FAQ

Vehicles on US roads almost always have detailed documentation regarding the use of the vehicle and its technical condition (mileage, maintenance, damage). GVDrive provides essential information for its clients for free through specialized services. Cars imported from Western Europe usually do not have such documentation.

The range of manufacturers also matters significantly. The US market offers vehicles that are not available on the European market for various reasons (e.g., muscle cars, pickups).

Damaged vehicles in the US/Canada have a "salvage title" certificate, which means that the insurance company has declined to repair the vehicle due to the cost of repair (known as a total loss, which pertains only to the financial aspect of potential repair). However, this salvage certificate does NOT mean that the vehicle cannot be restored. This is because the high cost of repairing a damaged vehicle in the US under an insurance policy is due to the cost of labor by professional mechanics, body shops, and painters, which is calculated in hundreds of dollars in the US, the high cost of new parts needed for the repair, and the high cost of restoring the vehicle for road use from a legal perspective (e.g., the cost of inspection after an accident).

In the case of used and damaged vehicles that are several years old or more, the cost of labor and parts required for the repair almost always exceeds the value of the restored vehicle, which forces the insurer to choose the "cheaper" option of settling the claim—paying compensation and selling the damaged vehicle at auction.

The cost of repairing a damaged vehicle in Poland is generally lower, and in the case of minor damage, it is very low. The quality of the repair itself is often better than in the US, and the costs of import (taxes, duties), transportation, and administrative expenses related to inspection and registration are much lower than in the US. Thus, the "economic efficiency" of importing and using damaged vehicles from the US is evident.

GV.Drive experts assess the value of a specific vehicle based on historical data on the sales of similar or comparable models, as well as the current market and auction situation. The type and extent of damage, the vehicle’s year of manufacture, its configuration, and mileage are key factors affecting the auction price. There are also local factors, such as the vehicle’s title (the type of damage recorded in the vehicle’s documents, which determines the vehicle’s legal status) or the distance from the auction site to the port. By signing a cooperation agreement, the client receives a detailed breakdown of all costs related to importing the specific model.

At GV.Drive, we import vehicles with various, usually minor damages, based on client agreement. Vehicles available at auctions typically have damaged engine components (mechanical damage), front, side, top, or rear body parts (front/rear, side parts, top/roof), suspension (suspension), have been affected by storms (e.g., hail), have numerous scratches and dents on the body (minor dents/scratches), have been vandalized, or show normal wear and tear (normal wear).

Our primary criterion for selecting vehicles for import is passenger safety—primarily the integrity of the vehicle's body. We do not import vehicles that are considered junk, flooded, burned, or rolled over, as well as vehicles with legal defects that prevent repair and registration in the country (e.g., stolen, flooded, not restorable).

We check the condition of the vehicle each time before listing it at auction, using various tools and reports. Upon request, we can obtain a pre-auction inspection report, which includes numerous and detailed photos of the vehicle.

Some vehicles belong to insurance companies, and these are the ones we import most often due to the limited risk of discrepancy between the vehicle’s description and its actual condition.

Damaged cars are also offered by private sellers, known as traders, who typically enhance the aesthetic appearance and mask the technical condition of the vehicle before listing it at auction, just to make it look better in the photos. This is fraud that we avoid while working for our clients!

A restored vehicle from the US, imported and repaired in Poland, like restored vehicles from the domestic market (e.g., after repair under warranty at a brand service center), undergoes an accident inspection in Poland and is allowed on the road.

The only vehicles that cannot be registered are those deemed non-rebuildable in the US, i.e., those with a salvage title such as “Junk,” “Parts Only,” “Non-Rebuildable”—we DO NOT import such vehicles.

At GV.Drive, we thoroughly check the technical and legal status of the vehicle. ALL vehicles we import have been licensed and registered in Poland after repair.

Damaged used vehicles are primarily available on online auctions at www.copart.com / www.iaai.com. Current listings usually include several hundred thousand cars scattered across auction sites throughout the US and Canada.

Vehicles imported from abroad incur the following additional costs:

• auction fee;
• broker's fee related to formal and legal processing of the transport;
• car transport to the port in the US;
• sea transport to ports in Europe (container rental);
• CLO (customs logistics fee);
• VAT (Value Added Tax);
• excise duty;
• extended technical inspection;
• document translation;
• vehicle registration;
• GV.Drive commission for facilitating the vehicle purchase.

A client who signs a cooperation agreement with GV.Drive receives a detailed list of the costs associated with importing the vehicle.

GV.Drive partners with workshops that specialize in comprehensive repairs of imported vehicles.

Depending on the type and extent of the damage, the workshop's workload and technical team, the availability of parts for the vehicle in domestic and international markets, and the time needed to transport these parts to the workshop, the repair of a vehicle can take from a few weeks to several months.

Our clients also have the option of home repairs - we deliver the vehicle directly to the client's home at a mutually agreed time.

GV.Drive has been in the market for 5 years! Initially, we provided employment services for drivers as partners of companies like Bolt, Uber, and FREENOW. We have since moved into automotive investments and the import of vehicles from insurance auctions in the US and Europe.

To begin cooperation, it is necessary to sign a vehicle purchase agreement for cars from the US/Europe and pay a deposit of 3000 PLN. After discussing your preferences with the manager, we will start selecting the vehicle.

The company has been officially operating for several years, with a large client base and numerous positive reviews. Our managers are specialists in the automotive field. Each option is thoroughly examined for hidden technical issues and in accordance with the service history. Every vehicle is insured during transportation, and any damages are compensated.

The delivery of the vehicle usually takes an average of 2 months from the moment of purchase. Of course, the timeline can vary depending on various factors such as location, availability of necessary documents, and others. Our managers will provide delivery timelines for each lot individually before finalizing the purchase.