The Cotonou automobile market (foreign used vehicles) is such a big market that dwarfs anything of such that we have in Nigeria. It is a major hub supplying several other markets in the West Africa sub-region. It is situated on a large expanse of land, with so many zones/parcs dealing in different types and brands of automobiles. The greatest opportunity offered by the market is the opportunity of having a variety of options to choose from even at a cheaper price. There are so many parc owners willing to offer irresistible but good deals to their customers. You can always move from one parc to the other until you find what your heart desire. The opportunity of obtaining genuine Customs papers for your vehicle if you deal with the right agent is also certain. Though, it is not uncommon nowadays to find intending car buyers who have been swindled of their hard earned money. This I will say may be due to unnecessary negligence and ignorance on the part of the customers. Looking for and believing in ridiculous offers is also a problem--Greed, as why on earth will anyone believe an offer of a clean 1999 model tokunbo Toyota Camry for 550k? The onus is on every intending car buyers to do a thorough research before coming down to Cotonou. From the foregoing, here are some of the precautionary steps advised to be taken when getting any vehicle from Cotonou and by extension, Lome:

1). Insist on meeting your dealer/agent in person and also try to establish a verifiable contact of him/her;

2). Never make any advance payment into any bank account either here in Nigeria or Cotonou;

3). Never accept any ridiculous offer from anybody;

4). It will be better if you can spare a day or two out of your schedule to be physically present to buy the vehicle and stay with the dealer/agent till your vehicle gets home. This usually takes less than 24hrs;

5). Demand for a VIN report of the vehicle you intend to purchase so as to avoid buying an accidented vehicle or one with a mileage rollback;

6). Genuine dealers/agents don't ask for their fee which must have been agreed upon until the point of delivery;

7). Don't go to Cotonou alone if your are not conversant with the market as this may be counter-productive;

8.). Don't go to the market carrying cash when you have not seen what you're buying. It is always easy to comeback to the border to get the money from any of the banks there after seeing what you like and negotiation. And if the purchase involves a huge amount of money, ECOBANK and UBA will be at your service to avoid carrying huge amount of cash across the border;

9). Always feel free to ask questions if something seem unclear to you.

It is my believe that taking the above mentioned steps will not only protect your overall interest, it will also dispel any fear you may have had about getting your dream cars from Cotonou which may have arose due to different scary tales and myth you've heard about the market. God bless

The Cotonou automobile market (foreign used vehicles) is such a big market that dwarfs anything of such that we have in Nigeria. It is a major hub supplying several other markets in the West Africa sub-region. It is situated on a large expanse of land, with so many zones/parcs dealing in different types and brands of automobiles. The greatest opportunity offered by the market is the opportunity of having a variety of options to choose from even at a cheaper price. There are so many parc owners willing to offer irresistible but good deals to their customers. You can always move from one parc to the other until you find what your heart desire. The opportunity of obtaining genuine Customs papers for your vehicle if you deal with the right agent is also certain. Though, it is not uncommon nowadays to find intending car buyers who have been swindled of their hard earned money. This I will say may be due to unnecessary negligence and ignorance on the part of the customers. Looking for and believing in ridiculous offers is also a problem--Greed, as why on earth will anyone believe an offer of a clean 1999 model tokunbo Toyota Camry for 550k? The onus is on every intending car buyers to do a thorough research before coming down to Cotonou. From the foregoing, here are some of the precautionary steps advised to be taken when getting any vehicle from Cotonou and by extension, Lome:

1). Insist on meeting your dealer/agent in person and also try to establish a verifiable contact of him/her;

2). Never make any advance payment into any bank account either here in Nigeria or Cotonou;

3). Never accept any ridiculous offer from anybody;

4). It will be better if you can spare a day or two out of your schedule to be physically present to buy the vehicle and stay with the dealer/agent till your vehicle gets home. This usually takes less than 24hrs;

5). Demand for a VIN report of the vehicle you intend to purchase so as to avoid buying an accidented vehicle or one with a mileage rollback;

6). Genuine dealers/agents don't ask for their fee which must have been agreed upon until the point of delivery;

7). Don't go to Cotonou alone if your are not conversant with the market as this may be counter-productive;

8.). Don't go to the market carrying cash when you have not seen what you're buying. It is always easy to comeback to the border to get the money from any of the banks there after seeing what you like and negotiation. And if the purchase involves a huge amount of money, ECOBANK and UBA will be at your service to avoid carrying huge amount of cash across the border;

9). Always feel free to ask questions if something seem unclear to you.

It is my believe that taking the above mentioned steps will not only protect your overall interest, it will also dispel any fear you may have had about getting your dream cars from Cotonou which may have arose due to different scary tales and myth you've heard about the market. God bless....