Simple guide to Import Cars From USA To Nigeria – Do you know how to import cars from USA to Nigeria? Ok, sit back as I take you through the simple process. USA and Canada are the best place to import cars any time any day, and the cars from those two countries the most desirable due to the America’s specifications to auto mobile making companies. Buying and importing cars from the United States of America is very easy, though not that too simple but I’ll try to make it as simple as possible in this article.
There are two major setbacks and obstacles you are going to face and I want you to be aware of them in advance so that you will be able to plan properly towards your project.
- Bureaucratic Bottleneck– Importation of cars into Nigeria have been made too difficult and expensive by the authorities. The cost of clearing vehicles are so high that sometimes you wonder the actual reason a government that is so inefficient and irresponsible to even provide good usable roads for the cars have the morals to charge so much for a car that may soon get damaged by the bad roads.
- The Yahoo Yahoo Factor– The bad names our bad boys and girls gives us on daily basis both online and offline always hunt you anytime you wants to do business with a foreigner. Out of 100 merchants you may contact, 70 may decline shipping to Nigeria except you are paying through bank transfer.
The above factors are capable of frustrating your plan if not careful but, beside that, the process would have been stress free and used cars in Nigeria would be a lot more cheaper just as it is in Cotonou, Benin Republic. Now let’s go straight to step by step how you can buy and import cars from the USA, enjoy it!
How to Import Cars From USA Buying Online
- Source for The Car– Look for the car you want to buy online; it is a lot more easier and more efficient to search for cars online because you have the opportunity to search and check everything about the car including the VIN status.
There are so many website where you can search for your cars but I would like to use some of the most trusted website that pays attention to the actions of the dealers both private sellers and dealers. Here are some of my recommendation:-
AutoTrader.com – This is the website I use a lot more often whenever I have reason to look for a car. It’s quite comprehensive and the dealers used to be elaborate and upload enough pictures that help give you detailed view of the vehicle’s physical condition. They even upload videos of the cars so you can watch and have better view of what the car looks like
Yahoo Autos (http://autos.yahoo.com/)– Another great place for me and one used by most people in the world. It’s probably the best website where you can search for any kind of cars on the internet and gives more details than you will ever need. A single search will give you all the information you need about any car and much more, including the VIN information on the spot.
www.ebay.com/motors – Like Yahoo Autos, it has everything you need for a car search and returns all the detailed results. It is one of the biggest car marketplace on the internet.
- Contact The Seller– Armed with all the details you need about the car you want to buy, the next step is to contact the dealer to close the deal. The price is already there so there is nothing much to talk about concerning the price, still you can still scrape out something by trying to get additional discount. It usually works especially if you are buying from an individual sellers.
Make Payment – Most dealer will want you to pay through bank transfer or other credit facilities. Look for trusted dealer and if you are not sure of the seller, request for escrow services look for any escrow that accept Nigerian and trusted by the dealer.
From the moment you make your payment, the shipment will be handled by the dealer. He will do the shipping and send you the Bill of Lading which is detailed list of a ship’s cargo in the form of a receipt given by the master of the ship to the person consigning the goods.
Get Ready to Clear – You need to pay your clearing agent in advance to avoid incurring demurrage on the port. It is important that you pay your agent and hand him over the details including the bill of lading well in advance. This will enable him begin the process of clearing the car. The moment your car arrives, he will promptly get it out and hand it over to you.
If you have someone in the USA, that will make things a bit easier for you. Just get him to do the buying and the shipment while you clear it in Lagos. And if you want to do everything by yourself, Here is the Guideline for Importation in Nigeria.