How to insure a Jap Import?

Taylor365

Hi Guys,

Looking for advice on how to insure a car that is on Japanese plates?

It arrives this weekend so would need insurance on it before getting it registered and putting Irish plates on it? I've been in contact with nearly every insurance company and no one will insure it off chassis number or the Japanese reg.

If people can get insured on UK plates why not Japanese plates?

Mycroft H

Why do you need it insured on Japanese plates?

Taylor365

Because the VRT office isn't at the docks....

Big C

A'pexi, アペクセラ株式会社, or 株式会社かんぽ生命保険

Mycroft H

Taylor365 wrote: »

Because the VRT office isn't at the docks....

Car transporter......

wildefalcon

Have you tried First Ireland? Or FBD? Do Carole Nash still operate?

Cheensbo

Hire one of these/similar

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/trailers/1477874

Easiest thing to do, at least you'll have no worries about it breaking down before it's checkup after its long trip on the boat, or trying to explain to an eager garda, as to why its on funny plates.

Taylor365

Don't want to hire a transporter as it will cost at least 2 or 3 journeys between getting it to my address and then getting it to the VRT appointment the following week.

First Ireland wouldn't take the chassis number. Need Irish reg.

FBD wouldn't insure it.

Mycroft H

You don't have much choice in the matter. You could chance it but your driving uninsured and in a vehicle not registered in the state. Day in court and the vehicle seized are the alternatives.

Chris_Heilong

I will be doing this myself son, you need to book it in to an NTCS center, get it trailered by one of those companies as you wont be able to drive it here until you have irish plates, I heard there are also clearing companies you can use that operate from the docks that you can use to clear your car and deliver it to your home but I am still trying to find out who they are.

IMO paying the VRT and getting Irish plates should all happen at the docks as this roundabout way in not convenient for anyone and at least then it would guarantee VRT is paid.

Taylor365

Ireland, the land of illogical reasoning and unnecessary paradoxes.

I'm booked in with MMC Brokers. They handle the car when it arrives, put it through customs, do all the paperwork and pay all the fees and taxes. They also give me 'temporary plates' which is the Japanese reg.

T-Maxx

Things to have thought about before bringing the car in me thinks.

djimi

BX 19 wrote: »

You don't have much choice in the matter. You could chance it but your driving uninsured and in a vehicle not registered in the state. Day in court and the vehicle seized are the alternatives.

Whatever chance you might have of going unnoticed on a UK plate, theres not a hope of not getting stopped while driving with Japanese plates on it :P

Id love to put even one of the original Japanese plates back on my car if I thought I could get away with it...

Vicxas

I wouldn't risk driving it home as some eager beaver gardai sit outside the docks and nail poor drivers in the same situation.

YbFocus

Buy a trailer for a couple of hundred, sell trailer on when you have got your use from it, therefore fixing this problem for basically free.

Taylor365

So basically,

You can't insure a car on foreign plates or by its chassis number?

RustyNut

Could someone else drive it on their driving other car extension, not sure on a yoke not reged here but might be worth looking into.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Dunno if this will work but worth a try. The number will be written in english on the paperwork, simply tell the insurance company that its a uk car and give them the number. Get a regular plain white plate made for the front and a yellow one for the rear and stick them on the car. If the insurance company query the number tell them its a personal plate from the uk.

Cheensbo

CJC999 wrote: »

Dunno if this will work but worth a try. The number will be written in english on the paperwork, simply tell the insurance company that its a uk car and give them the number. Get a regular plain white plate made for the front and a yellow one for the rear and stick them on the car. If the insurance company query the number tell them its a personal plate from the uk.

Yerp, and if you crash or are required to produce, you can be done for fraud as well as everything else..

YbFocus

CJC999 wrote: »

Dunno if this will work but worth a try. The number will be written in english on the paperwork, simply tell the insurance company that its a uk car and give them the number. Get a regular plain white plate made for the front and a yellow one for the rear and stick them on the car. If the insurance company query the number tell them its a personal plate from the uk.

Yeah you might as well drive it on the way it is as do that in fairness, you'd get in less trouble!

keithsfleet

Out of interest what have you imported?
Without rail roading the thread, I'm thinking of going down this route.

djimi

RustyNut wrote: »

Could someone else drive it on their driving other car extension, not sure on a yoke not reged here but might be worth looking into.

Very doubtful that third party extension would cover a foreign reg car.

LOTTOWINNER

YbFocus wrote: »

Buy a trailer for a couple of hundred, sell trailer on when you have got your use from it, therefore fixing this problem for basically free.

Good luck with finding a trailer that can carry a car for a couple of hundred.

Taylor365

keithsfleet wrote: »

Out of interest what have you imported?
Without rail roading the thread, I'm thinking of going down this route.

Everything is put in place to discourage you from importing cars.

From paying customs fees, customs tax, VAT, VRT (paying tax on taxes too) to locating offices far away from the place of import (ie i have now to arrange a transporter).

I'd only do it again to get a BRZ or something that is unobtainable within Ireland or the UK.

I'm paying more in taxes than i paid for the car.

Cheensbo

Taylor365 wrote: »

Everything is put in place to discourage you from importing cars.

From paying customs fees, customs tax, VAT, VRT (paying tax on taxes too) to locating offices far away from the place of import (ie i have now to arrange a transporter).

I'd only do it again to get a BRZ or something that is unobtainable within Ireland or the UK.

I'm paying more in taxes than i paid for the car.

I hear that, I wanted to bring over an ae86 a few years ago, but once i got into the charges and hassles involved i ran a mile...

Like you say, only worth it for a piece of unobtanium..

5500

I take it you dont have a policy taken out at already? Thats the only time I've ever had an issue with getting a policy to get me to the VRT centre, when I've had policys in force, I was able to insure via the chassis number, but when I couldn't towing was the only option but I already factored it into the import cost, its just something to be aware of in future if you import again.