Autoport.nz

[Brianr70 83]

https://www.autoport.nz/

 

Anyone had any interactions with this crowd?

[Matth5 471]

Never heard of them but that does look pretty handy if I'm ever after something that I can't find in NZ... would be interesting to hear if they're any good. 

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2963]

They are simply “agents” that take the adverts from Japanese and U.K. dealers, run them through a currency converter and add on their cut.

Risk free for them as they don’t even own the stock and only buy it on your behalf when you commit.

With the exchange rate the way it is at the moment the BMW pricing is way above what you could buy a better car for in NZ.

Not sure about the JDM stuff, even with the exchange rate I would imagine the pricing is still reasonable.

 

[M3AN 4016]

What happened to the post from Autoport themselves? It seemed genuine and helpful.

 

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2963]

As per forum rules - Advertising their business on Bimmersport.

They have their own web-site, it’s linked at the start of this thread.

[David Paviour 14]

The intent for this and the previous posts is only to correct what you have said about us. Here's the original post...

Hi there, just want to clear up what Autoport.nz do.

We are not just agents - we are full service RMVT so take full responsibility and risk under the CGA.

Hope that helps.

Edited April 11, 2021 by E30 325i Rag-Top
Blatant advertising removed.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2963]

What are you correcting exactly, I referenced “agent” as it is hard to name this selling process. A number of other business that operate in a similar way bringing cars from overseas refer to themselves as “agents”, hence use of the term.

When I enquired about a vehicle you were offering for sale on TradeMe I was basically told there was nothing you could do on the price as it was set by the dealer selling the car in Japan.

Do you own the cars you are advertising? Seems strange that they are still in Japan if you do. Up until very recently this kind of selling practice was specifically banned from TradeMe, but their greed for fees has seen this removed.-

Is it possible to test drive any vehicles before buying them, or even look at them, or do you have to pay before you see the goods?

Do you have a location where the cars can be seen, or are serviced and prepared by you?

Of course you are governed by the CGA, like any trader you’re a business operating in NZ providing goods and services. However, gaining restitution through the act, or even the motor vehicle tribunal process is lengthy and not guaranteed.

If I have got this wrong, then happy to be corrected, and I would be interested in looking at the E82 135i coupe you listed recently.

[David Paviour 14]

I’m correcting your comment that Autoport is just an “agent”, who takes no risk or responsibility and just runs a currency converter!

We’re a full service RMVT offering cars online direct from the source. Also, no attempt to advertise here - just advise what is included as standard for Autoport, since that was in question. I’m sure you know the answers to your questions given your position, but happy to answer for the community. All those questions and more are answered on our site.

We offer cars for sale from our network of authorised suppliers in Japan and the UK and we have companies setup in both those countries for quality control and admin efficiency. We have a physical office in Auckland for clients to visit and collect cars from - clients only deal with us. Cars are complied, serviced, registered, prepared and valeted by us.

Being online means we can be mitigate any issues at the inception of any deal with several inspections prior to shipping. It also means we avoid depreciation and the cost of funding an inventory – both usually add to the cost for the customer.

Clearly there’s no option to test drive, but that’s why there’s a robust process and a money back guarantee. While some see a test drive as important, some can’t be bothered and see it as a way for the salesperson to get some one-on-one time with the perspective customer to see what makes them tick and get closer to selling the car.

We are challenging the traditional dealer model by being online.

Clients pay no more than the agreed price at the inception of the deal, and secure the car with a 10% deposit. As for negotiation, Toyota and Honda stopped that years ago and from next year I hear that will be the case for Mercedes Benz. Do you know when it will be the case for BMW? And while our service isn’t for everyone, there seems to be a growing number who are quite interested.

Hope that helps.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2963]

20 minutes ago, David Paviour said:

 As for negotiation, Toyota and Honda stopped that years ago and from next year I hear that will be the case for Mercedes Benz. Do you know when it will be the case for BMW? And while our service isn’t for everyone, there seems to be a growing number who are quite interested.

Ah yes, the no negotiation model used by Toyota, Honda, M-Benz. What is that called again - oh yup it’s an agency model. So is this what you are running then? Is that why you referred to it? 

That model is also only applied to NEW cars for those brands, not used cars as you have listed. There is much more variation in the condition of a used car, the condition of a new car is a given. Hence the need for a test drive and view the vehicle.

What are the terms of the money back guarantee, no quibble, 100% back no questions?

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2963]

5 hours ago, 3pedals said:

This post is a disgraceful abuse of priveledge there are numeropus parties operating consession type models and the condirions are clearly spelt out on their website , may other dealers in NZ also do not own their stock - the finance companies do. 

True, but this particular outfit chose to try and advertise their operation on this forum. All I have done is ask them for clarification. Which whilst they have made a nice long post about, they seem to be vague about answering any direct questions.

Oh and apparently they ARENT running a concession / agency model - you seem to miss that point.

If you want to split hairs about who legally owns the stock then you are missing the point totally. The point I am making is if you can view / inspect / test drive before committing to purchase.

Most will advertise cars as being “in transit” or “on the way” when they have purchased overseas - so at least the time between committing and stumping up the deposit is reduced.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2963]

2 minutes ago, 3pedals said:

Can I test drive a new Manual BMW in NZ - No - I have to pay a deposit and what If I don't like it same argument, you are digging a rather large hole for yourself Mr Tyler 

No digging here Ron, all USED vehicles are available for test drive in NZ, whether they are auto, manual or DCT. As per the above there is a big difference between a NEW car and a USED one. The discussion here is about used, not new, so I really think you are stretching a point. 

Also, whether it is new or used, you can’t back out of a signed deal because you don’t like it, there has to be a physical defect in the product. And this again is where things differ between new and used, the expectations of a new vehicle are clear, however the reasonable expectations of a used vehicle are somewhat arbitrary, what the seller may expect to be reasonable of a vehicle that is x number of years old and travelled yyy thousand kms could well be very different to my personal expectations as the buyer. It is this grey area that the disputes tribunal adjudicate on in most cases, with some very variable results.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2963]

5 minutes ago, 3pedals said:

Then your response should be limited to pointing out just that "advertising" is not permitted , instead you entered into an unprofessional tirade questioning their ethics and you still are.

Can you please make up you mind? I did point out that advertising was not allowed and that was why the post was deleted - as it would have been if it was any other vehicle dealer, importer or seller other than private sales in the for sale forum. Then you and another user decided to get involved, and this is where we are.

Quite happy for the company in question to clarify, rather than advertise which is why the posts are now visible.

You do realise this is a totally not for profit web-site don’t you? And no-one is paid to post or administer or moderate on here? So I’m not sure how I’m supposed to be “unprofessional” and just so we are more than 100% clear here - these are my own personal views being represented, so please don’t read more into it than that.

I was not questioning the ethics of said company, if you have read it that way then I aplogise that was not the intent. I am asking them to clarify and be transparent so any users reading this thread are informed.

17 minutes ago, 3pedals said:

The irony is you frequently drop large media / press release propaganda on this site and some of us have questioned that in the past - are you then not advertising on behalf of your employer, is that not a breach of rules  ? 

I am not aware of any questions raised about anything I have posted, I’m sure the other admin or owners would have mentioned this if it were an issue.

My conscience is clear, and I would go so far as to say a press release is not advertising (where is the call to action? Pricing? Terms & conditions? Details of who to contact to purchase said vehicles) and I am 100% confident that I have never posted any information that is either above the line marketing material not below the line offers, ie advertising.

Strangely enough, as this is a BMW Car forum, I thought users would be interested to hear some of the latest news from said car company. It is all freely available from a wide number of sources, so nothing deceitful or Mis-leading there.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2963]

1 hour ago, 3pedals said:

Mr Tyler 

 And note that is a Privilege you are giving yourself that doesn't seem to be as eagerly abused by other moderators 

Mr Tyler is my father, please call me E30 325i Rag-Top!

Interesting you have chosen to edit your post after I have responded. Not sure what you mean by privilege, are you saying that I’m not allowed to post on here? As I’ve clearly stated, these are my thoughts, not Bimmersports. If any other mods have a view, they all have my phone number and know where to find me.

Oh, and please play the ball not the man, your issues with me are nothing to do with this thread.

[David Paviour 14]

I have never attempted to advertise, just clarify. If you think I’ve been vague, check out the info on our site, including our entire timeline on where and how Autoport was created.

Several interesting points have been raised…

Regarding pricing, more and more people find a fixed price model refreshing as they don’t like the haggle. They also like online as find car yards intimidating. Also, there are plenty of moving pieces apart from the price with buying and selling cars which usually affect the end price.

Regarding ownership, it seems good business sense not to own the depreciating and costly inventory but have full rights through an agreement to sell it. And while on that, there are plenty of dealers in NZ who have cars sitting on their yards they don’t own – it’s the supplier that still owns the car until it’s sold and the supplier is often a Japanese company.

Another thing I like about our model is that we aren’t motivated to sell cars based on margin or how long it’s been sitting on the yard (with turnover aims and cash flow implications of that). We are motivated to help clients find the best car they can, from a wide range, that fits their budget.

Challenging the traditional model means we do things differently, but with the same end result and most people who contact us understand that. If they don’t like how we operate, there’s plenty of choice!

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2136]

Surprised a Mod hasnt shut this thread down already......

I for one am getting tired of the private messages and emails about warnings about this thread

This garbage is why forums are dying and I dont come on here much anymore, less often post.
 

Hope everyone is well

Thread closed.