Shiotsu Autotrade Japan – President’s Blog

As we care about our customers, we would like to warn you about fake Japanese used car exporters on the Internet.  According to a news article published in East Africa News, many bogus online Japanese car exporters are swindling car buyers by luring them into buying used cars at unbelievably low prices, by making false claims that they are trying to get rid of their stock due to bankruptcy caused by the financial crisis.

Many vehicle importers from East Africa have reportedly lost millions of dollars due to such scams by bogus Japanese used car exporters.  Many Tanzania based used car importers who have spent thousands of dollars ordering these cheap Japanese cars from these fake online dealers have lost their money in the end.  Most of the time, they would be dealing with phantom companies who just take their money and then disappear.  It turns out that there are even Japan based Tanzanians who are operating these bogus car dealer companies.

How such bogus Japanese car exporters scam people?

1. It is not possible to contact the dealer once you send money to them.
2. Weeks, even months go by without ever receiving the vehicle from the dealer.
3. Even if the customer gets a vehicle, it is way different than what he paid for.

How to identify such bogus Japanese car exporters operating online?

You should look for the following signs which are common with most fake used car dealers online.

1. You should avoid dealing with car exporters who have phone numbers that start with either 81-80 and 81-90, as they are cell phone numbers. You’ll have a hard time tracking down these dealers.
2. Check out for their address from their website and make sure it is authentic.
3. Also check for a certification from the Japan Used Motor Vehicle Exporter’s Association (JUMVEA) in order to verify authenticity.

Our foremost concern is our customers receiving the highest quality of service backed by honesty and integrity, and it concerns us when Japan gets such a negative connotation because of these scam artists.

Some of the infamous examples of bogus car exporters are ‘Car Zone Japan,” which has taken almost $100,000 from people without giving them the automobiles they bought.  Another scamming company known by the name of ‘Global Trading Co Ltd,’  ‘41 Expo Inc.,’ ‘The Trading Club,’ and ‘Progress Ltd.’ – all of them claim to have gone bankrupt and so offering vehicles at low prices.

We sincerely hope our candor has convinced you to continue doing business with us.

Technorati Tags: used car exporters, Japanese car, East Africa, cheap Japanese cars

In August 2009, Kenya has become the biggest importer of Japanese used vehicles, overtaking Chile and Russia. Despite major recession and its effects on Auto industry, Kenya could achieve this feat proving the fact that buying Japanese Used Cars are way better than the new and used cars available locally.

Last year, South Africa was the biggest destination for importing used Japanese cars in Africa, but in April 2009, South Africa suffered a decline of thirty four percent in Used Japanese Car imports. Other countries which are heavy importers of used Japanese cars such as New Zealand and UAE also suffered drop in demand of about 45 percent as compared to last year. Moreover, recently Russia has changed its driving style from RHD to LHD putting restrictions on importing used Japanese cars which are right handed. All the above mentioned factors have together contributed to make Kenya the biggest importer of Used Vehicle from Japan.

In Kenya and most parts of Africa roads are not in good condition and to deal with this situation Kenyans prefer vehicles which are sturdy and reliable than fancy looking vehicles. Used Japanese cars are in great demand all over the world for their performance and reliability. For the same reason, Japanese used cars are very popular in Kenya. These days, due to high demand for used cars from Japan, there is lots of competition amongst the used car dealers in Kenya and this has led to over saturation of the used car market. Apart from used car dealers, there are many private individuals who import Japanese used vehicles and sell them off at relatively lower rates as they save on the dealers fees.

In Kenya, destination port being used for importing used vehicles is Mombasa. To import used Japanese car in Kenya,  some criteria should be fulfilled. According to the Kenya Import regulations, any used vehicles being imported should be less than 8 years, the vehicle should be RHD and all used vehicles should passes JEVIC (Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Center) inspection which checks vehicle for safety, and road worthiness.

We have many satisfied customers from Kenya and other parts of Africa  who also visit us regularly for buying car at used auto auctions in Osaka and Kobe.  If you are interested, please send us information about your arrival in advance, so that we can make sure your stay is pleasant and fruitful.

Technorati Tags: Kenya, Japanese used vehicles, Japan, Used Cars, Japanese cars

Mitsubishi Fuso Trucks are among the most popular choices when it comes to buying used trucks.  The popularity of Fuso series of commercial trucks lies in their sturdiness,  toughness,  reliability and high technology.  If you are looking for importing used Mitsubishi Fuso trucks,  it is a wise decision to import them from Japan.  We can help you to import the highest quality used Fuso trucks directly from Japan.

Mitsubishi Fuso is a commercial truck that can be used for variety of purposes such as  dump truck, mixer truck, towing truck, crane truck, and crane carrier truck.  Mitsubishi Fuso FH, FK, and FM series comprise the medium duty trucks; and FP, FS and FV series belong to the High end heavy duty trucks.  Roomy cabinets are provided in Fuso models for driver’s comfort.  Fuso trucks are aerodynamically designed and packed with various features such as cruise control, climate control, a fully adjustable air suspension,  CD/Cassette player to make long journeys comfortable for the truck drivers.  Mitsubishi Fuso also offers many safety features such as energy absorbing steering wheel, steel side door impact beams, electronically controlled governor to control engine speed, and to provide better engine performance.

Fuso medium duty truck series consists of over 30 models to choose from.  You can select a model that is just right for your needs.  These can be used for every vocational needs, like dry freight, refrigerated delivery, heavy-duty hauling, municipal roadwork, snow plowing, landscaping and delicate cargo transportation.

Mitsubishi Fuso’s range of truck models are tough, strong, dependable and designed for the truck driver’s comfort.  We have many high-quality used Mitsubishi Fuso trucks in our online truck stock.  All these trucks are inspected, serviced and ready for dispatch.  We can also find a suitable Fuso truck to match your specific requirements.  We have shipped trucks to many countries in  Asia,  Oceanic region,  Africa,  Russia,  Canada and Caribbean.

Technorati Tags: used trucks, importing used Mitsubishi Fuso trucks, Japan, commercial truck, medium duty truck, Africa

We get many requests for second hand Japanese cars and trucks from used car dealers as well as private importers in Zambia and Kenya.  We would like to inform you about the recent changes in regulations for importing second hand vehicles from Japan to Zambia and Kenya.  Kenyan government and Zambian government require all the vehicles that would be imported to these countries to undergo JEVIC inspection.

JEVIC (Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Center Co Ltd) is an independent Japanese organization which specializes in pre-shipment inspection and certification of used vehicles exported from Japan to various countries.

As per new regulation for importing used vehicles to Zambia, the ZABS (Zambia Bureau of Standards) has appointed JEVIC for Roadworthiness Inspection of second hand vehicle from Japan destined for use within the Republic of Zambia, prior to export.  From May 14, 2009, all used vehicles exported from Japan to Zambia will need to undergo Road Worthiness Inspection by JEVIC.

The inspection criteria of Japanese used vehicles Kenya have also changed.  Please check the new regulation for importing used vehicles to Kenya for more details.  To summarize, all used vehicles imported from Japan to Kenya must meet the following criteria.

• All second hand vehicles imported to be imported to Kenya should be less than eight year old
• The imported used vehicles should be RHD (Right Hand Drive)
• The used vehicles should be accompanied with a Certificate of Roadworthiness issued by KEBS (Kenya Bureau of Standards) authorized by JEVIC.

We can arrange for the inspection before shipment, however, it may take up to two weeks depending on the availability of the inspectors.  You would need to pay the Inspection fee JPY 13,625 and our administration fees.  Once the JEVIC inspection is completed, we will book your vehicle for shipment.  Please note that you will have to face penalty in Zambia and Kenya, if you try to import vehicles without the JEVIC certificate

Technorati Tags: second hand vehicles from Japan, Zambia, Kenya, JEVIC inspection, JEVIC