SBT Japan Kenya | Full review | Everything you need to know

SBT Japan is one of the most popular site know in Kenya when it comes to the cars space. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know abut SBT Japan in Kenya and provide a full guide on how to use services offered by this company.

What is SBT Japan?

SBT Japan is car dealer that exports cars from Japan/Singapore to other countries globally. The car dealer have a website where car owners and dealers selling their cars in Japan/Singapore add vehicles and their details including the price and specifications.

The cars listed can be used or new. When you order the car, SBT will visit the seller, do a car inspection and after that, ship the car to your nearest port, in this case, the port used in Kenya is Mombasa port.

So, simply explained, SBT Japan is a site that facilitates importation of cars from Japan to Kenya. SBT standards for Service Beyond Thinking.

Is SBT safe to use in Kenya?

The direct answer to this is Yes. The site is one of the most used worldwide for car importation and most people have positive reviews about it. However, one should be very careful when transacting, as we mentioned above, cars are listed by different people, some of this sellers might be looking for a chance to con you or overcharge you. One golden rule is never to send money to the seller outside the means provided by the site.

How to use SBT Japan in Kenya

When buying a car, you will need to pick where to get it from, if your choice is importing, one of the platforms you can use to do so is SBT. Let us hence see how one can use this site and import their car all by themselves without requiring a middle man or a dealer.

1. Create an account on SBT website

While you can access the website and see all available cars, you will need to have an account in order to make a purchase. To register on SBT, follow the steps below:

Go to sbtjapan.com
At the top, you will see a log in tab, click on it
Since you do not have an account, scroll down to the sign up section
You can choose to sign up through your email address or a social media account
If you choose social media account, click on the icon of the platform that you would like to sing up with and your account will be created with the details from the social media platform
For the email address, enter the email and submit by clicking on create account
Next, enter the code you will receive in the email address you provided and submit
On the next page, enter your names, phone number, country, set a password and confirm you agree to the terms and conditions and click on the create account button
That is it, you now have an account on SBT

With an account, you will be able to bargain the price, consult with a sale representative that will be assigned to you, make your purchase and track the shipping process of your car.

2. How to Log in to SBT

Now that you have an account, you will need to log in when you want to use your account. Here are the steps to follow to successful login.

Open the SBT website
At the top, click on Log in
Enter your password and the email adress you used when creating an account
Click on Log in and you can now use your account

If you can not remember your SBT password, click on forgot password in the log in page and enter your email address. You will receive a password reset link on the email.

3. Purchasing your car from SBT Japan

The first thing you will need to do before importing your to Kenya through Japan is making a decision on which car brand and make you want. You will also need to choose the model to import, in Kenya, you can not import cars that are older than seven years.

When picking the car, make sure you do a good research about it including its features and what those who have owned it are saying. You can even have a list of different cars then pick one that is the best among them.

After that, you can follow the steps below to get your car:

Log in to your SBT Japan account
Search for the car name and model you picked using the site’s search and filter features
You will be presented with cars available for importation. Pick the one within your budget
Note: The prices indicated on SBT do not include taxes. They only involve the buying price and the transportation fee to Mombasa port. This amount is Known as Cost Insurance Freight(CIF). To get the total cost, add the duty fee from the KRA car import duty calculator.
Now, bargain the price with the seller who is offering the car on the site, you might get it at a slightly lower price
Once agreed, click on Buy now. Go ahead and make the payment(this can be 100% or 60% of the CIF). Payment method include Bank, PayPal and ATM cards(VIsacard, MasterCard etc)
Please note, you will have to change the currency from Kenya shillings to dollars(in the bank) for the payment to go through
An inspection of the car is now done( all cars imported to Kenya must be inspected either at the port of Mombasa or before importation. The inspection certificate will be sent to you
After the inspection is done, the shipping will begin. You will receive a bill of lading. This is used to track the shipping process and helps in clearing the car at the port
The shipping process can be tracked on the SBT website
Goods must be cleared in the port, the clearing process of cars can only be done by clearing agents/companies according to the laws of Kenya
Hence, one should pick a reputable clearing agent and give them the bill of lading even before the car arrives so that they can prepare for the clearing process

The car will take somewhere between two weeks to 60 days to arrive at the port of Mombasa depending on the global shipping chain.

Benefits of Using SBT Japan

There are some advantages that come with using SBT Japan, here is a look at them:

Importing a car directly can help you save up to 20% compared to buying from dealers locally
Imported used cars are more likely to be in better condition than the ones used locally
When using SBT Japan and pay through the provided details by the company, you are less likely to loose your cash
SBT Japan makes the process of importing a car simple, you do not have to get a person from Japan or even travel to Japan

Disadvantages of SBT Japan

There are also demerits that come with using the site in Kenya. Below is a list of them:

You do not get to see the vehicle you are buying physically, instead, you will depend on photos and details provided online
There is a risk of loosing cash especially due to the fact that you are sending money abroad which might be harder to follow up compared to locally
You will have to wait for long before your car arrives

SBT Japan offices and contacts in Kenya

There are different offices and approved SBT dealer in Kenya. Check how to contact or where to meet them below.

The first Nairobi office is locate in Parklands. Contacts; +254-739-231-310, +254-709-915-000
The second Nairobi office is locate along Ngong road. Contacts; +254-709-315-000
In Mombasa, the SBT Japan offices are locate along Dedan Kimathi Avenue. Contacts; +254-709-117-000, +254-20-523-1111

Above is full review of SBT Japan in Kenya. We hope you found the article heplful. Cheers!!