Open: Monday - Saturday 9am - 6pm
936-9944 Office 080-3961-6114 Cell Anytime
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Open: Monday - Saturday 9am - 6pm 936-9944 Office 080-3961-6114 Cell Anytime |
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So you find yourself on the beautiful little island of Okinawa! But, unlike what you may have been told, it's not all
that small, not at all like Australia, where you can walk anywhere (unless I've been misinformed) and you discover
you need wheels to get around. If you're like many, your first stop might be at a major dealer right outside a base gate. But if that's also your last stop, you may be making a costly mistake. These dealers have great locations, get more customers, and, though some offer lengthy, free financing plans and long warrantees, their prices can be as much as $3,000 higher than less well-known dealers. Here, as anywhere, it pays to shop around. Money in hand and eager to part with it, you should also take with you an equivalent amount in the form of CAUTION. In Okinawa, as anywhere, it is important to pay close attention to what you're being told, which is to say, SOLD. Not only to what is being said, but even how it is being said. In some instances, you should follow your gut reaction. If the person you are talking with seems inconsistent, misleading, or simply unclear, you should BEWARE. Don't hesitate to ask pointed questions and insist upon clarification. If you cannot get it, then move on. Like many people, you may be at a loss when trying to figure out if the car you are looking at is a '99 or '01 model. Well, if the year is displayed as 63 for example, just add that to 1925 (the start of the Showa Dynasty which ended in the 63rd year) you would get 1988. The Heisei Dynasty, the current dynasty, started in 1989 so just add the posted year to 1988. For example, if it says H6 or 6, add that number to 1988 and you would get 1994. When shopping for a car on the local economy you'll notice prices posted in the form of large one or two digit numbers. For example, 54 means 540,000 yen (divide by the current dollar/yen rate). Add about $700 for the JCI and 5% for tax to arrive at a good idea of the total price. If all the signs are in Japanese however, they may not be familiar with selling to the American military and you may run into problems getting the car registered on base. Once you find what you're looking for, you might expect to take it for a test drive. Unfortunately, in Japan it's not legal to simply slap on dealer plates and hit the road. Only if the car has current registration, not usually the case, will you be able to take a test drive. This is why we offer a warranty on all our vehicles. There is one additional cost to consider when buying a vehicle. This is the Recycle Fee. Instituted in early 2005, the Recycle Fee is intended to cover the cost of disposing of and recycling a junked vehicle. If the car you are considering buying doesn't already have a recycle fee certificate, then you will have to pay the fee the next time JCI is performed on the car. This could cost you from 8,000 to 16,000 (big cars with multi-airbags being higher). Now, if, after all this, you decide you really don't want a car after all, you might consider joining us . . . on a Walkabout.
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