Define the buyer’s real question
Use a dated worksheet with inclusions, exclusions and adverse-case allowance; FOB price is not landed cost.
Record destination, intended registration, steering side, daily and long-distance route, passengers, luggage, charging access, accepted powertrain, new or used condition, budget and delivery point. A changed candidate or destination reopens affected checks.
Apply the model-specific test
Calculate base and adverse cases for currency, storage, repair, freight changes and destination work. Preserve source and validity for each cost line.
Evidence specific to this decision
Date every cost source and calculate currency, delay, storage and adverse-inspection sensitivity.
Keep one VIN across the file
Use a dated worksheet that fixes the identified car and delivery term. Keep vehicle price, inspection, preparation, inland transport, documents, freight, insurance, tax, port, conformity and registration separate.
Preserve original-language records beside translations. Connect photos, diagnostic output, charging or road tests, inspection, quotation and contract to the same VIN. Conflicts stop approval until resolved at source.
| Evidence | What to record |
|---|---|
| Identity | VIN, production plate, legal model, powertrain and version |
| Condition | Dated physical checks, history, diagnostics and test results |
| Compatibility | Destination consequence, limitation and responsible reviewer |
| Commercial | Seller, beneficiary, included work, validity and delivery term |
Budget controls
Make the delivery term explicit and assign inspection correction, storage, bank charges, insurance, destination handling and compliance work. Use one currency date for comparison.
Run base and adverse cases for repair, delay, exchange movement and port storage. Weak documentation can make the lowest quotation the higher risk.
Test an ordinary day and an adverse day
Use realistic passengers, luggage, weather, speed, gradients, traffic and energy availability. For iDD, include a failed charger and battery reserve. For gasoline, include local fuel, emissions and workshop constraints. A specification is context, not a guarantee of suitability.
Mark each conclusion green, amber or red with evidence date and owner. Amber needs a priced consequence or condition; red stops payment. Do not turn missing proof into a positive feature claim.
Preserve the approved vehicle to delivery
Carry VIN, version, condition and included work through quotation, contract, invoice, export records and loading media. Record odometer, fuel or charge state, keys, cables, accessories, faults and exterior condition at handover.
China-side work cannot promise destination tax, conformity, registration, charging access, software services, warranty, insurance or future reliability. Refresh local advice if vehicle, route or rules change.
Request a VIN-linked UNI-Z proposalDocuments that keep this decision usable
Create a candidate summary naming the VIN, production date, legal model, powertrain, version, odometer and seller. Attach original identity records, continuous dated media, inspection findings, diagnostic output, road-test notes and charging results where applicable. Each conclusion should identify its source, test condition, limitation, reviewer and expiry point.
Keep the commercial file separate but connected: dated quotation, included and excluded work, inspection conditions, contract entity, bank beneficiary, export responsibility, carrier acceptance and delivery boundary. The destination file records tax or duty advice, conformity, registration, insurance, energy access and workshop support. A changed input reopens the affected decision while preserving the audit trail.
Before loading, compare the approved summary with the physical vehicle and final documents. Record keys, cables, accessories, odometer, fuel or battery state, warnings and visible condition. This final comparison helps prevent a correct inspection being attached to the wrong car.
Buyer questions
What should a UNI-Z landed-cost sheet include?
Use a dated worksheet with inclusions, exclusions and adverse-case allowance; FOB price is not landed cost.
Can an online listing prove condition?
No. Require VIN-linked inspection, diagnostics, history and road or charging evidence as applicable.
What must be resolved before payment?
Identity, seller authority, condition, powertrain compatibility, delivery boundary, beneficiary and destination feasibility.