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- 5 Purchased Cars from Belgian Auctions to a Dealership in Portugal - See the Whole Process!
5 Purchased Cars from Belgian Auctions to a Dealership in Portugal - See the Whole Process!
Explore the journey of purchasing five cars from Belgian auctions to a dealership in Portugal. Follow the entire process from start to finish!
Importing cars is a huge business in Portugal. According to ACAP's annual balance sheet, in 2023 Portugal’s top imports were cars and other motor vehicles.
If you're a car dealer from Portugal and you want to buy a car from eCarsTrade online auctions, you might be wondering where to start.
We’re here to help and make the whole process simpler for you. From auction bids to logistics and customs, get a clear view of the strategies for international car buying. Let’s get started!
The entire process of working with eCarsTrade
Buying a car from Belgian auctions and bringing it all the way to Portugal may initially seem daunting, but it’s actually really straightforward. Step one is, of course, finding the car(s) you need.
► Search for vehicles that fit your business needs
Our process begins with dealers searching for specific vehicles - once you know what you need, we are here to assist.
You can use our advanced filtering system to refine searches by gearbox, VAT deductibility, mileage, fuel type, and more. This ensures that you find exactly what you want quickly and efficiently.
Search for cars with eCarsTrade search filters
Some dealers may want to add vehicles to their inventory for private customers. Others might seek damaged vehicles to refurbish and sell for profit. Some traders might look for heavily damaged vehicles to sell for parts. Rental companies might want to expand their fleet. Our filters are designed to cater to all these different needs.
Additionally, our Smart Finder tool acts like a personal assistant. It notifies you as soon as a vehicle matching your chosen filters appears online. This feature ensures you stay ahead of the competition and secure the best deals first.
How eCarsTrade Smart Finder works
► Find the right vehicles on our auctions and bid
There are many different ways you can purchase a car through eCarsTrade.
You can:
- Participate in auctions - in Open auctions you can see the current highest bid and place a higher one for a chance to win. In Blind auctions you can't see bids from other users so you need to propose the maximum price you're willing to pay for that car
- Buy directly from Our Stock - the main benefit is that most cars are already in our parking lot. After the cars have been on our website for a certain amount of time, you have the opportunity to make us an offer and get the car for a lower price (you have two offer chances per car).
- Go for the simplicity of Fixed Prices - if you like the car and its price, click on "Buy now" and we will be in touch with you within 2 hours.
How do you actually bid?
Auctions have their minimum bids set by the supplier company. Bidding the minimum amount doesn’t give you a big chance of winning the car, so make sure you always place the maximum bid you are willing to pay for that vehicle.
Transparency is really important to us, which is why the final price is always displayed before you place your bid!
Auctions will have either an estimation price, which changes based on your bid or a bid suggestion calculator. The calculator tool will help you decide how much to bid based on the current market prices.
► Congrats, you won 3 open auctions and bought 2 vehicles directly from Our Stock!
Well done! Let’s say that you won 3 open auctions by staying vigilant and keeping an eye on the auction until the end, AND you bought 2 cars from Our Stock (by either giving an offer or buying straight away).
If you have won an auction, we will email you the proforma invoice 24-48 hours after the auction closes.
The car payment has to be made within 3 working days starting from the moment you receive the win notification by email or through your Personal page.
► Organize the delivery or pick-up
So you won or bought a car, what now?
All cars need to first arrive at one of our parkings in Belgium.
Cars from different countries have different delivery times to Belgium.
| Origin of the vehicle | Average delivery time to Belgium |
|---|---|
| Belgium | up to 8 working days |
| Luxembourg / France | up to 15 working days |
| The Netherlands | up to 20 working days |
| Germany / Italy | up to 30-35 working days |
Once your car arrives to Belgium, let’s see how you can receive it:
- eCarsTrade Delivery Service: Our team can organize the transport of your purchased car directly to your parking lot. Under one condition, though - that your location is reachable by a car carrier truck. After you win a car, the option to request delivery will appear in the email with your proforma invoice and in “My Vehicles” section of your Personal page.
The delivery price depends on your location - for more details, feel free to contact your Account manager or email us at [email protected].
- Official transport company: This is also a popular choice, but you’ll have to find and hire an official car transport company yourself. They will then collect your car with a CMR.
Make sure the transport company notes the condition of the car on the CMR at the time of pickup. Once you receive your car, send us a signed and stamped CMR as a confirmation of delivery.
- Self-pickup: Make sure you have all the necessary documents for this kind of pickup. You will have to provide a document proving that your transport trailer is owned or rented by your company and pick up transit license plates yourself.
► Export your vehicles from Belgium to Portugal
Now all you have to do is export your vehicles from Belgium/import them to Portugal.
For a successful import process, you need to make sure that all required documentation is in order and that you know the process or you have hired a specialized importer who will take over this bureaucratic process.
You will need documents like the vehicle's registration, proof of purchase, and compliance certificates. Read our detailed step-by-step guide on how to import a car to Portugal.
In order to bring a car into Portugal, you will need to get it inspected at a Category B technical inspection center. For the inspection, you will need these documents:
- Registration papers (Documento Único Automóvel - DUA) from the country of origin
- Certificate of Conformity
- IMT Model 9 form
IMT Model 9 form
After the inspection, you need to get your COC homologated by the IMT. COC homologation is free and you will obtain a national homologation/approval number (número de homologação nacional).
After the car has been inspected and you received the national approval number, you need to fill out a customs declaration called Declaração Aduaneira de Veículos (DAV). You can fill this form out online on the Portal Das Finanças (Finance Portal) or go to Customs in person.
At this stage, you will also need to pay the ISV (Imposto Sobre Veículo) vehicle tax and the VAT. After paying, you will need to request your registration certificate. As soon as you receive your new registration number, you can go to a specialized shop to have the registration plates made.
From the moment the car receives plates, you have 90 days to pay the IUC tax (Imposto Único de Circulação), which is paid annually. You can do this in person or again through Portal Das Finanças.
Challenges faced by dealerships in Portugal
We will help you with the delivery and explain the entire process. Your Account manager will suggest working with a dispatcher (specialized import agency) for the legalization process and a smooth import experience.
If you come across any other issues, we are here to help as well:
► Do you have a limited budget?
We cater to every budget. Our Stock vehicles allow you to make your own offer—and you get two offers! This means you can get the car for an even lower price.
► Are you a small dealership without international transport experience?
With the eCarsTrade Delivery Service, you don’t need to worry about transport to Portugal after buying a used car from Belgium. You can have your purchased car delivered directly to you if your location can be reached by a car transport truck.
► Are you worried about the language barrier?
eCarsTrade support team is multilingual! Each dealer gets assigned to their own Account manager, and we have many Account managers who speak Portuguese.
► Do you have questions about the import process?
We are very experienced with the import process to Portugal and can recommend agencies in Portugal who fully handle the bureaucratic process of importing a car.
eCarsTrade supports each customer individually
Partnering with us means having access to an efficient, all-in-one-place vehicle search process.
Our goal is to support your business in achieving greater success. We understand the diverse needs of our clients and provide custom solutions to meet those needs.
Our search tools are designed to save time and boost profitability for your dealership. Every dealer has their own dedicated Account manager to lead them through the process, and we take great pride in our customer support.
All that’s left to do now is to hit search on our website and find used cars for sale in Belgium!
