The Ramin method
Auction floor.
Driveway.
Eight weeks.
We do this every week, year after year. The process below is exactly what will happen to your car — written down so nothing is hidden, no fee is a surprise, and you can hold us to it.
Week 0
01
The brief
We sit down with you — in person if you're near Brighton, on a video call otherwise — and write down exactly what you want. Spec, year window, condition tier, max budget all-in. We don't take deposits at this stage.
- Free, no obligation
- 30-min discovery call
- Written brief shared back
Week 1–4
02
Sourcing & inspection
Your brief goes live in our auction tracker. Each Tuesday we send you matching lots from HAA Kobe, USS Tokyo, TAA Kantō and the smaller satellite auctions. We physically inspect every car you star and send back a 60-photo cold report.
- Live shared watchlist
- JEVIC + JAAI sheet decoded
- Cold inspection photos
- Auction reserve estimate
Auction day
03
We bid, you watch
You set a max bid. We bid for you live, on the floor or by proxy. If we lose, we lose — there's no fee until we win. If we win, we wire the deposit to the auction house from our Tokyo escrow account within the hour.
- No fee unless we win
- Bid against your written cap
- Same-day winning notification
Week 4–8
04
Logistics & customs
Roll-on / roll-off shipping from Yokohama or Kobe to Bristol — typically a 5-week sail. Customs clearance, 10% duty and 20% VAT paid on landed value. We send you every receipt.
- RoRo shipping (enclosed available)
- Customs clearance handled
- Marine cargo insurance
Week 8–9
05
UK compliance
DVLA-approved IVA / SVA test, headlight conversion if needed, MOT, age-related plate, V5C in your name. We handle every form.
- IVA / SVA test booked & passed
- Speedo, lights, mirrors converted
- MOT certificate
- V5C registration in your name
Week 9
06
Pre-delivery service
Our Brighton workshop does a full PDI: oil, filters, brake fluid, coolant, plugs as needed, full underbody check, four-wheel alignment, detail clean.
- Full fluids service
- Underbody inspection
- 4-wheel alignment
- Detail clean inside & out
Week 9
07
Hand-over
You collect from Brighton, or we deliver door-to-door on an enclosed transporter. You leave with two keys, the original Japanese books, the auction sheet, the bond report, the IVA cert, and your V5C.
- In-person walkthrough
- All paperwork bound in a Ramin folio
- 12-month warranty included
No surprises
Every fee, written down.
What you pay to Ramin
- Sourcing & bidding fee£1,500 (only on win)
- Inspection & bond reportIncluded
- UK compliance & IVAFrom £1,200
- Pre-delivery serviceFrom £450
- 12-month warrantyIncluded
What you pay HMRC
- Import duty10% of CIF value
- VAT20% of CIF + duty
- Shipping (RoRo)~£1,400 from Japan
- Marine insurance0.4% of value
- DVLA first registration£55
Total all-in cost is quoted in writing before you commit to bid. We use a third-party escrow on funds in transit between the UK and Japan.