A realistic landed cost has five layers: the car price, export-side fees (deregistration, export license, inland trucking to the port), international freight and insurance, destination duties and taxes, and local charges (port handling, inspection, registration). Buyers most often underestimate three items. First, destination duties are calculated on the customs value, which may include freight, so a cheap car can still attract significant tax. Second, port and terminal charges at both ends add up; demurrage fees apply quickly if documents are late. Third, compliance costs such as homologation, emissions testing, or translation of documents can run into hundreds of dollars depending on the country. Ask every exporter for a written, itemized quote to your port, not just an FOB price, and keep a 5% contingency. Quotes that look unusually cheap usually hide costs in the freight or handling lines.

An OBD scan is one of the most cost-effective tools in a remote pre-purchase inspection, but you need to know what it can and cannot tell you. What it reveals well: current and stored fault codes across the engine, transmission, ABS, airbag, and body modules. A car with dozens of cleared codes in multiple modules may have electrical problems or a history of tampering. It also shows readiness monitors — if all monitors show 「not ready」 on a car that claims to be freshly serviced, the codes were probably cleared recently to hide something. What it reveals with the right software: live data. You can watch engine idle stability, coolant temperature under load, transmission shift behavior, and battery cell voltages on EVs. Abnormal fuel trims or misfire counters can flag worn injectors or coils before any warning light appears. What it cannot do: prove real mileage (odometers can be corrected digitally), detect physical accident repairs, or judge paint and rust. Practical advice: ask your inspector for a full-system scan report with screenshots, not just a 「no codes」 verbal summary. For Chinese brands, make sure the tool supports their protocols — mainstream scanners cover BYD, Geely, and Chery well, but some small brands need brand-specific software.

Currently, in most developing countries, there is a severe lack of deep repair capabilities for the three electric systems. We recommend that B2B car dealers must have basic electrical insulation testing capabilities.