The benefits of buying cars through Yahoo Auctions
So, first of all, what would be the benefits of buying a car through Yahoo Japan’s Auction website?
Well, one is that Yahoo Auctions are public so anyone can get access to them. All you need is a web browser and Google Translate and you should be able to navigate around. Obviously, this is going to be a less-than-ideal way of finding out the detailed condition of the car, but at least you can search for cars with no problems.
Secondly, it is possible that you will find a car that meets your specifications more exactly. If you are after older or rare cars, you are going to want to spread your net as wide as possible.
The Downside of Buying Cars Through Japan's Yahoo Auctions
Despite these seeming advantages, Integrity Exports strongly recommends customers to be very cautious about buying used cars from Yahoo Japan auctions. There are a number of reasons, the most compelling of which I will explain below.
Accessing the dealer-only auctions is easy
First, there is the point of access. Yes, you can see cars in the Yahoo auctions online without the registration process required to see the closed dealer-only auctions but, let's be honest, the additional difficulty is pretty minimal.
You would be hard-pressed to even take as long as 1 minute to sign up on our site – and then you can view all the cars in the Japanese car auctions through an English-language interface.
The dealer-only auctions have a numbers advantage
Then there are the numbers of vehicles. Sure, there are a fairly decent number of used cars in Yahoo Japan’s auctions – but there are not tens of thousands being auctioned every day, 6 days per week. So you could find a car you particularly like in Yahoo Japan, but the sheer numbers in the closed dealer-only auctions we buy from means that it is pretty likely that you will easily be able to find a similar vehicle there.
Yahoo Japan car auctions have no independent inspection
Thirdly, when you are buying from eBay Autos, you have the advantage of being able to call on CarFax for a detailed report about the car. This is not the case with Yahoo Japan Auctions.
The cars there do have an inspection report. But, guess who writes it? Yes, the seller! While Japanese people are very honest in general, the anonymity of online auctions can bring out the worst in people if they see a way to exploit the system. There are stories of sellers running off with money, and even cars consisting of two cars welded together that illustrate the dangers well.
On the other hand, when you buy through the dealer-only Japanese car auctions that we usually source from, you don’t just have to take our word for the car’s condition. No, there is also the car auction inspector’s detailed report which will give you an independent view of the vehicle before you bid.
Conclusion: Be Very Cautious Buying Cars from Yahoo Auctions, Japan
Although Integrity Exports does source cars from Yahoo Auctions in Japan, we recommend customers be very cautious about using this option. If you can get a similar car through the Japanese car auctions, you should.
On the other hand, if you are after particular rare or classic cars, you may find that you have no choice but to take a chance on Yahoo Auctions from time to time. And if you do, we will be happy to help. Contact us if you have any questions about how it works.
We find that the most successful importers really understand how it all works - from the auction to the ship and beyond. Don't get left behind!
