First, determine what exactly you are comparing.
Two offers to buy and deliver a car from the USA may have different results, even with the same bid at the auction. The reason is not always the price of the service: one offer may end with delivery to the port, another may include registration, repair and preparation for receipt. Before choosing the cheaper option, bring both estimates to the same list of works.
The comparison should be for the same lot or specific vehicles. Record the VIN, location, billing date, currency, and the time the service is considered complete. If one of the quotes describes an approximate model without a specific lot, mark it as a preliminary reference. It does not yet provide a basis for comparing the exact final cost.
Make one table for both proposals
Create columns for “Cost Item,” “Proposal A,” “Proposal B,” and “What to Clarify.” Each cell should contain an amount, a “included” with an explanation, or “not calculated.” An empty cell should not automatically be considered a zero cost.
For customs clearance, information about the cost of the car and its parameters is required; the State Customs Service also provides a list of required documents. Therefore, the universal amount without data about the car should be clarified. This article does not contain a tax rate for all cases: the final calculation should be checked against the current rules for your purchase.
- Car: auction bid amount or agreed price, currency, basis of calculation.
- Auction: Buyer fees, payment and other applicable fees under the terms of the specific venue.
- Transportation: from the car storage location to the port, sea transportation, port services and delivery to the agreed location.
- Documents and registration: who performs the work and what payments are included.
- Customs payments: individual calculation with car parameters and date.
- Restoration: list of parts, work, diagnostics and necessary checks.
- Company service: its composition, price and limits of liability.
- Preparation for receipt: what is included and what the client organizes separately.
Separate fixed amounts and estimates
For each line item, ask for its status: agreed amount, current carrier quote, preliminary estimate, or pending cost. This helps you see how much of the total is based on confirmation and what is contingent on future events.
Consider repairs in particular. Ask not only about the total cost, but also about the work involved, the type of parts, the diagnostic procedures required, and the terms of the appraisal review. The FTC recommends that you obtain an independent inspection and a written report from a mechanic before purchasing a used car, including an estimate of the repairs needed. An auction photo alone is not a substitute for such an opinion.
If a seller or broker uses the phrase “fixed price,” ask to see what lines and conditions it covers in the documents. Don’t extend a verbal promise to work that isn’t on the agreed-upon list.
Check the exchange rate, route and timing
The two dollar totals may be based on different currency assumptions. Specify the actual currency of each payment, the conversion rule, and the exchange rate date. If some of the costs are not yet known, these assumptions should be reflected in the table.
The route should also be the same at the final point. Delivery to a European port and delivery to your city are different services. Find out who pays for possible storage, what are the terms of transferring the car between carriers, and how deviations from the previous plan are agreed upon.
The period should be written together with its terms: from which event it is counted and which stages it covers. The wording “two months” without a starting and ending event does not provide sufficient information for comparison.
Check the difference on a training example
Let’s imagine two hypothetical estimates — these are neither WonderCar’s quotes nor actual transaction prices. Option A has a total of $18,000, but separately lists $2,000 for the repair estimate and $600 for subsequent delivery. With the same scope of service, this is $20,600. Option B for $20,000 can only be compared to it after confirming that the same work and delivery are indeed included.
This example does not show which company to choose. It shows the calculation method: first the same volume, then the total, then checking what remains uncertain. If the row is not confirmed, save it as a question, rather than converting the estimate to a fact.
What to send for a substantive discussion
Prepare a link to the lot or description of the car you want, both estimates and a list of what is already included in the price. Personal data of other clients and payment details can be hidden. Leave the list of works, amounts, currency and date visible.
Ask to explain the difference line by line. A useful result of such a conversation is not just a new summary, but a clear document: what we buy, how we deliver, what work we plan, and when additional approval is needed.
For preliminary planning, use the WonderCar calculator, and for a specific car, discuss the calculation with the manager. Keep the agreed estimate and compare subsequent invoices with it.
