So the customs stopped me.....

bicardi19

Ok before I start I know all the laws and know I should have paid my VRT from the start but I didnt and now Im paying for it.

What I am wondering about is when the customs officer stopped me and told me I would have to pay the fine he gave me his mobile phone number and told me to call him next week when I have the money together.

Now its on an official piece of paper with a stamp and everything, but he said he could meet me in a car park and I could pay the fine.

Is this normal?

Gumbo

that sounds strange, although i admit i have no experience of the system in this case.
i would of expected to be given an official letter and where to post or deliver a cheque etc

tell him you wish to post the fine to the head office instead.

Rylan

Sounds dodgy. Good scam if it is though.

Pixie001

That definitely doesn't sound normal! I'd be very wary!

bicardi19

Yeah I'd be more comfortable with posting it somewhere official.
Actually I'd be more comfortable not posting it at all.

But even on the piece of paper he gave me it doesn't even say anything about the fine or the amount or anything.

CharlieCroker

Simple answer, if your worried ring the vrt section in customs and ask them to confirm.
Deffo sounds dodgy though.
Did they sieze the car?

bicardi19

oh yeah there was no guards with them either are they allowed stop with no guards.

Im looking for any reason at all to get out of paying this fine.

Whatever about paying the vrt but the fine is a bit of a bicth on top of the vrt

Savman

bicardi19 wrote: »

he said he could meet me in a car park and I could pay the fine.

Uh huh. You can Paypal it to me if you prefer.

Sizzler

These guys are responsible for VRT enforcement for the Dublin region, ring them in the morning.

New Customs House, Promenade Road, Dublin 3. 01 877 6200

Sounds like someone has come up with a brave scam or a customs officer could be trousering the cash :eek:

Bazzy

on that customs programme that was on your man from customs stopped some lad in a mini and made him go the ATM he had a uniform and ID but that could just have been for the cameras. Ring your man and tell him you will meet him at his office.

I'd imagine he'd have taken the car off you if you didnt give him some cash there or then .

Failing that ring him and tell him your going to pay the fine when VRT'ing the car.

cabrwab

+1On the strangeness of that one!! Id ring customs direct bout that. Were abouts were you caught saw the customs stopping at tyrllstown this morning catching people too.

Cuddlesworth

I would ring the local station from where you were stopped. If it was a legit checkpoint then they will be happy to confirm it for you, if it was a scam then they will be happy to get that number off of you.

Tefral

If you havent already go the office he is working in, then find that out and confirm if he really is a customs officer.

A mate of mine imported a jeep and 2 days later they called to his house gave him a certain time to pay etc and left a mobile number on a business card. So i know they leave numbers but for some reason your situation sounds dodgy

bicardi19

yeah he told me he was going to take the car off me if I couldnt come up with 1500.

I told him i didnt have it. After telling me he was going to have to seize the ve-hic-il about 10 times, he said he wouldnt like to see a lady having to walk.

Told him I had no other way of collecting the kids from school and really needed the car.

So he said he would do me a favor and let me go. But i'd have to pay the fine by next week.

alo1587

So,he just mentioned a fine and said nothing about paying the VRT on the car asap??!! BS.Smells of a scam to me!

event

massive scam, has to be

was he alone, or with someone else?

So some lad stopped you and said he was from customs, said he will take your car, you said he didnt have it so he said to meet him in a car park and give him the money?

massive alarm bells

Biro

First thing you need to do is pay the VRT. You won't get far going into customs asking them if this guy is for real with no VRT on your car! May as well get it paid and done, then ring the local office and ask if he's legit.

rs

Pay a fine in a car park? Sounds totally, totall dodgy.

Call the customs people and tell them the story and see what the real deal is.

This totally sounds like a scam. Find out how you pay the VRT and see what the deal is about the fine. Whatever you do, don't hand over money in a parking lot. (especially cash)

bicardi19

He did tell me I'd have to pay the vrt.

And I'd say that he was a real customs man cause there were 3 of them and they had 2 monaghan reg cars which is what the customs round here drive. A Mondeo and a Vectra. All looked above board and all, he even told me amount I would have to pay which matches the revenue website.

Just find it weird that he would come all the way from Monaghan to Cavan to collect a fine. In a carpark!!!

The government are alot more desperate for cash than I thought.

Anan1

OP - I'm not sure that there's any further point to this thread. Just ring Customs tomorrow, tell them what happened and sort out a legitimate way of paying the VRT and the fine. If there's anything dodgy about the customs officer's actions then they'll deal with that too.

bicardi19

rs wrote: »

Pay a fine in a car park? Sounds totally, totall dodgy.

Call the customs people and tell them the story and see what the real deal is.

This totally sounds like a scam. Find out how you pay the VRT and see what the deal is about the fine. Whatever you do, don't hand over money in a parking lot. (especially cash)

No intention of paying them.............. well not in a carpark anyway!

Funky G

Hi all,

Thats very suspect to me - paying a customs bloke in a car park for VRT?

A few weeks ago, Customs AND Gardai were on the N32 at clare hall stopping overlaiden trucks, dipping tanks and checking english reg cars.

If there were no guards there i find that unusual

If there cars they had were anything but a D reg, very unusual

Voodoomelon

The customs chap on the Customs programme on RTE as mentioned above took cash then and there.

mcmc

Sound very strange.

Keep us posted bicardi19. I would like to hear the outcome of this meeting in a carpark to pay a fine:eek:

testicle

Funky G wrote: »

Hi all,

Thats very suspect to me - paying a customs bloke in a car park for VRT?

A few weeks ago, Customs AND Gardai were on the N32 at clare hall stopping overlaiden trucks, dipping tanks and checking english reg cars.

If there were no guards there i find that unusual

If there cars they had were anything but a D reg, very unusual

Custome have more powers than the Gardai, and do not need a Garda with them on a checkpoint, or to stop you.

bicardi19

mcmc wrote: »

Sound very strange.

Keep us posted bicardi19. I would like to hear the outcome of this meeting in a carpark to pay a fine:eek:

will do!!

mickdw

Telling customs you dont have the money is not an excuse. Really you have only half bought your car at this stage.
I certainly have no sympathy. Offering to meet in a car park cannot be proper though.
I think the normal procedure is for them to add the fine to the vrt bill while occasionally taking your car until payment is made.

gleep

Legally, they cannot seize your car anymore. A guy from Donegal got an injunction on VRT officers taking his car as it violates the constitution, something about the state seizing property without due process.
So if a customs man tells you he's going to seize your car, tell him to go ahead but he'll be speaking to your solicitor sharpish!

Anan1

gleep wrote: »

Legally, they cannot seize your car anymore. A guy from Donegal got an injunction on VRT officers taking his car as it violates the constitution, something about the state seizing property without due process.
So if a customs man tells you he's going to seize your car, tell him to go ahead but he'll be speaking to your solicitor sharpish!

The legality or otherwise of VRT has been argued to death here already, let's not go down that road again.

PrettyBoy

Why a car park?? I'd prefer a busy shopping centre...or somewhere with witnesses

OP give that number to the gaurds, just make sure you don't let them know you're driving without paying VRT!

Absurdum

Ring the number, tell him you'll meet him in the local Garda station to hand over the money you owe.

Sizzler

Sizzler wrote: »

These guys are responsible for VRT enforcement for the Dublin region, ring them in the morning.

New Customs House, Promenade Road, Dublin 3. 01 877 6200

Sounds like someone has come up with a brave scam or a customs officer could be trousering the cash :eek:

Have you rung them to check this out?

alias no.9

Pay your VRT and contact the Gardai about this guy, he sounds dodgy as ****, a sting operation on him to catch him in the act may be appropriate.

Our man in Havana

Those uniforms can be easily obtained, they are very similar to naval uniforms.

Certainly do not pay them in a car park. Go to a VRT office and pay up. Get a receipt.

The-Game

OP has there been any further developments?? Have you rang the customs office??

Esel

Fine is 0.1% per day VRT is overdue, afaik.

Our man in Havana

Never heard of that esel. How do they know when it was imported?

Esel

(Again afaik) They demand to see the invoice/receipt.

Our man in Havana

I have never heard of this fine people keep talking about. Normally they are happy to get the VRT paid.
People may not have an invoice, and unless they keep records at the ports there is no way to prove when a car was imported.

Esel

There has to be some sanction, otherwise not many people would pay VRT upfront....

Our man in Havana

Seizure is the usual sanction used afaik.

Esel

But if the car is later released on payment of the basic VRT due, that's not much of a sanction, is it?

I think we are going to be told to get a room. :eek:

c4cat

bicardi19 wrote: »

Ok before I start I know all the laws and know I should have paid my VRT from the start but I didnt and now Im paying for it.

What I am wondering about is when the customs officer stopped me and told me I would have to pay the fine he gave me his mobile phone number and told me to call him next week when I have the money together.

Now its on an official piece of paper with a stamp and everything, but he said he could meet me in a car park and I could pay the fine.

Is this normal?

Yes it is up to a point, here is my experience, stopped driving a UK car by customs, was given a number to call, which I did, was told the fine I had to pay as well as having to pay the VRT within 7 days or remove the vehicle from the state. I was told to send a cheque payable to the revenue commissioners for the fine to the Revenue office. I received an official receipt from the revenue office for the fine paid. You can only make payments to revenue by cheque, cash is not acceptable if you are asked to pay cash then its a scam

The-Game

@esel

Well it is as it still a huge inconvenience to many having their car seized and having to go through the proper channels to retrieve it.

TheNog

Bond-007 wrote: »

Those uniforms can be easily obtained, they are very similar to naval uniforms.

Certainly do not pay them in a car park. Go to a VRT office and pay up. Get a receipt.

Best advice!!!!

esel wrote: »

I think we are going to be told to get a room. :eek:

*steps slowly away* :eek:

crazybaldhead

Customs will take money from you at a check point on the side of the road so taking it in a car park is no different. My mate had to drive to the bank with customs and pay it over there and then or else the car was being seized. He paid the penalty/fine on the spot, got a receipt for that and then had to register the car within 24 hrs. He didnt pay the VRT at the side of the road. This is normal practice as far as I know, if you cant pay the fine on the spot they usually take the car so count yourself lucky. You will get a receipt for it but if you have any doubt you should follow it up with your local office cos Im sure they have to lodge the money and there will be a record of it in the office. Dont pay the VRT to him/her directly, do that in your local office.

Count yourself lucky though that they didnt take the car, perfectly entitled to if you have the car in the country more than 24 hrs. I have imported plenty of cars in my time from the UK (better value & spec), better to get it sorted asap.

And to the comment about knowing when car was purchased Im sure they have access to Ferry companies to see when it came in if you dont provide an invoice/receipt. My advice would be to get it sorted asap cos they will have you in their sights now and will take the car off you if they come across you again. Not worth the hassle

crazybaldhead

c4cat wrote: »

You can only make payments to revenue by cheque, cash is not acceptable if you are asked to pay cash then its a scam

Cash is accepted and I have witnessed it being accepted and a proper receipt was issued for it on the side of the road...

mickdw

crazybaldhead wrote: »

Cash is accepted and I have witnessed it being accepted and a proper receipt was issued for it on the side of the road...

I know for the last year or so, revenue have a policy of no cash payments for vrt (and all other taxes for that matter)

Our man in Havana

If it was imported via Northern Ireland they would not have that info.

crazybaldhead

Bond-007 wrote: »

If it was imported via Northern Ireland they would not have that info.

Fair point... dependant on invoices then..

Our man in Havana

And without an invoice they would be unable to determine the date of import. But they would have other means of working it out I would think.