Before you search

• Define the machine type and size (operating weight or category).
• Set a maximum hours figure you'll accept.
• List must-have attachments or specifications.
• Set a total landed budget — purchase price, shipping, biosecurity, duty and delivery combined. The purchase price is not the number that matters; the landed figure is.

Sourcing the machine

• Search across multiple sources — dealer stock, online auctions, private sellers in the UK, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, France.
• Do not judge the market from one listing site. Auction stock in particular rarely appears on retail platforms.
• If you want a specific model, spec or year range: note it precisely before starting. Vague searches produce vague results.

Verifying the seller

• Confirm the business exists on the relevant national company register.
• Confirm the business is actively trading.
• Confirm that bank account details match the registered company name.
• Check that there is a real address and working landline.
• Assess trading history — how long have they been in business?
• Never pay a deposit to a seller you cannot verify. A legitimate seller will not ask for payment before inspection. Pressure to transfer money quickly before a deal is agreed is a fraud signal.

Inspection

• Inspect the machine in person — or have someone do it for you — before any money moves.
• Start the machine cold and work it; don't just walk around it.
• Check undercarriage condition on tracked machines: tracks, rollers, idlers, sprockets. This is the single most expensive wear item and the easiest to hide in photos.
• Check for oil leaks, emulsified oil, hydraulic condition.
• Check slew ring and rams on excavators.
• Cross-check displayed hours against visible wear.
• Photograph and record everything honestly.

Export from the UK

• Ensure an accurate commercial invoice is prepared (correct description, correct declared value).
• UK export declaration lodged correctly.
• Bill of lading obtained from the shipping line.
• Packing details prepared.

New Zealand customs and duty

• Import declaration lodged through New Zealand's Trade Single Window (joint Customs/MPI system). A customs broker in NZ typically handles this.
• Container quarantine declaration required if shipping in a container.
• Import duty: most common excavator and plant machinery classifications (HS heading 84.29 — self-propelled earth-moving machinery) attract 0% duty into New Zealand. Confirm the correct HS code with your NZ customs broker.
• GST at 15% applies to most imported machinery. A GST-registered business may be able to recover this through the normal returns process.

MPI biosecurity — this is where it goes wrong if you're not prepared

New Zealand operates some of the strictest biosecurity rules in the world. MPI (the Ministry for Primary Industries) treats used machinery as a serious biosecurity risk.

The core requirement

• Machine must be cleaned inside and out before shipment — professional standard, not a quick wash.
• A cleaning certificate must be submitted for used outdoor or targeted machinery. MPI allows the person who cleaned the machine, or supervised the cleaning, to sign it (date, address, name, signature) — a licensed cleaning company is not required, though a professional clean is still the surest way to pass inspection.
• MPI inspectors check every trap point for soil, plant material, seeds, insects and organic contamination: undercarriage, track frames, wheels, engine bay, cab, belly plates, buckets, rams, hydraulic lines, all cavities.

Consequences of non-compliance

• MPI can require partial or full dismantling to verify cleanliness.
• Machine can be ordered to be cleaned or treated at the border — at your cost.
• In serious cases, entry can be refused.

Border cleaning and treatment costs are substantially higher than arranging a professional pre-export clean in the UK.

Shipping to New Zealand

• Confirm shipping method with your freight forwarder.
• Machines up to approximately 8–10 tonnes operating weight: typically 20ft or 40ft container (driven in or broken down where needed).
• Larger machines: RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) or breakbulk cargo.
• Consolidation opportunity: if buying more than one machine, consolidating into a single container can reduce cost per unit materially.
• Build in realistic port processing time — biosecurity inspection can add days. A machine that arrives clean and documented clears quickly; one that doesn't can sit at considerable cost.

Delivery

• Confirm delivery address and access arrangements.
• Confirm offload equipment available at destination if needed.

Summary — the safe sequence that never changes

1. Verify the seller before any money moves.
2. Inspect the machine in person (or have someone do it for you).
3. Agree the full landed cost — machine, transport, duties, GST, shipping, biosecurity, delivery.
4. Pay through a traceable route to a verified account, with paperwork ready.

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