Garages selling UK plate cars here

SwordofLight · 27-09-2017 10:16AM #1

Just wondering today as came across an advert for a garage selling a UK plated car.

Seeing as the guards and customs are particularly heavy on those driving around on UK plates, because you can't drive with them in this country for over a certain amount of time, why on earth would someone buy one of these?

Even if you paid the VRT it still wouldn't be worth it. Just seems like a load of hassle.

colm_mcm · 27-09-2017 10:17AM

Proper garages can sell uk cars no problem and will sort VRT and Irish registration for you. No issues there.

Hasmunch · 27-09-2017 10:19AM

Garages cant sell cars on Uk plates.
They will wait until they have a buyer of the car and then they will register the car in the owners name and put on Irish plates (as per new owners county) before the new buyer picks it up.

elperello · 27-09-2017 10:25AM

colm_mcm wrote: »

Proper garages can sell uk cars no problem and will sort VRT and Irish registration for you. No issues there.

+1
If you are interested call in to the garage and check out the car. You might be pleasantly surprised by the spec, condition, service history etc. If the price on the road doesn't add up for you just walk away.

bazz26 · 27-09-2017 10:25AM

What hassle?

Proper garages will do the VRT paperwork for you as part of the sale. It is not illegal for them to offer foreign registered cars for sale here, however they must re-register them on Irish plates on behalf of the new owner as part of the sale to Irish residence.

SwordofLight · 27-09-2017 10:35AM

A-Ha, thanks all. I guess it's a different matter buying privately - there you take the responsibility of paying the VRT yourself.
Is there a grace period before you need to put the VRT through if buying privately?

bazz26 · 27-09-2017 10:45AM

Technically it is illegal for a private individual to sell a foreign registered car to an Irish resident here. Plenty of supermarket car park type wheeler dealers selling them here though.

You are supposed to book a VRT inspection with the NCT within 7 days of the car entering the country (they will look for proof of ferry tickets, invoice, etc) and you 30 days from the date of entry into the country to pay the VRT and complete the Irish registration process. All this information is on the NCT and Revenue websites.

SwordofLight · 27-09-2017 10:51AM

So if I buy a UK reg car here that someone's had here for a while I would need to take it out of the country and back in again to get the VRT done... Couldn't you just say you were up the North for a while or something.
I've seen a nice motor going for cheap even with VRT paid would be a bargain... but scratching my head why they don't just pay the VRT and then sell it as they'd get more for it.

colm_mcm · 27-09-2017 11:15AM

Beware of something that's too cheap. Especially when you have zero comeback.

sjb25 · 27-09-2017 12:05PM

I bought my car from a garage was on UK plates in garage when I viewed it and as others have said once we had the deal done the car was registered in my name garage sorted out everything and paid VRT I just came back to collect it no hassle for anybody

bazz26 · 27-09-2017 12:07PM

SwordofLight wrote: »

So if I buy a UK reg car here that someone's had here for a while I would need to take it out of the country and back in again to get the VRT done... Couldn't you just say you were up the North for a while or something.
I've seen a nice motor going for cheap even with VRT paid would be a bargain... but scratching my head why they don't just pay the VRT and then sell it as they'd get more for it.

Apparently Revenue are checking when the car was last taxed in the UK too in conjunction with proving when it came into the country and back charging VRT penalties if it cannot be proven it was imported sooner than that. They have heard most of the tricks in the book.

Also have you done background checks on the car? Cheap cars are usually cheap for a reason and it sounds like you are a novice to the whole thing.

SwordofLight · 27-09-2017 12:24PM

Thanks, well I guess i'll do the checks on the car once I'm straight about the ins and outs of the tax mess.
I've tried to phone revenue about this, with no luck, they redirected me to the motor tax office which i can't get a number for, and I haven't tried the NCT garages yet. Annoying. I want to find out a bit more about how long you can drive in this country on a UK plate if you usually reside in the UK.

aujopimur · 27-09-2017 12:46PM

If you buy an unregistered car privately you will be required to complete a declaration at the NCT/VRT centre giving the sellers details, it's then up to revenue to persue the seller for any penalties.

SwordofLight · 27-09-2017 02:20PM

Ok thanks, I'd like to phone the relevant authority if anyone has any details for them?

bazz26 · 27-09-2017 02:39PM

Surely it would be cheaper to just buy a car in the UK and bring it over here with you?

SwordofLight · 27-09-2017 02:49PM

I'm starting to think that way, going to contact the VRT place tomorrow.

michellie · 27-09-2017 05:10PM

bazz26 wrote: »

Apparently Revenue are checking when the car was last taxed in the UK too in conjunction with proving when it came into the country and back charging VRT penalties if it cannot be proven it was imported sooner than that.

Yep, this is true now, the days of walking in with a handwritten receipt claiming you bought it up north isn't working anymore.

Garages selling UK plate cars here

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