30/10/2021

https://www.driven.co.nz/news/buying-cars-from-overseas-online-hit-return-select-drive/

Buying cars from overseas online: hit Return, select Drive.

Supply of new and near-new vehicles in New Zealand has been severely affected by Covid-19 (and the related semi-conductor crisis in the case of the former). And Auckland has now experienced another two months of lockdown.

It’s a buying environment that naturally steers customers of all kinds towards alternative solutions as they search for the right product. Buying consumer durables online from overseas has become second nature to NZers; so why not cars?

Many distributorships and dealers already offer comprehensive online tools for potential buyers. Brands like Toyota and Honda are actively encouraging new-vehicle customers to make the internet key to their purchasing process. During NZ’s first lockdown early last year, Turners Auctions really ramped up its used-vehicle online research and Buy Now tools.

A company called Autoport is stretching the online auto-buying concept even further by offering Kiwis a portal to cars still located overseas. Customers can shop and select vehicles from Japan or the UK online, order and have the vehicle delivered to NZ – all facilitated by Autoport.

While that’s a huge change from the “tyre kicking” business model once so entrenched in the NZ market, things have changed. Autoport co-founder David Paviour says many buyers are now just as comfortable ordering a car form overseas as they are any other expensive product.

“It was a big step for us, but there are people who never really purchased online and have since discovered there’s all this interesting stuff available. There’s definitely been a move for people to shop online as much as they can. It’s just more comfortable for a lot of people.”

Once the car is on the ground in NZ, there’s a five-day money-back guarantee for vehicles up to $50,000 if the car doesn’t match the description. On non-performance models, there’s also a 12-month mechanical breakdown policy. All cars are delivered at an on-the-road price, registered and with a full tank of fuel.

Paviour and business partner Hamish Lusk created one of the first internet-based selling platforms for car dealers back in 1999. They later sold that, but kept the wholesale side, sourcing and shipping used vehicles from Japan to NZ for dealers.

 

The thought process came full circle and eventually they decided to apply that sourcing and importation expertise back towards the consumer side of the car business.

There’s still a strong human element. Buyers register and browse online, but there’s often a one-to-one discussion, including overall condition and features, between Autoport and the potential purchaser. There might be more to cover around finance or a trade-in. When the buyer is ready, they click Buy Now on the website and the process starts.

Wait time is about eight weeks, although shipping schedules have been a challenge for a while now. It’s up to two weeks in Japan to get a car inspected twice, three weeks on the water and another couple in NZ for preparation before it can be driven away.

 

#replaceyourcar #newcar #autoport #onlinecarbuying #inbetweencar #nohasslecarbuying #moneybackguarantee #usedcars #usedcarsforsale #carfinance #tradein #carsforsale #signupandsave #kiwiowned #findmeacar #caranswers #certifiedusedcars #cartradein #carfinance #luxuryusedcars #safefamilycar #onlinecardealer #usedsuv #autoportcars #importcars #carsfromjapan #carsfromuk #carauction #carauctions #cars