How it works
How ShipMova works
Buying a car from another country can feel risky. Here’s exactly how ShipMova makes it safe, transparent, and simple — from browsing a listing to the car arriving at your door.
The journey, step by step
Step 1
Find a car.
Every listing shows whether it can be imported to Nigeria (more countries coming) and an estimated total cost.
Step 2
Reserve it.
Free, no obligation.
Step 3
Choose a shipper and get your shipping quote upfront.
Each quote shows whether clearing at your port is included.
Step 4
Pay ShipMova's fee, then the car price into escrow.
Step 5
Inspection and pickup.
An independent inspector checks the car; your shipper collects it with the original title.
Step 6
The seller gets paid and your car ships.
Step 7
Clear it at your port.
If your shipper includes clearing, they handle it; if not, use your own clearing agent or one we recommend.
Step 8
Review the seller and the shipper.
Why buy with ShipMova?
Buying a car from America shouldn't mean trusting a stranger with your savings.
Your money is protected
The car price is held by Escrow.com and only paid to the seller after the car is inspected and in your shipper's hands with the title. You never wire a stranger.
Real cars, real owners
Every seller's ID is verified, the name on the title must match, and the VIN is checked against U.S. records before a listing goes live.
Know it can come home
Every listing shows whether the car can legally be imported to Nigeria (more countries coming)
No surprise costs
Car price, ShipMova fee, escrow fee and a shipping estimate, shown upfront.
Someone checks the car for you
An independent inspector verifies the VIN, mileage, title and condition in person before pickup.
Buy direct from the owner
U.S. owner prices, one clear fee, and a real person on WhatsApp.
| What matters | ShipMova | On your own |
|---|---|---|
| Who holds your money | Licensed escrow | You wire the seller |
| Seller identity verified | Yes | Not known |
| Title matched to seller | Yes | Not known |
| Car inspected in person before shipping | Yes | No |
| Import eligibility checked (Nigeria) | Yes | Not known |
| Full cost shown upfront | Yes | No |
What you actually pay for
Buying internationally shouldn’t come with surprise costs. Every dollar is shown to you before you pay anything. Here’s a real example:
- Car price
- $25,000
- ShipMova fee (8%)
- $2,000
- Escrow.com fee (est.)
- $600
- Total before shipping
- $27,600
- Shipping (varies by route)
- $2,500
- Total shown to you upfront
- $30,100
ShipMova’s fee, the car price (held by Escrow.com), Escrow.com’s own fee and the shipping cost are separate lines, paid separately, with separate refund rules — we’re never bundling costs to hide what you’re actually paying for. On listings marked “Seller splits the fee” you pay 4% instead of 8%. Full detail in our Buyer Protection & Refund Policy.
What ShipMova is (and isn’t)
We’re straightforward about our role, because trust starts with clarity.
ShipMova is a technology platform — we verify sellers, check listings, and coordinate a protected payment: the car price is held by Escrow.com, a licensed escrow company, and only released to the seller after inspection and pickup.
What ShipMova is not: we’re not the seller of any vehicle, we’re never a party to the sale itself, and we never take ownership of a vehicle at any point. The sale is always a direct agreement between you and the seller; shipping is always a direct agreement between you and your shipper.
We charge one clear fee for the verification and coordination work we do — never a markup on the car.
Why this is safer than going it alone
Buying a car sight-unseen from another country is exactly the kind of transaction scammers target. Here’s what stands between you and that risk:
Every seller is identity-verified
We confirm who a seller actually is before their listing ever goes live — not just an email address.
Every VIN and title is checked
Our team manually verifies VIN and title status against national records before approving a listing, so “the car in the photos” is the car you're actually buying.
You're protected if something's misrepresented
If a vehicle turns out to be materially different from what was listed — wrong VIN, undisclosed damage, a title issue — our Buyer Protection Policy entitles you to a full refund of the facilitation fee.
Real reviews from real buyers
Sellers and shippers build a track record over time, so you're never deciding on trust alone.
Put together, this is a level of upfront verification you simply don’t get buying from an anonymous listing site or wiring money to a stranger you found online.