What is iDirect?

iDirect is a proxy bidding service offered by IBC Japan. The iDirect website is updated daily showing thousands of vehicles that will be auctioned in Japan. Customers of IBC Japan can use the simple and powerful bidding process on iDirect to purchase cars directly from auctions in Japan.

Since you are a proxy service, why do you call the site iDirect?

The service is called iDirect because we offer the most direct access to Japanese auctions as possible, without actually attending each of the auctions held in Japan. Although IBC Japan and its affiliates also sell its own high quality cars at low prices, by using iDirect, customers have direct control over the prices they pay.

Are the prices on iDirect the final price?

The prices shown on iDirect are the start prices for the cars at auction. Customers enter a maximum bid for each car along with additional notes on buying criteria. iDirect staff will then bid on the vehicle at the customer's behalf up to the maximum bid requested. The customer wins the vehicle if it matches their additional notes and it is sold at auction for less than the customer's maximum bid. The customer saves money any time a vehicle is sold for less than the maximum bid.

Can I talk to someone directly?

Yes we welcome inquiries via email, chat, Skype, and phone.

What currency are prices given in?

All prices on iDirect Japan are currently shown in Japanese

Does iDirect cover other vehicles aside from cars?

iDirect covers sports cars, passenger cars, SUVs, 4 wheel drive, buses, trucks, multipurpose vehicles, and commercial vehicles. We do not handle other types of cargo due to the difficulty of transportation and handling

Are there left-hand drive cars available?

All of the vehicles from auctions in Japan are right-hand drives.

I would like to bid on a car. How do I make a deposit?

In order to place bids on iDirect you need to pay an iDirect deposit of ¥100,000. You can make the deposit with a credit card or by bank transfer into one of our bank accounts

If you pay by bank transfer please notify us when you send the money. Kindly send the Telegraphic Transfer (TT) copy to us for verification. You can send it through email attachment to IBCsales@ibcjapan.net, fax it to our Accounts Department, or use our Payment Notifier feature here.

If you wish to pay by credit card, pay online here. Fill in the required details, put an amount of ¥100,000, and choose pay now. You will then get a receipt. Please print the receipt for your own records.

Can I make a deposit to a different bank, for example one closer to my location?

Unfortunately bank deposits can only be made through one of iDirect's designated banks.

If I make the deposit then decide I no longer want to bid, will you refund the deposit, and if so, how?

We can refund your deposit by bank transfer or by crediting your credit card if the refund request is made within one year from the date the deposit was made or after the last transaction is complete, including purchases from IBC inventory.

A bank transfer will incur bank charge of JPY3,500. A cancellation of a credit card transaction will be shown on your next billing date.

Note that the deposit will be assessed a 50% administrative charge per year after the account becomes inactive or dormant i.e. after one year of no purchase activity from auction or inventory.

When is the best time to bid on cars?

Vehicles can be viewed on the system from the time the auctions provide us with auction information, usually between 10:00pm-1:00am (Japan time) the night before the auction is held. Bids are accepted until 9:00am (Japan time) the morning of the auction so that the information can be distributed to our buyers. Any bids submitted after the 9:00am deadline must be handled manually and the risk of not making the bid is very high. The vehicles may already be processed and/or the difficulty in contacting and checking the vehicle during the auction may preclude a bid from being made. We strongly suggest that all bids be submitted before 9:00am (Japan time). Japan time is always shown throughout the website.

How many cars may I bid on?

You may bid on as many cars as you wish, but your deposit of ¥100,000 only covers one successful purchase. If you wish to purchase many vehicles you should send a larger deposit. If you are the successful bidder you need to pay a 50 percent deposit within seven days' time or else we will have to re-auction the vehicle at your expense.

Can I bid on more cars than I actually want to purchase? For example, I want to place bids on five cars but can only afford to purchase two?

Clearly state your intention to only purchase a set number of vehicles in the auction comments/notes section provided when you submit your bids. Our buyers will limit your purchased to that number.

What order are vehicles auctioned at?

Because iDirect vehicles come from many different auctions, and within each auction the order is not always made clear by the data available, it is not possible to determine this.

Is there a minimum number of cars I must purchase?

There is no minimum if your deposit is sufficient to allow the bidding to proceed. If accounts are paid on time, you can buy as many or as few cars as you like. However, customer accounts that have not purchased cars in a few months may be deactivated.

What is the average price a particular vehicle usually sells for at auction?

In the vehicle results page, you will see "Market Report" directly below the "Auction Start Price". This is the average price a particular vehicle usually sells for at auction. However, entering an amount equivalent to the average price or Market report does not guarantee a successful bid. Rather, average price or Market Report serves as a guide so you have a price reference for your bids.

If another customer bids on the same vehicle, and we both bid over the sold-price, who wins?

If more than one IBC customer has a qualifying bid on a vehicle purchased by IBC, the customer with the highest bid will receive the vehicle.

Can you tell me what auction a vehicle is at?

The auctions have asked us to keep this information confidential. However you may have a copy of the auction sheet and know which auction you bought a vehicle from, should you make successful purchases.

What information can I put in the auction comments/notes section for my purchasing needs?

You may put any information you like. IBC will attempt to meet all reasonable expectations. Even though IBC will attempt to contact you if we need clarification of your instruction, IBC cannot be responsible for mistakes made due to ambiguous or confusing notes.

Are there any cases when vehicles presented at auction do not get sold? i.e. a vehicle is passed through by the owner as it didn't reach the required reserve

There are many cases where bidding doesn't meet the owners reserve and the vehicle isn't sold at the auction. Usually about 40 percent of all units do not meet the reserve at auction. Auctions are held weekly so usually owners put them through the next week or at another auction later in the same week

How do I find out the results of my bid?

Usually you will be advised by email within a day after the auctions close. Occasionally there are delays in notification. Please wait at least 24 hours for notification. If you still have not received confirmation please contact your account manager.

I have just received email confirming my bids. What happens next?

Usually you will be advised by email within a day after the auctions close. If your bids were successful IBC Japan will contact you about payment and the shipping process.

Is the grading system of IBC at par with the grading system of auction houses in Japan?

IBC's grading system is more stringent than the grading provided by the auction houses in Japan. Each auction house has their own standards of grading and is not consistent with each other. Note that the grading on IBC's system is .5 lower than the original auction grade you see on iDirect. If you bid on a grade 4.0, your vehicle may receive a grade 3.5 on IBC's system with little variance in the expected condition. Our buyers make sure that the grade you see is consistent with an IBC grade within a margin of .5.

What is the cost of CIF and services if my bid(s) is/are successful?

CIF cost and service charges depend upon the value and type of vehicle. Freight depends on the size of the vehicle. For expensive cars, service charges will be more. The final CIF charge for each vehicle is shown clearly as you are submitting your bids, just before you confirm your bids, and in an email to you afterwards.

Can I bid FOB instead of CIF?

Yes, simply subtract the Freight & Export charge listed in the cost listing. Put in your purchase notes and inform your account manager directly that you would like to be charged the FOB price instead of the CIF one.

What other costs are charged for a vehicle?

If you are successful, you must pay a few other costs in addition to the cost of the vehicle at auction. All costs with a total are explained to you at the time you place your bid. Explanation of pricing.

How is freight calculated? Why is the size so large for my small vehicle?

Freight is calculated based on the size of a vehicle. The number of vehicles we can fit in one ship container determines the cost of shipping. We do not know the size for all vehicles available through auctions. In unknown cases we use a large default size (16 cubic meters). Sometimes our non-default information may also be faulty. If the vehicle is actually much smaller than shown on iDirect, contact your account manager to verify that we will be able to reduce the price accordingly after auction. If a vehicle is much larger than shown on iDirect, we may need to charge more for freight. This would mostly only occur when bidding on larger vehicles such as buses and vans.

Why can't I see photos for all of the vehicles?

Some photos are not available. We provide access to many auction sites within Japan. Not all auction sites have photos that can be viewed on the system. Sometimes photos aren't available until after the auction starts which is the time when most bids must be completely submitted.

Do you do maintenance work on the vehicles? i.e. filter and oil change, cleaning and tire changes etc. Do you check the condition of the vehicle?

We fully clean all vehicles and condition-grade them for you to view on online. We do not change filters, fluids, and tires. You can see details in our quality control page.

Can you install extra options on my car i.e. spoilers, aluminum wheels, CD changers etc.?

Yes, but we can only quote firm costs after a vehicle is purchased. We can put new tires on the vehicle, install spoilers, fix aluminum wheels etc. at a price to be negotiated after the type and model of vehicle is determined.

Can you remove interior equipment like TV, radio, CD player, spare keys, and NAVI etc. and send them by courier?

Yes, but only at the expense of the customer. There may be an additional service charge depending on the vehicle and the amount of labor needed.