The second-hand car market may be booming but we are still years away from being able to provide proper documentation for locally used cars. Poor maintenance habits, lack of ethics by salesmen and a widespread absence of accurate data make it almost impossible for buyers to know the real status of cars they are interested in. Stories of people buying cars and spending additional fortunes to fix them and replace parts are so common that it is no longer news!
The tips below are sure to protect you from making costly mistakes and help you understand that car import is actually quite great!
1. Do Your Research
Having sufficient pre-purchase knowledge of what brand, make and model you are looking for goes a long way. When trying to find a car, always take into account your current lifestyle and possible lifestyle changes. The presence or absence of a family and whether your planning to have one soon is a question that should be answered after proper consideration. It’s also important to consider what happens after you buy your car, and how accessible are you to car service providers near your home or place of work and the cost of maintenance long-term. It is important to factor in things like service and insurance costs so that you paint a clear picture of how much you really need not just to buy but to own your dream car. If you are a Carhoot user, this can easily be done on the app or with the assistance of our team. You’ll get accurate car import and car service estimates sent to your phone via the app.
2. Get a Reputable Car Dealer
Car import also has its challenges, with the growth of Japanese based conmen posing as car dealers taking advantage of Kenyans each week. The cases of people losing money through these cartels have caught the attention of the Japanese Embassy in Kenya as well as news outlets. Tech tools like Carhoot are offering local car buyers an extra layer of protection by providing easy access to dedicated import agents who deal only with government verified suppliers in multiple countries. Carhoot goes above and beyond other regular importers by providing buyers with detailed documentation, car assessment checks before and after landing, premium hauling and after-sale services.
“I had an amazing experience working with Carhoot when importing my first car. Ron was quite helpful in getting me the right unit, I got frequent updates on the progress and it was delivered to my doorstep.”
– ANGELA
3. The Type of Car (Age, Drive Type & Quality)
Thanks to recent changes in the law, cars must be no older than 8 years from the date of manufacture and registration to be valid for import. That means you can not bring in a car that was manufactured before 2014. The Kenyan government has also placed strict restrictions and only right-hand drive vehicles are allowed for import due to our driving laws. Every vehicle entering the country is subject to safety and maintenance checks and any vehicle being imported must be accompanied by a PSI (Pre-Shipment Inspection) Certificate to verify its condition.
4. Special Criteria
If you are purchasing a car for your NGO, or work for an organisation like the UN or if you are a person living with a disability, a rally driver, or need a car for a special diplomatic mission you are privy to certain tax exemptions from the government. If you fall into this category, our agent will help you organise your documents and ensure that everything is properly captured so that you do not miss out on these special considerations.
Thinking of importing a car? Get honest and reliable feedback with the help of our dedicated agents on WhatsApp HERE. They literally make it their business to help people find reliable cars that are suited to their lifestyle. Give the Carhoot App a try, it’s worth it!
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