Act fast and follow the paper trail you built before buying. First, document everything immediately: take photos and videos of the fault, note the date of arrival and the odometer reading. Most exporters offer a commercial warranty window (typically 15-30 days after arrival) for major components like the engine, transmission and high-voltage battery. Contact the exporter in writing with the evidence, referencing your contract's warranty clause. For minor issues, a common arrangement is that they air-freight the spare part to you or reimburse a capped repair amount at a local workshop. To protect yourself before purchase: get the warranty terms written into the sales contract, including response time, what is covered, and how parts compensation is calculated. Also ask which fast-wearing parts (brake pads, filters, wipers) they recommend buying together with the car, so you are not stuck waiting for a small part from overseas.

A typical payment structure looks like this: 1. Deposit: 10-30% after you confirm the car and price, often to reserve the vehicle and start the inspection. 2. Balance: paid after you approve the inspection report, but before or at shipment. A common safeguard is paying against a copy of the bill of lading, with telex release of the original B/L after funds arrive. 3. Never send 100% upfront to a new supplier. Use traceable methods (T/T bank transfer to a corporate account matching the company name, or escrow for first orders) and keep every agreement in writing. 4. Timeline: quote within days, inspection 3-7 days, booking and loading 1-2 weeks, ocean transit 3-6 weeks, customs clearance 3-10 days. Red flags: personal bank accounts, pressure to skip inspection, prices far below market.

VIN consistency is checked at customs in both China and your country, and a mismatch can block clearance. Do the following: 1. Verify early: before payment, ask for clear photos of the VIN plate (dashboard, door frame, engine bay on some models) and compare them with the VIN on the purchase contract, inspection report and any registration documents. 2. Check the characters: VINs never contain the letters I, O or Q. If you see them, the document is either fake or mistyped. 3. Decode it: the first 3 characters are the world manufacturer code, characters 4-8 describe the model and configuration. Decode it online to confirm the documents match the actual trim level you are buying. 4. At destination: when the car arrives, re-check the VIN against the bill of lading and your import declaration before accepting delivery. Any discrepancy found before shipping can be corrected cheaply; after arrival it becomes a legal problem. Make VIN verification part of your pre-shipment inspection checklist.