How to drive a car from the USA to Russia

Customs clearance of cars from the USA in Russia

Almost all cars that are imported into the territory of the Russian Federation are subject to a special procedure for recording the fact of import, or, as people say, customs clearance. Cars driven from the USA to Russia are no exception. The customs clearance procedure is needed so that the relevant authorities can control the flow of foreign cars and regulate their stay in the country.

Legislative regulation

The customs clearance procedure for cars from America is not much different from the usual one (from European countries, for example). The import process is regulated by the following regulations and provisions:

Customs Code of the Russian Federation (a document that sets out all the fundamental principles of customs clearance, and which is the main one).
Federal Law “On Customs Tariffs” (No. 5003-1) dated May 21, 1993
Regulatory resolution on the amount of recycling fee (No. 870 of August 30, 2012).
Resolution on the application of uniform rates of customs duties (No. 718 of November 29, 2003).
Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (Article 16.10) on the responsibility of car owners for improper customs clearance).

There is also an order of the Federal Customs Service on the rules for posting a security deposit (dated February 21, 2012, No. 12). If you do not want to study the nuances of a legislative nature on your own, it is better to entrust the delivery of a car from abroad to a broker who is engaged in this type of activity on an ongoing basis.

What documents are needed to import a car from the USA to the Russian Federation?

From a citizen who bought a car in America and wants to drive it to Russia, the following documents are required:

Personal passport.
Passport of the imported vehicle (PTS).
An agreement that confirms the conduct of a purchase and sale transaction in the United States.
Declaration in form TD-6 (filled out at customs).
Customs receipt and guarantee certificate. These documents are received before leaving abroad - a certain amount of money is placed in a special security account and serves as a guarantee of payment of the customs duty on the return trip.

After submitting all the listed documents at customs, a new title is issued for the car. Also, the owner must insure the car with a compulsory motor liability insurance policy (CASCO insurance – optional). After this procedure, the car is registered with the traffic police.

One of the most important points is communication with border guards. If customs sees that a car imported from the USA to Russia is older than 7 years, its customs clearance can be very expensive. Such nuances should be calculated in advance. Plus, be sure to take into account the distances between ports, various auction fees and other costs.

Cost of customs clearance of a vehicle

The final price of the procedure consists of the following fees:

Amounts of customs duties. The amount of all duties depends on the following factors: the age of the car, engine size, type of car (car, truck, bus, etc.).
Recycling fee amount. It is calculated based on the base rate and a special correction factor. The latter is 0.17 (for individuals) or varies depending on the type of engine (for legal entities). The base rate is 20 thousand rubles for cars that will not be used for commercial purposes (meaning only passenger cars), and 150 thousand rubles for all other vehicles.
Excise tax It is established by law, but may change from time to time, so I recommend checking its relevance before the transaction.
VAT – paid only by legal entities, amounts to 20% and is regulated by the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
Customs clearance fee. It directly depends on the cost of the imported car. This means that it is most profitable to buy inexpensive transport.

The information provided is relevant for new cars imported from the USA to Russia. At the same time, prices for customs clearance of used or damaged vehicles may differ. To accurately calculate the cost of registration, use the online calculator.

Procedure for customs clearance of transport

If you want to buy a car and have it delivered from the USA, you need to understand how long you are willing to wait. Firstly, the car may be delivered through different ports, which will take time. Secondly, auctions do not always have the necessary transport models. You will also have to decide whether you will handle everything yourself or entrust the purchase procedure to a broker. In the latter case, the intermediary is responsible for the entire chain of actions: from placing a deposit at the auction to customs clearance at the Russian border. In any case, the procedure will be as follows:

Placing a deposit on a special customs deposit, which will allow you to import the car into the territory of the Russian Federation and pay duties. The procedure can also be completed at US Customs. If there are excess funds remaining on the deposit, they are returned to the payer upon request. It is important that there is enough money to cover all fees (for this, I suggested above calculating the amount of customs fees using a special calculator).
Conducting customs export procedures. The vehicle leaves US Customs and is transported to its destination (Russian Customs).
At customs, declarations are filled out and accompanying documents for the vehicle are provided.
The car receives a new title, goes through the insurance procedure, and is also registered with the traffic police.

If you want to buy a car from America and bring it to Russia with minimal personal time, entrust the work to a broker. In this case, you will only need to be present when the new PTS is issued.

Customs clearance of damaged cars from the USA

The benefits of buying a used vehicle are as follows:

Opportunity to save up to 50% of the cost of the car. In this case, the damage may be so minor that the car will simply need to be sent in for cosmetic repairs.
You can buy a car fully equipped with many options - the “stuffing” in this case has little effect on the cost.
It is possible to study the product well before purchasing. According to the rules of American auctions, all damage must be described in detail and assigned to the appropriate categories. Therefore, it will not be difficult for a broker to recognize a profitable deal.

If you want to buy a used car in the US at auction, then the standard procedure will not work - only properly licensed dealers can make deals at auctions.

In addition, to participate in auctions when buying a car, you need to prepare for the following costs:

approximately 10% of the cost of the car is left as a deposit (collected from the bidder);
auction or dealer fee ranging from $200-$300 to $800-$1000 (depending on the auction rules);
approximately up to $100 as payment for intermediary services must be given to the dealer.

It is most profitable to work with brokers who immediately name the price of participation in auctions, or include all additional costs in the total cost of services for finding and driving a car.

Management of non-customs cleared vehicles

This method of import is also possible, but it is suitable only for those persons who do not intend to permanently reside in the territory of the Russian Federation. The legislation regulates in detail the rules for importing a car in the following situations:

For citizens who bought a car officially registered in another country and drove it into the territory of the Russian Federation under the conditions of temporary import (the rule applies only to citizens of the Russian Federation). In this case, the owner will still have to pay customs duties, although the citizen will be exempt from a number of fees. The period of legal stay of such a car on the territory of Russia is no more than 6 months within 1 year.
Foreigners who have registered a temporary stay in the Russian Federation have the right to import into the country a car registered in another state for a period of up to 1 year. At the same time, foreign citizens are exempt from paying all duties, fees and excise taxes, and can fully use the car.

Responsibility for violating the rules for importing cars from abroad

If you do not know how to clear a car from the USA to Russia through customs, it is better to consult with a specialist and not take risks, because fines in case of an error can reach serious proportions:

Failure to comply with the rules for the export of a temporarily imported vehicle is fraught with confiscation of the car or a fine for an individual in the amount of 1,500 to 2,500 rubles.
Violation of the deadlines for submitting the necessary documents and declarations to the customs authority is punishable by a fine in the amount of 1,000 to 2,500 rubles for individuals.
The fine for failure to comply with the deadlines for payment of mandatory customs duties is from 500 to 2,500 rubles.

If a person evades payment of fees and customs duties on a large or especially large scale, a criminal penalty or a significant fine may be imposed:

from 100-500 thousand rubles, if it is recognized that an individual evaded paying duties on a large scale;
from 300-500 thousand rubles, if it is established that an individual evaded paying fees on an especially large scale. In this case, imprisonment or forced labor for up to 5 years is also possible.

Is it possible to import a car from the USA without paying duties?

Today, there are a minimal number of legal options to drive a car from the USA to Russia without paying duties. One of the options was indicated above - if a foreigner drives his vehicle into the territory of Russia, and the period of stay of a car with foreign registration is no more than 1 year.

Citizens of the Russian Federation are also exempt from partial payment of duties if they use the temporary import program (up to 6 months of stay of personal vehicles on the territory of the Russian Federation within 1 calendar year).

Among other categories of persons and situations, the following can be distinguished:

If refugees (forced migrants) are resettled on the territory of the Russian Federation, then within 3 years from the date of receiving refugee (migrant) status, you can take advantage of benefits for customs clearance of a vehicle.
Persons who move to Russia for permanent residence can also take advantage of special benefits for customs clearance of cars.
If the vehicle was inherited from relatives living abroad. However, this import scheme attracts special attention from border guards, since it has previously been repeatedly used by scammers.

Today, the import of motor vehicles from the United States to the Russian Federation almost always involves the payment of duties and fees. Exceptions may apply only to migrants or refugees, as well as situations when transport is imported for a period of up to 6 months or 1 year (for categories of persons specified in the legislation).

About customs clearance of cars from the USA in 2019

American cars are famous for their reliability and durability, so many of our compatriots strive to buy a car manufactured specifically for the US domestic market. Naturally, this is impossible to do in the showrooms of Russian dealers. There is only one way out - to purchase and bring a vehicle from America. Customs clearance of a car from the USA in 2019 requires the buyer to know all the important nuances of this process. Good awareness will prevent you from overspending when choosing a car.

Important nuances

It should be noted right away that you are unlikely to be able to directly buy a car from the previous owner. American society lives by completely different rules, unlike us. The average US citizen is unlikely to advertise his car for sale and meet with many buyers, unless it is an expensive or exclusive model. It’s easier for him to give the car to some dealer and instantly get his money.

It is much easier to look for an overseas iron horse at auctions, of which there is no shortage today. The oldest and most popular of them is Manheim, where you can even buy collectible and rare models. You can also search on eBay Motors, Barrette-Jackson, Russo and Global Auto USA. If you participate in the auction yourself, then the first option will not suit you, because only dealers are allowed into Manheim. You can participate in other auctions, but it will be very difficult to “catch” a good car on your own.

The best option for buying a car in the USA through an auction is to use the services of intermediary dealers who will buy the model you are interested in on order and arrange for its delivery to Russia.

You choose a car via the Internet and give the intermediary the lot number, and then he will act independently. The main disadvantage of an auction is that you do not know in advance the final cost of your purchase.

Since the USA is located overseas, your American car will not get to Russia under its own power. Delivery can be done in two ways - by plane or ship. The first option is much more expensive. Delivery by sea in a container is carried out to St. Petersburg, Novorossiysk and Vladivostok. Therefore, for customs clearance you will have to come to one of these cities or hire a special broker and issue a power of attorney for him.

Technical points

When purchasing a car directly from America, you should take into account some important technical points in its configuration:

Vehicles for use in the United States are equipped with red turn signals and yellow side lights. In Russia, such equipment is unacceptable, so they will have to be changed.
Models with automatic transmission accelerate much slower than their European counterparts.
The suspension is tuned for comfort and designed for driving on perfectly smooth highways.
The speedometer shows driving speed in miles (1 mile = 1.6 km), but some models may have two scales - in miles and kilometers. In the advertisement for sale, the mileage of the car is also indicated in miles.
The coolant temperature gauge is in Fahrenheit (1°F = -17.22°C).

Cars that are allowed to be imported into Russia

So that you can get a title for an American car and register it with the traffic police:

The procedure for customs clearance of cars from the USA

Before bringing a car from America, you need to calculate the customs duty in advance and make a security deposit via bank transfer to the account of the customs point where the cargo will arrive. It is advisable to have a reserve, because if there is a lack of funds, you will not be able to complete the procedure in a timely manner. The transfer of additional funds will take several days, during which you will have to pay for storage services in a customs warehouse.

Among the documents, you should provide an export declaration, fill out a declaration in form TD-6, a purchase and sale agreement, a registration certificate with a VIN number and a payment order for the payment of a deposit. The unused portion of the paid amount can be returned after completion of all necessary procedures.

Cost of customs clearance

In order to make a security deposit, you need to find out in advance how much it costs to clear a car from the USA through customs when importing it into Russia. The amount is influenced by several factors:

car age;
engine displacement and power;
permitted weight;
Type of fuel;
who processes the import - an individual or legal entity.

To independently calculate the amount of duty, it is better to use a special customs calculator, where after entering the parameters of the vehicle, the system will issue an approximate amount. In addition, you will need to pay:

VAT 18% of the transaction amount;
registration fee (depending on the cost of the car) – from 500 rubles;
customs broker services (if you cannot handle the clearance yourself) – from 15 to 20 thousand rubles;
recycling fee - from 2 to 3 thousand rubles.

The cost of customs clearance of a car from America is less for an individual who imports a car for personal use.

During the year, you can bring one car into the territory of the Russian Federation, but the second one requires permission from the customs authorities.

When importing more than three units of vehicles, higher tariffs are applied, provided for legal entities.

The year of manufacture of cars is important. You need to pay the least for a car that is under 5 years old, and if it left the assembly line more than 5 years ago, the duty amount almost doubles. If 7 years or more have passed since its release, it is wiser to refuse the purchase. It is more profitable to import electric cars, since since 2014 they are not subject to duty, and for their customs clearance it is enough to pay VAT, the cost of the registration procedure and the recycling fee.

Customs clearance of used cars from America

For those who want to save a lot of money, we can recommend purchasing a car that has been in an accident. The advantage here is not only the final cost, which can be 50% cheaper than an undamaged model. The following points can be noted as advantages of such a deal:

Damaged cars often have low mileage because the previous owner did not plan to stop using the vehicle. With the exception of damaged parts, all units are in good condition.
The selling price does not depend on the configuration and technical characteristics of the vehicle.
Auctions provide the most detailed description of damage. The end buyer gets what he sees in the photographs.

It is recommended to buy a used car from the USA through a dealer at the well-known auctions discussed above, since they value their reputation and behave as honestly as possible. Before purchasing, you need to estimate the approximate cost of repairing damaged parts in Russia. If the model you choose is not officially sold in our country, most likely you will also have to order spare parts from America. The advantage of such a deal is only the favorable price, and the customs clearance itself is carried out in the same manner as in the case of importing entire vehicles.

Used cars without customs clearance from Europe

In an effort to save money on buying used cars abroad and then importing them into the Russian Federation, many are looking for ways to circumvent the need to pay customs duties. For this, both legal methods and gray schemes are used. The legal way is to register the temporary import of a vehicle from European countries and other neighboring countries. However, this option is not available to everyone and has many limitations.

If you decide to order a used car from the USA, you should carefully consider not only the financial component - delivery, customs costs, VAT, etc. It is very important to evaluate in advance all the inconveniences of such an acquisition. You will definitely have to change the headlights, install new tires and get used to the miles on the speedometer. You should also find out in advance about maintenance costs during operation - prices and availability of spare parts, cost of repairs. A well-thought-out approach to business will save you from disappointment in the future.

Cars from the USA - purchase, delivery, prices, customs: Video

Specialist in lending to individuals and small and medium-sized businesses. Experience in the banking sector - more than 15 years.

How to drive and clear customs a car from the USA to Russia

Content

Fords, Cadillacs, Buicks, Dodges, Chryslers are all American cars. In the USA, cars are really cheap, and you can buy a used Ford for 1-2 thousand dollars. So, maybe go to the USA and choose an “iron horse” in the homeland of the pioneer of modern automobile manufacturing?

Don't rush to rejoice. First, find out how much transportation and customs clearance will cost. The purchase may not be as worthwhile as you think. Please note that you will have to spend money:

for flights to the USA and back, accommodation and meals (however, this can be avoided by contacting the seller via the Internet, or combining the purchase with a vacation);
for vehicle transportation (transportation across the country - to the nearest port, delivery to Vladivostok, St. Petersburg or Novorossiysk on an ocean trailer, transportation across Russia to your city and garage);
for customs clearance (duties and fees);
for additional services (payment for the work of a transport company and a customs broker).

You can refuse the flight and additional services, but you won’t be able to save on transportation and customs clearance. Therefore, first, calculate how much you will save by not buying a car in Russia.

How much will customs clearance cost?

Let's say you took all the issues upon yourself and do not take into account customs duties (pennies compared to duties). You need to calculate how much you will give to the state for the opportunity to transport the car across the border and register it. Please note that there are no special agreements between the United States and Russia, and duties will be full.

So, the amount of the duty depends on:

your status (for legal entities, transport is cheaper - per cubic centimeter);
age of the car (it is most profitable to bring cars between 3 and 5 years old);
engine volume (the smaller the engine, the lower the tariff).

If the car is new, the country of manufacture and price are of great importance. If the car is made in Russia, customs officers charge only 1 euro per cubic centimeter. If in any other country - from 48% of the cost of the car. Thus, if you buy a new car (for example, a Ford Focus), its price when crossing the Russian border will increase by 1.5 times. In the case of Focus, the “trick” of buying in the USA will be meaningless: prices from the manufacturer in Russia and America do not differ. The differences are only in the configuration and features.

Used cars will be several times cheaper in the USA: a few years after the first sale, the cost of a car here is reduced by five to ten times. One thing confuses me: you will spend too much on customs clearance of a car older than 5 years. And the difference may not be that big.

In the USA you can find a 2004 Focus for $2,000 (about 114-116 thousand). Engine capacity is 2 liters (2000 cc).
In Russia, a Focus of the same year and with the same engine is sold for 120 thousand rubles. The difference in price is 4-6 thousand rubles.
Duty - 4.8 euros per 1 cubic meter. cm. Or 9,600 euros for the entire car.

As you can see, even without taking into account transportation, transporting old cars from the USA to Russia is pointless: you will spend several times more on duties. Of course, it can be argued that a car that has only been driven on good American roads is in much better condition than a car that has been used in Russia, but it is easier to invest almost 10,000 euros in repairs or the purchase of a more expensive car.

Minimum tariffs apply to cars aged from 3 to 5 years with a volume of up to 1000 cubic meters. cm. This is 1.5 euros for each cubic meter. cm. If you decide to import such a car with a liter engine, you will only spend 1,500 euros. Not including customs fees and transportation.

Profitable? Maybe. Let's count further.

Delivery methods from the USA to Russia

There are two options - by plane or by sea. There is no need to be afraid of air transportation: in the USA it is not as expensive as in Russia, and American airlines offer discounts on heavy cargo. If you have a small and low car, it can be delivered for 1600-2000 dollars to the airport in Moscow. You won’t have to spend money on transportation across the USA: there are many airports in the country, and you can pick it up from anywhere.

Sea transportation will seem cheaper. For example, delivery from the port of New York to St. Petersburg costs about $1,000. Additional shipping within the USA will be required. This is another 500-1000 dollars depending on the distance to the port. It won’t be cheaper to ship across the Pacific Ocean to Vladivostok.

Thus, for the delivery of an average car you will have to budget another 2,000 dollars - provided that in Russia you pick up the car from the port or airport yourself.

Stages of buying a car in America

So, you have calculated everything, compared prices and realized: despite the jumping dollar exchange rate and high customs clearance costs, it is more profitable to buy a car in the USA than in Russia. You contacted the seller and agreed. And maybe even made a deal. All that’s left to do is organize transportation and customs clearance.

Stage one. Deposit of security deposit at customs

First of all, calculate the exact amount of the duty and find the details of the customs point where you plan to go through the customs clearance procedure. If the car arrives by plane, go to Moscow customs. If you chose a sea vessel, your point is located in St. Petersburg.

Did everyone find out? Now:

Request copies of the car documents from the seller.
Contact the customs office, fill out everything necessary, provide documents.
Deposit money into your account.

Please note that the amount must cover customs duties and other payments that you will make once the cargo reaches the border. You need to deposit money in advance: bank transfers take a long time.

Route planning

You cannot deliver a car from the USA to Russia on your own, even if it is a unique model from a James Bond film. You will need a shipping company, or at least a boat owner, who is willing to transport your car across the Atlantic. The easiest way is to go to a professional carrier and entrust all the worries to him. You will only have to choose a delivery method.

Filling out documents for customs clearance

For customs clearance you need:

contract of sale;
export declaration;
PTS, where the VIN number of the car is indicated.

When registering cargo at customs, you must fill out and send a document according to form TD-6. This is a customs declaration. The car in it must be marked as unaccompanied cargo (provided that you have not decided to control the transportation personally).

After submitting a package of documents to customs, wait until the employees check everything necessary. After customs clearance, you can go to the traffic police and register the car.

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How to safely and competently buy a car from America? What you need to know about shipping a car from the USA in 2019

Decree 140 has been in effect for several months. This had the best effect on the import of cars from overseas - the number of people wishing to purchase a car from the States increased several times!

An old-timer in this area is Sergey Shumansky , former director of the Avtoholding private unitary enterprise, and now an individual entrepreneur who is a consistent leader in this area under the usa-auto.by brand. We talked with Sergey about his activities, the history of the company, its formation, as well as competition in the market.

How it all began

— Sergey, when did you start delivering cars from overseas?

— In the summer of 2003, the first cars were delivered from America. They were purely American, because the European segment was sufficient at that time. Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge - they brought such cars. Then, I remember, there were few competitors in this area; it was exotic at that time. Many did not understand at all how they could transport cars from America.

Automatic transmissions were rare, but almost all cars from the USA were equipped with them. At that time, they usually brought in volumes of 2.5 liters or more, but now everything is moving towards cars with small-volume turbo engines.

— Many Belarusians then wanted a real “American”?

— At that time, they began to carry things not to order , but simply to suit your taste, something special. The most popular was the 2003 model year Chrysler Pacifica; there were no competitors in its class at all. It was from these machines that the first orders began to appear.

— What other difficulties did you encounter at first?

— Just at that time it was impossible to legalize the activity - it was impossible to build an official work scheme. The tax system back then was complex and one-sided. There wasn't even an option suitable for this activity. So we had to look for options to officially work in this direction.

Those days have passed, everything has gradually become legalized. Over the years, we have gained vast experience in restoring cars, correctly assessing damage and providing services that no one else does. I have already talked about them.

— Today, preferential customs clearance has also appeared. How did things go after its introduction?

— There are a lot of cars, 90 percent are specifically for the 140th decree. The number of clients has increased three to four times, something similar happened in 2011 before the increase in customs duties. Not only Minsk residents call, but also people from other cities - by the way, we have special conditions for them: they don’t need to come to Minsk, all work is done remotely. There have been much more purchases of cars with engines of 2 liters and larger. Recently, only the Toyota Sienna with the 3.5 engine was purchased 4 times, and all of these were purchases with benefits for large families. People miss big engines. With benefits, a car with a 2.5-liter engine can be cleared through customs for about the same money as a 1.5-liter without benefits.

When this decree was first introduced, I did not believe that this was possible. But it was approved, it worked - and I was pleasantly surprised. And it works, people come and get “customsed” using their IDs. It is unclear how long the decree will remain in effect. But you need to seize the moment.

— Popular car brands from the USA, both before and now, are Ford Fusion and Escape. What besides them?

— Many orders began to appear for the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu and Cruze, Honda Fit, CR-V, Civic. The Cruze is a more popular and inexpensive car, but not very cheap in parts. But I think the situation will improve, there will be spare parts. We have already started organizing the purchase of repair kits, in particular for the Chevrolet Cruze from 2016. I recommend taking a closer look at this option.

Another popular option is the VW Jetta. For 7500-8000, a car comes here already with repairs. You won't find a 2016 car for that price. This is a great option for benefits. You can also pay attention to electric cars; the benefits are quite profitable.

Toyota Prius began to be in special demand. This is my favorite car. A car from 2016-2018 can be brought in with repairs up to 13,500-14,000. Previously this was unrealistic.

Within a month, I helped purchase and deliver several Ford Mustangs, although previously there was no demand for this car at all. There was a Chevrolet Camaro and a premium segment - all with benefits, of course: BMW X5 and X6, Lexus RX and NX.

Be carefull!

— Does your business have imitators?

— There are a lot of “clones”. They are trying to duplicate the services that I have. Some use a similar brand name, others use a similar information part. But I want to draw your attention: the name of my organization usa-auto.by and location in Kolodishchi remain unchanged. I don’t have branches in Minsk, representatives in the regions are only those indicated in the contacts on the website.

Recently I decided to go through the websites of competitors and noticed that many have been working for 15 and even 20 years, although I had not heard of most of them three years ago. I want people to be vigilant and, when asking for help in buying a car from the USA, carefully check the information about companies providing such a service. Many people remember how people who wanted to bring a car before the price of duties increased in 2011 simply lost their money or incurred additional financial costs due to ill-organized work in this service sector. So don't let your guard down!

— Has it ever happened that you were contacted after visiting your competitors?

— Quite recently, there were several similar calls from clients when they bought a car through someone and something went wrong: they bought it, issued an invoice for such an amount... In fact, about $800 was attached to it, which was within the client’s budget , and then they helped me buy spare parts at such a price that the final cost of the car in Minsk ceased to be competitive. At the same time, the person says that he called me before and asked me to calculate the final cost of his car. But the calculations of that company turned out to be more profitable, he decided to work with them. I ask a question: why are you complaining to me now? Answer: you were recommended to us, but we decided that it would be cheaper there... The result is the opposite. It’s just that when I calculate the final cost for clients, I take statistics from our turnkey repairs, and this amount often differs from the idea of repairs from an amateur’s point of view. I would also like to remind you that no one calculates the cost of repairs, bearing responsibility for this under the contract, and I have been practicing this service for a long time.

Another similar story: a client contacts some company, they buy him a car, but it is quite damaged. Initially, the client himself doubts that he should take this particular copy. However, the company convinces that there is nothing wrong, saying that the price is not bad, and they will help with spare parts. The client agrees and in the end they just buy rubbish. A person seeks support for spare parts and other issues. It is loaded with parts worth 3-4 thousand dollars. Perhaps in the future they will also help with repairs at some partner service stations, where the company is going backwards. The client receives a car for a rather dubious amount, if you look at our market. Not only does a badly damaged car need to be restored, it is also unprofitable.

Or it happens: a client contacts, the organization buys a car for one amount, but issues an invoice for a completely different, much higher one. Explanations begin, they say, this is because of the seller who wants more. Thus, the client is “promoted” for additional expenses that will fall into the pocket of this organization.

— How to protect yourself from markups on the price of a car?

— There are a number of resources where you can check the final cost, the same autostat. There you can both look at sales statistics and check any lot for the final price at auction. All this can be found on the Internet if desired, but not everyone can do it.

— How to evaluate the reliability of a company that imports cars from America?

— First of all, these are, of course, reviews and years of work of the company, where experience is gained. And our partners in the United States play a significant role in this, without whom many issues cannot be resolved.

Once again about services

— Can you tell me more about the options of services you provide?

— I have developed various options. Someone just asks to place a bid on a certain lot, he doesn’t need information services from me - it will cost 200 rubles. Another needs advice and selection of options - such a service costs 400 rubles. For those who need warranties and insurance, I schedule all repairs and guarantee that any additional damage not accounted for is my problem. The cost of the service is 1000 rubles. No one provides such a service, this is a risk and responsibility on my part, but many years of experience allows me to do this.

And before the end of summer, everyone who wants to buy a car from the USA will be offered discounts. A service for 400 rubles before September 1 will cost 200, this will include selection and all consulting services on restoration and cost of spare parts. The service for 1000 rubles remains unchanged.

— Is an individual approach about you?

“Most people come with the words: “Friends gave you your coordinates and advised me to contact you.” After such requests, you understand that you are doing everything right. I have a main principle in business: if someone does a job or service well, then I must do it better, otherwise all this loses its meaning for me.

How I brought a car from America

Here in Ukraine, due to the growth of prosperity (sarcasm), last year we adopted a law on free customs clearance, according to which every citizen has the right to import and preferential customs clearance of one vehicle. And if previously it was not profitable at all to pull cars from behind the cordon, since after customs clearance they were more expensive than the same cars on our market, now there is a boom in the import of used cars. And since I needed to replace the car with a newer one, my inner follower of Judaism flatly refused to look for a car on the local market. The reason is sky-high prices (so you understand what our prices are, my 2008 Outlander XL at maximum speed and with gas was taken from me for $12,800) and a large number of destroyed cars.

Perhaps this is due to the very high estimated cost of repairs, or the fact that Americans don’t bother with repairs at all, I don’t know. For example, how much do such repairs cost us?

And so, I set about studying the question - how can I attract a car, and even so that it turns out cheaper than ours. Having looked at German and Polish sites, I, to my great chagrin, noticed that if you take a car there, drive it here under your own power and clear customs even at a reduced rate, then the price turns out to be the same as in our market, well, maybe with small savings, and only if you're lucky. Then I noticed numerous advertisements for “car delivery from the USA” and thought, does it really make sense to pick it up there and bring it halfway across the world here? It turns out there is. It's all about the interesting insurance that exists in the states. Even with minor damage (the bumper is dented, the car was hit by hail, vandalism), the insurance company buys the car from the owner at its average market value, and then sells it at an online auction. And the prices at these auctions are very interesting.

Well, a maximum of 3 thousand in dollars, but look how much they calculate: ACV is the market value of the car, ERC is the estimated cost of repairs. But after looking at how much these cars go for at auctions, and estimating the cost of delivery, customs clearance and repairs, I realized that such a car is at least a third cheaper than our prices. Well, how would you decide on the feasibility, but how to do it practically? It’s somehow scary to give all my accumulated thousands to an office I found on the Internet. Here, if you order something from an ad, they will steal the prepayment for delivery, but here you pay 100% in advance and wait several months. And let me look for friends/relatives in the states to get everything done through them. And let me call my classmates and other classmates to find out if anyone is there? In short, I called, looked for it, and then boom - there’s one. Skype, call, presentation of the problem. Well, a classmate turned out to be an altruist, he said, it’s a shitty question, give me a website, we’ll buy everything right now. Well, I think it’s okay, and let me try to get through the transport offices so that they can give me a place in a container and bring my dream. And then a classmate calls and says bullshit, only dealers can buy at these auctions, and you can’t just get a license. Not a whine, he says. I’ve already looked here, there’s a guy with a license, one of ours, he even sends cars for export, he’s reliable, he talks like a shuttle. You can safely send him money, he says, we are Russians, we don’t deceive each other. And he drags along like this. No, well, with such recommendations, why not send them? Skype, call, thousands went to the states for prepayment. Without an advance payment, he says, I won’t do anything. I didn’t regret sending a thousand, he immediately became so talkative and told me all about the pitfalls. They ship cars from the port of New Jersey, so the closer you buy the car to New Jersey, the cheaper it is to ship it to the port. If in the state itself, then 200 USD, if in the central states, then 700-800, there is no point in looking further, otherwise delivery will eat up the benefit. It’s better not to take it in big cities, the operating conditions are harsh, and the reagents on the roads are bad. But most importantly, they also have swindlers. What they do is that in addition to insurance at these auctions, a damaged car can be sold by a private seller. Some people buy a heavily damaged car, throw entire fenders and a hood on it, in short, they sculpt a doll, and now there is much less damage. And you evaluate a car based on ten photographs. You can, of course, call an inspector, he will remove and test everything you tell him, but it costs $100-200, and you need to look at 5-10 options. Therefore, intuition is everything, forest inspector. But the dealer says, I’ve been in this business for 20 years, and at first I was making dolls myself, so I can see them by eye. And indeed, he rejected one link for me for this reason.

Here's an example of a fucking doll. Please note, the current rate is 18600, it will cost 25 thousand

But here it is, on the same site, sold in July

In short, the dealer doesn’t eat his bread in vain. He also checks the entire history of the car, the seller and legal integrity. He rejected about 20% of my links. I was looking for a Mazda 6, from the 13th year. For two weeks I bombarded him with links and my bets, but the locals outbid everything, and then day X came. The dealer writes “they took it.” "And he rejoices, no less than me. I bet the maximum 5500, but they took it for 4400. In short, it’s like a lottery. But, if you take it very cheaply, the seller has the right to freeze and put the car up for re-auction. We anxiously awaited confirmation from the seller, and when it came, the dealer went to make an invoice, and I went into the closet to get the treasured thousands. Then we exchanged – he gave me an invoice, I gave him thousands.

Touring package, with sunroof, mileage 28 thousand miles, the owner was lucky - oil changes every 5 thousand, just put new tires on, and then R19, in short, gave me a gift. No, well, of course, but then I got into an accident and I got a gift. The owner, or rather the hostess (a large amount of long white hair was found in the cabin) turned out to be from Spain, there was a sticker on the trunk and pieces of paper in Spanish in the cabin.

Now for accounting. The auction took a $605 commission:

The dealer charged $690, transportation was $700 (they took it in Texas).

Upon arrival at the port, about 30 photographs are taken in good quality, from which you can already navigate the repair and order spare parts. The car arrives at the port within 10-15 days from the date of purchase.

Please note that the bumper was damaged during transportation. This is a problem, the loaders are not very careful, they do not bear responsibility. There have been cases where a car has fallen off a forklift, and this again falls on the buyer. But then, fortunately, the repair cost $80, and the dealer gave me a hundred dollars back, apparently he was impressed...

Next, we consolidated the container, cleared customs, loaded it onto the Maerska steamship and set sail. We sailed overloaded in Spain (ska, Spain again). There is a link to the container, you can follow it online. After 35 days, the container arrived in Odessa. Forwarder services then cost $1,450 (container space, customs and brokerage services), this was in July, now it’s $1,800-2,000. Next, the container is opened and the vehicles are unloaded onto the closed platform of the forwarder. Free storage time from 2 weeks to a month, then 100 hryvnia per day. It takes a few days to a week for a car to be cleared through customs. The customs clearance amount is calculated as follows: auction services ($5005) and a minimum delivery cost of $400 are added to the price. Those. I took the car for 4400, 605 auction commission and 400 delivery. Total 5405 - customs calculates customs clearance from this amount. You can calculate it in a regular online customs clearance calculator. We get $2729. And $203 tax to the pension fund, we pay this when registering with the MREO.

Then they called me and said, “take your car as soon as possible.” I rented a gun carriage and made my dream come true.

It's 6 am, already in my city. What can I say, I was pleased with the condition of the car - the inside smells like a new interior, there is not a single rust or dirt along the entire bottom and chassis (it can be seen that the state is very dry, there is little rain), there are no chips on the hood and headlights, the floor mats are like new. Here it is worth paying attention to the fact that before shipment, all gasoline is drained from the tank, the battery and batteries in the key fobs are drained to zero. After some dancing we turned her on! We drove under our own power to the car wash, and then to the station.

On the slipway. We weld the hooks to the places where you need to pull

Removing the front bumper for repairs

While the car is being pulled, the trunk and bumper arrive in its original color. Painters say that this color is very complex, it is better to take parts from disassembly in their original color. They didn’t lie, they painted the rear fender twice, they still didn’t get the color right and they returned the money. But the front bumper was painted perfectly the first time.

European headlights and taillights also arrived. This is necessary for certification, without which the car will not be registered. European and American headlights differ in the shape of the beam of light, the color of the side lights (Americans have yellow), the rear lights differ in the fact that the Americans do not have a rear fog light, they have two reverse lights, while we have reverse on the right and a fog on the left. I also ordered an original steering column switch with a fog lamp button.

The slipway is oppressive. The trunk is already new.

Fitting. There is already a flashlight with a fog light. The gaps are ideal.

The wing was painted, the back was assembled, washed, we are assembling the front.

Next comes certification and registration. To do this, we go to a certification center, pay for the inspection, and receive a certificate. In addition to the light, a prerequisite is that the car meets the EURO 5 environmental standard or, for Americans, the California standard LEV, SULEV, etc. Some cars may not have it and it will be an ass. Such a car is not certified. After receiving the certificate, we go to the MREO.

And here is the result, already on the numbers

I got it tinted, installed a Starline alarm, bought a used winter Nokian '15 set in Poland for $300

And here I am the happy owner of a Mazda 6 America! Take a seat as a passenger, I'll give you a ride.

Auction collection 605

Dealer commission 690

Transportation by state 700

Delivery to Odessa 1450

Bring 200 from Odessa

Repair with spare parts 1600

Certification, registration, pension tax 300

Winter wheels, tinting, signaling – 600.

Total 13274. Europeans in our market start from 18000-19000 and up to 22000. So it makes sense.