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

peaceboi

Ye just mentioned that, he said it's fine.

elperello

peaceboi wrote: »

I rang up a private seller seeing his ad. On auto trader website. He says he is selling behalf of his deceased dad. So the current name of owner in the v5c is his deceased Dad . I did a vehicle check and it's clean. He said he did not want to change name because it will add up the no.of owners for a 1 year old car with 5500miles. Is it safe/ideal to go through with this transaction? Your opinions please. Cheers

How do you know he is the legitimate owner of the car?

masit

Can anyone confirm the new means of transport for VRT. On the opening page of the VRT calculator it says, 6000km OR 6 months but seen some where else it has to be over 6000km AND over 6 months old.

Isambard

elperello wrote: »

How do you know he is the legitimate owner of the car?

How do you ever? The V5C states that it is not proof of ownership

bazz26

masit wrote: »

Can anyone confirm the new means of transport for VRT. On the opening page of the VRT calculator it says, 6000km OR 6 months but seen some where else it has to be over 6000km AND over 6 months old.

It needs to be both afaik.

elperello

Isambard wrote: »

How do you ever? The V5C states that it is not proof of ownership

That's right.
You do a check to make sure there is no finance outstanding and if the name of the guy selling is the same as on the V5C you should be ok.
In thiis case another person is listed as owner and just because he is his son doesn't mean the car was left to him. It may be part of the father's estate and not be his to sell.

Johnnyscotsman

zetor 4911 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.
The issue here is not with Transfermate as there charges are clear but the receiving bank (Lloyds) are deducting a fee from the money that Transfermate send to the motor dealers bank account. They (Lloyds) have deducted 7 pounds sterling from the 250 deposit. My concern here is if Transfermate transfer the balance of the payment for the vehicle(18000) and Lloyds deduct 7 Pound for every 250 pounds sent that would mean a deduction of about 500 sterling.

I don't know about transfermate but I can tell you that most UK banks have a charge when moving money from a foreign bank to a UK account. £7 is about right (my UK bank charges that when I move money from my Irish € account here to my UK account). It's £7 for each transaction up to a set limit (£10,000 in my bank), not per £250.

awec

bazz26 wrote: »

It needs to be both afaik.

Yes it has to be both.

Royale with Cheese

I've a code that is good for 3 HPI checks I think. I was looking at importing something from the UK but ended up buying in Ireland. First PM to me can have it.

Edit: gone

cojobt

Hi,

Does anyone have any experience of Macklin Motors Nissan in Glasgow?

I'm close to buying a car from them without inspection. This will require me to pay via SEPA in advance so I can drive it away that day.

I've seen the HPI, have spoken to the sales agent several times, he has sent me a personalised video of the car, and they appear to be a reputable dealership. I've also read that as it's an online sale, I'll be protected by distance selling regulations, so I'll have a seven day cooling off period, although I don't want to go that route.

Any thoughts?

Johnnyscotsman

cojobt wrote: »

Hi,

Does anyone have any experience of Macklin Motors Nissan in Glasgow?

I'm close to buying a car from them without inspection. This will require me to pay via SEPA in advance so I can drive it away that day.

I've seen the HPI, have spoken to the sales agent several times, he has sent me a personalised video of the car, and they appear to be a reputable dealership. I've also read that as it's an online sale, I'll be protected by distance selling regulations, so I'll have a seven day cooling off period, although I don't want to go that route.

Any thoughts?

They're a big enough operation in Scotland with quite a few dealerships which gives you some confidence. Having said that, I've a mate who had issues with one of the biggest (Arnold Clark) so each on their own merits. Worth organising an inspection for complete peace of mind?

cojobt

Johnnyscotsman wrote: »

They're a big enough operation in Scotland with quite a few dealerships which gives you some confidence. Having said that, I've a mate who had issues with one of the biggest (Arnold Clark) so each on their own merits. Worth organising an inspection for complete peace of mind?

Yes, logic would suggest I ought to arrange an inspection. I saw Dekra mentioned somewhwre here. Might give them a shout. Cheers.

Abhainn

Heading over on Fri to purchase a car from a dealer
I was expecting a bigger savings from Transfermate than what was just quoted now from my bank.

Transfermate => €15,240 (Rate - 0.86012)
BOI => €15,289 which includes visa debit fee. (Rate – 0.8574)
Saving of just €49 and 10 emails later

Today’s rate 0.873.

Transfermate, only just slightly better than a bank.

Any better payment methods out there?

mjv2ydratu679c

Abhainn wrote: »

Heading over on Fri to purchase a car from a dealer
I was expecting a bigger savings from Transfermate than what was just quoted now from my bank.

Transfermate => €15,240 (Rate - 0.86012)
BOI => €15,289 which includes visa debit fee. (Rate – 0.8574)
Saving of just €49 and 10 emails later

Today’s rate 0.873.

Transfermate, only just slightly better than a bank.

Any better payment methods out there?

I was over 3 weeks ago and used Transfermate. Found their rates much worse than what was quoted on the live rates calculator on the front page of their website. Apparently the calculator shows the live fx rates whereas they use the interbank offered rate so to quote Malcolm Tucker the calculator on their website is as much use as a marzipan dilido. if I was to do it again I'd use Revolut for everything.

All in all

Abhainn wrote: »

Heading over on Fri to purchase a car from a dealer
I was expecting a bigger savings from Transfermate than what was just quoted now from my bank.

Transfermate => €15,240 (Rate - 0.86012)
BOI => €15,289 which includes visa debit fee. (Rate – 0.8574)
Saving of just €49 and 10 emails later

Today’s rate 0.873.

Transfermate, only just slightly better than a bank.

Any better payment methods out there?

I used currencyfair, I had started the process of setting up transfermate but currency fair was a lot more straight forward. I got the rate on their website, also had a Dublin number to contact. I emailed them regarding the transfer to confirm when the other side would have funds and they replied within an hour. Very happy with them, a good saving on Aib at the time.

BArra

So did you goto the UK, inspect the car and then get currencyfair to push through the payment?

How long did it take for the dealer to receive the funds?

All in all

BArra wrote: »

So did you goto the UK, inspect the car and then get currencyfair to push through the payment?

How long did it take for the dealer to receive the funds?

I got video from dealer and copy of service history. Paid deposit on car via credit card (refundable pending AA inspection), inspection showed no issues.

In the mean time had funds transferred to currencyfair and got dealers bank details set up. The dealer received funds same day, not sure of the exact timeline.

I didn't go to the UK myself, the dealer brought the car to Liverpool and I had organised with P&O what they transport the car (drive it on and off the ferry). It can then be collected from their base in Dublin Port.

cojobt

Abhainn wrote: »

Heading over on Fri to purchase a car from a dealer
I was expecting a bigger savings from Transfermate than what was just quoted now from my bank.

Transfermate => €15,240 (Rate - 0.86012)
BOI => €15,289 which includes visa debit fee. (Rate – 0.8574)
Saving of just €49 and 10 emails later

Today’s rate 0.873.

Transfermate, only just slightly better than a bank.

Any better payment methods out there?

I have a Revolut card. According to their customer service (checked this with two agents on two different occasions), I will be able to load €11,000 on to the card from my BOI current account, exchange that to sterling within the app, then transfer that to the dealership's bank account. 1-3 working days advised for the transfer....but I think I prefer the sound of currencyfair so I'm looking into that now.

Have just checked prices.

€11000 to STG in Revolut will get me £9571, and in Currencywise it's £9563. Revolut is marginally cheaper, but currencywise may be more efficient/quicker.

plu

I am buying a demo model and will be liable to Irish Vat.

The thick U.K. garage won’t zero rate the car. I’d cancel if I hadn’t already bought flight and ferry tickets.

Has anyone been able to get the U.K. vat refunded and what’s the process involved?

Explosive_Cornflake

cojobt wrote: »

I have a Revolut card. According to their customer service (checked this with two agents on two different occasions), I will be able to load €11,000 on to the card from my BOI current account, exchange that to sterling within the app, then transfer that to the dealership's bank account. 1-3 working days advised for the transfer....but I think I prefer the sound of currencyfair so I'm looking into that now.

Have just checked prices.

€11000 to STG in Revolut will get me £9571, and in Currencywise it's £9563. Revolut is marginally cheaper, but currencywise may be more efficient/quicker.

I still have some STG accounts. I do a few transfers from revolut to HSBC, and it is normally only a couple of hours before it arrives.

cojobt

Explosive_Cornflake wrote: »

I still have some STG accounts. I do a few transfers from revolut to HSBC, and it is normally only a couple of hours before it arrives.

Euro top-up Revolut, exchange to sterling, send to UK bank account takes a few hours?

Revolut advised me it'd be 1-3 working days.

cojobt

Explosive_Cornflake wrote: »

I still have some STG accounts. I do a few transfers from revolut to HSBC, and it is normally only a couple of hours before it arrives.

Euro top-up Revolut, exchange to sterling, send to UK bank account takes a few hours?

Revolut advised me it'd be 1-3 working days.

Esel

plu wrote: »

I am buying a demo model and will be liable to Irish Vat.

The thick U.K. garage won’t zero rate the car. I’d cancel if I hadn’t already bought flight and ferry tickets.

Has anyone been able to get the U.K. vat refunded and what’s the process involved?

Not sure if a zero rating would help.

Afaik reclaiming UK VAT is fairly straightforward. Get full documentation from dealer.

Wait, does it being a demo mean no VAT has been paid in the UK yet?

Bif

Apologies if this has been covered. I am looking at a car which will be just 6 months old in a couple of days but has less than 6000 kms on the clock now i.e. if I buy the car it will be six months old but will have less than 6000 kms on the car at the time of purchase...What is the story with VRT on this car... . Any links to revenue details would be much appreciated! Thanks.

paddydriver

BArra wrote: »

So did you goto the UK, inspect the car and then get currencyfair to push through the payment?

How long did it take for the dealer to receive the funds?

Used CurrencyFair too and sent funds to dealer and they had them next morning. I know a friend used same and dealer had them in an hour.

plu

Bif wrote: »

Apologies if this has been covered. I am looking at a car which will be just 6 months old in a couple of days but has less than 6000 kms on the clock now i.e. if I buy the car it will be six months old but will have less than 6000 kms on the car at the time of purchase...What is the story with VRT on this car... . Any links to revenue details would be much appreciated! Thanks.

Six months old and/or less than 6k, you will be liable to pay Irish VAT @ 23%. Ensure you buy a vat qualifying vehicle so you can reclaim the U.K. vat. I’ve a question above on how easy that is. Dealer should actually zero rate when going for export, but some are so thick they won’t follow their own vat regulations.
So you need to avoid a private sale, cos you’d end up paying vat in two countries.

creedp

cojobt wrote: »

I have a Revolut card. According to their customer service (checked this with two agents on two different occasions), I will be able to load €11,000 on to the card from my BOI current account, exchange that to sterling within the app, then transfer that to the dealership's bank account. 1-3 working days advised for the transfer....but I think I prefer the sound of currencyfair so I'm looking into that now.

Have just checked prices.

€11000 to STG in Revolut will get me £9571, and in Currencywise it's £9563. Revolut is marginally cheaper, but currencywise may be more efficient/quicker.

I have a revolut card also but have yet to use it. When you say you loaded €11k to sterling from your BOI current account, did you do this from the App and if so how did you transfer the money from BOI - via 365 online? I use 365 a lot for regular banking but find it cumbersome when setting up new payee accounts - would I have to do this in order to transfer funds from BOI? Alternatively would it be easier to transfer current account funds to my BOI mastercard and then transfer these funds to the Revolut card?

Sorry for these simplistic Q - you'd think I had just come out of hiding after a decade and trying to get my head around all the wonderful new developments that had occurred!!!

awec

Bif wrote: »

Apologies if this has been covered. I am looking at a car which will be just 6 months old in a couple of days but has less than 6000 kms on the clock now i.e. if I buy the car it will be six months old but will have less than 6000 kms on the car at the time of purchase...What is the story with VRT on this car... . Any links to revenue details would be much appreciated! Thanks.

They go by what the mileage is when you arrive at the VRT centre, not what it is when you buy it.

So if it's close to 6000km just take the scenic route home.

cojobt

creedp wrote: »

I have a revolut card also but have yet to use it. When you say you loaded €11k to sterling from your BOI current account, did you do this from the App and if so how did you transfer the money from BOI - via 365 online? I use 365 a lot for regular banking but find it cumbersome when setting up new payee accounts - would I have to do this in order to transfer funds from BOI? Alternatively would it be easier to transfer current account funds to my BOI mastercard and then transfer these funds to the Revolut card?

Sorry for these simplistic Q - you'd think I had just come out of hiding after a decade and trying to get my head around all the wonderful new developments that had occurred!!!

Download the app, connect it to your bank account using your bank card. It's a long time since i did this but I think it happens quickly. Once it's connected you can load cash on to the card instantly within the app. Just open the app, select the currency your wish to top up (assuming yours is a euro account, top up in euro - always top up in your native current) and enter the amount. It'll be on your card instantly, or within seconds.

Once it's in your Revolut account, you can exchange it for sterling, dollars, bitcoin, whatever.
If you want to convert it, open the app, select the Wallet you want to exchange, select the currency, and thats it - your euro become sterling, dollars, bitcoin, or whichever you want.

Your Revolut card is useless without connecting it to your bank account.

It's handy for buying goods from the UK in sterling. Remember to top up in euro, then exchange to sterling. It should be cheaper than using your one bank card, and I think you avoid cross border currency exchange fees.

You can also use it to withdraw cash if abroad, but I believe these is a charge for that service.

I wouldn't advise buying crypto with it as you can't send it to any exchanges. You can only exchange it back to fiat, and I think Coinbase fees at cheaper.

...apologies for going a lot off topic....

ionapaul

Hi all - I've a few questions, am thinking about going to a Charles Hurst dealer in Belfast for a car and have never done the UK thing before!

1) If buying from a UK franchise dealer, is it still worth getting a Dekra inspection done, particularly if the car still has a year or two of manufacturer warranty left?
2) If we like the car, can we drive home with it same day?
3) Looking at this particular car (and others like it): https://www.charleshurstgroup.co.uk/peugeot/used-cars/7954596-peugeot-2008-1.2-pure-tech-active-5dr/ - should we be concerned that when checking online it has been declared off road for tax purposes and there are no MOT details available?
4) Is really low mileage a big warning sign?

Thanks for any replies/thoughts!