Start by asking the seller for a photo of the full vehicle registration certificate. Check that the registered owner matches the seller's company name. Any change of ownership should appear with a transfer stamp and date. Second, request a lien check. In China, vehicle mortgages are registered with the vehicle management office. A clean certificate shows no mortgage registration; if one exists, the car cannot be legally exported until the loan is settled and the lien released. Third, verify there are no unpaid traffic fines and no gaps in compulsory insurance, since these can block export clearance. Ask the platform to include a title verification step in the transaction flow, and only pay the balance after the title transfer to the export company is confirmed.

Parts availability depends on the brand's official presence in your market, but even unsupported brands can be maintained through direct ordering. Check three channels first: the brand's official dealer network (if any), third-party importers who specialize in Chinese auto parts, and generic equivalents. For wear items like brake pads, filters, and wipers, aftermarket suppliers usually stock cross-references by VIN. For model-specific parts — headlights, sensors, control modules — order directly from China. Ask your exporter for the parts catalog by VIN, confirm OEM part numbers, and compare prices. A turbocharger that costs $900 from a local dealer often ships from China for $350 plus $80 freight. Practical tips: bundle multiple parts into one shipment to amortize freight; ask for DDP (delivered duty paid) pricing so customs clearance is handled; and always verify part numbers against your VIN before paying, as Chinese models have running changes mid-year. Keep a small stock of common wear parts — oil filters, air filters, spark plugs — to avoid a 4-6 week wait for routine maintenance.

A normal transaction moves through six stages. First, selection and verification: you shortlist cars, request VIN-level documents, and order an independent inspection (1-2 weeks). Second, contract signing and deposit: 10-30% is standard, paid against a signed contract listing the VIN and agreed spec. Third, export preparation: the seller handles deregistration and export licensing (1-3 weeks). Fourth, final payment against loading: pay the balance only after you receive the bill of lading or rail waybill number you can track. Fifth, transit: ocean shipping to most ports takes 3-6 weeks, rail to Central Asia or Europe 2-4 weeks. Sixth, destination clearance and registration: allow 1-2 weeks plus buffer for inspections. In total, plan for 2-4 months door to door. Any exporter promising full delivery in under six weeks is likely cutting corners on export paperwork.