As we all know, the eastern coast of the United States was devastated by Hurricane Sandy in
late October 2012. Incidentally, the east coast is where the major Ports are located. One of
these major Ports is at Bayonne, New Jersey. After the storm, it was revealed that more than
10,000 cars awaiting shipment to Africa and South America were severely damaged. The damages
include:

· Flood Damage
· Fire Damage
· Body Damage

The damages were so severe that the shipping lines refused to accept the cars for shipment
and asked the owners to remove them from the Port. If you are wondering why the shipping
lines refused to continue with the shipping, it is because the cars were no longer functional.
To load a car on ship, somebody has to actually start it and drive it onto the ship. If a
car cannot start, most shipping lines will not accept it. If they do, they will charge you
a heavy surcharge called Non-Running Vehicle Surcharge.

I wouldn't have written this article if the story ended here. But then something remarkable
happened. Some of these shipping lines turned around and said they will ship these damaged
cars to Africa if the owners put them in a container. Many people took this option and as a
result, these cars are now headed to Nigeria. Some are already in Lagos as we speak while
others will be arriving shortly.

The unfortunate thing is that these flooded and damaged cars will not show up on Carfax or
Autocheck. Carfax and Autocheck do not track cars once they are shipped out of the US. So
the last entry you will see for these cars in VIN reports is: "Exported to Nigeria - October
2012.

So Buyer Beware.

P.S: The picture below shows containers over-turned by hurricane Sandy at Bayonne Port. This
will give you an idea of the force of the storm.

Picture courtesy of: http://newsrescue.com/ro-ro-container-shippers-lose-millions-hurricane-sandy-jersey-port-thrashing/#axzz2F03i5QSB

How to Identify a Flooded Car According to Carfax:

- Check the trunk, glove compartment, dashboard, and below the seats for signs of water
damage such as silt, mud or rust.

- Examine upholstery and carpeting closely; if it doesn't match the interior or fits
loosely, it may have been replaced. Discolored, faded or stained materials could indicate
water damage.

- Turn the ignition key and make sure that accessory and warning lights and gauges work
properly. Make sure the air bag and ABS lights come on and go off.

- Test power and electronics systems such as interior/exterior lights, windows and door
locks, radio, cigarette lighter, heater and air conditioner several times to make sure
they work.

- Flex some of the wires beneath the dashboard. Wet wires will become brittle once dry and
may crack.

- Take a whiff for musty odors or strong perfumes used to mask the smell of mildew.

i saw this coming.thanks boss.

Thanks for the info.

Nice info. Thanks

Nigerian the home of all junks

they should sell them to cab drivers at cheaper rate... Atleast it will be beta than sum cars on lagos street

When will Nigeria stop being used as a world industrial dump-site?

donigspain: When will Nigeria stop being used as a world industrial dump-site?

when we start buying innoson instead of toyota... Zinox instead of hp... Etc

Okay. We'll watch out.

Hmmm! Shame on those who will go all out to purchase these trash in the name of being cheap autos. (Coffins for sale)

Don't we have a relevant authority to check this dumping in our precious Nigeria?
Why Nigeria,is there no other African country to take them to.
Is Nigeria the worst country in Africa,cos I don't understand why all negative things directly,or indirectly related to Nigeria,my beloved country.

Before nko? Nigeria has been the dumping ground for anything 'fairly and now seriously used goods from abroad. ***No pun intended***

Thanks for the info. Nigerians be careful especially those ordering cars from the USA. Everything from the western world is not always good especially with their economic down turn and never ending natural disasters.

Red-Light:
when u start buying innoson instead of toyota... Zinox instead of hp... Etc

I don't have a toyota nor an hp
Anyways, I think that the 'u' in your post should rather read 'WE' if you had aimed for a less offensive (direct) response.

donigspain:
I don't have a toyota nor an hp
Anyways, I think that the 'u' in your post should rather read 'WE' if you had aimed for a less offensive (direct) response.

okay no offense.. Corrected

BizBooks: As we all know, the eastern coast of the United States was devastated by Hurricane Sandy in
late October 2012. Incidentally, the east coast is where the major Ports are located. One of
these major Ports is at Bayonne, New Jersey. After the storm, it was revealed that more than
10,000 cars awaiting shipment to Africa and South America were severely damaged. The damages
include:

· Flood Damage
· Fire Damage
· Body Damage

The damages were so severe that the shipping lines refused to accept the cars for shipment
and asked the owners to remove them from the Port. If you are wondering why the shipping
lines refused to continue with the shipping, it is because the cars were no longer functional.
To load a car on ship, somebody has to actually start it and drive it onto the ship. If a
car cannot start, most shipping lines will not accept it. If they do, they will charge you
a heavy surcharge called Non-Running Vehicle Surcharge.

I wouldn't have written this article if the story ended here. But then something remarkable
happened. Some of these shipping lines turned around and said they will ship these damaged
cars to Africa if the owners put them in a container. Many people took this option and as a
result, these cars are now headed to Nigeria. Some are already in Lagos as we speak while
others will be arriving shortly.

The unfortunate thing is that these flooded and damaged cars will not show up on Carfax or
Autocheck. Carfax and Autocheck do not track cars once they are shipped out of the US. So
the last entry you will see for these cars in VIN reports is: "Exported to Nigeria - October
2012.

So Buyer Beware.

P.S: The picture below shows containers over-turned by hurricane Sandy at Bayonne Port. This
will give you an idea of the force of the storm.

Picture courtesy of: http://newsrescue.com/ro-ro-container-shippers-lose-millions-hurricane-sandy-jersey-port-thrashing/#axzz2F03i5QSB

The problem is that Nigerians like big things.. I do not see any sense in spending 2.5 million naira on a flooded jeep when I can buy a brand new Kia, toyota etc with that same amount or a little higher and have rest of mind for at least four years, free from mechanics just servicing when due. Blame it on Jonathan when your car starts bleeping on you.

Red-Light:
when we start buying innoson instead of toyota... Zinox instead of hp... Etc

ZINNOX Comp is crap,they should upgrade to stay in the game,innovate.etc,do not force Nigerians to buy inferior thing out of pity or use emotional blackmail

Nigeria/Africa has always been a dumping ground for these things. No surprises. Since even second hand underpants and bras find their way to Nigeria, there is no reason to be surprised about damaged cars being dumped here.

More business for the mechanics and spare-part dealers, then.

Good info.

The truth is that we still make of it nomatter the condition e.g,belgium spare parts!

So for someone like me who bought a vehicle which was caught by the storm and many others like me who had their personal vehicles affected, are we supposed to throw the vehicles away?

Besides, a flood damaged vehicles SHOULD NEVER BE STARTED until all the fluids have been drained. That is why it is a standard policy that such vehicles CANNOT be transported RoRo. Common sense. It is not as a result of the cars "not being functional" as you stated.

Your article would help those who want to buy in Cotonou or Lagos, but it is coming very late in the day if you ask me.

Before nkor?!

Some Nigerians won't care.
If its neat, you can start the engine and its moving, its as good as any Tokunbo car.

The difference would be felt in maintenance cost.

ehie: ZINNOX Comp is crap,they should upgrade to stay in the game,innovate.etc,do not force Nigerians to buy inferior thing out of pity or use emotional blackmail

have u used it b4 or becoz sum1 told u zinox pc is not good and u believed its not.. Though i agreed that zinox use to be substandard buh in buh they have really up their game.. U myt wana try it sumtimes

Good Info but still need to buy 2 out of all .....

ehie: ZINNOX Comp is crap,they should upgrade to stay in the game,innovate.etc,do not force Nigerians to buy inferior thing out of pity or use emotional blackmail

Innoson and Omatek then...

Red-Light:
have u used it b4 or becoz sum1 told u zinox pc is not good and u believed its not.. Though i agreed that zinox use to be substandard buh in buh they have really up their game.. U myt wana try it sumtimes

i actually used zinnox it hanged a lot,its archaic,they really do need to innovate,fix their shitty hardware and do crap that will make people buy,samsung is not forcing its government to use its product..etc,

Some of our taxis are no better than these flooded cars.

stagger: So for someone like me who bought a vehicle which was caught by the storm and many others like me who had their personal vehicles affected, are we supposed to throw the vehicles away?

I sympathize with you because I know you are personally affected by this tragedy. But your
case is quite different. You bought the car for yourself and also you are aware of the
damages it sustained. I'm concerned about people that will buy these cars from dealers in
Lagos without knowing their history. If I remember correctly, you made it clear that you
wouldn't have paid for the car if you had gotten the information on time.

stagger:
Besides, a flood damaged vehicles SHOULD NEVER BE STARTED until all the fluids have been drained. That is why it is a standard policy that such vehicles CANNOT be transported RoRo. Common sense. It is not as a result of the cars "not being functional" as you stated.

A car that cannot start is not functional. How else can you drive it if you can't start it.

stagger:
Your article would help those who want to buy in Cotonou or Lagos, but it is coming very late in the day if you ask me.

It is not yet late to warn the general public about what is coming. In fact Grimaldi which
is one of the shipping lines caught up in this debacle gave their clients until Dec 31, 2012
to remove their cars from the Port. So it is still not late to report on this.

Red-Light:
have u used it b4 or becoz sum1 told u zinox pc is not good and u believed its not.. Though i agreed that zinox use to be substandard buh in buh they have really up their game.. U myt wana try it sumtimes

I've been using Zinox for the past 2 years , no disappointment so far except battery life now to 1hr 45mins approximately full power

You have been warned.

No matter wat u say ...I bet u some will still go for those cars...thats the problem....but u did well my bro...God bless u wella