An auto expert explained what to do in case of a letter demanding additional payment of the recycling fee.

      October 30, 2025 16:33 Society

      Motorists have encountered the problem of being required to pay additional utilization fees for cars imported into Russia in recent years. The additional payment can reach several million rubles. Anton Shaparin, vice president of the National Automobile Union, explained to 360.ru how to act in such situations.

      He explained that the additional utilization fee charges concern cars imported into the country by various means, including routes through Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. According to Shaparin, many people, trying to save on buying a car, find that the final cost of the car turns out to be higher than they expected.

      The expert stressed that warnings about the risks of buying cars through countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) have been sounded repeatedly. He urged motorists to be cautious and to buy only those cars that have gone through all the necessary procedures and have "legally clean" status.

      Shaparin noted that the use of "grey" schemes to import cars inevitably leads to additional expenses. In his view, this is because such actions contradict the law and ultimately always end with negative consequences for the buyer.

      According to Shaparin's estimates, hundreds of thousands of cars have been imported into Russia through various schemes. Recently the number of complaints about the need to pay additional utilization fees has increased significantly, and will likely continue to rise in the future, as many people attempt to circumvent established rules.

      In the event of receiving a notice requiring payment of the utilization fee, the car owner has two options, according to Shaparin. The first is to try to challenge the claim in court. The second is to pay the additional amount. There are no other legal ways to resolve this problem.

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