Import a car from Germany or buy on the Ukrainian market?

This article is dated as shown. Laws, fees and prices have changed since then. Check the figures before you rely on them.

Buying something expensive is a serious step that should not be taken on a whim. You need to weigh up the facts, analyse the options, prepare carefully and find an honest seller. This applies all the more when you are buying a car of the quality and reliability that German models offer. There are different ways to buy: import a car from Germany or pick something from what the local car market has to offer. Which is the better deal in terms of price and quality? Let us look at this in more detail.

The catches in car market offers

Car markets in Ukraine offer German vehicles of every class and price range. Used cars are presented attractively: a polished, gleaming body, an interior in “perfect” condition, everything clean and well kept. Seeing such a car for the first time, it is hard to tell whether it will turn out to be a joy or a disappointment.

There is another kind of deception too: dishonest sellers ask designers to retouch photos of the car, removing every scratch on the steering wheel, every trace of corrosion, every chip. The designer makes an old car look new in the photos, and these sellers then deceive you as buyers. They may even ask for a deposit before you have seen the car. Do not let yourself be fooled! (As told by a designer we know)

Behind the shine and admiration it is easy to fall for the common tricks of the car markets: the seller claims the car was imported from Germany, when in fact it was driven in another country.

There are two risky cases:

• The car was imported from the Netherlands. The risk with such a purchase is that the Netherlands has a damp climate that damages car bodies. The “disease” called corrosion will cost you dearly: the vehicle's service life shortens, its market value drops and repairs run into serious money.
• The car was imported from Lithuania. This country is famous for its body repair specialists, who can easily rebuild the body of one car with the mechanicals of another. So a dealer may offer you a German car, while underneath it hides the components of other manufacturers.

Ask to see the purchase contract to check whether the car really is German. If the seller starts evading and hides the contract, do not deal with them. Documents such as the international registration certificate (Internationaler Zulassungsschein) or the customs declaration can also help you find out the truth.

How the price gets inflated

Buying a car at a car market in Ukraine also means overpaying. You will pay through the nose: for the services of the market seller, for the fact that he bought the car from a Ukrainian importer, who in turn bought it from a German car broker or owner. The sum includes the trip itself (the driver's accommodation, visa and insurance, travel costs, extra expenses), customs clearance and registration. Plus the importer's margin as payment for his services.

This chain of mark-ups ends in a high price (almost that of a new model), even though the starting price should have been low. Only cars with high mileage, little remaining service life or other defects come at a minimum price. In that case it makes more sense to buy a new car.

How to import a car from Germany without mistakes

The other option is to buy a car in Germany. Buying abroad is more reliable, because you can be certain that the car is German. But this route has many subtleties of its own. When buying, you need to be sure of the seller, find out whether the car is his own or whether he is acting on someone's behalf, and learn the reasons for the sale. You also need to be able to spot the “weak points” of the mechanicals at the first inspection, understand German law and know the language in order to put together the documents for customs.

A reliable agent: what he needs to know and do

If you lack the opportunity and enough information, find someone who will handle the transport and the paperwork. You need an agent with sufficient experience and knowledge, established contacts and the right equipment for checking the model. Such a person will help you find a car in Germany, take a test drive, carry out an inspection and prepare the documents for crossing the border.

Destacar offers a car search service in Germany:

• we find a model that matches your requirements,
• we travel to the seller,
• we carry out the technical inspection in person,
• we give you detailed information on the condition and on visible and hidden defects.

Once the right model has been approved by the client, we prepare the set of documents for export to Ukraine.