US man got $3k mini-Jeep from China only to face problems

Cars, Latest Articles

Published on Nov 08, 2024 at 7:28 PM (UTC+4) by Ben Thompson

Last updated on Nov 08, 2024 at 7:28 PM (UTC+4) Edited by Tom Wood

This man paid $3,000 to ship an electric mini-Jeep from China to the US.

Yep, you read that right – a mere $3,000.

This purchase came courtesy of Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce platform.

With tons of unusual and quirky low cost items to buy, it was only a matter of time before somebody picked up a car.

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This story comes from a reader of the website electrek.

He reached out with his story of securing the car for an astonishingly cheap price.

For clarity’s sake, this isn’t some toy we’re talking about.

In terms of size, it could be compared to a golf cart but it can reach a respectable speed of 25mph.

Priced at $1,280, the Jeep is considerably cheaper than the average golf buggy, which fetch around $7,000.

However, electrek noted that shipping prices would bump the cost up to $1,700.

Still, not too shabby at all.

Kyle Day was the man who reached out to electrek to share his experience.

He explained: “I have never made a purchase on Alibaba before, but I’m a reasonably experienced online purchaser.

“I thought the Jeep would be a really fun off-road electric vehicle for my young kids to enjoy while we’re camping – perfect for little joy rides and exploring in the forest on an overnight campout.”

Things got complicated from the get-go when things kept getting added onto the price tag.

First there was a $200 ‘sample fee’ – which could be waived if a customer bought more than five.

Then there was the $180 shipping cost, pushing up to $1,970.

Add in a $60 fee for using a credit card, and $2,030 is on the table – but Day still wasn’t deterred.

But that wasn’t the end of it – tariffs, customs and additional fees took the final price up to $3,000.

It’s crazy how quickly a price can spiral upwards.

Even still, it’s considerably cheaper than the world’s most expensive cars released in 2024, some of which were more than $20 million.

After making it through the purchase, importation, customs clearance, and delivery process, Day must have thought he was in the clear.

But getting it overseas was enough of a process.

Day said: “I signed up using an internet website (there are many) to track updates for loading/shipping/arrival of my container at various stages.

“It took about seven weeks to go from the seller delivering the product to Ningbo port to showing up in Los Angeles.

“The actual ocean voyage is only 18 days, but waiting for the ship to arrive at Ningbo, be loaded, travel across the ocean and get to Los Angeles, then wait for a berth, then moor at the terminal and unload all take time.”

When the delivery finally reached Los Angeles, Day arrived at 4pm, hoping to make it home to Phoenix, Arizona by 10pm.

However, he spent two hours in line to pick it up and waited behind a ton of trucks.

Eventually, he had it loaded up his Jeep and headed eastwards.

After getting to Phoenix, he set about putting together his purchase.

He recalled: “I unpacked the box and pulled out the wheels, suspension parts, windshield, steering wheel, seats, seat belts, winch, etc.

“Absolutely no instructions were provided, but at some point you have to take the bull by the horns and start turning a wrench and just attach things that make the most sense.

“The Jeep is a few hundred pounds, so it took a jack to get the unit prepared by attaching suspension arms, attaching wheels, etc. It’s a good thing I like working with my hands, because HOLY COW did it require more work than I anticipated.”

Day admitted that a ‘non-handy’ person would have struggled with the assembly process.

Some parts of the Jeep needed to be modified in order to fit together.

In the end, Day got the job done and was satisfied with the fruit of his labor.

He said: “The Jeep is perfect for its intended use – primarily for kids with off-road use while camping.”

It just goes to show – things are worth sticking with, despite the obstacles that may cross your path.

All people face obstacles in life, and that’s all the more true in the world of cars.

A lot of hurdles have delayed the development of flying cars, but they’re still on their way.

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Ben got his start in journalism at Kennedy News and Media, writing stories for national newspapers, websites and magazines. Now working as a freelancer, he divides his time between teaching at News Associates and writing for news sites on all subjects.