A solid contract is your main protection in a cross-border deal. It should specify: 1. Vehicle identification: VIN, year, mileage, trim level, and photos of the actual car appended as an annex — not just「a 2021 Toyota」. 2. Condition guarantees: no accident, no flood or fire damage, no structural repairs, supported by a third-party inspection report referenced in the contract. 3. Price and Incoterm: total amount, currency, the named port, and whether freight and insurance are included. 4. Payment schedule: e.g., 20–30% deposit after contract signing, balance against copy of the Bill of Lading. Avoid 100% upfront. Use T/T to the company's corporate bank account only — never a personal account. 5. Timeline: inspection date, estimated loading date, and latest shipment date, with remedies if delayed. 6. Dispute clause: governing law and arbitration (CIETAC or your local chamber) rather than foreign court litigation. Ask for the contract in English (or bilingual) with the supplier's company chop. A company that refuses a written contract or pushes for full prepayment is a red flag.

You can watch the car through live streaming or VR, or entrust a local third-party agency to inspect the car for you. Transparency about the car's condition is the foundation of trust.

Strict definition: All metal body parts (doors, hood, fenders) and the frame must retain the original factory paint, with uniform paint thickness readings. Minor touch-ups or replacements of plastic bumpers, as they do not affect metal corrosion protection and vehicle structure, can still be classified as "original paint" in a broad sense, but we will separately note the condition of the bumper.