Buying used cars on its own can be a problem sometimes due to the fact that there are no guarantees of the condition of the car you want to purchase. Regardless, Nigerians (myself included) due to the cost of brand new cars, have had to settle for used cars. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a Nigerian problem, it happens pretty much everywhere across the world including the US.

So I wanted to buy my first car, complete novice, I had heard of online car auctions and also stories of people being duped of $4000 and more, like the agents would just vanish into thin air, simply because you’re in here Nigeria trying to buy a car that you can’t see in a place you’ve never been… Problem 1!

Of course, some friends advised me to just visit a local dealer here and buy. But when I read up things like odometer fraud, selling flooded or accident-ed cars, I decided to take what I thought was a risk then. Plus, I was budget conscious and to be honest looking for a bargain.

Total package was N2.2m... cost of car here from dealers is N3.5 - 4m
Breakdown is as follows

Cost of car: $1800 (Won live bidding)
Auction Charges: $581
Auto Auction Mall Flat Fee: $299
Others (Documentation, Bank and Transfer fees): $179
Total: $2859 is N1, 029, 240 (@360/$1)

Shipping Costs Domestic: $405
Shipping Costs Ocean (ROR): $1245
Total: $1650 is N594,000 (@360/$1)

Tin Can Clearing: N550k

Others:
Dom Account Telex charges Payment for car - N16k
Dom Account Telex Charges Payment for Shipping - N16k

Understanding Auto Auctions
At the time, it seemed like complex stuff to me, with the terminologies etc. With just a few hours with Google, I got to know that US used cars are your best bet if you are looking to buy foreign used cars and with a little more research found out that Copart, IAAI, Manheim and Adesa were the top 4 used car auctions in the US.

There is also a used car market in Nigeria termed “Nigerian used” but you’ll agree that if you have options and the funds you’re better off with “Tokunbo cars”.

The only thing I didn’t like about online auction system was the condition of buying “as is, where is”… this literally means that when you buy a car from online auctions (bidding or buy now offers) you agreed to buy the car and whatever defects or faults it came with. Fine, they let you inspect the car if you’re over there or have someone to do it, but that wasn’t the case for me.

Also as a Nigerian, the thought of paying fully for a car you hadn’t seen or tested was a little upsetting, but I let the online reviews I read reassure me.

Choosing the Right Auction Platform
I signed up to Copart and IAAI because they seemed more popular, straightforward and had great reviews. the usual free accounts but found out that the cars I had access to as a free account were limited aka “Public auctions”.

I think I read somewhere online that the remnants of Dealer, exporter, dismantler and other higher accounts were the vehicles that made up these public auctions. To gain access to these top level auctions, I needed to make deposits of up to $1000, pay annual subscriptions of about $200 and also have a dealer’s license. Let’s even put the license aside, me that was trying to save, where was I going to get over 400k that I was not using just for deposit? Problem 2

So I went back to google and started discovering online auction brokers like Auto Auction Mall and Auction export who both seemed legit and had done a lot of business in Nigeria. What they do is that for a fee (usually less than $300) they allow you access some of the higher level auctions so you can get good deals and good cars to buy. They help with the bidding and shipping if you want.

Initially, I thought of Auction export but I decided to go with Auto Auction Mall because of a service they call “Phone support”. After calling them (Spoke with a Peter guy), they rerouted me to their representative in Nigeria here (Mr Femi), who was of immense help (Probably spent like 5k airtime on me and my questions...lol)

Choosing Auto Auction Mall was a no- brainer because they literally provided someone to hold my hand and guide me through a process I literally knew nothing about. From the inquiries, to the purchases to the shipping (big-ups!)… but I’ll get to that in a bit.

Selecting and Bidding For The Car
Signing up to Auto Auction Mall was easier and even before signing up, I could go through their huge online car inventory. To have what they termed “buying power”, ability to bid or purchase cars, I had to make a minimum refundable deposit of $400 or 10% of the value of the car I wanted to buy.

Although, I was told the deposit was refundable if I didn't get the car I wanted, at the time, my scam alarm bells were ringing and I gave up for about two weeks. But I did some digging and saw good and not so good reviews about them on other third party sites. But none that said they took off with money.

Initially wanted to buy a 2006 BMW 750li but thanks to customs estimate that I was able to get from Femi (The Auto Auction Mall rep) I dumped it. He literally said “Customs are waiting for you oo”. So I eventually settled for the X5, made my deposit with my GTB Mastercard (Debit) on their website, was granted a buying power of $4000 after I sent a copy of my ID and account email and we scheduled the auction.

The car had a “Buy Now” price of $2500. What this means is that the auctioneer was willing to sell the car for that amount without an auction. More like cash and carry. Let me mention here that apparently, all cars listed on Auto Auction Mall eventually end up in live auctions. Some auctioneers in some cases may sell if the set price is met even before the auction date for that car and some won’t fix a “buy Now” price as a risk to try to see how much they can get on the car.

For the auction, you can choose to be a part of it or not, I chose to experience it and was linked to the Auto Auction Mall head office in US. I had the free help of the Auto Auction Mall auction specialist, Peter, who called me via Skype a few days to prepare me for the auction.

Fast forward auction day, I eventually won the auction for $1800. Lots of tension there too but I think I handled it well...lol

Payment and Shipping
So Auto Auction Mall has some strict payment terms, payment of the buying power deposit can only be done via card on their website. Payment for the car and their charges only by bank (wire) transfer and for this you will need a domiciliary account.

Within 24hours of winning the auction, I got the invoice for payment with bank instructions. The breakdown of the payment included the cost of the car, the auction charges. The $400 deposit I made earlier had been deducted from the total leaving me with the balance to pay. I had to pay immediately to meet up with the 2-3business days payment deadline so as not to incur extra $50 daily fine.

Before the bidding process, I had also discussed with their rep on shipping. I got to understand that Auto Auction Mall assists with shipping through their partners if a buyer opts for that. He also gave me the option of sorting out shipping myself and picking up the car at the lot but then why go through the headache of separate arrangements right?

The shipping company they spoke with on my behalf was Prestige Shipping. After a few days, I got confirmation of a booking number and the vessel, Grande Benin (Grimaldi Shipping lines) that the car was assigned to. I called prestige directly a few times just to be sure this was legit and I wasn’t being scammed and their confirmations put me at ease. The car was booked for Roll on- Roll off (RORO) shipping since it was a “run and drive” car. I also got to understand that RORO is cheaper and clears faster if you’re buying just one car.

There were some slight issues with the US customs due to paper work that wasn’t properly signed, but this was resolved and after about 3 weeks, I got a confirmation after following up with Peter, that the car had been loaded.

The payment for shipping was paid to the Shipping companies bank account through bank/wire transfer and according to their Nigerian rep, Auto Auction Mall didn't take any commissions off the shipping. The great thing is that receiving a shipping payment invoice also acts as a confirmation of sorts that your car is on the ship and on its way to you and then the wait started.

Before I forget, after payment, the original titles, and documents including the bill of lading will be sent via DHL or FedEx for customs clearing. I got mine 4 days after payment.

Arrival and Clearing
After roughly 3 weeks, Grande Benin finally arrived Lagos. The Auto Auction Mall had earlier connected me with an agent who I met and gave a copy of the bill of lading to fast track clearance. After 4 – 5 days and N550,000 later, I picked up my 2005 BMW X5!

Things to Note:
- There were some additional charges like $25 for offshore transfer charges I had to pay when paying for both shipping and the car
- Try to get your dollars on time from your Aboki to avoid fluctuations in forex
- It is a lengthy process. Took about 8 weeks (due to the customs delay), was told it’s usually about 6 weeks. So patience is key! On the good side, you’re getting an awesome deal

Conclusion
I definitely will recommend Auto Auction Mall if you’re considering buying a US used car via auto auctions. Having a Nigerian rep to guide me through the process eased a lot of fears and worries and helped me to understand the process.

I’m already saving to get my wife, her own car too!

Pls can u break down how much u spent in total. Thanks

Marvel4u:
Pls can u break down how much u spent in total. Thanks

Great!
Total package was N2.2m... cost of car here from dealers is N3.5 - 4m
Breakdown is as follows

Cost of car: $1800 (Won live bidding)
Auction Charges: $581
Auto Auction Mall Flat Fee: $299
Others (Documentation, Bank and Transfer fees): $179
Total: $2859 is N1, 029, 240 (@360/$1)

Shipping Costs Domestic: $405
Shipping Costs Ocean (ROR): $1245
Total: $1650 is N594,000 (@360/$1)

Tin Can Clearing: N550k

Others:
Dom Account Telex charges Payment for car - N16k
Dom Account Telex Charges Payment for Shipping - N16k

So, this is what you brought for 2.2M.. Na wah o

bluebay:
So, this is what you brought for 2.2M.. Na wah o

Considering the customer was able to save at least 1m, it is a steal.
Of course you can't compare, European/German luxury car to Japanese/Chinese/Korean cars. Have a feel of or test drive a BMW and you'll understand why it is a steal!

Have you even checked the price of that SUV in Nigeria?

bluebay:
Have you even checked the price of that SUV in Nigeria?

Sure. How much do you reckon a foreign used E53 Us spec, goes for in Nigeria?

Please feel free to call or contact us via www.autoauctionmall.com if you've got questions or inquiries about purchasing a car.

martyns200:
what mileage was the bmw x5?

Mileage was 187k. Clear Repossessed Title

Let us connect you to US used car dealer only and private auctions in North AMerica. Talk to us today www.autoauctionmall.com

[quote author=aamadmin post=75731202]
Mileage was 187k. Clear Repossessed Title[/quote

too high to me compared to the year of the bmw

[quote author=aamadmin post=75724096]

Great!
Total package was N2.2m... cost of car here from dealers is N3.5 - 4m
Breakdown is as follows

Cost of car: $1800 (Won live bidding)
Auction Charges: $581
Auto Auction Mall Flat Fee: $299
Others (Documentation, Bank and Transfer fees): $179
Total: $2859 is N1, 029, 240 (@360/

Den later u will want to sell it for 2m naija used
I wo der whu ppl keep gettin salvaged cars . All of dem na d same tin.its dull to pass thru such stress wen belgium full naija
Wtf

Tokunbo corolla sport 2006 model for just 1.6m. For more Details and affordable cars chat me up on whatsapp.09032754614

aamadmin:
Please feel free to call or contact us via www.autoauctionmall.com if you've got questions or inquiries about purchasing a car.

now you're talking the koko, you gave testimony about the great company that helped you with your ride just for us to find out that you're an agent on marketing drive. This story would have been better coming off from a satisfied customer instead of you. I'm not taking anything off your company o just that in cases such as this, I like hearing from customers instead of agents..
Nice ride though

RZArecta2:
now you're talking the koko, you gave testimony about the great company that helped you with your ride just for us to find out that you're an agent on marketing drive. This story would have been better coming off from a satisfied customer instead of you. I'm not taking anything off your company o just that in cases such as this, I like hearing from customers instead of agents..
Nice ride though

This is a satisfied customer's review in HIS OWN WORDS. WE ARE PROUD to have provided this customer with great service. Sharing that with his permission on official Auto Auction Mall platforms is a standard business norm and doesnt taint or take away it's authenticity. We can't share their contact details for obvious reasons.

We would also love to help you purchase your dream car and share your testimonial similarly if you are interested.
Thanks!

Ps: This is the official Nairaland account for Auto Auction Mall in Nigeria not an Agent's. Thanks

[quote author=martyns200 post=75738170][/quote]
It appears so but when you compare the total landing cost to what local Nigerian dealers sell, it's a steal.
Plus it's not really about the year, it's a BMW, a luxury car with excellent performance beyond the regular Japanese and korean cars, higher years cost a lot more.

Hoodbilonia:
Den later u will want to sell it for 2m naija used
I wo der whu ppl keep gettin salvaged cars . All of dem na d same tin.its dull to pass thru such stress wen belgium full naija
Wtf

Hoodbilonia:
Den later u will want to sell it for 2m naija used
I wo der whu ppl keep gettin salvaged cars . All of dem na d same tin.its dull to pass thru such stress wen belgium full naija
Wtf

It's up to the customer to decide what he wants to do with the car as we don't sell Nigerian used cars. However, Salvage cars are cheaper obviously because of the damage and US used cars are way better than Nigerian used cars because of
- Road conditions: Cars on US roads will obviously be in better condition than cars used on Nigerian pothole filled roads
- Driver: WIth regulations, US driving is less rough than the average aggressive Nigerian driver.
- Parts and Maintenance: Availability of genuine parts and skilled service prolongs the life of US used cars better than Nigerian cars and mechanics
- US State Regulations ensures the best conditions and service for your car in the case of damages or accidents. That is non existent in Nigeria

At the end of the day, the choice is yours! Save a few, buy Nigerian used cars just to become a weekly/monthly source of income for your local mechanic...Choose wisely

Be sure to visit www.autoauctionmall.com to search through our online inventory of vehicles and be on your way to purchasing your dream car.