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Car Purchase & Import Service from Japan (CIF)
We offer a car purchase and import service from Japan, aimed at individuals, with three levels of support depending on the budget, vehicle value, and desired security level.
In all cases, our involvement is limited to a CIF contract (Cost – Insurance – Freight):
we manage the purchase in Japan, marine insurance, and transport to the port of arrival.
1. What's Included in All Our Packs
Regardless of the chosen pack, the following are always included:
- Car Search in Japan
- Japanese auctions (USS, etc.)
- Toprank stock and partner stock
- Translation and explanation of the auction sheet
- Advice on reading the sheet (notes, remarks, risk indicators)
- Organization of export and sea transport to the port of arrival (CIF)
- Arrangement of ad valorem marine insurance
- Support for fund transfers to Japan (coordination, amounts, deadlines)
- Payments related to the vehicle purchase are made in Japan, and the car is purchased directly in the client’s name.
⚠️ Not included in the packs:
homologation, registration, COC, maintenance, repairs, and spare parts (services possible, but billed separately).
2. Budget Pack – Low-Priced or Restoration Cars
Target:
- cars with an imported value of up to approximately €25,000,
- or projects for cars to be repaired / drift / track where the client does not necessarily want an inspection.
Agency fees (Toprank Europe, France):
€900 incl. VAT
What’s Included
- All elements of the basic service (search, sheet translation, CIF export, insurance, transfer support).
- Unlimited vehicle proposals, as long as the project remains consistent with the budget.
Inspections
- No pre-purchase inspection included.
- Option to add an on-site inspection (depending on the auction),
generally around €50 per inspection. - No post-purchase inspection included.
- Optional:
- internal transport to our garage or partner: approximately ¥30,000 to ¥70,000
- in-depth mechanical/visual inspection: ¥60,000
- Optional:
Shipping
- RoRo sea transport by default (most economical).
- Option to upgrade to a shared container:
- indicative supplement: + ¥70,000 for container space reservation.
Who is it for?
- Clients with a tight budget,
- drift / track projects,
- cars for restoration,
- individuals who accept a higher level of risk and a purchase based primarily on the auction sheet.
3. Standard Pack – “Normal” Cars up to approx. €40,000
Target:
- cars with an imported value of up to approximately €40,000.
Agency fees (Toprank Europe, France):
€1,400 incl. VAT
What’s Included
- All elements of the basic service.
- Unlimited vehicle proposals.
- Pre-purchase inspection at USS Tokyo included when possible:
- on-site visual check,
- additional photos,
- remarks on observable condition.
- Reduced rate for pre-purchase inspections at other auction sites (if available).
- Post-purchase inspection included within our network in Japan before shipment:
- more detailed check,
- report + photos.
Shipping
- Container transport by default (more secure for vehicles).
- Option to request RoRo transport if the project justifies it and if available.
Who is it for?
- Pleasure cars used on the road,
- clean sports cars, youngtimers, well-maintained cars,
- clients who want to reduce unpleasant surprises upon arrival, without entering a ‘collector’ budget.
4. Premium Pack – Prestige Vehicles / +€40,000
Target:
- cars with an imported value exceeding approximately €40,000
(rare models, collector’s items, high-end sports cars, etc.).
Agency fees (Toprank Europe, France):
€2,500 incl. VAT
What’s Included
- All elements of the basic service.
- Unlimited vehicle proposals.
- Pre-purchase inspection at USS Tokyo included when possible.
- Reduced rate for inspections at other auction sites (if available).
- Post-purchase inspection included within our network before shipment:
- detailed check,
- report + photos.
- Container space reservation for the vehicle (container priority vs RoRo).
Shipping
- Container transport only by default (preferred solution for valuable vehicles).
- RoRo transport possible only upon request if it makes sense for the project and the accepted risk.
Who is it for?
- Prestige, collector, or rare vehicles,
- budgets over €40,000,
- clients who want to maximize security, traceability, and resale value.
5. How it Works, Deposit & Cancellation
Agency Fees
The service fees (€900 / €1,400 / €2,500 incl. VAT) are paid to Toprank Europe in France.
Client Deposit
In addition to the fees, a deposit in euros is paid and held in France:
- Budget Pack: 10% to 20% of the target CIF budget.
- Standard & Premium Packs: 5% to 10% of the target CIF budget.
This deposit serves to secure the search and payment capacity.
Once the vehicle’s CIF amount is fully paid in Japan, the deposit is refunded to the client in euros.
Search Termination & Service Fees
- We do not set a rigid limit on the number of cars proposed, as long as the client remains active in their project.
- If the client decides to stop the project after we have presented at least 3 serious cars,
we will retain a flat fee of €360 incl. VAT from the deposit, for research and management fees.
The remainder of the deposit is then refunded.
Purchase, Non-Refundable Fees & Re-auction
- As soon as a vehicle has been effectively purchased in Japan on behalf of the client,
the fees are no longer refundable. - For Standard and Premium Packs, we can offer to re-auction the vehicle in Japan if the client changes their project:
- re-auction fees: €1,000 incl. VAT for up to 3 listings,
- the vehicle must have been paid in full,
- the proceeds from the sale are remitted to the client (after deduction of associated fees/commissions).
6. No Warranty & How Japanese Auctions Work
Japanese auctions are a professional (B2B) market:
vehicles are sold “as is” to dealers, without warranty.
When a vehicle is purchased for an end client:
- there is no contractual warranty on the vehicle’s condition,
- defects or hidden flaws may be discovered upon arrival (mechanical, aesthetic, corrosion, electronic, etc.).
Our role is to reduce the risk:
- by analyzing auction sheets,
- by organizing inspections when the pack includes it,
- by advising you on possible notes, remarks, and inconsistencies.
But there will always be an element of uncertainty due to it being a professional market.
In return, the benefit is significant:
you gain access to Japan’s professional market price, without successive intermediary margins.
It’s a bit like buying directly from the producer, rather than buying from a retail store:
- the price is more attractive and closer to the ‘true’ value of the professional market,
- but you also assume some of the risks that professionals typically take.
7. Fees and Responsibilities Upon Arrival in Europe
The car is imported in the client’s name, who becomes the owner upon purchase in Japan.
Upon arrival at the port, the client is responsible for paying all fees, including but not limited to:
- customs duties,
- VAT,
- customs broker fees,
- port parking / storage fees,
- handling and port exit fees,
- internal transport from the port to the final destination,
- homologation and registration fees in their country (TÜV, RTI, technical inspection, etc.).
Toprank Europe transmits the import invoice and the client pays the customs broker directly for duties, taxes, and import fees.
8. Additional Options
In addition to the packs above, we can offer, upon quotation:
- Additional photo / video pack of the vehicle in Japan,
- Warehouse storage before shipment (short-term),
- Long-term storage in Japan if you wish to defer shipment,
- Request for previous owner list (if available depending on model / Japanese administration),
- Organization of maintenance / service before shipping,
- Ordering and management of spare parts (OEM or aftermarket) related to the vehicle.
Comparison Table
| Pack | Budget | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imported Vehicle Value (indicative) | Up to ~€25,000 or car for repair / drift / track |
Up to ~€40,000 | > ~€40,000 (prestige, collector, rare) |
| Agency Fees (France) | €900 incl. VAT | €1,400 incl. VAT | €2,500 incl. VAT |
| Basic Service Included (for all packs) |
Car search in Japan (auctions + stock) Translation & explanation of auction sheet Organization of export & sea transport (CIF) Ad valorem marine insurance Support for transfers to Japan |
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| Pre-purchase Inspection |
Not included Option available depending on auction (~€50 / inspection) |
Yes, included at USS Tokyo (when possible) Reduced rate on other sites (if available) |
Yes, included at USS Tokyo (when possible) Reduced rate on other sites (if available) |
| Post-purchase Inspection in Japan |
Not included Option: - Internal transport: ~¥30,000–¥70,000 - Inspection: ¥60,000 |
Included Check + report & photos before shipment |
Included Detailed check + report & photos |
| Default Transport Mode |
RoRo (economical) Shared container option: + ~¥70,000 |
Container by default RoRo possible upon request |
Container only by default RoRo only upon request |
| Client Deposit (France, in €) | 10% to 20% of target CIF budget | 5% to 10% of target CIF budget | 5% to 10% of target CIF budget |
| Number of Cars Proposed |
No rigid limit as long as the project remains active. If the client stops after ≥ 3 serious proposals: €360 incl. VAT retained from the deposit (research and management fees). |
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| Vehicle Re-auction | Not provided by default |
Possible: €1,000 incl. VAT Up to 3 auction listings (vehicle paid in full) |
Possible: €1,000 incl. VAT Up to 3 auction listings (vehicle paid in full) |
| Risk Level |
High, especially for projects needing repair Purchase primarily based on the auction sheet |
Reduced risk through inspections Suitable for "normal" road use |
Risk as minimized as possible Suitable for expensive / collector cars |
| Access to the Japanese Pro Market |
In all cases, you are buying on a B2B market: cars are sold "as is," without warranty, but at the actual price of the Japanese professional market, without the successive margins of resellers. |
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