Beware importing a car from the US

[snowcone]

Plenty of guys ask questions about who to use for this type of service.
Well I want to tell you who not to use as they are shonky as hell.

USAtoAUS

The owner, Lawrence Ryan, also owns Aussie Car Imports which has an Australian ABN, but the registered business address is a house in Landsborough outside of Brisbane that he does not reside in or operate from.

The USAtoAUS website has an Australian phone number, but no address so you can't actually front up to them.
I was able to track down this address via a PI which is a property in Alberton outside of Brisbane and the number is registered to the Queensland manager, Philip Newell.

Lawrence Ryan operates out of 2 addresses in the USA , one at Battleground WA and another at Vancouver WA. The Battleground address is also shown to be the address for Indira and Philip Newell.
Indira Newel is a native American married to Australian Philip Newell who also manages USAtoAUS in Brisbane.

Indira Newell is also a principal of Aussie Ford Parts, another company but not related to Aussie Car Imports

These 3 people are wound tighter than a $2 watch. I was foolish enough to use them to import a car and it arrived damaged and they wouldn't release it unless I paid additional fees. I had also paid insurance to them which they wouldn't acknowledge.

I could give you the whole story here, but the short version is they charged for an insurance policy that was never taken out, charged for additional Quarantine fees that were never substantiated by AQIS, damaged the car in 2 places and only offeredto see freight out some rusty replacement parts off a different model with no repairs or painting. When I refused this lousy offer he cut off all communication so I launched legal action. I took my case to QCAT and then registered the decision with the Brisbane Magistrates Court and have been awarded $2,019 in damages, but they will not communicate in any way at all.

But because Lawrence Ryan is operating as a sole trader, I cannot take action against anyone in the Brisbane premises to recover the money or items of value. Because Lawrence Ryan is operating out of the USA I cannot summons him to appear to an enforcement hearing in Brisbane.
Even though it is a registered business in Australia with an ABN, he has set himself up where he doesn't have to abide by any Australian consumer laws.

Use this company at your own peril.