Frequently Asked Questions

The minimum deposit is EUR 1,000 for private customers and EUR 10,000 for business customers. Your deposit is refundable whenever you have no pending bids or unpaid invoices.

Your bid limit is 4× your deposit balance. For example, a EUR 5,000 deposit gives you a EUR 20,000 bid limit. As you win vehicles, the remaining limit decreases until those vehicles are paid.

You can place up to 5 bids per auction day, and each bid can be as high as your full remaining bid limit. The platform shows you live how many vehicles you could win at most with your current bids.

Yes: bids remain fully editable as drafts until the bidding deadline for that auction day (typically the evening before the auction, e.g. Tuesday 22:00 CET for a Wednesday auction). After the deadline they are locked and binding.

Item ② on the calculator covers the whole purchase side: our Japanese agent's fee — which includes the auction house fee, bidding, inland transport and export papers — and Sakuride's own commission of 10% of the hammer price, with a minimum of EUR 750 for a motorcycle and EUR 1,250 for a car. One number, quoted before you bid, itemised on your invoice.

Auction prices are in Japanese yen. The moment you win, we lock the EUR/JPY mid-market rate plus a 2% conversion margin, and your invoice is issued in euros at that locked rate, so the amount can't move against you afterwards.

Invoice 1 (vehicle + fees + commission) is due within 72 hours. You can pay by deposit deduction, iDEAL, or a combination. Invoice 2 (shipping) follows when your vehicle is dispatched.

Late payment is treated strictly because we pre-pay the auction house on your behalf: 25% of the hammer price is forfeited from your deposit and the account is suspended. Contact us immediately if you foresee a problem.

Every lot carries an independent grade from the auction house (e.g. 4, 4.5, 5 for cars; up to 8+ scales for motorcycles) plus a detailed inspection sheet noting scratches, dents, and repairs. Higher is better; we can help you read any sheet before you bid.

Physical inspection isn't possible for overseas buyers, but you bid with the auction house inspection sheet, photos, and our team's experience of 25+ years reading them. Verified mileage is standard in Japan.

Typically 6–10 weeks from auction win to delivery in Europe: export documentation and inland transport in Japan (1–2 weeks), ocean freight (4–6 weeks), then EU customs clearance and final delivery.

We handle the customs process. Import duty and VAT are charged at import and depend on the vehicle type and destination country, see the Cost Guide for a full breakdown.

Yes. From auction win to arrival, every step: payment, export docs, vessel, customs, delivery, is visible in your dashboard.