number would hide which service you are buying.
Is the €3,500 the same for a Yaris and a Land Cruiser?
Yes. It covers ocean freight and marine insurance, and it is flat on purpose. A container carries several cars, the average per car is a figure we can hold to for the whole year, and a price that changes per car is a price that gets argued about after the car has sailed.
So what does it cost in total, on the road in Cyprus?
CIF plus what the Republic charges: customs duty, VAT on the CIF value, port handling and clearance, then registration and plates. The rates depend on the car — engine size, CO₂, age — so we calculate them for your specific car and send you the figure before you commit. We do not take a margin on any of it.
What if the auction goes above my limit?
We stop, and you owe nothing. There is no fee for a lot we did not win and no charge for bidding on the next one.
How is this different from a turnkey importer?
A turnkey importer quotes one price, delivered and registered, and the work is theirs end to end. This is a commission service: you buy the car, we act for you, and our 10% is printed on the invoice. Turnkey suits a buyer who wants no part of the process. This suits a buyer who wants to see the numbers and keep the decisions.
Can I trust an auction grade?
As a signal, yes — Japanese auction inspection is unusually consistent, which is why the whole export trade rests on it. As a warranty, no. It is one person's assessment on one day. We read the diagram and the comments rather than the letter alone, and we say so when a car does not look right.
Right-hand drive — is that a problem in Cyprus?
No. Cyprus drives on the left, so a Japanese car is already the correct hand. That is the main reason this island imports from Japan rather than Germany.
How long does it take?
Around two months in total: two to three weeks in Japan to buy, clear for export and load, then six to eight weeks at sea to Larnaca. We give you the vessel and the bill of lading so you can track it yourself.
Who am I actually paying?
A Cyprus company, in euro, against an itemised invoice. Not a yen transfer to an address in Japan you have no way of checking.
Can I see the car before I pay?
You can see everything we can: the seller's photographs and the auction sheet with its diagram. For more than that we offer an independent inspection and our own photographs before loading, both priced on the services page. Neither is automatic.