Car Import Cost and Risk Calculator

You are an expert car import advisor for the Czech and European car market.

Help me decide whether importing a used car from abroad is financially and practically worth it compared with buying a similar car locally in the Czech Republic.

Use the following inputs from me:

- Country of purchase:
- Is the country inside the EU: yes/no
- Car brand:
- Model:
- Year of manufacture:
- First registration date:
- Mileage:
- Engine / fuel type:
- Transmission:
- Emission standard:
- Purchase price abroad:
- Price includes VAT: yes/no/unknown
- Seller type: private seller / dealer / company / auction
- Is the car older than 6 months: yes/no
- Is the mileage above 6,000 km: yes/no
- Comparable price of a similar car in the Czech Republic:
- Distance to the seller:
- Travel costs:
- Accommodation costs:
- Fuel or charging costs for the trip:
- Transport method: drive home / trailer / professional transport company
- Temporary export plates cost:
- Temporary insurance cost:
- Professional inspection cost:
- Broker or import service fee:
- Translation costs:
- COC certificate available: yes/no/unknown
- Valid foreign technical inspection: yes/no/unknown
- Estimated import technical inspection cost:
- Registration fee in the Czech Republic:
- Customs duty, if outside the EU:
- VAT to be paid in the Czech Republic:
- Homologation or technical modification costs:
- Expected first service after purchase:
- Expected repair costs:
- Battery health certificate cost, if EV or plug-in hybrid:
- VIN available before purchase: yes/no
- Service history available: yes/no/partial
- Accident history known: yes/no/unknown
- Number of previous owners:
- My maximum total budget:
- My risk tolerance: low / medium / high
- My main priority: lowest price / better condition / specific configuration / EV bargain / premium equipment

Based on these inputs, create a complete car import decision plan.

Please include:

1. Import suitability analysis
   - Explain whether importing this car makes sense for my situation.
   - Compare the foreign offer with similar cars available in the Czech market.
   - Consider price, equipment, mileage, condition, service history, rarity, country of origin, and administrative complexity.
   - Clearly explain whether the import advantage is financial, technical, equipment-related, or only apparent.

2. Total landed cost calculation
   - Calculate the full expected cost of getting the car legally registered in the Czech Republic.
   - Include:
     purchase price
     travel costs
     accommodation
     inspection
     export plates
     temporary insurance
     transport or fuel
     import service fee
     translations
     COC certificate or missing technical data costs
     import technical inspection
     registration fees
     VAT if applicable
     customs duty if applicable
     homologation or technical modifications
     first service
     expected repairs
   - Show the total import cost.
   - Compare it with the Czech market price.
   - Calculate the estimated saving or extra cost.
   - Show the percentage difference compared with buying locally.

3. EU vs non-EU import rules
   - If the car is imported from the EU, explain that customs duty usually does not apply.
   - Check whether VAT must be paid in the Czech Republic.
   - Treat the car as “new” for VAT purposes if it is under 6 months old or has mileage under 6,000 km.
   - For a used EU car older than 6 months and above 6,000 km, explain that a private buyer usually does not pay additional Czech VAT if VAT was handled in the purchase country.
   - If the car is imported from outside the EU, include customs duty, VAT, customs declaration, homologation, and possible technical modifications.
   - Warn that non-EU imports may be much more complex and expensive.

4. Required documents checklist
   - List all documents I should obtain before paying for the car.
   - Include:
     purchase contract or invoice
     foreign registration documents
     COC certificate if available
     valid technical inspection documents
     proof of VAT status if relevant
     export plate documents
     temporary insurance
     customs declaration for non-EU imports
     service records
     invoices
     VIN check report
     battery health report for EVs or plug-in hybrids
   - Explain why missing documents can increase costs or prevent registration.

5. COC, technical inspection, and registration check
   - Explain whether the COC certificate is available and how it affects registration.
   - If the COC is missing, estimate extra cost and extra administrative risk.
   - Explain whether an import technical inspection will likely be required.
   - Warn about emissions issues, removed DPF filters, illegal ECU modifications, non-approved tuning, non-EU lights, red turn signals, speedometer units, or other technical changes that may prevent registration.
   - Create a step-by-step registration checklist for the Czech Republic.

6. Vehicle history and fraud risk analysis
   - Check the main risks before purchase:
     fake country of origin
     short-term re-registration in Germany or another trusted market
     odometer manipulation
     fake service book
     hidden accident damage
     total-loss repair
     unpaid leasing or liens
     stolen vehicle risk
     seller identity mismatch
     unclear VAT status
     missing VIN
     pressure to pay deposit quickly
   - Tell me exactly what to verify using the VIN.
   - Recommend requesting electronic service history from an authorized dealer.
   - Warn me if the seller refuses to provide VIN, documents, or inspection access.

7. Country-of-origin assessment
   - Evaluate the risk level of the purchase country.
   - Explain whether the country is known for strong service history, good road conditions, reliable technical inspections, or higher fraud risk.
   - Do not assume that a car briefly registered in Germany is truly German-origin.
   - Check how long the current owner has held the car.
   - Flag suspiciously short ownership as a warning sign.

8. Physical inspection and test-drive plan
   - Create a checklist for inspecting the car abroad before purchase.
   - Include exterior, paint thickness, body gaps, corrosion, underbody, engine bay, tires, brakes, suspension, interior, electronics, warning lights, fluids, leaks, cold start, exhaust smoke, gearbox, clutch, steering, and air conditioning.
   - For EVs and plug-in hybrids, include battery State of Health, charging behavior, real range, service campaign history, warranty, and battery certificate.
   - Recommend an independent inspection if the car is expensive, imported from far away, has incomplete history, or has any suspicious signs.

9. Transport decision
   - Compare driving the car home with export plates versus using a trailer or professional transport company.
   - Include cost, time, insurance, breakdown risk, legal risk, and convenience.
   - Explain when professional transport is safer, especially for cars with uncertain condition, expired inspection, auction cars, non-EU cars, or cars without valid plates.

10. Negotiation strategy
   - Calculate a fair target price based on the total import cost and Czech market comparison.
   - Include immediate repair costs, missing documents, missing COC, worn tires, service due, unclear history, accident risk, or transport complexity as negotiation arguments.
   - Suggest:
     first offer
     target price
     maximum acceptable price
     walk-away price
   - Warn against paying a large non-refundable deposit before documents and VIN are verified.

11. Final import decision
   - Give a clear recommendation:
     import it / negotiate further / inspect it first / avoid it.
   - Assign a risk rating: low / medium / high.
   - Assign a financial attractiveness score from 1 to 10.
   - Explain the main reasons for the recommendation.
   - State whether the expected saving is large enough to justify the extra work and risk.

Final output format:

- Best decision:
- Import risk rating:
- Financial attractiveness score:
- Purchase price abroad:
- Estimated total import cost:
- Comparable Czech market price:
- Estimated saving or extra cost:
- Percentage difference:
- VAT status:
- Customs duty status:
- COC status:
- Technical inspection risk:
- Registration risk:
- Required documents:
- Missing documents:
- Fraud red flags:
- VIN checks to perform:
- Inspection checklist:
- Transport recommendation:
- First offer:
- Target price:
- Maximum acceptable price:
- Walk-away price:
- Step-by-step import checklist:
- Final recommendation:

Be practical, cautious, and numerical. Do not judge the car only by its foreign purchase price. Always calculate the full landed cost after transport, documents, taxes, technical inspection, registration, repairs, and risk. The goal is to decide whether the import is truly worth it compared with buying a similar car locally.