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

Stephen

This thread is very interesting. I'm considering going to the UK for a used BMW 318ci/320cd early next year

macplaxton

blastman wrote:

Still slightly confused.

I bought a car in the UK in a private sale and brought it home on Saturday. The previous owner gave me the main bit of the VLC that would normally be sent back to the DVLA for a change of ownership. There was a also a little bit of the certificate that tore off to be sent back if the car was being permanently exported (which he signed and gave to me as well). So which of these should I send to the DVLA and which do I need for the VRT office?

It explains all in this leaflet:
DVLA INS160
see pages 17 and 18 of the pdf. Q5 and 5b

The_Conductor

eljono wrote:

Does anyone know when importing a duel fuel or hybrid car from the UK if the VRT is charged differently. I was looking at a duel fuel 2.4 '04 S60 (not for me) and when I did the VRT calculation, they didn't have the model listed. The closest I could find was the standard 2.4 which is in the 30% bracket. I was hoping there might be a reduction or a concession since the car is not standard and more fuel efficient. In England, this model qualifies for vehicle congestion charge exemption.

You only get a reduction on the VRT if the dual-fuel or hybrisation of the car is a factory modification (i.e. any subsequent modifications do not qualify for a VRT reduction). For a factory modified vehicle the VRT reduction is 50%.

yellabelly

rebel.ranter wrote:

The main bit goes to to the VRO when you go in to pay the VRT, the other bit should have gone the the DVLA. Brave man buying privately.

I handed the whole V5C form into the VRO having filled in the relevant sections. They retained the form so I assume they will be sending the permanent export section back to the DVLA.

eljono

smccarrick wrote:

You only get a reduction on the VRT if the dual-fuel or hybrisation of the car is a factory modification (i.e. any subsequent modifications do not qualify for a VRT reduction). For a factory modified vehicle the VRT reduction is 50%.

Really? Now that's interesting. The car in question is factory standard so a 50% reduction would be very sweet. I'll have to check out out first though with revenue but if right it could make for cheap motoring

blobert

Hi guys, I'm sure this has been discussed before in this thread but I can't find it.

I'm thinking of buying a car in Wales with no tax or MOT. Is it possible to get temporary tax and MOT to drive the car back and get the ferry?

If not what are my chances of getting busted for driving said vehicle in North Wales (the car is only about 50 miles from Holyhead) before making it to the ferry. I would be insured obviously.

The_Conductor

blobert wrote:

Hi guys, I'm sure this has been discussed before in this thread but I can't find it.

I'm thinking of buying a car in Wales with no tax or MOT. Is it possible to get temporary tax and MOT to drive the car back and get the ferry?

If not what are my chances of getting busted for driving said vehicle in North Wales (the car is only about 50 miles from Holyhead) before making it to the ferry. I would be insured obviously.

Tow/transport the car to Holyhead. Be careful. It would be a bit of a bitch to loose the car at the last hurdle. Is there a particular reason the car has been in storage out of use for several months at least? If buying from a private seller without an MOT/Tax get the chassis number and check with local police that the car is not stolen. As its been sitting about for months- its far more likely to have problems than a car that is on the road. Have it inspected. You're brave buying a car without tax or an MOT- apart from the hassle there are a load more questions which come to mind.

blobert

smccarrick wrote:

Tow/transport the car to Holyhead. Be careful. It would be a bit of a bitch to loose the car at the last hurdle. Is there a particular reason the car has been in storage out of use for several months at least? If buying from a private seller without an MOT/Tax get the chassis number and check with local police that the car is not stolen. As its been sitting about for months- its far more likely to have problems than a car that is on the road. Have it inspected. You're brave buying a car without tax or an MOT- apart from the hassle there are a load more questions which come to mind.

Well this is the car I'm looking at on eBay: http://tinyurl.com/3a2slc

Apparently it has not been driven by its elderly owner for a while and so not MOT or Tax.

I was going to buy it if I could get it for cheap, but having to bring over another car/person with me to tow it would make it prohibitively expensive I guess, which is a shame as it is the exact car I'm looking for and in very good condition for it's age.

The_Conductor

blobert wrote:

Well this is the car I'm looking at on eBay: http://tinyurl.com/3a2slc

Apparently it has not been driven by its elderly owner for a while and so not MOT or Tax.

I was going to buy it if I could get it for cheap, but having to bring over another car/person with me to tow it would make it prohibitively expensive I guess, which is a shame as it is the exact car I'm looking for and in very good condition for it's age.

The mileage seems incredibly low for an 8 year old car- only a little over 2k per annum? Seems like a nice car though. I have no idea whether it would be possible to temp tax the car (though given it has no MOT, I somehow doubt it). Perhaps there may be further replies from people who have purchased a car in similar circumstances?

blobert

blobert wrote:

Well this is the car I'm looking at on eBay: http://tinyurl.com/3a2slc

Apparently it has not been driven by its elderly owner for a while and so not MOT or Tax.

I was going to buy it if I could get it for cheap, but having to bring over another car/person with me to tow it would make it prohibitively expensive I guess, which is a shame as it is the exact car I'm looking for and in very good condition for it's age.

Does anyone know if it's possible to Tax a vehicle temporarily if it does not have an MOT? If not am I left with no option other than towing it?

The_Conductor

blobert wrote:

Does anyone know if it's possible to Tax a vehicle temporarily if it does not have an MOT? If not am I left with no option other than towing it?

Make that "legally tow it"....... Maybe give the coppers in Wales a ring and see if they would turn a blind eye to the car being driven to Holyhead as an exportation measure.

Do-more

smccarrick wrote:

You only get a reduction on the VRT if the dual-fuel or hybrisation of the car is a factory modification (i.e. any subsequent modifications do not qualify for a VRT reduction). For a factory modified vehicle the VRT reduction is 50%.

When you say "Dual-fuel" in the case of the Volvo this refers to Petrol and LPG and not Petrol and Bio fuel in cars such as the Saabs and Ford Focus et al.

To the best of my knowledge (and I stand to be corrected on this) Petrol and LPG cars do not attract a reduction in VRT that is only for electric hybrid and bio-fuel powered vehicles.

The_Conductor

Do-more wrote:

When you say "Dual-fuel" in the case of the Volvo this refers to Petrol and LPG and not Petrol and Bio fuel in cars such as the Saabs and Ford Focus et al.

To the best of my knowledge (and I stand to be corrected on this) Petrol and LPG cars do not attract a reduction in VRT that is only for electric hybrid and bio-fuel powered vehicles.

Errr yes.....
In the case of Volvo what I had in mind is the common modification (a modified simple heat exchanger- but its almost standard on Volvo models) allowing Volvos and Mercs in particular to use SVO as opposed to diesel/biodiesel (SVO- being "Straight Virgin Oil"- normally unused vegetable oil, be it rapeseed or corn oil). Its almost standard on Scandinavian models- but can be retrofitted (if you check you will probably find websites selling DIY install kits).

LPG is treated on a favourable basis, in that duties are levelled on it at a favourable rate, as a fuel. Unfortunately there is no VRT reduction on cars using it though.....

rebel.ranter

smccarrick wrote:

Make that "legally tow it"....... Maybe give the coppers in Wales a ring and see if they would turn a blind eye to the car being driven to Holyhead as an exportation measure.

I drove mine back from London to the ferry with no tax disc, the customs on the Welsh side did ask me if I was exporting the vehicle then they just waved me on. Once you have all your particulars in reltion to the sale you should be fine. No harm in ringing the Police though.

blobert

rebel.ranter wrote:

I drove mine back from London to the ferry with no tax disc, the customs on the Welsh side did ask me if I was exporting the vehicle then they just waved me on. Once you have all your particulars in reltion to the sale you should be fine. No harm in ringing the Police though.

Thanks, that's good to know. Unfortunately the car is going up quite fast in price and I suspect by the time the auction ends it may not be such a bargain!

Just to clarify I would just need to get the person selling the car to fill in a V5C form and that I would need to show that to the guys in Holyhead?

Thanks

Moanin

I drove my A4 from Chesterfield to Hollyhead with no road tax and was never stopped or asked any questions by customs or police.

blastman

blobert wrote:

Thanks, that's good to know. Unfortunately the car is going up quite fast in price and I suspect by the time the auction ends it may not be such a bargain!

Just to clarify I would just need to get the person selling the car to fill in a V5C form and that I would need to show that to the guys in Holyhead?

Thanks

You'll need some sort of receipt or bill of sale too. When I brought my car back on Saturday, I showed the V5C form to the customs/security guy at Holyhead, but he wanted to see a proof of sale. As it was a private sale, I just had a sheet that the seller had written out and we both signed, but he was happy enough with that.

michaelanthony

smccarrick wrote:

Tow/transport the car to Holyhead. Be careful. It would be a bit of a bitch to loose the car at the last hurdle. Is there a particular reason the car has been in storage out of use for several months at least? If buying from a private seller without an MOT/Tax get the chassis number and check with local police that the car is not stolen. As its been sitting about for months- its far more likely to have problems than a car that is on the road. Have it inspected. You're brave buying a car without tax or an MOT- apart from the hassle there are a load more questions which come to mind.

Are you mad? I've drove 3 cars across england, 2 with no tax or mot, insurtance and no license and nothing ever happened.

The_Conductor

michaelanthony wrote:

Are you mad? I've drove 3 cars across england, 2 with no tax or mot, insurtance and no license and nothing ever happened.

Whatever about no tax or MOT- you had no insurance or license? Really? That is the height of recklessness. Regardless of whether the coppers would turn a blind eye to no tax or MOT- you could get an instant fine and disqualification and/or prison term for driving a vehicle without insurance or a license.

Mc-BigE

blobert wrote:

Thanks, that's good to know. Unfortunately the car is going up quite fast in price and I suspect by the time the auction ends it may not be such a bargain!

Just to clarify I would just need to get the person selling the car to fill in a V5C form and that I would need to show that to the guys in Holyhead?

Thanks

as far as i know the owner should be able to get an MOT without UK road Tax.

I drove a car 2 years ago from Scotland to N.Ireland and then home, with no uk tax but it had MOT, while parked waiting to get onto the ferry the police knocked on my window and i was fined 60 pounds for driving without road tax.

but your Micra is currently at 1200 pounds, it sounds like you wont be going over for that car if it goes any higher.
The guys in Holyhead normally wont look for that much info off you, but you need the Full V5 document for the VRO here, or cert. of permanent export.

blobert

Mc-BigE wrote:

as far as i know the owner should be able to get an MOT without UK road Tax.

I drove a car 2 years ago from Scotland to N.Ireland and then home, with no uk tax but it had MOT, while parked waiting to get onto the ferry the police knocked on my window and i was fined 60 pounds for driving without road tax.

but your Micra is currently at 1200 pounds, it sounds like you wont be going over for that car if it goes any higher.
The guys in Holyhead normally wont look for that much info off you, but you need the Full V5 document for the VRO here, or cert. of permanent export.

Thanks for all the advice guys, I think this particular car is going to loose it's bargain status soon, its up to €1800 with 2 days still to go. Will keep watching it and come in with a last minute snipe if suitable.

As a matter of interest what kind of discount from the asking price should I be looking for when buying a Micra from a private seller or dealer. Is there a rough % most people are willing to drop the price by to sell (I know this will vary). I've never bought a car before (my previous vehicles have been inherited from various family members) so I'm unfamiliar with the buying/bargaining process.

Thanks again for all the help.

The_Conductor

You could get a similar car for up to a 20% discount on the dealership price from a private seller. But then again- if anything does go wrong, typically you would have some sort of a dealership warranty, whereas you would be high and dry from a private seller.

Your current car is of course ebay- so no discount on bid price could be expected

S.

blobert

smccarrick wrote:

You could get a similar car for up to a 20% discount on the dealership price from a private seller. But then again- if anything does go wrong, typically you would have some sort of a dealership warranty, whereas you would be high and dry from a private seller.

Your current car is of course ebay- so no discount on bid price could be expected

S.

Thanks, what I mean is how much does one typically try and get knocked off the asking price (both from a garage or a private seller). If a Micra is on sale for £3000 what should I offer? I know it depends but is there a rough rule of thumb, ie most sellers are willing to sell for 10% less than asking price? Like I said I am new to the 2nd hand buying process.

The_Conductor

blobert wrote:

Thanks, what I mean is how much does one typically try and get knocked off the asking price (both from a garage or a private seller). If a Micra is on sale for £3000 what should I offer? I know it depends but is there a rough rule of thumb, ie most sellers are willing to sell for 10% less than asking price? Like I said I am new to the 2nd hand buying process.

It really depends on the desireability of the car. My brother is going over to London again tonight for another Volvo V40 estate. We try to get high spec cars that aren't sold over here with high specs- so the V40 estate will be a low mileage diesel with the luxury/sports/winter packs installed. When you are buying a desireable car that the seller will have no difficulty selling elsewhere, obviously you won't get as big a discount as you would if it was something that wouldn't sell as readily. On the Volvo I guess my brother would hope to knock £500 off the £10k price tag (from a dealership). A similar car from a private seller would be quoted lower (say about £9.5k) and we'd hope to get the same amount off it- i.e. £500 off it to about £9k. Its not that easy to get low mile diesel V40s though.....

On a lower value car a suppose try for a 10% discount- you should get it (maybe try for a 20%- being willing to accept 10% but hoping for higher).

At the end of the day- you are travelling for the car, the owner is aware of this, and knows that its a wasted trip for you to go home without it. Play on it?

tonybliar

what do you mean by 'legal' towing? i've just bought a car with mot but no tax 50 miles away, i'd quite happily just drive it, i can talk myself out of most things and if worse comes to worst i'be be insured with mot so the penalty wouldn't be that bad (would it?), but my mum who is taking me to collect it insists on legalities, so at the moment we are looking at towing it - is there a certain way it has to be done? will a rope suffice?

The_Conductor

tonybliar wrote:

what do you mean by 'legal' towing? i've just bought a car with mot but no tax 50 miles away, i'd quite happily just drive it, i can talk myself out of most things and if worse comes to worst i'be be insured with mot so the penalty wouldn't be that bad (would it?), but my mum who is taking me to collect it insists on legalities, so at the moment we are looking at towing it - is there a certain way it has to be done? will a rope suffice?

Thats not too bad. If you do get stopped its an on-the-spot £60 fine for not displaying a valid tax disk, but that is the extent of it.

S.

PowerHouseDan

Right Quick Question i am a going to Uni in swansea and i bought a car over in the uk now i have uk insurance mot and tax etc but i am over in cork till june or so question is if i get stopped am i fine if i show my prem address is in Swansea ie my letters etc and my Uni letters cos i dont want to Vrt it if i am bringing it back again?

The_Conductor

PowerHouseDan wrote:

Right Quick Question i am a going to Uni in swansea and i bought a car over in the uk now i have uk insurance mot and tax etc but i am over in cork till june or so question is if i get stopped am i fine if i show my prem address is in Swansea ie my letters etc and my Uni letters cos i dont want to Vrt it if i am bringing it back again?

You have to have owned the vehicle for over 6 months in the UK, and have documentary proof to show this, along with your evidence of residence in Swansea. If you have not owned the vehicle for 6 months, you will be obliged to pay the VRT. Note: this is for people temporarily visiting Ireland (temporary is defined as stays of less than 3 calendar months duration). If the duration of the stay exceeds 3 months you are required to register the vehicle and pay road tax here.

(Note: please don't flame me about the number of Polish reg/Latvian reg/UK reg vehicles here exceeding the 3 months and getting away with it. They may get away with it, but they are breaking the law and are at risk of having their vehicles confiscated.)

PowerHouseDan

Yeah i have owned the Car for Over 6 months and prove of this and i have evidence of residence in Swansea so basicly i dont have to do anything do i? Just make sure i carry all of these docs all the time?

The_Conductor

PowerHouseDan wrote:

Yeah i have owned the Car for Over 6 months and prove of this and i have evidence of residence in Swansea so basicly i dont have to do anything do i? Just make sure i carry all of these docs all the time?

To the best of knowledge you're fine then- just make sure you have the documentation.

S.