₦airaland Forum

My first experience in Cotonou ended up a disappointment in 2009 as I planned to buy an 03/04 accord EX/L probably with navigation effizi. The first thing is that I was overwhelmed with the number of parks to go for me to make a choice. if you have eye for detail like I do, this could take you more than 2 days which I never bargained for. Because I spent all the time moving round, there was no time for looking up the VIN report of the particular cars I selected and this is very important to me. As there is always a closing time at any market place, you may just have to pay a little token of N10K to book the vehicle down so that it will be marked sold for as long as the day you promise to return to complete the deal. The 4-cyl 03/Nav that I got up to 2.1M duty inclusive. Compared to N2.1M I got in Lagos then for an 04 without nav system anyway. There was a passive comment of rolling back the odometer if i wanted which put me off the deal completely. I felt happier returning home without a car.

My second experience was in january 2010 when I was interested in getting an 03 infiniti QX4. The price hovered around N2M in Lagos and they were not many with Lagos dealers so I felt I could get to Cotonou for the sake of variety. I actually got I wanted at N2M duty inclusive but I didnt think it was worth the trouble since it was the same price in Lagos so I also quit the transaction. I was made to understand, which was a fact anyway, that the exchange rate plays a very high factor in the price at which you get a car. Specifically, the ex, rate was very high then. Dollar had jumped from N115 to over N140 if I could remember. So there was a cascading effect on Naira to CFA.

Not done, there was yet another return to Cotonou for a car for my wife. I had researched and discovered that I could get Honda Odyssey (96/97/98) model for N950K in Lagos. Well researched, I contacted ‘my agent’ who by now I had known too well on and outside Nairaland and I equally assumed he knew my taste as a result of the previous transactions albeit incomplete. I was working at getting this van at N750/800K. I entrusted the entire deal into his hand as I didn’t have the time and energy to travel to Benin Republic again. By the time the deal was concluded it ended at N870K be casue there was strike by Cotonou Customs and there was also a slight review of duty at the time. But I must say that I would have made a better choice of van if I had gone with my agent. As per if the papers were genuine, yes they were. With the assurance of the agent, my brother drove the vehicle down to Abuja without any problem with custom, counting up to 10 or more in Badagry road and 6 between Lagos and Abuja. I have had reason to be stopped at custom checkpoint twice and there was no issue with my paper. It was even mooted that I overpaid for a 1996 car. It appears that the law on restriction of importable cars to 10yrs of age does not affect land borders.

I have since recommended three friends to Cotonou market through the same agent. One was satisfied and the second not wholly satisfied because of additional costs of putting one of the 2 vehicles he bought in order. Things went awry on the road. Also, the guy could not get drivers to drive them after all the boast and the delivery money was not refunded as at the time my friend needed them.

• You may not have an opportunity to get a mechanic to check the car for you. Experience has really taught me to know that a car that drives fine at the dealer’s place might not show the actual problems until an hour after you hit the road. Vibrations, missing parts, overheating etc. This does not apply to Cotonou alone.
• Agents could also collude with the clearing agent to add up the cost of clearing. You wouldn’t have the time to investigate all this detail about how much goes to where.
• Negotiate how much the agent will collect before you buy.
• To ensure you are given a genuine paper, let the agent know that you are going to drive your car down yourself, I tell you if your deal is clean, you have no problem. But also realize that police will always collect money from you whether your papers are genuine or not. At most, it is N200 where you cannot talk your way through. Customs may also collect what is called OD (Officer-on-Duty), between N1K and 2K but they wouldn’t hold your vehicle.
• I was made to understand that Cotonou dealers do not pay duty on all their cars as they enter Benin Republic so the buyer end up paying both duties.
• Be prepared to go to Cotonou twice before you can seal your deal. This adds up to the cost – money and time.
• Please, only go to Cotonou with someone you know well, or a recommended agent. As in all business that involves money, some are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
• Buy when exchange rate is low.
• Expect your car to take minimum of 5 working days to deliver, forget all the story of 2 days.
• If I look back at those times, though you get to save something, I will say what you save on a car with fully paid duty may not worth the effort except you take some of the precautions above. I think cars are also getting cheaper in Nigeria that is if you don’t get to buy junks anyway.

Well then we wait for the pictures of Avanza since you sound like it is not Venza.

Hey you, who is going where with you? Abeg post the thing joo or else I will search for the picture of a nigerian used Venza and post now now.

Hello sir, please assist in looking up the history of this car:

JHMCM568X6C006308

I urgently need to take a decision.

thank you.

Hello sir, please assist in looking up the history of this car:

JHMCM568X6C006308

I urgently need to take a decision.

thank you.

Oga Siena the post is clocking 2yrs. By now his mechanic should have gotten enough experience to fix the problem

digi101:
Yea the manager has surely gone bunkers . A 12 year old oddessy with less space than the newer 2000 trim for N1.1

^^^^ Boy, you sure got me in stitches there

Not withstanding, my wife used this very model of Odyssey for a long time. Great on fuel (4 cyl), no gear issues like some of my friends complained about the 1999+ model, same engine with the very efficient Honda 'Academy' and it drives like car. We sold ours @ 185K miles because we just grew tired of it, the engine, AC and every other things were still like the way they came @ 110Kmiles even though it suffered occassional maintenance neglect in our hands. I like the practicability of the vehicle especially for goods movement only that engine roars when it is fully loaded; expectedly it's a 4 cylinder. It slots in between car and standard MPV.

But Oga Dealer, consider coming down a little on the price for quick sale.

I am very interested. But why would the owner want to sell a car registered barely 3 weeks ago? Would you PLEASE be willing to send the VIN to ofismails@yahoo.com

A friend requested me to get him an 04/05 accord. I posted a request on nairaland and asked dealers to forward details of what they have in stock to my email address with prices, pictures, mileage and VIN. All the dealers provided everything but the VIN, I mean to a seller's personal email box! After mounting pressure on some of the dealers, they provided the VINs. Believe you me, NONE of these cars came out clean. One of the dealers even told me the car has been sold only to type "still available " the following morning. I was surprised that a whole lot of the EODs with great looking pictures are accidented or had their odometer rolled back. It is not an offence to sell an accidented vehicle, but it is fraudulent not to declare the state of such vehicle and it is the height of robbery to even attempt to sell such as a "veeery clean mint condition 2005 EOD".

Another big one is that a number of dealers on NL are actually agents. Again nothing is wrong with running an agency. Findings usually show that some don't even know much about the vehicle or the history of the vehicle they are selling other than the amount the owner wants to sell it and their cut. It's when you get to the car stand that they start making calls and other contacts. At times they don't even know if thecar they are advertising has been sold or not.

Automart, please send pictures mileage, VIN and prices of your EODs to ofismails@yahoo.com

Thanks.

Oga Viper I can see you are online. Respond to my offer or is the price fixed like my name?

This Fast!!!

T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U S-I-R.

Good day sir.

Kindly assist in checking up the report of this car: JHMCM56683C087593.

Thank you.

N1.5M we deal on Tuesday morning?

If you have a clean Toks Lagos cleared EOD to sell at a good price please drop your number here and I will call you. You can please forward VIN, current mileage and pictures to ofismails@yahoo.com. I'm doing a search for a brother who needs one very urgently. Yeah, could be any of '03 to '05, LX or EX would be just okay. Tried so hard, but I couldn't convince him about V6 unfortunately.

Crayon thanks. Chipetrus please pardon my derailing your thread. How does the number of bolts in a truck affect the pricing or become a value added just as some SUV are 4WD while the same type could be 2WD? Also, is it possible to have two MB1120 trucks with different number of bolts? I just got into the business that's why I actually want to know sirs.

TruckDaddy, I bet that you will sell nothing, absolutely nothing through nairaland. No picture, no details about the trucks, no cost, even your contacts are not provided. You are just wasting thread

Please what is "bolt"? Just want to be educated anyway.

Oh, Sorry for the Oliver Twist-like request. Check this for me:

2T1KY32E63C702054

Thanks.

Hi BizBooks, I am still waiting for your response. Kindly assist please.

2T1KY32E63C702054

JN1DA31A73T421968

Thanks.

Hi BizBooks, can you please help me check these two vins:

2T1KY32E63C702054

JN1DA31A73T421968

Thanks.

Hi Chevchenko. I am aware this is an old post, but you could still be of assistance in any way.
I want you to help me find out from your cousin if he could help me arrange for truck similar to the ones I posted below. Please note that the model below is DAF 75 310 with 10 tyres and refrigerator/container body as against the DAF 65 you advertised for your brother. It appears (from my faint observation) the one advertised was from UK (righty), please I want a left hand hand drive as the cost of conversion of these new models are very high.

Responses/follow up: ofismails@yahoo.com

Thanking you while I await your response.

No response yet?

Where are all the truck dealers?

Please if you have any of the below specification of truck, let me know what you have and leave your contact details here. I will reach you privately. The cold room engine must be in a perfect working condition of at least -20^oC. Any of MAN or Mercedes Benz from 1996 Model Year and less than 750,000Km will do just fine. The container should be up to 30ft or more. No time for preorder please.

Notwithstanding, you can still drop your contact details if what you have is outside the stated spec.

I am waiting,

Biz Books, please forward the site url to me ofismails@yahoo.com

tanx.

@Poster, this question sounded unintelligent to me, no offence meant. Why compare a brand new to a 10 year old? SLEEP and DEATH no be the same.

Please rephrase the question to "WHICH IS BETTER - 08 US SPEC CAMRY and BRAND NEW ELANTRA"

Then it will make a meaning.

good day.

kindly help to check this:

4T1BE30K74U360700

thank you sir.

Good day sir.

Please help me check the report for this car:

4T1BE30K74U360700

Thanks.

That was almost an intelligent one! But next time you don't edit just the post being referred to. You also need to delete my own post. If you are playing "smart", then do it to the fullest measure and leave no room for stupidity. QED.

Hmmm,
Is it me or these posts! Something is wrong somewhere.

St Chris advertised, Allweatha wanted to buy, Allweatha replied himself (mistakenly?) and continued to advertise for St Chris or sellers are now pricing their own market with a second profile on NL or still?

I may be reading incorrectly anyway,

Hello Bizbooks. Please help me with the report of this vin: JHMRA184XSC024419.

Thanks for your usual help.

Can anyone please help me check this VIn: JHMRA184XSC024419.

Thanks.