I'm a customs licensed agent in seme and we were discussing about customers who are scared of buying cars from Cotonou in Rep.of Benin,

Although as agents we've tried to sample peoples' opinion but we still think we haven't been able to pinpoint some issues bothering these customers,that's why we have decided to bring the issue onto several websites and blogs,nairaland for example.

Over the years,we've heard stories which can be group into two sections,hearsays and facts.Some have suffered while some are enjoying their cars. Right now,we have educated agents at the border who are trying to revolutionize the way business is done at the border but they can't do that without knowing the grievances of their prospective customers.

We'll like to crave the indulgence of the moderators,car users and co agents to please post one or two comments so that we can all learn from each,share our experiences and also make friends through these posts.

Thanks.

I'm an intending buyer and I'd like to learn from this medium

The common impression and fear we all nurse about cars shipped from cotonou are that
1. customs will disturb and can impound your car if caught. even after succesfully bringing it into the country for several months before.
2. 99% possibility of obtaining fake custom papers from the border.

I will post more as we go.

MyPoint: The common impression and fear we all nurse about cars shipped from cotonou are that
1. customs will disturb and can impound your car if caught. even after succesfully bringing it into the country for several months before.
2. 99% possibility of obtaining fake custom papers from the border.

I will post more as we go.

Sir,before I address this issue of fake custom papers,I'll like to state the fact that every sector in Nigeria is corrupt.

Right now,we have fake custom duty papers coming out from lagos ports and in case you dontt know,these lagos cleared cars are now been seized/impounded by custom officials.

Whnever you buy a car in Cotonou,always make sure you go through a licensed custom agent,who will obtain all your papers for you.The papers include assessment papers from vehicle seat(where your car's value is evaluated),bank teller and forms and they are enclosed in a custom file jacket.

Als when buiying a car from cotonou,always make sure you meet your car at the border,even if you can't drive.If your agent has played games with your hard earned money,it's from the first checkpoint you'll know and it'll save you the hassles of using a car for years and customs officials suddenly seize it.

Shown below is an example of duty file jackets,kindly note the serial numbers,these serial numbers are there to show any custom officer that you've paid your duty and it's the serial number he'll use to trace you info in their database once he logs into the system.There's no failproof system in Nigeria,you as the customer only needs to be vigilant and the beauty of clearing through cotonou is that you pay duty on individual cars unlike lagos ports where you can cram several cars onto one duty paper,which gives room for errors and malpratices,even if you buy from lagos ports,you still don't have full assurances that customs won't seize your car.

I hope co-agents are also reading this and they can also shed more light on the parts I may have missed,thanks.

i have so many issues with them. i was tricked by one of you. because i had no idea of exchange rate, custom duty, security, battery, language barrier e.t.c the guy used the opportunity to milk me.
i imagine a 1999 Camry for 1m 50k in contonou excluding custom duty and other payment, although the car was like a new one. we had no option than to leave it. one of you bought/brought scrap 1998 Toyota Camry for someone through my cousin for 900k. he rejected the car. my cousin had to pay for car he never needed. very sad

JUO: i have so many issues with them. i was tricked by one of you. because i had no idea of exchange rate, custom duty, security, battery, language barrier e.t.c the guy used the opportunity to milk me.
i imagine a 1999 Camry for 1m 50k in contonou excluding custom duty and other payment, although the car was like a new one. we had no option than to leave it. one of you bought/brought scrap 1998 Toyota Camry for someone through my cousin for 900k. he rejected the car. my cousin had to pay for car he never needed. very sad

Sir,that's the reason you've to make research before you purchase from Cotonou,you mistake on some issues which are open to both buyer and agent.

Now a camry 99 model will cost you 720K from cotonou(this amount covers every documentation and actual purchase price)+130K custom duty charges which makes it 850K.

Let me now state reasons why some Nigerians will always be scammed.There are two sets of people travelling to cotonou,those who want next to free things and those who know what they want.

The first set are those Nigerians who believe any agent who comes to tell them it's possible they can go into Cotonou to buy 08 camry for 1.2M and they are those who know what these cars are worth and have money to buy them.

You are free to walk up to any money changer along the border or outside the banks to make inquiries about exchange rates but you need to take note of something,CFA against Naira fluctuates,so you may change for 330naira to 1,000CFA in the morning and in the evening,change fopr 333naira to 1,000CFA,so dot be alarmed.

On the issue of car battery,park fee etc,these are fees you pay in cotonou but don't be alarmed,everything is fixed into your purchase price,see the example of the 99camry I illustrated earlier and you pay the same charge for every car irrespective of manufacture year.Which means the same 500K CFA you pay on a 99camry car is the same you pay on 2013 range rover but like I said earlier,even if you are buying a golf 3 for 600-650K(auto+AC),it means everything you pay in Cotonou is 470K+130K custom duty charges(assuming you strike a good bargain and you can ghet it for 470K),so you can why you don't need to be scared.

All you need to do when next you're buying from cotonou is that you never allow your agent to make bargains for you and always make sure you're physically present in all transactions,some agents take advantage just because the customers just sit in the comfort of their homes and expect him to do wonders.Also don't believe all agents who qoute ridiculous prices e.g 08 camry for 1.7M,it's just a trick to lure you into cotonou,immediately you get there,story will change.

As you can see from pictures below,not all cars sold in cotonou are accidented all you need is a credible agent.

We are still waiting for Nairalanders to contribute to this post.Agents and buyers are also invited,

Nice topic. I have bought several cars from Cotonou and i am always present to facilitate the transaction. My problem with Cotonou purchase is that you can't know the vehicle history of the car you are buying. Some of the cars there already have their mileage tampered,accident issues because it is not clearly stated if the car is a clear title or salvage title vehicle. The issue of getting Carfax report via Cotonou would be some how stressful because may be while trying to get a report on that car,someone else will be interested in the same vehicle and pay for it.

My own opinion is that Cotonou purchase is 50:50.

Can I exchange my camry 2003 with something else?

saintjoel:

Sir,that's the reason you've to make research before you purchase from Cotonou,you mistake on some issues which are open to both buyer and agent.

Now a camry 99 model will cost you 720K from cotonou(this amount covers every documentation and actual purchase price)+130K custom duty charges which makes it 850K.

Let me now state reasons why some Nigerians will always be scammed.There are two sets of people travelling to cotonou,those who want next to free things and those who know what they want.

The first set are those Nigerians who believe any agent who comes to tell them it's possible they can go into Cotonou to buy 08 camry for 1.2M and they are those who know what these cars are worth and have money to buy them.

You are free to walk up to any money changer along the border or outside the banks to make inquiries about exchange rates but you need to take note of something,CFA against Naira fluctuates,so you may change for 330naira to 1,000CFA in the morning and in the evening,change fopr 333naira to 1,000CFA,so dot be alarmed.

On the issue of car battery,park fee etc,these are fees you pay in cotonou but don't be alarmed,everything is fixed into your purchase price,see the example of the 99camry I illustrated earlier and you pay the same charge for every car irrespective of manufacture year.Which means the same 500K CFA you pay on a 99camry car is the same you pay on 2013 range rover but like I said earlier,even if you are buying a golf 3 for 600-650K(auto+AC),it means everything you pay in Cotonou is 470K+130K custom duty charges(assuming you strike a good bargain and you can ghet it for 470K),so you can why you don't need to be scared.

All you need to do when next you're buying from cotonou is that you never allow your agent to make bargains for you and always make sure you're physically present in all transactions,some agents take advantage just because the customers just sit in the comfort of their homes and expect him to do wonders.Also don't believe all agents who qoute ridiculous prices e.g 08 camry for 1.7M,it's just a trick to lure you into cotonou,immediately you get there,story will change.

As you can see from pictures below,not all cars sold in cotonou are accidented all you need is a credible agent.

So give me a very good reason why I have to go to Cotonou to buy a 1999 Camry for 850k when I can get it in Lagos for 900k. At least I get to drive it the same day if I buy in Lagos and I will also have rest of mind. Trust me 50k is not worth the stress of Cotonou. Been there done that. Sometimes u even have to wait for like a week before u get ur car, only to find out some parts are missing, fears of fake custom papers etc. And if u take out transport and hotel (if u wanna stay there to monitor the processing), then u would have exhausted the 50k. For me its waste of time and energy. Unless one is buying a very old car say like 97 models and below, cars u can't easily find in Lagos that is the only time it is advisable to go to Cotonou.

elektra80:

So give me a very good reason why I have to go to Cotonou to buy a 1999 Camry for 850k when I can get it in Lagos for 900k. At least I get to drive it the same day if I buy in Lagos and I will also have rest of mind. Trust me 50k is not worth the stress of Cotonou. Been there done that. Sometimes u even have to wait for like a week before u get ur car, only to find out some parts are missing, fears of fake custom papers etc. And if u take out transport and hotel (if u wanna stay there to monitor the processing), then u would have exhausted the 50k. For me its waste of time and energy. Unless one is buying a very old car say like 97 models and below, cars u can't easily find in Lagos that is the only time it is advisable to go to Cotonou.

1999 toyota Camry @op mentioned did not include his commissions. Adding his commission to what you explained above can bring the landing price to close to 950k.

i recently purchased a car frm cotonou thru my Brother who went wt the an agent,i discovered that the agents are more interested in making profit frm U than giving U exactly wat U requested.
I told my bros to get me a clean full option golf 3 auto and he got the car for me,very clean as new wt low mileage bt he told me the d agent was discouraging him to choose the nt clean one so that he wl make a profit frm it bt he declined since he is getting it for his brother.
Secondly,he did another oluwale custom papers in Lagos to make it looks like if the vehicle came thru Lagos port,he was able to use it to get the vehicle to Asaba for me,i dnt knw if i he really paid the seme border custom duty or nt,though he told me he did that he cnt afford to took such risk.

elektra80:

So give me a very good reason why I have to go to Cotonou to buy a 1999 Camry for 850k when I can get it in Lagos for 900k. At least I get to drive it the same day if I buy in Lagos and I will also have rest of mind. Trust me 50k is not worth the stress of Cotonou. Been there done that. Sometimes u even have to wait for like a week before u get ur car, only to find out some parts are missing, fears of fake custom papers etc. And if u take out transport and hotel (if u wanna stay there to monitor the processing), then u would have exhausted the 50k. For me its waste of time and energy. Unless one is buying a very old car say like 97 models and below, cars u can't easily find in Lagos that is the only time it is advisable to go to Cotonou.

frm my own experience,d cost diff might nt be much bt U wl get a more clean car and lots of option to choose frm.

Digriz:
frm my own experience,d cost diff might nt be much bt U wl get a more clean car and lots of option to choose frm.

From my own experience, the best time u can get a good deal on Cotonou cars is when u are buying older model cars with full options, e.g golf 3, 1997 Honda Accrod (Bulldog), 1995 accord (bullet), Camry Orobo, Nissan Sunny, Almera, Primera (older models) etc. Or when u want to buy trucks like 2000 and below model of Toyota Hilux, buses and vans. These are vehicles that u can't easily get in Nigeria . even if u get them it might not have the options u need, so Cotonou is ur best bet.

You can't expect me to want to buy a 2010 toyota Camry and go to Cotonou to look for it when its evrywhere in Nigeria, be it LE or XLE (XLE is what people call full option). Or you expect me to go to Cotonou to buy a 2005 Honda Accord EX when I can get it easily in Nigeria and drive it same day. Why do I have to travel to Cotonou, then waka the whole market, and then start waiting for one week to get my car, sleepless nights. Then fears of something missing from the car, or fear of agent getting me fake papers. At the end of everything the price difference might not even be more than 30-50k from the one bought in Naija.

Cotonou dealers have one trick they use, this has happened to me in the past. After u have agreed on the price of a particular car, u followed them to cotonou to see the car, negotiate and agreed on a price, after making payment in cotonou, u come back to Nigeria and wait. The dealers have an habit of milking u, asking u to pay for one thing or the other , they know u have committed urself and u want ur car to arrive fast, so anything they tell u u must agree. In my case the dealer said he needed money to settle customs on the road after I waited 5 days for my car, I had to send it. Then when he finally brought the car after 7 days, the starter was already bad . In total I spent extra 80k on the car before I even got it. So my advice, if u are buying a newer model car, Naija is ur best bet.

elektra80:

From my own experience, the best time u can get a good deal on Cotonou cars is when u are buying older model cars with full options, e.g golf 3, 1997 Honda Accrod (Bulldog), 1995 accord (bullet), Camry Orobo, Nissan Sunny, Almera, Primera (older models) etc. Or when u want to buy trucks like 2000 and below model of Toyota Hilux, buses and vans. These are vehicles that u can't easily get in Nigeria . even if u get them it might not have the options u need, so Cotonou is ur best bet.

You can't expect me to want to buy a 2010 toyota Camry and go to Cotonou to look for it when its evrywhere in Nigeria, be it LE or XLE (XLE is what people call full option). Or you expect me to go to Cotonou to buy a 2005 Honda Accord EX when I can get it easily in Nigeria and drive it same day. Why do I have to travel to Cotonou, then waka the whole market, and then start waiting for one week to get my car, sleepless nights. Then fears of something missing from the car, or fear of agent getting me fake papers. At the end of everything the price difference might not even be more than 30-50k from the one bought in Naija.

Cotonou dealers have one trick they use, this has happened to me in the past. After u have agreed on the price of a particular car, u followed them to cotonou to see the car, negotiate and agreed on a price, after making payment in cotonou, u come back to Nigeria and wait. The dealers have an habit of milking u, asking u to pay for one thing or the other , they know u have committed urself and u want ur car to arrive fast, so anything they tell u u must agree. In my case the dealer said he needed money to settle customs on the road after I waited 5 days for my car, I had to send it. Then when he finally brought the car after 7 days, the starter was already bad . In total I spent extra 80k on the car before I even got it. So my advice, if u are buying a newer model car, Naija is ur best bet.

I'm going to use this post as a summary to all posts.

Like I've said in all my posts,what you need is a credible agent who actually knows what he/she is doing.

On the issue of prices,even when cars cost almost the same as cars sold in Lagos,you have you various choices/options to pick from.I have even seen occasions and I have phone numbers of customers you can call who will tell you they've bought cars which are 100-300K lesser than what you can obtain in Lagos.
On the issue of missing parts,it still points to the agent.If any part goes missing in your car/jeep before entry intop Nigeria,you've to hold you agent responsible.Purchase in Cotonou and custom duty clearance shouldn't take more than 48hrs,that's if the car is declared in abstensia to customs,which means as you're paying for your car in cotonou,you can pay for your custom duty papers and your agent start the processing a day earlier,so that when your car is coming out of the parks the custom duty is ready,I also have evidences.
On the issue of VIN,if you've interest in purchasing a vehicle from cotonou,you may tell your agent to supply you with pictures and VIN of the cars you need which you can check at your leisure time,if you're satisfied with any car,you give him the authorisation to buy.So even with pictures,you can see if any part is missing cos they're times when parts are removed to prevent theft,so he has to show evidence that the parts are available.

If any agent tells you that your vehicle may take five or days to get to Nigeria,it means there is something fishy,he is trying to smuggle it across the border,unless if there are public holidays in Cotonou or network disruptions in customs office.
Buying from Cotonou is by choice,it can only be done when you've a good and credible agent watching your back.
On the issue of car prices,many times when you as the customer enters a one chance bus in cotonou,it means you must have believed an agent who told you that you can get cars for next to nothing in cotonou,if you want to buy a grade one car,you need to spend money.I've customers who are buying even 2012/2011/2012 cars and they have no issues with them.
Imagine you're thrown in a park which covers almost 50hectares and you still have 4-5parks+thousands of car dealers,you have choices to make when you want to pick a car,I have evidences of a client who brought 20 golf3 cars for his transport company in katsina.

With these,I aslo hope that I've managed to clear some issues again.

ziccoit:

1999 toyota Camry @op mentioned did not include his commissions. Adding his commission to what you explained above can bring the landing price to close to 950k.

In the case of the 99 camry,I have instances where people even buy less than 850K,your cash dictates your taste in this case.
Also,the standard charge I and some agents along the border collect is 30K,irrespective of manufacture year.Hotels around seme and badagry costs between 1,500-2,500naira cos you'll just be staying for a nite,your car comes in through the border within 48hrs,it's only is there are network disruptions at the border or if there's public holiday in Cotonou,even if you want to avoid the delay,you can deposit for a car and your agent does the duty before it gets to Nigeria,all you have to do is pay the balance when you get into cotonou and you move to your residence immediately it comes out through the border.You can confirm your duty payment at the NCS CIU which is the first checkpoint you meet on your way out of seme,if there's anything wrong with the duty,it's turned back immediately.

elektra80:

From my own experience, the best time u can get a good deal on Cotonou cars is when u are buying older model cars with full options, e.g golf 3, 1997 Honda Accrod (Bulldog), 1995 accord (bullet), Camry Orobo, Nissan Sunny, Almera, Primera (older models) etc. Or when u want to buy trucks like 2000 and below model of Toyota Hilux, buses and vans. These are vehicles that u can't easily get in Nigeria . even if u get them it might not have the options u need, so Cotonou is ur best bet.

You can't expect me to want to buy a 2010 toyota Camry and go to Cotonou to look for it when its evrywhere in Nigeria, be it LE or XLE (XLE is what people call full option). Or you expect me to go to Cotonou to buy a 2005 Honda Accord EX when I can get it easily in Nigeria and drive it same day. Why do I have to travel to Cotonou, then waka the whole market, and then start waiting for one week to get my car, sleepless nights. Then fears of something missing from the car, or fear of agent getting me fake papers. At the end of everything the price difference might not even be more than 30-50k from the one bought in Naija.

Cotonou dealers have one trick they use, this has happened to me in the past. After u have agreed on the price of a particular car, u followed them to cotonou to see the car, negotiate and agreed on a price, after making payment in cotonou, u come back to Nigeria and wait. The dealers have an habit of milking u, asking u to pay for one thing or the other , they know u have committed urself and u want ur car to arrive fast, so anything they tell u u must agree. In my case the dealer said he needed money to settle customs on the road after I waited 5 days for my car, I had to send it. Then when he finally brought the car after 7 days, the starter was already bad . In total I spent extra 80k on the car before I even got it. So my advice, if u are buying a newer model car, Naija is ur best bet.

Sir,to cut the long story short he smuggled you car into Nigeria.
The normal process is purchase-payment of duty-delivery to residences which will take 48hrs.

You as the customer can even drive from the border into Nigeria with a valid custom duty paper/certificate,forget all the stories about your agent driving the car,if he has done the right thing,he doesn't need to ttell you to stay at home.

Digriz: i recently purchased a car frm cotonou thru my Brother who went wt the an agent,i discovered that the agents are more interested in making profit frm U than giving U exactly wat U requested.
I told my bros to get me a clean full option golf 3 auto and he got the car for me,very clean as new wt low mileage bt he told me the d agent was discouraging him to choose the nt clean one so that he wl make a profit frm it bt he declined since he is getting it for his brother.
Secondly,he did another oluwale custom papers in Lagos to make it looks like if the vehicle came thru Lagos port,he was able to use it to get the vehicle to Asaba for me,i dnt knw if i he really paid the seme border custom duty or nt,though he told me he did that he cnt afford to took such risk.

Sir,I'm so sorry to say but your brother or his agent played a fast one one you.
You don't need fake papers to bring a car out of the border.This issue of fake papers is one thing we are discouraging,since so many people now believe lagos cleared cars are the most secured,all they now do is bring out these cars and print fake papers to declare them as lagos cleared cars.

If you want to deal with any agent,make sure he/she has a custom licensed I.D and he knows what he's doing.We now have so many educated agents along the border who are doing great jobs to legalise the way business is done.

Goodmorning Mr. saintjoel, pls help me to inquire about the price of purchasing a very clean 2005 Toyota 4runner Limited V6 SUV with full option trim that hasnt been tampered plus genuine customs clearance from Cotonu.
I really need the information urgently you can send it to my Email so that we can interact better pls. Here is my email: luv_michael_4real@yahoo.com

[b]Saint Joel like i mentioned in my response above which you didn't respond,the issue of VIN cannot be 100% fulfilled in Cotonou purchases because if the agent sends you the VIN and pictures of the vehicle(which may not be according to your standard) in question,while trying to get a report on the vehicle,the car may have been purchased before going for it and cotonou is not at my backyard that you can just easily drive in there,depending on which border one is following(Idiroko or Seme) it is still a long distance considering the state of the roads so i have tried it severally and it didn't work. I have been purchasing cars from Cotonou for many years now and i can argue that one with you. You also mentioned about the issue of missing parts and if that happens,we should hold the agent responsible. Are you aware that there are some sensitive cars that if some parts have been removed,then it means one is in a deep shit. Suppose one buys a car in Cotonou and on arrival you notice that the Catalytic converter has been removed,lets agree that you will hold you agent responsible,will he order that one for you and have it replaced? It is better if it's body parts but mechanical parts is something that can give one hypertension.

In Berger 80% of cars sold there are Cotonou cars so to me it is better to spend an additional #50,000 to #100,00 to buy from Berger after you have done all the necessary checks than to go to Cotonou. I do advice clients that the best bet is to pre-order your car from the United States or Europe and wait for a month and be satisfied provided you have a reliable person to do that for you because you will get all the information there before the payment is made except if one chooses to get a salvage title vehicle that will be his or her choice.

I bought a 2007 Toyota Matrix XR from Cotonou some months ago and on arrival the Catalytic converter was removed,the spare tyre was no longer there,jack rod and remote was also not available again and after the agent accepted to pay for the stolen items which the market price for the Catalytic converter in Ladipo was #15,000 for the cut and weld type,the remote/programming was #7000,spare tyre #4000 but i then decided to buy the complete one for #35,000 because i didn't want anything like cut and weld for a 2007 car but to my suprise that didn't work because it was a worked one(Ladipo guys and their gimmicks)and not the "follow come" as they say without tampering with it. I ended up driving the car without a Catalytic converter with a louder exaust and bought the other parts myself because it cost about over #100,000 to order that from the USA.

It was hell for me because i went through a lot trying to fix the car before travelling with it to Abuja.So if it is some other German cars that immediately such items are removed,you can't drive the car so what will happen? The agent i used was the same i have been using for my car purchases and even have several others too that i use so my advice to anyone is that Cotonou business is 50:50 whether you have a reliable agent or not. I am not saying you cannot transact successfully in Cotonou but it is 50;50. Thank you[/b]

saintjoel:

I'm going to use this post as a summary to all posts.

Like I've said in all my posts,what you need is a credible agent who actually knows what he/she is doing.

On the issue of prices,even when cars cost almost the same as cars sold in Lagos,you have you various choices/options to pick from.I have even seen occasions and I have phone numbers of customers you can call who will tell you they've bought cars which are 100-300K lesser than what you can obtain in Lagos.
On the issue of missing parts,it still points to the agent.If any part goes missing in your car/jeep before entry intop Nigeria,you've to hold you agent responsible.Purchase in Cotonou and custom duty clearance shouldn't take more than 48hrs,that's if the car is declared in abstensia to customs,which means as you're paying for your car in cotonou,you can pay for your custom duty papers and your agent start the processing a day earlier,so that when your car is coming out of the parks the custom duty is ready,I also have evidences.
On the issue of VIN,if you've interest in purchasing a vehicle from cotonou,you may tell your agent to supply you with pictures and VIN of the cars you need which you can check at your leisure time,if you're satisfied with any car,you give him the authorisation to buy.So even with pictures,you can see if any part is missing cos they're times when parts are removed to prevent theft,so he has to show evidence that the parts are available.

If any agent tells you that your vehicle may take five or days to get to Nigeria,it means there is something fishy,he is trying to smuggle it across the border,unless if there are public holidays in Cotonou or network disruptions in customs office.
Buying from Cotonou is by choice,it can only be done when you've a good and credible agent watching your back.
On the issue of car prices,many times when you as the customer enters a one chance bus in cotonou,it means you must have believed an agent who told you that you can get cars for next to nothing in cotonou,if you want to buy a grade one car,you need to spend money.I've customers who are buying even 2012/2011/2012 cars and they have no issues with them.
Imagine you're thrown in a park which covers almost 50hectares and you still have 4-5parks+thousands of car dealers,you have choices to make when you want to pick a car,I have evidences of a client who brought 20 golf3 cars for his transport company in katsina.

With these,I aslo hope that I've managed to clear some issues again.

Eyop: [b]Saint Joel like i mentioned in my response above which you didn't respond,the issue of VIN cannot be 100% fulfilled in Cotonou purchases because if the agent sends you the VIN and pictures of the vehicle(which may not be according to your standard) in question,while trying to get a report on the vehicle,the car may have been purchased before going for it and cotonou is not at my backyard that you can just easily drive in there,depending on which border one is following(Idiroko or Seme) it is still a long distance considering the state of the roads so i have tried it severally and it didn't work. I have been purchasing cars from Cotonou for many years now and i can argue that one with you. You also mentioned about the issue of missing parts and if that happens,we should hold the agent responsible. Are you aware that there are some sensitive cars that if some parts have been removed,then it means one is in a deep shit. Suppose one buys a car in Cotonou and on arrival you notice that the Catalytic converter has been removed,lets agree that you will hold you agent responsible,will he order that one for you and have it replaced? It is better if it's body parts but mechanical parts is something that can give one hypertension.

In Berger 80% of cars sold there are Cotonou cars so to me it is better to spend an additional #50,000 to #100,00 to buy from Berger after you have done all the necessary checks than to go to Cotonou. I do advice clients that the best bet is to pre-order your car from the United States or Europe and wait for a month and be satisfied provided you have a reliable person to do that for you because you will get all the information there before the payment is made except if one chooses to get a salvage title vehicle that will be his or her choice.

I bought a 2007 Toyota Matrix XR from Cotonou some months ago and on arrival the Catalytic converter was removed,the spare tyre was no longer there,jack rod and remote was also not available again and after the agent accepted to pay for the stolen items which the market price for the Catalytic converter in Ladipo was #15,000 for the cut and weld type,the remote/programming was #7000,spare tyre #4000 but i then decided to buy the complete one for #35,000 because i didn't want anything like cut and weld for a 2007 car but to my suprise that didn't work because it was a worked one(Ladipo guys and their gimmicks)and not the "follow come" as they say without tampering with it. I ended up driving the car without a Catalytic converter with a louder exaust and bought the other parts myself because it cost about over #100,000 to order that from the USA.

It was hell for me because i went through a lot trying to fix the car before travelling with it to Abuja.So if it is some other German cars that immediately such items are removed,you can't drive the car so what will happen? The agent i used was the same i have been using for my car purchases and even have several others too that i use so my advice to anyone is that Cotonou business is 50:50 whether you have a reliable agent or not. I am not saying you cannot transact successfully in Cotonou but it is 50;50. Thank you[/b]

Sir,please I wouldn't want you to misqoute my post and yes,we all agree buying from cotonou is 50:50.

If you as the customer has checked the vehicle out and there are parts missing,I'll still state categorically that you need to hold your agent responsible.I know an elderly agent who had to go back to Cotonou to buy an 03 toyota matrix for his client just because he got hit by a bus along agbara expressway.The responsibility falls on your agent to check and verify that everything in your car is attached before it leaves the park,like I have said and will continue to say,your agent has to be reliable.
On the issues of VIN check,that's where technology comes into play,I don't think checking VIN info should take hours if the buyer and agent connect each other via BB or any internet ready mobile phone and they also have access to carfax.Even if your agent isn't connected to internet and you want to check carfax reports,he can be in the parks and send the VIN to you and within minutes when you have the result,he can make deposits or outright purchase.
Buying from berger isn't failproof because seriously how can any agent leave the parks without verifying that parts that are meant to be in your car are in it,only dishonest agents do it and that's why we always advice customers to check the agents track record before giving him/her any job.

lomomike: Goodmorning Mr. saintjoel, pls help me to inquire about the price of purchasing a very clean 2005 Toyota 4runner Limited V6 SUV with full option trim that hasnt been tampered plus genuine customs clearance from Cotonu.
I really need the information urgently you can send it to my Email so that we can interact better pls. Here is my email: luv_michael_4real@yahoo.com

Sir,I'll repy your mail but I'll like to advice Nairalanders that we don't advertise in this section,we are only here to dicuss issues affecting customers and agents.

[b]Saint joel, I am not misquoting you and thank God you agree and accept that Cotonou purchases is 50:50. Well on the issue of holding the agent responsible should incase there's a missing parts in easier said than done and most times that mission may not be 100% accomplished because i know what am talking about, Do you think i just discussed the matter of my missing parts verbally without action? I spent almost #2million naira to purchase a car and do you think i will just take easy with the agent like that? I did all i could and at the end your vehicle will end up not being the same.

I will not argue anymore on the issue of VIN check on Cotonou purchases with you because i have tried it and it didn't work for me but may be it did for you,good and fine. Well the agents are all the same one way or the other except very few of them and may be you happen to fall under the very few i am mentioning here but like i keep saying,Cotonou deal is not it.

Finally, May be you are an Agent in Cotonou and that's why you are trying to justify yourself. Lets hear the Buyers experience and conclude if it is safe or not. The Agents will always put it the right way to clear doubts and put hope on future buyers but me being a regular buyer,i have shared my experience and it's a no no no Business except clients insist then i will let them know before proceeding.[/b]

saintjoel:



Sir,please I wouldn't want you to misqoute my post and yes,we all agree buying from cotonou is 50:50.

If you as the customer has checked the vehicle out and there are parts missing,I'll still state categorically that you need to hold your agent responsible.I know an elderly agent who had to go back to Cotonou to buy an 03 toyota matrix for his client just because he got hit by a bus along agbara expressway.The responsibility falls on your agent to check and verify that everything in your car is attached before it leaves the park,like I have said and will continue to say,your agent has to be reliable.
On the issues of VIN check,that's where technology comes into play,I don't think checking VIN info should take hours if the buyer and agent connect each other via BB or any internet ready mobile phone and they also have access to carfax.Even if your agent isn't connected to internet and you want to check carfax reports,he can be in the parks and send the VIN to you and within minutes when you have the result,he can make deposits or outright purchase.
Buying from berger isn't failproof because seriously how can any agent leave the parks without verifying that parts that are meant to be in your car are in it,only dishonest agents do it and that's why we always advice customers to check the agents track record before giving him/her any job.

Eyop: [b]Saint joel, I am not misquoting you and thank God you agree and accept that Cotonou purchases is 50:50. Well on the issue of holding the agent responsible should incase there's a missing parts in easier said than done and most times that mission may not be 100% accomplished because i know what am talking about, Do you think i just discussed the matter of my missing parts verbally without action? I spent almost #2million naira to purchase a car and do you think i will just take easy with the agent like that? I did all i could and at the end your vehicle will end up not being the same.

I will not argue anymore on the issue of VIN check on Cotonou purchases with you because i have tried it and it didn't work for me but may be it did for you,good and fine. Well the agents are all the same one way or the other except very few of them and may be you happen to fall under the very few i am mentioning here but like i keep saying,Cotonou deal is not it.

Finally, May be you are an Agent in Cotonou and that's why you are trying to justify yourself. Lets hear the Buyers experience and conclude if it is safe or not. The Agents will always put it the right way to clear doubts and put hope on future buyers but me being a regular buyer,i have shared my experience and it's a no no no Business except clients insist then i will let them know before proceeding.[/b]

Sir,I clearly stated at the beginning that I am a custom licensed agent in seme and also have years of experience coupled with a masters in business administration.
That aside,if you check my profile on nairaland you can see I've a proven trach record of bringing in cars from cotonou but tHat aside,I will still tell you that if you've a good agent who is what his onions,you don't and will not have issues with what you've purchased in cotonou.
I started this post because we had a discussion in the office about customers who are scared of buying vehicles from cotonou and ways of proving to them that business at the border is unlike before.

Saintjoel,

Good that you are a customs licensed agent in seme but having a masters in business administration doesn't mean that the system of purchasing a car in Cotonou will but rather it will be a bit proffesional due to your level of education. Again let us await news from buyers about their experience in the Cotonou style of doing Business and analyse if it is better to do Business in cotonou or not. I happy that you mentioned in your last statement that the thread was to proof that Business at the border is unlike before meaning that it was hell going through that route except now that you want to proof a point and in the course of doing that,you bring in your marketing skills.

saintjoel:

Sir,I clearly stated at the beginning that I am a custom licensed agent in seme and also have years of experience coupled with a masters in business administration.
That aside,if you check my profile on nairaland you can see I've a proven trach record of bringing in cars from cotonou but tHat aside,I will still tell you that if you've a good agent who is what his onions,you don't and will not have issues with what you've purchased in cotonou.
I started this post because we had a discussion in the office about customers who are scared of buying vehicles from cotonou and ways of proving to them that business at the border is unlike before.

Eyop: Saintjoel,

Good that you are a customs licensed agent in seme but having a masters in business administration doesn't mean that the system of purchasing a car in Cotonou will but rather it will be a bit proffesional due to your level of education. Again let us await news from buyers about their experience in the Cotonou style of doing Business and analyse if it is better to do Business in cotonou or not. I happy that you mentioned in your last statement that the thread was to proof that Business at the border is unlike before meaning that it was hell going through that route except now that you want to proof a point and in the course of doing that,you bring in your marketing skills.

Nice one sir and I seriously hope other agents and buyers will make contributions.

Customs arrest seven for forgery

Author(s): Jewel Stephen

Officials of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone “A” of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said they had arrested seven people for allegedly forging and falsifying customs documents.

Speaking in Ikeja on Friday, the unit Comptroller, Nuhu Mahmud, said the suspects, who comprised one female and six men were arrested by customs officials following a tip-off.

He said that three of the suspects specialised in issuing fake customs documents, while the female worked as their typist.
Mahmud said that the other suspect specialises in selling the fake customs papers.

The Unit Comptroller listed the items recovered from the suspects as two fake seals for Customs serial numbering, two fake seals of the Comptroller-General and fake exit permit stamps of Customs.
He added that Abdullahi Dikko, the Comptroller General of Customs, had created a forensic unit as part of efforts to ensure that activities of criminals were curtailed.

“The team in the forensic unit is responsible for investigating and tracking all persons that are associated with all forms of cyber crimes and related activities,” he said.Mahmud, who could not quantify the amount being lost to cybercrimes, described the crimes as economic sabotage and urged people to be cautious of business proposals and determine the authenticity of documents.
Mahmud advised Nigerians to desist from accepting ridiculously cheap offers from the Internet to avoid being duped by fraudsters.

Wale Adeniyi, the Public Relations Officer of the Customs, pointed out that there was always a security mark that would distinguish original customs documents from fake ones.

Adeniji gave the assurance that those arrested would be prosecuted to serve as deterrents to others.

http://telegraphng.com/2013/09/customs-arrest-seven-forgery/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter


It might be a slow process but surely,smugglers and fraudulent people who print fake custom documents at lagos ports and and borders will soon be caught.

Don't allow your agent smuggle in your vehicle into Nigeria neither should you allow him/her to short pay customs.Don't believe agents who will rather tell you they have ways of lowering prices or quote low prices when you make inquiries,like we've stated earlier the same custom officers who helps you smuggle your car into Nigeria might the next officer impounding your car.

For those who never believed us that there are fake duty papers coming out from lagos ports can now see that we've been vindicated,buying from lagos port is not a fail-proof process,always verify your custom duty documents.

For those buying from cotonou into Nigeria,always make sure your file jacket contains the following papers shown below,thanks.

5

saint Joel how come my customs and bank teller says 78k was paid and one of your guys collected 120k from me for a 1993 car, did I over or under paid?

JUO: saint Joel how come my customs and bank teller says 78k was paid and one of your guys collected 120k from me for a 1993 car, did I over or under paid?

Sir,the agent didn't scam you cos you bought what we call an under-age car which takes special process to clear.

The charge on these cars are usually between 120-140K depending on the year and engine capacity.

Most of these forms I've shown aren't free of charge,the agent has to pay some amount to obtain them and they aren't shown in the papers.The 74,000 you mentioned covers only import duty charges etc,the remaining amount which goes to the valuation unit,FOU(federal ops unit) and CIU aren't documented.

Also,let your mind be at rest,your agent didn't short-pay,iof he/she shortpaid,your car would've been seized from the first day it came out of the border.

ISSUES WHICH MAY AFFECT YOU WHEN YOU BUY FROM COTONOU.

1.GREED- This comes into play when a customer wants a next to free car in a place where nothing comes for free,the I need a camry 2001 model for 650K types.

These are the people agents love luring into Cotonou so that they can they can be exploited.All they need to hear is that they can get a 2007 model for 300,000naira in cotonou and they rush into the market ony to discover they've been tricked into showing up.

Note the pix shown below,it shows a line in a park called FIFA,just a line out of 5-6 lines in this particular park filled with numerous car dealers in their little offices and we have almost 6-8 parks in cotonou,all you need to do is walk in and bargain also note the bikes,they're used as transport within the parks cos they're so large,if any agent tells you he knows a last price it's a lie cos how can someone know the mind of every car dealer in cotonou,all he can know fropm experience is the asking price and even if customer A buys for 800K,800K won't be applicable to Mr B cos bargaining power isn't the same.

2.RESEARCH- Like we've always stated always know what you want,how to get it and how much you can get it.

When you want to buy a car,make sure you make checks about the cars you need,Nairaland is a very good example of a site where you can get info on prices and car performances. We even have cases where customers pay transport fare for agents to check car prices for them in cotonou and even send money for deposits just because they know what they want,not the "I want to know the VIN history or low mileage types",we're talking about people who know what a good car is all about.
It's not always about bringing cash along on your first day,we even have cases where customers widow-shop for a day or two before buying a car in cotonou and pay for the services of their agent to check cars with them. You need to look beyond VIN reports and mileages,if the cars were so perfect,the previous owner who used them abroad will not sell them,that's why you're permitted to bring a mechanic and also test drive the cars. Make research on how to check used cars etc.

3. SINCERITY- This is when you as a potential customer lie to your agent that you can get a car for an amount you know you can't get it in Lagos,all your agent needs to do if he's the fraudulent type is also agree with you and start telling you stories you aso want to hear. He/She is confident that once you come and you become stuck,more cash will roll in. Always be sincere with your agent,if possible let him know your budget and listen to his advice cos he/she has experience. Although you need to be cautious but at least believe your agent to a certain level when he/she tells you what you can obtain in the market.

4. SMUGGLING- When you/agent decides to go into smuggling,it degrades your car's value.
Why pay money to someone who'll drive your car along bush parts when you can easily pay your custom duty and drive out of the border with ease even without your agent driving your car. Don't always believe any agent who tells you customers aren't permitted to drive from the border,as long as you have your papers with you,you as the customer can drive from the border,so if your agent suddenly tells you it's going to take weeks before he/she delivers your car,then you definitely know it's been smuggled. When you pay 100K to smuggle your car across the border when you can pay custom duty for the same car,a lot of questions ought to be asked.

The summary of all these is that the onus falls on you as the customer when you're planning to purchase a car from cotonou.
https://www.nairaland.com/1245239/cheaper-cars-available-cotonou

There is no way any agent will know the mind of every car dealer in Cotonou unless he/she is a wizard/witch and what is applicable to customer A isn't applicable to customer B.

For those who have been to Cotonou to purchase cars before,you may have noticed that all we give you are asking prices+expenses+custom duty.Many questions have been raised and we'll like to clarify them.

Let's use a benz 230(2000) as an example.

The asking price is 700K+220K(custom duty).

Now,everyone knows that in Cotonou,there are certain monies you've to pay to bring the car out from the park to the border and it's a standard charge of 165K irrespective of year.

Now,let's assume you pay 700K in cotonou,it's going to be 700-165K=535K(which is the actual purchase price).

Now let's assume you've a budget of 800K,all you need to do is so simple,deduct 220K(custom duty in Nigeria) from 800K,we have 580K left.

580K-165K=415K.

415K is your bargaining price when you come into Cotonou,this is what you offer the dealers.

If any agent tells you that you can get a car for 350K from Cotonou,it's practically a lie cos at least you'll spend 70K smuggling the car into Nigeria.

350K-70K=280K

Now according to our calculation,if we deduct 165K from 280K,we have 115K(345K CFA).Which good car can you purchase at that price.

All they do is trick you into Cotonou with your 350K cos they know greed is a factor which comes into play when it comes to some Nigerians,after you spend the 350K,your car is stuck in the parks because they'll keep demanding money for duty clearance and smuggling fee,before you know it,your car spends weeks in the bush before getting to your doorstep.

Please note that the 165K is a mandatory charge in cotonou but the beauty of it is that even when you fix it in your budget,if you're a good bargainer,you'll get quality cars.