ICE - Bid Process

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International Car Express(ICE) has designed the website to be informative and simple to use. In this overview of how to use the website we have listed some convenient features below to help you.

Search Features

Once you have logged into the website you will be taken to the 'AUCTION' search page. Here you can view vehicles at over 95 auctions held weekly in Japan.

The search features are dividend into 2 sections:Auction days and Search Options.

Auction days

This section is located in the centre column of the 'AUCTIONS' page and is very important because we need to receive bids in Japan before they get processed at auction to allow us time to inspect and communicate this imformation to you so you can make a decision. The first place you should look is the top right hand side of the page where it says the time in Japan.

If it says 9:18 PM as above then the auction for Tuesday has most likely finished. [Note. Auctions can go all day in Japan so you are best to call us if you wish to process a bid this late in the afternoon]

In the 'AUCTION DAY' section it already says 'completed' so we select 'Wednesday' as our search criteria. This means that only vehicles that are at auction on Wednesday will be displayed when we search.

You can search auctions up to 4 days ahead in some cases although it is recommended to search only 1-2 days ahead as more vehicles will be displayed.

Search Options

When searching for vehicles at auctions the 'SEARCH OPTIONS' section will be the section you most commonly use. There are 16 different criteria which allow you to specifically identify the exact vehicles you want to search. Here's how it works:

Method 1 Example

Select 'MAKE' from the list, then click on 'MODEL' and a screen will be displayed with all models for that particular make of vehicle [Refer to image below]. Select the 'MODEL'you wish to search for by clicking your mouse on the highlighted area, in this example we will search for a 'Toyota Harrier'. You could select multiple models by clicking as many as required.

Next, scroll to the top of the 'MODEL' popup box and select 'DONE' [Shown below] and this will take you back to the 'SEARCH OPTIONS' area.

If you want to only search for grade 3.5-Max then you can adjust your search by using the features in the 'SEARCH OPTIONS' box.

Next, click on 'SEARCH' and a list of vehicles matching your criteria will be displayed, in this case a list of 'Toyota Harriers'.

Method 2 Example

Many dealers already know the chassis prefix of the vehicle(s) they want to search for. If this is the case then simply enter the 'CHASSIS' in the 'ADVANCED OPTIONS' section just below the submit button. Just like we have done in the image to the right. Next, click 'SUBMIT' and that's it! A list of all 'MCU15' Toyota Harriers will be displayed.

Defining Your Search

Most of the time you want to be able to define your search further by specifying certain criteria that matches your requirements. For example, let's say you only wanted to look at 2000-2001 Toyota Harriers done under 80,000 km that are grade 3.5 - 4.5. This is made simple by selecting the following from the 'SEARCH OPTIONS':

Make: Toyota

Model: Harrier

Year: Set 'min' to 2000 and 'max' to 2001

Condition: Set 'min' to 3.5 and 'max' to 4.5

Mileage (kms): Leave the left box empty and enter 80 in the right box

Click 'SEARCH' and you're done!

Of course there are many other criteria you can use to define your search. Try a few to familiarize yourself with how the system works. You will find it very simple to navigate once you have tried a few searchs.

'SEARCH OPTIONS' Main Screen

Locating the right vehicle

Now you know how to search for a vehicle the next step is to find the right vehicle for you.

To make this simple, select 'PHOTO-LIST' or 'LARGE' from the options on the top right of the screen.

'PHOTO-LIST' will display a small image and 'LARGE' will display a large image like the one below. You can also hold your mouse over the 'F', 'B' or 'S' to view an even larger 'Front', 'Back' or 'Auction Sheet' respectively.

Next, click on the image to view more information and proceed to the bidding screen. The next page will display some larger photo's and an auction sheet with information on the condition of the vehicle, provided by the auction.

Bidding Online

Now you have selected a vehicle you like and want to place a bid but want a translation of the inspection report done first!? Simply click on [Request Translation] and wait for ICE to contact you. ICE will provide you with a full translation and also have the vehicle inspected at the auction if requested. Note.This step is not always necessary as ICE will provide you a full translation before confirming all bids.

Next, you wish to bid on the vehicle but have a question you want to ask the inspector at auction in Japan? Above the photo's there is a 'Bid Notes' section which you can write anything you like in. For example, the vehicle must be 4WD.

Once we have done this we enter our bid price. In this example we want to pay 1,150,000 yen car cost. !!IMPORTANT!! If you wish to bid using FOB or CIF then just add 'FOB' or 'CIF' in the 'Bid Notes' section and we will work out the cost and let you know exactly how much we need to pay at auction for the car. Next, simply click 'BID'. This will not activate your bid but does indicate to ICE that you are committed to buying the vehicle if you confirm once we have contacted you.

Once you have placed a bid, ICEwill send you a translation of the auction sheet via email or over the phone so you can confirm your bid. All of this information is conveniently saved online, similar to online chat, so you can add a message or change your bid easily by clicking on [add a message] or [change bid].

In the example above XXX has placed a bid on the Harrier for 1,150,000 yen and stated that the vehicle 'Must be 4WD'. YYY has inspected the vehicle and uploaded a message stating the vehicle has leather seats. XXX want's to increase his bid because of this so clicks on [change bid], increases his price in the pop up screen to 1,200,000 yen and adds a message 'Increase bid to 1.2M because leather' and clicks 'SUBMIT'. It's that simple! YYY will receive a copy of the message from XXX and will activate his bid at the new price. You can add as many messages as you like, and because your account manager and the person attending the auction will receive a copy of your message, you will receive the most relevant information you need to make a judgement on the vehicle and confirm your bid price accordingly.

If you forgot to add a comment when placing the bid, you can simply add a message after by going to 'BIDS' in the top menu, select the vehicle and select [add a message].

Confirming Purchases

Lets say ICE buys the Harrier mentioned in our example. You will receive an email confirming the purchase after the auction has finished and the car will be moved to your account. You can view this by selecting 'My Stock' from the top menu. Once the vehicle arrives we will take photo's and upload with our own inspection report.

Payment

Once the vehicle has been moved to your account you will receive an invoice with the total amount, FOB or CIF, from ICE. Once we have received the necessary deposit your vehicle will be transported to port after being JEVIC, JAAi, or MAF inspected and processed for shipping. All shipping information is viewable in 'My Stock' and you can ask us any comments using the chat system online at any stage if you have any questions.

Conclusion

The information above is meant to give you a brief overview of the buying process from auctions in Japan. The same principals apply to dealer stock and the chat system is a fast and simple way of not only gathering the information you require, but also for keeping a history of it. You can refer back to comments made at any stage and contact your account manager should you need to by the click of a button online. Feel free to contact us at any stage if you have any questions on the process above.