When do you pay what?
The calculator on every lot page estimates the numbers. This page explains the rules behind them: what lands on which invoice, when it's due, and the deadlines that matter.
Every auction lot has a live cost calculator with current freight rates, duty and VAT for your port — numbered ① to ⑥ from hammer price to total.
The four payment moments
Everything you ever pay falls into one of these, in this order.
Rate lock — nothing to pay yet
- EUR/JPY is fixed at mid-market + 2% the moment you win
- Your invoice amount can no longer move with the market
Losing bids never cost anything.
The vehicle
- Hammer price at the locked rate
- Auction house lot fee, passed through at cost
- Agent fee incl. auction house fee and export papers, plus Sakuride commission — one number
Pay from your deposit, by iDEAL, or a combination.
Logistics
- Japan-side transport and export documents
- Ocean freight to your chosen destination port
Sent once your vehicle is booked on a vessel.
Taxes & clearance
- Import duty over the customs value
- VAT of the import country, over customs value + duty
- Clearance & port handling
Due at customs on arrival — the lot calculator estimates these as items ④–⑥.
The rules that matter
72-hour payment window
Invoice 1 is due within 72 hours of the win confirmation. Japanese auction houses demand fast settlement — meeting it is what keeps buyer fees this low.
Late payment penalty
Miss the window and the auction house penalty applies: 25% of the hammer price is forfeited and the account is closed. Your dashboard counts down loudly so it never comes to that.
Your deposit is not a cost
It secures your bid limit (4× the deposit) and is fully refundable whenever you have no active bids or open invoices. Many buyers use it to pay part of Invoice 1.
Classics, 30 years and older
Vehicles over 30 years old can qualify as collector imports: 0% duty and a reduced VAT rate in most EU countries. Select the Classic category in the calculator to apply both.
Worked example: ¥1,000,000 motorcycle to Rotterdam
Calculated live with the same rates the lot calculator uses. Illustrative — every vehicle, port and exchange rate differs.
| ① Hammer price (¥ 1,000,000 at locked rate) | € 5,627 |
| ② Auction, export & service fees | € 1,127 |
| ③ Ocean freight to Rotterdam | € 700 |
| Customs value (buying commission excluded) | € 6,704 |
| ④ Import duty 6% | € 402 |
| ⑤ VAT (Netherlands) 21% | € 1,492 |
| ⑥ Clearance & port handling | € 250 |
| ①–⑥ Total, delivered & import-cleared | € 9,598 |
Comparable examples on the EU market regularly list for thousands more — rarely with verified mileage and an independent inspection sheet.