Top 6 Car Scams to Watch When Buying a Car

Japan offers a vast range of used as well as brand new vehicles to select from. People from across the globe are using Japanese used vehicles, and buying Japanese vehicles had been made more convenient and accessible with growing technology. There are numerous used car exporters in Japan displaying their stocks on their websites. One can easily access these websites and get in contact with local dealers or used car exporters. This availability of services by used car exporters has made the whole process much simpler, efficient and cost effective. Now the customers from other countries can also get access to auction houses in Japan, depending on their relations with the local exporters in Japan.

But with every pro comes a con, introduction of online dealing has given birth to scam and frauds. As it has become a main source of business people tend to trust local companies in Japan. Buyers are easily trapped with attractive prices mainly and fancy websites but little do they know that these companies may just run away with their money. We recommend customers to be cautious while purchasing used vehicles from Japan.

Japan is known for its trustworthy attribute and good business ethics which is true for most of the local export dealers. Most of the companies have an utmost priority for customer satisfaction. There is no need to be worried or panic as there are many ways one can make sure they are not being scammed.

We have short listed some ways to prevent fraud while purchasing used car from Japan

1. Make sure that the company exist, check the website for address and contact details. At first verify the company address on Google.  Always contact at the local land line number to make sure the company exist and also confirm about the representative you are in touch with to make sure you are in contact with the right person.  You can also inquire about further information about their stock and other details to check if it matches with the information provided on website. As most companies have sales representatives dealing on mobile number make sure you are in contact with Japanese number not local number of any other country code.
2. You can also verify their information through business certificates and police verification certificate. One can easily check the company credibility by looking at the established date.
3. Always looks for a reliable exporter, you can ask for B/L copies and local references in your country to check their reliability hence avoid fraud
4. Always make remittance in the company bank account in Japan
5. Make sure to get all details for the vehicle you intend to purchase, like pictures from all angles, inspection sheet or car paper copy.
6. You can also use the Japanese Auction service, it comes with only small deposit and you can purchase vehicle of your own choice. It involves least risk.

We would advise to start off with a small deal in order to build relation with local dealers in Japan and then make other deals once you are satisfied. We strictly advise that never fall for low prices, always compare with other companies, as the prices are very competitive so lower prices mean either a scam or low quality vehicle.

STC JAPAN has been in this business for more than 20 years so we have a very strong customer base across the globe. Our customer testimonials can give an overview about our credibility and service. We are happy to assist our customers with all information even if you intend to make purchase from other dealers in Japan