Infobase > Sources > Wholesale
Japanese wholesale networks
J-Spec has access to several wholesale networks in Japan where cars are bought and sold between automotive traders... they do not sell cars to members of the general public. Because of this prices sometimes are at wholesale rates (i.e. often fairly cheap) and as a result vehicles can sell quite quickly. Since the network is set up to sell cars pretty quick and with fairly modest profits we can't request further information or photos on the cars as they are likely going to sell pretty fast regardless. Often the cars are also taken to the wholesale network branches for the inspection report and initial photos and are then taken away so the cars aren't actually there anymore should we want further pics and info. As such the information and photos we have are all we can get prior to purchase and so more photos or requests for specific details are not possible at this time.
To combat this the reports on wholesale cars are usually fairly detailed and accurate, and in fact they often make pretty good cars sound bad since they are fairly critical at times. Once the car has been purchased and paid for and is in our possession in Japan we can arrange for someone to inspect the vehicle, they will take usually around 100 - 300 photos and will give us a written report on condition to get a really good idea of what the car is like. If at this point there is a major discrepancy between the condition of the car and the report the wholesaler gave us then we can make a claim, but if there are minor differences then that is not possible. Major discrepancies would be things such as the engine blowing smoke, the car having previous accident history, and so on. If the car has a few small scratches or dents that weren't noted, or overall has a bit more wear to the interior than expected then this would not be grounds to make a claim. On the whole we find the wholesale networks who we deal with to be quite reliable and it's unusual for a car to be in poorer condition than that which we were promised.
Wholesale network pros
- Prices can sometimes be excellent
- Cars can be inspected one purchase and there is usually the ability to make a claim should the car not be in the condition promised
- Reports on cars from experience are fairly accurate
Wholesale network cons
- Not as many cars as some other sources
- Initial report on car condition cannot be expanded upon prior to purchase