beck wrote:I am somehow associated with SBT. I know the problems most of you guys experienced here.
Just some example - when you got to the market and buy an apple which ends up being bad - does it mean the apple tree is bad? NO. Does it mean the market is bad? NO. It means one thing - sales manager was not honest with you by disclosing the condition of the apple.
It happens with SBT in certain markets. Some markets they export to, like Russia and New Zealand has the greatest service out of all. The reason? Sales people are located mostly in Japan.
As of Kenya, very few sales people are located in Japan, the others are in Pakistan about 100-150 people (that is why they have mentioned muslim holidays above, which is so funny). Only sales people in Japan can help you get the car from the auctions in the easiest way as all of them read Japanese unlike people in other office.
So if you want to deal with the company in a best way I would recommend you to check if the sales people are really in Japan. How to check it: Skype video call, ask to show around, ask for mobile phone and give a short call, etc.
SBT has the best condition cars on the market. The best auction rates. For big dealers it is the way to go.
P.S. I can refer you to the sales manager in Japan whom I dealt with for several years and met personally in Yokohama, if you want to.
P.s. I am not saying managers in Pakistan are all bad, but likelihood of getting not reliable one is very high.
P.s. Tradecarview is for those who like paying high prices and doesn't want to cut intermediate. The best way is to do business directly with the company and deal with one Sales Manager all the time.
@Beck, good marketing but not entirely true. When you say they have the best condition cars. 90% of the cars from Japan are bought at the auctions. SBT is one of the 3 biggest exporters so it follows they tend to buy a large number of units from the daily auctions some good quality and some not so good. A while back i was in Japan and i actually happened to visit one of the SBT yards in Osaka. It so happened that one of the cars i had seen 2 days earlier on exhibition at HAA Kobe was on their yard. The car was grade R at the auction, translation sheet didn't say much but on physically checking the vehicle myself i noted cross member damage that implied substantial lower frontal impact and had been marked X on the auction sheet. SBT were selling the car as is without disclosing that the cross member needed fixing. When i inquired how much i would need to top up in order to have the issue fixed, the reply was "we do not fix".
Besides, do you honestly think the Jevic contract has been revoked coz of small time importers like me? They are there to serve the interests of the big dealers who can sway the market. Ever asked yourself why few dealers can match SBT and Beforward prices? Next time you see a lemon on the road, just remember that we are bottom of the food chain in this game, we are not even pawns, we are the chess board itself.