Payment timing and methods

There are typically 4 major payments to be made for a vehicle prior to registration. These are:

• J-Spec service fee

  This is $1,200 and is required initially, usually paid via direct bank transfer at a branch or via internet banking.

• FOB purchase price of the vehicle

  This must be paid to Japan when a vehicle has been secured. There are a few ways of doing this, and J-Spec will assist with the simplest ways of making this payment as well as those which will offer the best exchange rate, as in some cases there can be hundreds of dollars to be saved this way.

  In most cases Japanese payment terms are a litle strict, meaning the FOB invoice must be paid to Japan within a week of the vehicle purchase. If this will not be possible it is very important J-Spec is told in advance so we can make alternative arrangements as a short remittance period is the norm in Japan.

• Shipping, customs and import taxes

  This is required shortly before the car arrives in Australia so in fact the full amount for the car is not needed at the time of purchase. Only the FOB amount and J-Spec's service fee are needed initially, with other costs only requiring payment later. When cars arrive in Australia there are a number of customs and quarantine related costs that need to be paid, to make things easier for customers all of these are paid on your behalf by a customs broker who assists in clearing the car for you, and they then present you with only the one invoice for the shipping, GST, import duty and customs related costs. J-Spec works with the customs agent to provide the necessary paperwork, and will pre fill in some forms to assist the customer where their signature is required. This invoice can be paid direct to the customs clearance agent usually either by direct bank transfer (at a bank or via internet banking) or via credit card.

• Compliance

  This is only required to be paid after compliance has been completed in Australia and the payment methods will vary for each compliance workshop. Some compliance workshops may also require a deposit before applying for import approval when the car is still overseas.