michaelwr Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Currently working with Bonsai Cars to identify why they have calculated my £13,300 "on the road" may cost at least an extra £250. The additional cost is because they are now looking for a SVA fee hidden away in the T&Cs The grey area is they don't give a straight invoice, one is for the Auction house with no yen rate and another for UK costs which refer to T&Cs (hidden SVA cost). No estimate on Tax or Duty either. Even when you take the yen rate at the time of invoice they are £250 over and have my balls in one hand (money paid) plus hold my keys/docs in the other. This is the only problem with Bonsai so far and they are investigating so it may all be a misunderstanding (disclaimer). To avoid them and anyone else having similar issues I would advise you use some common sense (that I lacked) and to not send any money till you get an upfront invoice with all costs on a single bit of paper. I rushed as I was dead keen to get the car that met my spec after 2 months of searching auction sites. Doh! Any advice or ideas on contingency plans welcome p.s. think I'll also change my tag to Mr Stoopid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buds Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 To be honest, that was one bad thing i heard about them. They reveiled 'hidden' costs as process went through. Is car actually landed in uk mate? If it is, i would look to get something in writing that this "250 is the final money you have to pay. Then pay it, get car and move on Sorry you've had the probs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomoto Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 To be honest with horror stories I have heard with importers, I think you will have come away well with only £250 extra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 To be honest with horror stories I have heard with importers, I think you will have come away well with only £250 extra Your getting a Zed for £13300!!!!!! Cover the costs and enjoy having a car that a lot of people paid double what you have!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam's Z Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Your Invisible now Sarnie Don't wanna get caught out twice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Your Invisible now Sarnie Don't wanna get caught out twice Well everyone else seems to be doing it so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam's Z Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Your Invisible now Sarnie Don't wanna get caught out twice Well everyone else seems to be doing it so Hold on a sec!!! Was it you who complained about the mods being invisible or your other half??? Perhaps Dorian had a point, you are very forgetful at times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomoto Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Your Invisible now Sarnie Don't wanna get caught out twice Well everyone else seems to be doing it so you've learnt the lesson too late Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Your Invisible now Sarnie Don't wanna get caught out twice Well everyone else seems to be doing it so Hold on a sec!!! Was it you who complained about the mods being invisible or your other half??? Perhaps Dorian had a point, you are very forgetful at times What are you talking about? I didn't complain I was only asking why it was smart arse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Oi Leave me out of this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam's Z Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Oi Leave me out of this one You started it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Ming Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Come on guys back on topic eh!! Micheal Hi mate I bought my Zed as a landed car and as such the price was on the Windscreen like any other dealers car. I also imported a car a couple of years ago and I had no hidden costs at all. I contacted the importer and he showed me photo's of the car as it went through auction. He told me what it would cost on the road inthe Uk and that was what I was asked to pay. There were a few small niggles when I saw the car and we haggled a price a couple of hundred LESS than the asking price I would guess from the price that your car is a base model - like mine - but probably a tip-tronic. What grade did it go through the auction at. I have been checking auction prices and yen exchange rates a bit recently and your car does seem VERY cheap. There are a few sites that will show you what to expect cost wise for auction purchase, auction to ship and on board price, docking fees and SVA etc as well as other stuff. To get you a car at £13500 you have done REAL well and I would be very interested to see the condition of the car. Well done mate if it is as good as it sounds you have a superb deal. Good luck Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krumble Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 I got my Z through Bonsai - you really have to watch out for hidden charges - they will try to sting you for the pre-SVA, fuel, etc etc. The "On the road price" they give should be fixed though which includes tax and duty.... the SVA I never even worked out how they charge for (its more than the T&C) and also their definition of "delimited" is sh*t (your car will still be limited) Not impressed by them - wouldn't recommend them - don't use them. Krumble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelwr Posted September 5, 2006 Author Share Posted September 5, 2006 Hi, this is the car, http://info.bonsaicars.com/test/car_stock/index.php?pn=japstock_new_car_detail&jap_car_id=36 It has had the driver front wing replaced and a scratch on the other side. Also has a repair record so was an R so cheap. First time I saw this I thought thats not a scratch thats's a rip, then I realised it was the reflection of a row of cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennydies Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 I wasn't going to give a negative comment about Bonsai cars until my cheque cleared... Cleared today.... I went to Bonsai cars and looked at a car that was already imported. Was a 53 plate and was imaculate inside and out. Did a deal and gave a £300 deposit. Phone up the next day to get full details for my insurance. I was then told the car may not actually be a 2003 but a 2002 but they had lost the paperwork. I got disillusioned by them at this point so said I wanted my deposit back. Took over 10 phone calls, 12 emails with the treat of "further action" to get my deposit back 6 weeks later Stear clear..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 I wasn't going to give a negative comment about Bonsai cars until my cheque cleared... Cleared today.... I went to Bonsai cars and looked at a car that was already imported. Was a 53 plate and was imaculate inside and out. Did a deal and gave a £300 deposit. Phone up the next day to get full details for my insurance. I was then told the car may not actually be a 2003 but a 2002 but they had lost the paperwork. I got disillusioned by them at this point so said I wanted my deposit back. Took over 10 phone calls, 12 emails with the treat of "further action" to get my deposit back 6 weeks later Stear clear..... That car could of been registered in the UK giving it a 53 plate but manufactured in Japan in 2002, so probably legit but slightly misleading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buds Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 With so much negative stuff floating about re importing etc, im almost put off the idea. I have a couple of guys looking for car i want, and if they dont turn up exactly what i need by November, then i'll have enough money together to buy and 04 Uk Z anyways. Hope it all gets sorted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennydies Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 That car could of been registered in the UK giving it a 53 plate but manufactured in Japan in 2002, so probably legit but slightly misleading It was the lack of clarity from bonsai that put my off. Also the state of the car yard and actually seeing the disorganised office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 That car could of been registered in the UK giving it a 53 plate but manufactured in Japan in 2002, so probably legit but slightly misleading It was the lack of clarity from bonsai that put my off. Also the state of the car yard and actually seeing the disorganised office. Its a case of, if you don't ask the question they won't volunteer the info Things like a messy office and yard are fundamentals that any business wanting to succeed should have sorted! Little things like an organised office breed confidence in the customer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennydies Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 It was advertised and sold to me as a 2003. but turns out they even didn't know what year it was when they tried to find the paperwork Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Ming Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 Hi, this is the car, http://info.bonsaicars.com/test/car_stock/index.php?pn=japstock_new_car_detail&jap_car_id=36 It has had the driver front wing replaced and a scratch on the other side. Also has a repair record so was an R so cheap. First time I saw this I thought thats not a scratch thats's a rip, then I realised it was the reflection of a row of cars. When I saw the price I feared that this was an R car. Having perused the auction sites I could not see any other way a car like this could be so cheap. An R on the auction sheet means SERIOUS damage. Bonsai will have picked this car up for small change hence the price to you. My advice would be to spend a little of what you are saving on a proper inspection - RAC, AA or similar - and ask to see the auction sheet as it should document the damage. Be careful mate or you may get a BIG shock when it comes around to MOT time. An R is, I believe, equivalent to an insurance write off in this country. Do you want a 155mph insurance write off. CHECK CHECK CHECK and CHECK once more before you part with a serious wedge of money!! I personally would not want an R car unless I bought it damaged and oversaw the repairs. Just my thoughts Ming the - very - cautious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomoto Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 yep £13k + is not a cheap price for a write off car no matter how well its been repaired or how good it looks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Ming Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 With so much negative stuff floating about re importing etc, im almost put off the idea. I have a couple of guys looking for car i want, and if they dont turn up exactly what i need by November, then i'll have enough money together to buy and 04 Uk Z anyways. Hope it all gets sorted Don't let it put you off mate. A few dealers are spoiling it for most of the others. If it has an auction score of 4, 4.5 or 5 then it will be a very good conditioned car with guaranteed mileage and at a FAIR price. IMHO anything under 14.5k for a manual or a bit less for a tiptronic needs VERY careful inspection and consideration before purchase. Ming the thought provoking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buds Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 Well the book price for an 03 UK car base spec is 16K as of this month. So im thinking of just spending 17k and looking for an 04 either GT/Base depending on what i can find. That Red nismo recently posted on ebay i know wants 17.5k. If you landed at his with 17k, hard to see him turning it down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelwr Posted September 5, 2006 Author Share Posted September 5, 2006 Hi, this is the car, http://info.bonsaicars.com/test/car_stock/index.php?pn=japstock_new_car_detail&jap_car_id=36 It has had the driver front wing replaced and a scratch on the other side. Also has a repair record so was an R so cheap. First time I saw this I thought thats not a scratch thats's a rip, then I realised it was the reflection of a row of cars. When I saw the price I feared that this was an R car. Having perused the auction sites I could not see any other way a car like this could be so cheap. An R on the auction sheet means SERIOUS damage. Bonsai will have picked this car up for small change hence the price to you. My advice would be to spend a little of what you are saving on a proper inspection - RAC, AA or similar - and ask to see the auction sheet as it should document the damage. Be careful mate or you may get a BIG shock when it comes around to MOT time. An R is, I believe, equivalent to an insurance write off in this country. Do you want a 155mph insurance write off. CHECK CHECK CHECK and CHECK once more before you part with a serious wedge of money!! I personally would not want an R car unless I bought it damaged and oversaw the repairs. Just my thoughts Ming the - very - cautious. Ming the merciless lives upto his name You've just put me off my tea! I thought that once a right off that's it off the road so a bit of rear end damage that has been repaired isn't that bad. I've been informed it wasn't bad, that it's been inspected and will certainly pass and MOT but I'll double check. Again, any advice is appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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