In order to answer this question, a wide range of topics must be covered, which would exhaust the scope of this "Questions and Answers" page. Therefore we would like to refer you to our article Buying a car on the Internet, which deals exactly with this topic.

Nowadays, a configurator is standard at least for all major car manufacturers. Of course, they always want to stand out from the crowd, so that the end user often gets confused. To counteract this, we have created the article "How to configure a new car correctly" for you, which we kindly refer to.

With a purchase contract you conclude a contract between buyer and seller according to Swiss law. This gives both parties to the contract the rights applicable in Switzerland or must fulfil the applicable obligations. This is different for brokerage contracts. These are only used by intermediaries for the brokerage of new cars. This means that you do not conclude a sales contract with the broker, but with a foreign dealer. Consequently, it is not the Swiss sales law that applies, but the foreign sales law (depending on which country the vehicle is purchased from). As a result, the intermediary does not have to be liable and you would have to contact the foreign dealer for possible defects that are not covered by the manufacturer's warranty. In this context, we would like to mention that if you purchase a new car via Cargate, you conclude a sales contract according to Swiss law.

The procedure is usually always the same. You will receive an e-mail from us about two to four weeks before the car is delivered. As soon as the car arrives, you will receive a copy of all documents by e-mail. If you then want to pick up your car, we will inspect it together with you and will also discuss the optional extras you have ordered. If you are satisfied after the inspection of your car, you can leave immediately.

Yes and no. A directly imported new EU car is identical to a vehicle produced for the Swiss market in terms of quality or the technology used. Furthermore, there are uniform registration guidelines for imported motor vehicles in the EU. For the registration of such vehicles, COC papers (also called EWG certificate of conformity) are required, which ensure that the imported vehicle also complies with the standards valid in Europe for vehicles. In this respect, there are usually no differences. On the other hand, it should be mentioned that a new EU vehicle may differ from the equipment of a "Swiss" vehicle. However, this is often an advantage, since the EU new cars often have a more extensive basic equipment. Of course, you can read the corresponding standard equipment for each model on our homepage and compare it with the information provided by the Swiss manufacturer.

No. The COC papers also come into play here, as they facilitate registration with the responsible registration authority. You will also receive a certificate from us confirming that this is a new vehicle without previous registration (neither in Switzerland nor abroad).

As the term "EU new car" already suggests, such vehicles come from countries of the European Union. In this respect, we can assure you that we only purchase vehicles from such countries and never from third countries. It is very important to us to create the greatest possible transparency for you as a customer. We would therefore like to give you the opportunity, as is customary in the industry, to specify the exact country of origin of your desired vehicle. However, as this varies depending on the brand and model of the vehicle, we would ask you to contact us individually.

All vehicles ordered through us are equipped with summer tyres. Please note this in the winter months. We can also equip your vehicle with winter tyres at cost price.

The procedure is usually always the same. You will receive an e-mail from us about two to four weeks before the car is delivered. As soon as the car arrives, you will receive a copy of all documents by e-mail. If you then want to pick up your car, we will inspect it together with you and will also discuss the optional extras you have ordered. If you are satisfied after the inspection of your car, you can leave immediately.

Up to now, maintenance work carried out by the workshop has been stamped in the service booklet and thus documented. Since this procedure is only slightly forgery-proof and the booklet can also be lost, all automobile manufacturers now actually rely on the digital service booklet (also known as the Digital Service Record). In this new service booklet, all maintenance and service data, such as the date on which maintenance was carried out and the mileage of the vehicle, are stored centrally in electronic form. Authorised workshops can then access this data at any time. After the maintenance has been carried out, a print-out confirming the measure will be handed over to you by the workshop.

When purchasing a new vehicle, you as a customer receive the so-called manufacturer's warranty, which, depending on the manufacturer, covers at least two years. This is valid throughout Europe, and consequently also for new EU vehicles. As an owner of an EU new car, you therefore have the same service claims as an owner of a vehicle purchased in Switzerland. In order to be able to make use of these, you only need to visit any authorised workshop. In this context, we would like to point out that such a workshop may also be located in another EU country. For example, you do not have to wait for your return to Switzerland during your holiday within the EU. You also have the option of extending this guarantee further. In order to enable you to extend your guarantee, we have joined forces with an external partner. You can find all information and prerequisites for the extension at https://www.cargate.ch/info/warranty-insurance/

If you don't want to keep your old car, but want to sell it, you have different possibilities. Especially in connection with the purchase of a new car, there is often talk of the trade-in of the used car. Unfortunately, however, we are not in a position to take your vehicle in payment. In order to be able to offer you this service in a certain way, we have joined forces with an external partner. This allows you to sell your used car in just a few steps. For further information you can also read our article Free Ride to a New Car.

The high price advantage results from different reasons. One of these reasons are discounts granted to us. Since we do not only purchase a few vehicles on the European market, but are also bulk buyers, we receive volume discounts there. Of these, you as our customer ultimately stand out. Another reason are the different taxes in the EU. In many European countries, higher excise or Lu-xuss taxes are levied on the net price. This net price is usually lower than in Switzerland. This is where the tax advantage comes about: as an importer, we do not have to pay the foreign tax in question but only pay the 7.7% VAT customary in Switzerland plus 4% automobile tax on the lower net price. Furthermore, the different purchasing power in Europe plays a role. The car manufacturers, in turn, adjust their price policies to this, which results in additional savings.

During the configuration process you always have the total price in view. This always includes the transfer costs of the vehicle to us in Zurich as well as the statutory sales tax. This means that you do not have to pay any further costs after we have confirmed your order.

With us you have the possibility to settle your invoice by bank transfer or cash payment before picking up the vehicle (5 days after invoicing) or by settlement via Zurich attorney escrow account (additional costs CHF 200.-).