Importing from the UK - definitive guide (Q&A)

bazz26

bs2014 wrote: »

1) When you bring the car over, what is the stipulation for county its reg'd in, I'd rather have a D reg on an import than a county one, but I'm not living in Dublin permanently, just renting a room in a house, as it might be easier to sell with a D reg.

When you go to VRT the car they will ask you to produce a utility bill with your name/address on it. The car will then be registered to the county of that address.

bs2014 wrote: »

2) Is it best to just bring the car over, leave the UK plates on it, and when the person buys it, let them reg it to wherever they from. Plus this safes me the buyer having to finance the VRT part upfront. Can this be done.

Unless you are a registered dealer with a TAN it is illegal for a private individual to sell on an imported car that hasn't been VRT'd here. Doesn't stop people from doing it but legally you are not supposed to.

bs2014 wrote: »

3) Does warranty on say 1/2 yr old cars from the UK transfer from owner to owner infinitely until the mileage/age is up.

That totally depends on the manufacturer and warranty. For example BMW offered a 3 year warranty in the UK that was transferable to Ireland because BMW UK and BMW Ireland are the same entity. On the other hand VW for example had 3 years warranty in the UK which was made up of 2 years VW and the 3rd year was a VW dealer warranty. The 3rd year was not transferable to Ireland and is not recognised by Irish VW dealers.

bs2014 wrote: »

4) Is it common Irish franchised dealers to do warranty work on UK imports and then claim the warranty through a dealer in the north?

Again it depends, see my previous point. BMW dealers have done warranty work for me but VW dealers here will not.

bs2014 wrote: »

4) Random frivolous question, but why does all the D import numbers start off with the odd number range, 120,000 onwards.
Thanks all!

The Government introduced a system where imported cars registered in each county got a high number rather than the next available number. For example in Dublin imports start from 120,000. This applies to imports first registered up to and including 2010. Imports registered from 2011 onwards just revert back to the next available number.

bs2014

Thanks Bazz26 for clearing them few things up!

jmcc99_98

timmy4u2 wrote: »

I googled shenanigans and it is defined as dishonesty. Are you accusing me of that?
That was an addition by you as an edit after my initial reply.
Typical Irish attitude to something that they are incapable of comprehending.

Whooaaa there, I edited it at 14:11 you posted at 14:25. In any event, I was joking, no need to be so defensive.

Twas a joke:o

timmy4u2

jmcc99_98 wrote: »

Whooaaa there, I edited it at 14:11 you posted at 14:25. In any event, I was joking, no need to be so defensive.

Twas a joke:o

Uhu, thats good. Well actually my statement was ever so slightly inaccurate. The count which was done by servants:) was accurate in number but on rechecking it included 306 times for tickets from UK to Ireland and 93 tickets for those that accompanied me.

Still over 1000 trips. Amazing and to be honest I never even realised myself how often.
Returned today and off again to Gatwick Saturday, pick up within five minutes of the Airport and I should be Home again for 10.00am Sunday.

timmy4u2

traco wrote: »

South of Bath and for those exact reasons.

You have your research well done.
Hope it works out well for you.
Forgot to say
Dont be tempted by the A5. Nicer and faster to go up towards Warrington and across t M56

timmy4u2

DieselPowered wrote: »

Some of the best road trips ever are bringing home new cars.
I normally go over the night before, no early starts.

One more tip - ask the garage to pick you up from the airport or the train station when you land, saves on a taxi, they normally oblige

The trips home that I really enjoy are thosecwith classic cars.
I usually take the A and B roads; you see so much more and you either get a big smile or a long chat from many at the service stations.
I once towed a 1974 Beetle with a 1973 Rover P6 from J14 M4 near to Reading to the boat at Pembroke.
Started out at 2.30am in temperature of -6.
At 4.30am while checking things on the Hard shoulder the Police pulled in. A quick chat and we drove in the entrance and out the exit of the next services. Legal again.

timmy4u2

bs2014 wrote: »

Hi Guys,
Just on this note, I have a notion of buying an odd car in from the UK to sell on, more as a hobby and hopefully make a few nixer pound on it hopefully! Have only a little motor industry experience but keen interest in the area. Just a few Q from those who have done similar before. Also if anyone recommends a particular model/age bracket which is tough to compete on price between UK import and Irish vehicle, please feel free. I know alot of the price differential seems to boil down to the associated VRT.

1) When you bring the car over, what is the stipulation for county its reg'd in, I'd rather have a D reg on an import than a county one, but I'm not living in Dublin permanently, just renting a room in a house, as it might be easier to sell with a D reg.
2) Is it best to just bring the car over, leave the UK plates on it, and when the person buys it, let them reg it to wherever they from. Plus this safes me the buyer having to finance the VRT part upfront. Can this be done.
3) Does warranty on say 1/2 yr old cars from the UK transfer from owner to owner infinitely until the mileage/age is up.
4) Is it common Irish franchised dealers to do warranty work on UK imports and then claim the warranty through a dealer in the north?
4) Random frivolous question, but why does all the D import numbers start off with the odd number range, 120,000 onwards.
Thanks all!

Not a good idea to bring the car in and leave it here because you are obliged to notify VRT within seven days and to complete the process within thirty days and display the number plates within three days of clearing.
Penalties can be applied on a daily basis, and they will ask for the ferry ticket.
Only solution is if you know someone in the North and you can leave it there or you know someone with a TAN number.

As regards best cars if you intend to persevere I would recommend the newer Hyundai i30 and i20 and i10. They are reliable, they are saleable and they carry a five year unlimited mileage manufacturers warranty.
Another car, practically the same, is the Kia; the cee'd and the Rio.

From 2010 on there is a manufacturers warranty of seven years or 100, 000 miles but for the first three years the mileage is unlimited.
Prior to 2010 there are still five to six year warranties, or is it three, I forget.

djPSB

Heading North to look at this car tomorrow. Car was brought in from UK.

http://www.solitudemotors.co.uk/car/547950/2009-volkswagen-golf-se-tdi-banbridge/

Anyone ever dealt with this dealer?

Warranty is supplied by Autoguard warranties. Has anyone ever had any dealings with them?

Have run a HPI check which covers mileage etc. Is there anything else I should get checked?

Any feedback on any of the above appreciated.

timmy4u2

djPSB wrote: »

Heading North to look at this car tomorrow. Car was brought in from UK.

http://www.solitudemotors.co.uk/car/547950/2009-volkswagen-golf-se-tdi-banbridge/

Anyone ever dealt with this dealer?

Warranty is supplied by Autoguard warranties. Has anyone ever had any dealings with them?

Have run a HPI check which covers mileage etc. Is there anything else I should get checked?

Any feedback on any of the above appreciated.

That will cost you approx €11500 collected and cleared.
Is there a saving there. I think it is about the same as the retail here for a 2.0l.
But if you like it the photos look good. I presume you have checked it out.
Full service history is a plus and you get a warranty with the HPI check if they have cocked up.
I have not dealt with them. I stopped dealing with any dealers in the North a long time ago.
It was too much hassle and other things. But that is just me.
The warranty. I do not know. See what was, and I suppose what still is their definition

Mechanical Breakdown



Shall mean internal failure which is hereby defined

as the actual and sudden mechanical failure or

breakdown of an item listed under the ‘What is

Covered’ section which results in the sudden

stoppage of its normal functions and which

necessitates repair or replacement to resume

those functions. Failure or breakdown, which

ultimately results from wear and tear is excluded

from the scope of cover afforded by this policy"


And EXCLUSIONS:


• Gradual deterioration of performance of a

component in line with the age and mileage of

the vehicle will be classed as “wear and tear”

and excluded from the policy.

• All bodywork and trim, seat belts, glass, sunroof

panels, fuel tank, wheels and tyres. Air bags or

disposal of air bags.

• Minor fluid leaks, odours, external oil leaks,

worn or perished seals.

• Consumable items such as, but not exclusively

limited to light bulbs, drive belts, wiper blades,

brake linings, brake discs, cylinders, cables, glow

plugs and key fobs.


• Blocked, porous or seized components –

including but not exclusively EGR valves, worn

or split hoses or pipes and brake callipers.

• Clearing or cleaning of fuel lines or components,

contamination of fuel system either by incorrect

fuelling or water ingress. Damage caused to any

component by water ingress.

• Clutch components, unless mechanically failed.

• Electrical connections, wiring looms and batteries.

• Exhaust system, including but not limited to

manifolds, mufflers, brackets and mountings.

Including de-pollution or diesel particulate

filters and systems.

• Cylinder block liners for vehicles over 3000 cc.

Its hard to figure out what would be covered in a car with 76000 miles on it as everything will have a degree of wear at that stage.
I would be wary of signing off on any liability lying with the Garage
It states it covers "sudden mechanical failure" only.
Google them to get the up to date picture

Kilough

Also if anyone recommends a particular model/age bracket which is tough to compete on price between UK import and Irish vehicle, please feel free. I know alot of the price differential seems to boil down to the associated VRT.

Hi,

I was also looking for advice as to what cars seem to be better value in the UK as opposed to the Irish market? I'm in a slightly different situation though as I'm currently living in the UK and plan on doing so for another 1-2 years so I was thinking of splashing out on a nice car and then when I move back home I'll be exempt from VRT.

I'd like a 3 series, an IS200, a golf, an A3 or maybe a high spec toyota Auris. So I reckon if I went for the 3 series below for £7k (€8400) I could drive around for a year or 2 (wouldn't be doing huge miles) and breakeven or even make a profit when I go to sell it back home. I see a similar car for €12500 on donedeal, below, so I'm basing my logic on that. Which of the cars listed above would make most sense to bring over from the UK? I like them all so I'm not picky!

What would people on here think about my logic? Am I missing something?!

This thread has been a great help and I look look forward to your thoughts.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201401090908182/sort/default/usedcars/page/1/price-to/8000/model/3_series/maximum-mileage/up_to_80000_miles/postcode/ox41lj/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/maximum-age/up_to_6_years_old/radius/1500/make/bmw/fuel-type/diesel?logcode=p

http://www.autotrader.ie/search/BMW/3-Series/318-E90-/201403221077975/advert?channel=CARS

bazz26

That first 3 Series is the most basic spec you can get, would not bother with it myself.

The second one is much better, had the exact same type as that myself. However I honestly could not recommend a diesel 3 Series of that vintage fitted with the N47 engine. You might want to goggle "BMW N47 timing chain issue". I had no trouble with mine but I just count myself fortunate. I wouldn't take a chance with another one.

I'd look at a decent spec Honda Accord of that vintage.

djPSB

timmy4u2 wrote: »

That will cost you approx €11500 collected and cleared.
Is there a saving there. I think it is about the same as the retail here for a 2.0l.
But if you like it the photos look good. I presume you have checked it out.
Full service history is a plus and you get a warranty with the HPI check if they have cocked up.
I have not dealt with them. I stopped dealing with any dealers in the North a long time ago.
It was too much hassle and other things. But that is just me.
The warranty. I do not know. See what was, and I suppose what still is their definition



Its hard to figure out what would be covered in a car with 76000 miles on it as everything will have a degree of wear at that stage.
I would be wary of signing off on any liability lying with the Garage
It states it covers "sudden mechanical failure" only.
Google them to get the up to date picture

The car above was registered on the last day of 2009.

I am also viewing the car below. It's 2010 but higher mileage.

http://www.a1autosdromore.com/car/486143/2010-volkswagen-golf-bluemotion-se-tdi-dromore/

6 month dealer warranty.

Dupont

Could anyone tell me what a van costing 9000 pound in the uk would be in euro with taxes, vrt, any tests that have to be done and ferry I suppose. Basically what would it cost to have on my street here

biko

You need to VRT and NCT it. Have a read of the big UK>ROI thread I merged you with.
More here www.ncts.ie/vquest.html

timmy4u2

Dupont wrote: »

Could anyone tell me what a van costing 9000 pound in the uk would be in euro with taxes, vrt, any tests that have to be done and ferry I suppose. Basically what would it cost to have on my street here

Change to euro and ferry should work out at €11000. Roughly.

Flight over and fuel back €200. Test and plates €130 approx.

VRT is a flat rate of €200 provided it is not a very small van
So roughly €11500.

That is assuming that you are not registered for VAT and not claiming.
It will be subject to the commercial test and not the NCT from the time it exceeds twelve months of age.

Dupont

timmy4u2 wrote: »

Change to euro and ferry should work out at €11000. Roughly.

Flight over and fuel back €200. Test and plates €130 approx.

VRT is a flat rate of €200 provided it is not a very small van
So roughly €11500.

That is assuming that you are not registered for VAT and not claiming.
It will be subject to the commercial test and not the NCT from the time it exceeds twelve months of age.

Meant to say that 9000 was excluding vat. Is it 20 % in England. Also can you get a lift with somone on a ferry over to England without paying or is it a set fee per person or per vechicle

timmy4u2

Dupont wrote: »

Meant to say that 9000 was excluding vat. Is it 20 % in England. Also can you get a lift with somone on a ferry over to England without paying or is it a set fee per person or per vechicle

Well if you are registered for VAT it wont matter too much and noooooo, the ferries will not take you there free. It is €35 per passenger on Stena.

Kilough

Thanks for that info on the 3-series, had heard they can be troublesome and are costly to fix. Accords are going for around 6k for an 08 diesel in the UK with similar car going for 8-8.5k in Ireland. Not a bad call.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201401151056020/sort/default/usedcars/maximum-age/up_to_6_years_old/maximum-mileage/up_to_90000_miles/radius/80/model/accord/price-from/3500/make/honda/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/page/1/postcode/ox41lj/fuel-type/diesel/price-to/8000?logcode=p

http://cars.donedeal.co.uk/cars-for-sale/honda-accord-2-2-i-cdti/6255384

Do english dealers give a bit of wiggle room on prices anybody know? Prob be buying somewhere around the south of Eng, north of london.

bazz26

Nowhere near the same haggle room as dealers here.

sully2010

Hi, Ive been looking at doing this myself lately and have found a couple of cars with a bit of margin on them. Would I be right in saying the margins are tighter these days compared to 6 years ago? I looked into doing it back then. Or maybe I haven't found the right cars yet:)
Just have a couple of questions hopefully someone can answer.

It seems to be mostly dealers on carzone and carsireland now. Do most on here sell their UK buys on donedeal?

And for the particular model Im looking at it is mostly dealers selling them on donedeal too. This may be a good thing or not as the case may be. There is room to undercut them but at the same time I'm wondering if people are skeptical about buying a private car that has just come in from England, and would they be more likely to pay the extra €1500 from a dealer with warranty.

What are peoples experiences of selling imported UK cars(with vrt paid, irish plates, nct)?

Thanks

discombobulate

sully2010 wrote: »

Hi, Ive been looking at doing this myself lately and have found a couple of cars with a bit of margin on them. Would I be right in saying the margins are tighter these days compared to 6 years ago? I looked into doing it back then. Or maybe I haven't found the right cars yet:)
Just have a couple of questions hopefully someone can answer.

It seems to be mostly dealers on carzone and carsireland now. Do most on here sell their UK buys on donedeal?

And for the particular model Im looking at it is mostly dealers selling them on donedeal too. This may be a good thing or not as the case may be. There is room to undercut them but at the same time I'm wondering if people are skeptical about buying a private car that has just come in from England, and would they be more likely to pay the extra €1500 from a dealer with warranty.

What are peoples experiences of selling imported UK cars(with vrt paid, irish plates, nct)?

Thanks

What kind of price cars are you talking? €1500 is a big difference if it's a 10k car to someone but it's not a huge amount going over 20k.

I'd have thought the best cars to go for would be ones that still have a manufacturers warranty and full service history with them.

A lot of buyers would obviously prefer the perceived better service they'd get from a dealer being able to trade their old cars, get finance etc. Anyone getting a motor loan has to have it made out to the dealership.

Obviously a market for it but you'd have a smaller audience.

I presume you'd also be wanting to make cash sales which don't appeal to a lot also.

djPSB

Anyone have much experience with auctions in the UK?

Soarer

Asking price for my car a few weeks back with a main Toyota dealer was £7250. I rang them and told them I'd give them a deposit over the phone there and then if they could do it for £6000. Told him I didn't want a warranty and was taking it over to Ireland.
He rang me back half and hour later dropping to £6800.
Told him it was too expensive, that I was looking to buy before the weekend and was actively looking.
He rang me back a few times over the following 24 hours asking for less and less each time, until he got to £6195 and said that was that. I gave him a £500 deposit over the phone and flew over that weekend. That was £1055 off the asking price.

So there's definitely haggle room. You're actually in a great position coming from Ireland as you can fly in to anywhere in the UK, so the whole market is open. The dealers also like the idea of the car flogging off never to be seen again!

sully2010

discombobulate wrote: »

What kind of price cars are you talking? €1500 is a big difference if it's a 10k car to someone but it's not a huge amount going over 20k.

I'd have thought the best cars to go for would be ones that still have a manufacturers warranty and full service history with them.

A lot of buyers would obviously prefer the perceived better service they'd get from a dealer being able to trade their old cars, get finance etc. Anyone getting a motor loan has to have it made out to the dealership.

Obviously a market for it but you'd have a smaller audience.

I presume you'd also be wanting to make cash sales which don't appeal to a lot also.

Yea its around the 10k-12k mark, 2010 models family MPV diesels which I presume have manufacturers warranties still, but something I have to look into. I deffo wouldnt entertain buying a car without a full service history or one with high mileage. Wouldn't necessarily have to be cash sale either. Just something Im exploring with car sales on the move.

bazz26

sully2010 wrote: »

Yea its around the 10k-12k mark, 2010 models family MPV diesels which I presume have manufacturers warranties still, but something I have to look into. I deffo wouldnt entertain buying a car without a full service history or one with high mileage. Wouldn't necessarily have to be cash sale either. Just something Im exploring with car sales on the move.

The thing is though that if you buy the best available with full service histories, decent warranty and low mileage, you will pay near the top price, meaning when exchange rates, transport costs and Revenue's pound of flesh are taking into consideration there might not be much profit in it unless you are start buying in bulk from the same source regularly.

Unfortunately there is a lot of junk coming over here with colourful histories because they are at the bottom of the scale where their sellers hope to maximise their profits. But I wish you look, just make sure to do plenty of research before hand.

sully2010

bazz26 wrote: »

The thing is though that if you buy the best available with full service histories, decent warranty and low mileage, you will pay near the top price, meaning when exchange rates, transport costs and Revenue's pound of flesh are taking into consideration there might not be much profit in it unless you are start buying in bulk from the same source regularly.

Unfortunately there is a lot of junk coming over here with colourful histories because they are at the bottom of the scale where their sellers hope to maximise their profits. But I wish you look, just make sure to do plenty of research before hand.

I think doing plenty of research is the way to go for sure.

Then again could always do a trotter;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VosbyJa-JMs

traco

sully2010 wrote: »

Yea its around the 10k-12k mark, 2010 models family MPV diesels which I presume have manufacturers warranties still, but something I have to look into. I deffo wouldnt entertain buying a car without a full service history or one with high mileage. Wouldn't necessarily have to be cash sale either. Just something Im exploring with car sales on the move.

Also don't forget that every time you clear a car you have to give your PPS number. You can be sure thats being logged with revenue so might want to bear that in mind. I's say thats the reason there are so many non cleared cars on Donedeal

bazz26

Revenue allow you to VRT about 3 or 4 cars a year afaik before they class you as a dealer and come interested in your dealings.

sully2010

bazz26 wrote: »

Revenue allow you to VRT about 3 or 4 cars a year afaik before they class you as a dealer and come interested in your dealings.

Thats good to know, I would only be looking at the 3 or 4 anyway

traco

Don't know about being classed as a dealer or not but from my personal dealings with them and in my business dealings they are very very sharp so I wouldn't be surprised if it was being monitired for undeclared income irrespective of dealer or not. I thought I saw something recently about them monitoring facebook and social media for income streams.

Here it is
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/revenue-scouring-facebook-and-twitter-for-tax-cheats-29919876.html