- Tell us, why is “Columb Trade” more attractive for car buyers compared to other companies operating in this field?
- “Columb Trade” was founded by me and my partners in 2018. First of all, the company's team works in accordance with the principles mentioned above. I assembled a team of managers whom I personally trained well in selecting cars from the USA, checking vehicles using Carfax Autochek, and other important work technologies. The “Columb Trade” team consists of true professionals who know 100% everything about auctions that is needed for successful work in this field.
It is our employees, appropriately trained professionals, that distinguish us from other companies offering services in this field. We don't just have people who know that you can “buy and bring a car from the USA.” Our employees undergo comprehensive training in auctions, logistics, statistics, and sales. Each of our managers passes an exam, and only after passing it can they be allowed to work with clients.
It is worth noting that people who previously worked in other companies often come to us. Some of them have worked in the same field for about a year, and they listen and undergo training with great surprise. The most common phrase is: “They didn't tell us that”... Although this situation does not surprise me at all.
“Columb Trade” operates fully legally, and all our employees are officially employed.
Manager errors are practically eliminated with us. Our employees explain in detail to buyers all the intricacies of transactions, how to get the maximum benefit from a purchase, and tell them about potential pitfalls.
I will note the main trend – in the future, the domestic Ukrainian car market will shrink, but thanks to the variety of cars in the USA, the release of new models, and reduced competition at auctions, buying cars from the USA will still be quite profitable in the future.
We provide our clients with forecasts of what the approximate cost of a car will be in a year or two.
- Is it necessary to insure the car?
- We always advise our clients to insure cars. And we consult, telling about all the main points of insurance.
An important difference between “Columb Trade” and other companies is also that we do not abandon our clients after purchasing a car. It happens that problems arise with the car, for example, something was stolen or damaged on the way from the USA. And if an insured event occurs, we take the client's side, seeking full compensation for the damage incurred by our client. By the way, we have established contact with carriers in this direction; they highly value cooperation with “Columb Trade” and usually agree to compensate for losses during car transportation.
One of the features of “Columb Trade” is that we work with a specialist, Alexander, who previously worked in an insurance company and went on insured events across Ukraine as part of his duties. Alexander has extensive experience and understanding of the essence of accidents and the consequences of car impacts. Every company manager has the opportunity to consult with him regarding the nature of the impact, which allows for a more accurate understanding of what exactly will need to be restored.
One of the founders of “Columb Trade,” Evgeny Vrublevsky (he also has work experience in Belarus and has vast experience in buying cars at auctions), is responsible for checking the car at the final stage, immediately before purchasing the car.
The comprehensive work of the company's professional employees allows us to completely eliminate unsuccessful purchases, so all our clients remain satisfied with the completed transaction.
Very often, imported cars require repairs. For this, we have special partner service stations in Ukraine – most of our service stations are located in Kyiv and Odesa. We have the ability to provide clients with a “turnkey” service. Our employees can determine the repair cost from photos, after which the person will receive a fully repaired car, go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs service center (formerly MREO), where they will get license plates for the car, again with our full assistance.
- Which ports do you work with when transporting cars to Ukraine from America?
We bring cars from ports such as:
• Chicago (USA)
• Seattle (USA)
• Los Angeles (USA)
• Houston (USA)
• Alaska (USA)
• Toronto (Canada)
• Honolulu (USA)
• Norfolk (USA)
• Miami (USA)
• Newark (USA)
• Savanna (USA)
- For Ukraine, it is most convenient to deliver cars to Odesa; about 90% of our deliveries go to this port. Here we work with a very reliable partner – a freight forwarding company that handles customs clearance of cars, processing all necessary documents; the specialists of this company are well-versed in all possible nuances of delivering cars from the states. They can always deliver a car to absolutely any city in Ukraine.
In addition, we have the ability to bring cars to the German port of Bremerhaven, the Polish port of Gdynia, and the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda.
- It also happens that a person has the opportunity to independently buy a car in the USA, for example, they have a relative or some acquaintance in America who helps with the purchase – does it make sense in such a situation to contact you?
- Of course it makes sense, especially if that person wants to save money and also buy a good car. Personally, I call this situation “a buddy in the states.” Yes, I understand perfectly well that many people have friends or relatives in the USA. And I know very well that such people willingly respond to requests for help. It is very good if a person living in America turns out to be a specialist in the field of car auctions who can accurately determine the nature of damage, even disguised damage. Who has the necessary knowledge about customs rules, transportation conditions, etc. However, this happens very, very rarely. And therefore, even with the most sincere desire to help, at any stage of buying a car for a Ukrainian friend or relative, they may encounter problems that require additional financial costs, and sometimes even insurmountable ones. And if you turn to professionals, such problems can definitely be avoided. I myself know many examples where a car that seemed slightly damaged had completely faulty electronics, or parts under the hood were attached with sealant. A buddy can buy a car, and then it turns out that it cannot be exported from the USA. Or the car was flooded, the dealer hid it, and the buddy could not or did not want to figure it out. And even the purchase issue is not the most important, because you also need to remember about delivery, forwarding, and customs. In general, as I believe, a dentist should do teeth, and a specialist should buy cars!
- What are the future plans of “Columb Trade”?
- To constantly develop, all our future plans are related to the development of the company. We want to expand our service network across Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania. Either we will buy a company with several offices for this, or we will open our own new offices.
We are always ready to invite purposeful and proactive employees to work with us who are focused on self-improvement, career growth, and strive for good earnings. We are ready to train our new employees. We are completely open in this regard.
- Tell me, if I open, for example, an office in Mykolaiv – will you help me?
- We discuss everything and can help you with opening an office, with an advertising campaign, help train staff, and also help with training in logistics from the USA.
- Do you have any examples of fraud or deception by unscrupulous suppliers of cars from America?
- Yes, as an example, we can cite “dummy” cars. In the USA today, well-known car brands such as AUDI, MERCEDES, and BMW are often “counterfeited.”
A good example is the MERCEDES-BENZ GLA 250 put up on Copart, manufactured in 2017.
Pay attention to the different year of manufacture – at the auction, the car is already listed as a 2016, not 2017, model.
We are thinking about whether it makes sense to take this car now, or whether it is better to wait. The car currently costs 16500 and you can make a lower bid – this is called “making an offer” at the auction. Look at the Sale Status - Minimum Bid. This lot raises quite a lot of suspicions for us. We decided to take the VIN of this car, conducted a check through our information channels, and established that the car had previously been sold on Copart. Here is what it looked like:
The car had major front damage and was restored. However, in the photo we can see a completely intact front of the car, and note, it looks somewhat unnatural. They are asking $7600 for this car; previously it was offered at $9100. And now it is planned to be sold for $16800, even though there is an opportunity to reduce the price.
The next “dummy” in this list is the MERCEDES-BENZ GL 450 4MATIC – 2016 model year.
A car that was also badly damaged. However, in the photo the car is completely intact. They want to sell the car for $27500; previously it was sold for $16900. According to our estimates, if you buy such a car, your losses will be about $10000-12000. Here is what this car looked like at previous auctions:
As we established, the car was first sold to one auction platform, and now it has been “transferred” to another. This is one of the methods of unscrupulous sellers aimed at hiding the car's history.
There is another example of a “dummy” lot – a BMW 535 I – 2015 model year.
This car can be called a “scary” purchase. At the auction, the car is listed as intact, but in reality it has multiple damages. The ratio of Buy it now, Make Offer, and Minimum Bid indicates that they want to get rid of this car quickly. Previously, the car was sold for $4900, now they are asking $13700 for it – a huge difference. One can only sympathize with those who buy this car.
Details of this car's history can be found in the Carfax report, http://reports.avtostat.com/vin/WBA5B1C50FD921131-carfax.html it says that the car had two owners. One owner had the car for 2 years and 10 months, the second – for 4 months. Both owners were in California; we see that the car was damaged several times. The first owner sold the car after restoration through a dealer. The car later also got into accidents. The car has a status indicating it cannot be operated in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
We provide the Reports avtostat document for this car http://reports.avtostat.com/vin/WBA5B1C50FD921131-carfax.html
Here you can also see photos of the previously damaged car, with a description of all the damages with which the car was first put up for auction. Then – the car after restoration.
That is, if you have complete and verified information, you can protect yourself 99% from buying a low-quality car.
- If I decide to buy a car in the USA and contact “Columb Trade” for this, what will be the further algorithm of actions?
- The main stages are as follows:
• Call us and tell us about the car you dream of.
• We select car options for you and calculate the cost of these options.
• If you like the car and the price suits you, then we conclude a contract with you.
• Before the auction, the car is checked by us.
• If we win the car – you pay the cost of the car and delivery through the bank, the payment is made directly to the USA.
• Then the cars arrive at the terminal (located in the USA), where a photo report is made and documents for the car are prepared for shipment.
• The car arrives in Ukraine in about 4-8 weeks; you pay for forwarding services and broker services.
• Then you pay customs clearance.
• The car is cleared; you can pick it up, carry out further repairs, certification, and register the car.
- Vladimir, I want to choose a premium sedan for myself. One of the options is a MAZDA 6 2017 with leather, costing up to 20 thousand dollars. What can be delivered from the USA for this money?
- The choice of such cars is huge; CADILLAC is very popular today.
As an example, we can cite the CADILLAC CTS 2017, offered in the top LUXURY trim – an interesting car! The car has all-wheel drive, is equipped with a panoramic roof, has a leather interior, provides dual-zone climate control, has heated seats, and all the conveniences of business class. Fuel consumption is 9-11 l (highway city) and 275 hp.
If this option suits you, then, after we win the car in the USA for $12000, its cost in Ukraine will be $21000, taking into account all costs, including registration.
Repair will cost about $3000-3500.
It seems to me that the offer is quite profitable, because similar cars on the Ukrainian market will cost $36000, and they will be rear-wheel drive.
The savings amount to $12000, which is over 30% of our market, plus you get an exclusive car with a transparent history and initially minor damage. It seems to me that here is another, more reasonable option:
- Okay, but if we still choose from MAZDA, can we consider some crossover, up to $20000?
- MAZDA CX-5 2018, this car is offered in the maximum GRAND TOURING trim, the car is offered with all-wheel drive. The car has a panoramic roof, leather interior, dual-zone climate control, heated front and rear seats, and a start/stop system. The most important advantage is the low mileage of 8 thousand km, that is, the car is practically from the showroom!
When we win this car in the USA at a price of $10000, then in Ukraine the cost, taking into account all costs, including registration, will be $18500. Repair will be $3500-4000. The offer is very profitable, because a similar car on the Ukrainian market will cost you $32000.
The savings amount to $10000, which is almost 30% of our market, plus low mileage and a transparent history. Do you like this option?
- Interesting, what else can be chosen from crossovers?
- TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2016, offered in the maximum XLE trim, the car has all-wheel drive, a sunroof, a third row of seats, and also a leather interior, heated seats, and three-zone climate control. When we win this car in the USA at a price of $13000, in Ukraine the cost will be $22500, including all costs and registration. Repair will be about $1800-2500.
Also a very profitable option, since a similar car on the Ukrainian market will cost you $32900:
The savings amount to $8500, and you get a car with minor damage and a transparent history.
- And, for example, can something be purchased for up to $10000?
- You can – VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SE 2017, presented in a good trim, equipped with a sunroof. Here there is a leather interior, heated seats, and a rearview camera.
In this case, we win the car in the USA at a price of $4000, the price of the car in Ukraine will be $9900, including all costs and registration. Repair will be about $600-800.
As I believe, this is a profitable offer, because a similar car on the Ukrainian market will cost $15900.
The savings amount to $5000, the advantages are a transparent history and a car with minor damage.
The article was prepared with the support of the company for delivering cars from America to Ukraine - Columb Trade.
