Personal one-owner vehicle, actual mileage over 40,000 km. All metal body panels original with original paint. Covered with invisible paint protection film. Exterior has 2-3 scratches. Zero insurance claims.
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.
EXW means you pay only for the car at the seller's yard—you handle everything else, including inland transport in China and export clearance, which is impractical from overseas. FOB includes delivery to the port and export customs clearance; you pay for ocean freight and insurance. CIF adds freight and basic insurance to a named destination port. For a first-time buyer, FOB is usually the best balance: the exporter, who knows Chinese logistics, handles the complicated part, while you control the freight booking and can shop rates among forwarders. Watch for exporters quoting unrealistically low FOB prices and making margin on inflated 'shipping services' later. Get a separate freight quote before signing, and compare the exporter's CIF offer against FOB plus your own freight estimate. Ask explicitly whether the price includes inspection, export license fees, and port charges—ambiguity here is the most common source of disputes.
Yes, consolidation is common and can cut freight cost per car significantly, especially for shared purchases or small-volume importers. How it works: 1. A 40ft high-cube container typically fits 2-4 cars depending on size and loading method (standard loading vs. specialized racking that allows 4+ cars). Confirm the loading plan with your forwarder in writing. 2. Cars are secured with wheel chocks, straps, and padded braces. Professional loading with photos before the doors close is essential — request a photo report for insurance purposes. 3. One container means one bill of lading and one customs entry, but each car still needs its own invoice, export documents, and destination customs declaration. Things to watch: - Liability: if one car shifts and damages another in transit, insurance claims get complicated. Take out proper cargo insurance covering both vehicles. - Timing: all cars in the container must be ready at the same port at the same time, or you pay storage fees. - For EVs, check the shipping line's battery and state-of-charge rules — they may limit how many EVs go in one box. For a single car, RoRo or a 20ft container is usually simpler; consolidation mainly pays off from 2+ cars.
