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

djPSB · 11-01-2014 1:13pm

Anyone any experience with Autoguard premium warranties?

According to a dealer I was chatting to, I can bring the car to any certified mechanic in the South with the warranty.

djPSB · 13-01-2014 1:06pm

Would a sterling bank draft be the most common method of paying for a car up North?

And would a dealer have any issue with it being from an Irish Credit Union?

discombobulate · 13-01-2014 1:08pm

djPSB wrote: »

Would a sterling bank draft be the most common method of paying for a car up North?

And would a dealer have any issue with it being from an Irish Credit Union?

Should be fine. No harm giving the dealer a ring to confirm.

Harcrid · 13-01-2014 1:58pm

They will probably accept it but since there has been a load of fake bank drafts flying around over the last few years they may ask you to wait until it clears fully before releasing the car. As said above its best to ring them to see what way is quickest and best for them.

traco · 13-01-2014 2:01pm

djPSB wrote: »

Would a sterling bank draft be the most common method of paying for a car up North?

And would a dealer have any issue with it being from an Irish Credit Union?

Lodge teh money to your current account and use your VISA debit card, get a better exchange rate also as it will be based on the inetrbank rate.

MidlandsM · 13-01-2014 2:07pm

traco wrote: »

Lodge teh money to your current account and use your VISA debit card, get a better exchange rate also as it will be based on the inetrbank rate.

+1

but before you do that, check with your bank what the daily limit on your debit card is. No point going up to buy and pay for a car,with a 2.5k € daily limit, and the car is 8kstg or something!

timmy4u2 · 13-01-2014 2:11pm

djPSB wrote: »

Would a sterling bank draft be the most common method of paying for a car up North?

And would a dealer have any issue with it being from an Irish Credit Union?

Not a good idea. It will take over a week to clear so you will be returning without your car.

Did I read someplace here that at least some Credit Unions will only pay directly to the seller?
Good idea to have the money in your account and take it out on your card, just make sure before hand that you will not be on a daily limit, though the newer debit cards should be fine.

MidlandsM · 13-01-2014 2:15pm

timmy4u2 wrote: »

Did I read someplace here that at least some Credit Unions will only pay directly to the seller?

yep, tis true, lots of my clients call me up seeking my exact business name to pay me by CU cheque or draft, because the CU will only make them out to the vendors name.

Valetta · 13-01-2014 3:20pm

Scan a copy of the draft and email it over to the gagage. They can then ring the issuing bank and confirm that it's genuine.

I did this as I was collecting the car on St. Patrick's Day and the banks here were closed.

It worked fine.

The_Conductor · 13-01-2014 3:32pm

EFT would be more normal (and faster- you can do it there and then on the spot).

timmy4u2 · 13-01-2014 3:57pm

Valetta wrote: »

Scan a copy of the draft and email it over to the gagage. They can then ring the issuing bank and confirm that it's genuine.

I did this as I was collecting the car on St. Patrick's Day and the banks here were closed.

It worked fine.

Depends on who you are dealing with. My experience is that the majority will not take the chance

traco · 13-01-2014 4:44pm

MidlandsM wrote: »

+1

but before you do that, check with your bank what the daily limit on your debit card is. No point going up to buy and pay for a car,with a 2.5k € daily limit, and the car is 8kstg or something!

I'm heading over to collect a car on Saturday, spoke to bank on Friday and apparently there is no limit on debit cards at Point of sale systems providing the money is in the account to meet the tranasction value.

I will call on Friday and let the bank know that there will be a large sterling transaction on the Saturday in case they stop it for fruad etc just to be sure. As its a VISA debit card it also offers some protection against fraud etc as a credit car would but this only works with dealers.

Rates will also be significantly better than those offered when buying a draft over the counter.

Of course I could be proved entirely wrong and be paying a fortune to Mick O'Leary tours to get home if the plan doesn't work.

timmy4u2 · 13-01-2014 8:08pm

traco wrote: »

I'm heading over to collect a car on Saturday, spoke to bank on Friday and apparently there is no limit on debit cards at Point of sale systems providing the money is in the account to meet the tranasction value.

I will call on Friday and let the bank know that there will be a large sterling transaction on the Saturday in case they stop it for fruad etc just to be sure. As its a VISA debit card it also offers some protection against fraud etc as a credit car would but this only works with dealers.

Rates will also be significantly better than those offered when buying a draft over the counter.

Of course I could be proved entirely wrong and be paying a fortune to Mick O'Leary tours to get home if the plan doesn't work.

You should not have a problem with debit cards.....unless the transaction trips a red flag and that happens automatically at random.
Also you might experience a situation where the dispensers will only dispense a certain amount. I have experienced it so I bring my cash with me...and remember cash talks.

Soarer · 13-01-2014 8:23pm

I always, well the 3 time I've done it previously, always bring cash with me. Have always gotten at least £50 back for petrol/luck. Don't think you'd get that with a draft/card.

Best of luck on Saturday tracco. Always a lot more exciting heading foreign for a car as opposed to calling in to your local dealer.

traco · 13-01-2014 11:45pm

Cheers lads. Already. Negotiated the price down by 500 and a tank of juice. They mailed me all the history, MOT test and V5. All looking good so far so fingers crossed. 280 mile run back to Holyhead so we'll have some time to get acquainted. It'll be a long day, fly at 8 and ferry due back in at 11:30 pm.

Found a lot of helpful info in this thread so fair play to all that shared info. If I learn anything I'll share it when I get back.

Harcrid · 14-01-2014 12:38am

So what's the car?

DieselPowered · 14-01-2014 2:02am

traco wrote: »

Cheers lads. Already. Negotiated the price down by 500 and a tank of juice. They mailed me all the history, MOT test and V5. All looking good so far so fingers crossed. 280 mile run back to Holyhead so we'll have some time to get acquainted. It'll be a long day, fly at 8 and ferry due back in at 11:30 pm.

Found a lot of helpful info in this thread so fair play to all that shared info. If I learn anything I'll share it when I get back.

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

traco · 14-01-2014 9:30am

It's a 2010 2.0 Skoda Superb Estate SE. I'll set up a new thread if it all works out with a few pics when I get back.

The garage are collecting me, offered to collect in the car as it would save 90mins but told them I wanted to inspect the car cold and they were grand. I've loads of time so that's no problem for me plus I can pay at the garage on the day.

Kace · 14-01-2014 9:32am

Triple check that debit card daily limit !!!!

I have not seen any direct examples of anyone on here that has purchased a 10-20k car successfully with an Irish debit card.

Kotek Besar · 14-01-2014 10:19am

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timmy4u2 · 14-01-2014 2:16pm

traco wrote: »

Cheers lads. Already. Negotiated the price down by 500 and a tank of juice. They mailed me all the history, MOT test and V5. All looking good so far so fingers crossed. 280 mile run back to Holyhead so we'll have some time to get acquainted. It'll be a long day, fly at 8 and ferry due back in at 11:30 pm.

Found a lot of helpful info in this thread so fair play to all that shared info. If I learn anything I'll share it when I get back.

280 miles to Holyhead. So you are buying in London.

That is a good start, if so. In my excess of 1500 trips over there I find that you will get better cars and more trustworthy and more truthfull sellers South of Northampton and east of Oxford.
North of there from experience I will not trust them apart from the fact of the use of loads of salt and the greater chance that a car will have suffered a winter accident and it will be serviced less.
If you are going up the M1 go on to the M6 Toll. It will cost you around £5.25 but it will be almost empty and will avoide the bottlenecks around Birmingham. Well worth the toll.

I assume you have breakdown cover. Currently approx £480.00 to be recovered off a motorway and that is just to a Service Station.
Also have your insurance with you as the ANPR cars are very active.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater · 14-01-2014 2:19pm

timmy4u2 wrote: »

280 miles to Holyhead. So you are buying in London.

That is a good start, if so. In my excess of 1500 trips over there I find that you will get better cars and more trustworthy and more truthfull sellers South of Northampton and east of Oxford.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

timmy4u2 · 14-01-2014 2:26pm

deccurley wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Yep, not all for cars, some for pleasure, some passing through, some for classic vintage cars, many for business and over a pe riod in excess of twenty years.

jmcc99_98 · 14-01-2014 2:49pm

timmy4u2 wrote: »

Yep, not all for cars, some for pleasure, some passing through, some for classic vintage cars, many for business and over a pe riod in excess of twenty years.

Thats still around 5 times a month every month for the past 20 years.

I call shenanigans

timmy4u2 · 14-01-2014 3:25pm

jmcc99_98 wrote: »

Thats still around 5 times a month every month for the past 20 years

On most occasions I went twice a week. On some weeks, well eight days, I went three times.
Just checked now and it was from May 1988. God twenty five years. Time flies.

I actually have about two hundred Ryanair tickets. I bet many of you did not even know Ryanair used tickets.

timmy4u2 · 14-01-2014 3:32pm

jmcc99_98 wrote: »

Thats still around 5 times a month every month for the past 20 years.

I call shenanigans

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.

traco · 14-01-2014 11:41pm

timmy4u2 wrote: »

280 miles to Holyhead. So you are buying in London.

South of Bath and for those exact reasons.

PauloMN · 14-01-2014 11:51pm

MidlandsM wrote: »

yep, tis true, lots of my clients call me up seeking my exact business name to pay me by CU cheque or draft, because the CU will only make them out to the vendors name.

Never heard that. My CU paid money straight into my current on production of an invoice from the dealer up north. And the only reason for requesting the invoice was so I could avail of their motor loan interest rate compared with their more expensive personal loan rate.

CU finance is a no brainer afaic. Mainstream banks interest rates were a joke.

bs2014 · 16-01-2014 12:11am

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!

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater · 16-01-2014 12:32am

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!

1) The reg you get depends on the proof of address you supply when paying the VRT. If you want a D reg then you need a bank statement or utility bill to a Dublin address with your name on it. They don't accept mobile phone bills afaik.

2) I can't give you a concise answer to this only that you're supposed to pay the VRT on the car within 30 days of bringing it in to Ireland. A lot of prospective buyers will be happier not to have the bother of VRTing the carimo, having it paid over will be more of a selling point. If its a D reg it shouldn't cause you any problems anyway, I think someone from outside Dublin is more likely to buy a D reg than a Dubliner would be to buy a car registered in say Mayo. This varies from person to person of course.

3) Any manufacturer's warranty will usually be honoured here, the same as it would be in the UK. A warranty from a UK dealer, however, may not be. Check with the dealer.

4) Not sure but maybe someone else can answer that one

4) The XX-D-120000 onwards comes from them picking the highest number of cars registered in Dublin in a year, and working on from a number past that. I think it starts at 40,000 in Cork and 10,000 in most other counties.

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

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