How it works
From the first message to the car on a Cyprus plate. Roughly two months, most of it at sea.
The sequence
- 1
You choose a car, or describe one
Pick something from the catalogue, or tell us the model, the years and the budget and we will look. There is no charge for looking and no obligation.
- 2
We send the full figure
Every line: the car, our 10%, FOB, CIF Larnaca, and separately what the Republic will want at clearance. Nothing is agreed yet.
- 3
Auction lot: you set your maximum
We bid to it and stop. If it sells above your limit, nothing is owed. If it sells below, you pay the hammer price — our fee falls with it.
- 4
Payment and purchase
One invoice, in euro, from a Cyprus company. We buy the car in Japan and send you the purchase documents.
- 5
Japan side
Inland transport to the port, export deregistration, customs and loading. Optional here: an independent inspection, photographs before loading, the auction sheet translated.
- 6
At sea
Around 45 to 60 days to Larnaca depending on the sailing. You get the bill of lading and the vessel details.
- 7
Larnaca
We hand you the document set for customs. Clearance, duty, VAT and registration are yours to pay — we tell you the order to do them in and what each one costs.
The documents you receive
- Export certificate with its translation
- Invoice from the Japanese seller
- Bill of lading
- Auction sheet, where the car came from an auction
- Our own invoice, itemised
Honest timing
Auctions run Monday to Saturday in Japan. A car bought this week is usually loaded within two to three weeks, and at Larnaca six to eight weeks after that. Sailings slip; we tell you when they do rather than repeating the original date.