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

bazz26

In most cases it's down to the payment of motor tax. They don't want the car leaving their premises untaxed so look for a UK address. Some may also have policy from head office not to sell to Irish residents as it effects sales of the same brand over here.

masit

donkey balls wrote: »

I'm l am looking to get an A6 Quattro 17/18 reg over in the UK, I saw a few from main dealers websites called them the other day with some saying they don't sell to Southern Ireland .
The sales guy said it is a company policy and seemed a bit miffed by it, Could I use my mates address in the North ? or England?

Seems a few Audi garages don't sell to the south. I've bought a few cars over the years and Audi garages seem to be the only ones that won't sell.

Regards the address, if you use a NI address you need to go to the post office to tax it, but with no utility bill in your name for the north, thats not going to work. If you use a main land UK address, dealers in the UK do change of ownership online and then dispose of the old V5. You could ask if they will do change of ownership to a UK address but give you the old V5 instead of disposing of it. Then you have a V5 for your VRT.

Brussels Sprout

What's the usual process people go through to get a AA/Dekra check done?

Is it something like this?

1. Ring or Email the Dealer and ask for them to reserve the vehicle for you
2. During this contact get the Reg number from them so that you can run checks on it
3. During this contact pay a deposit so as to make the reservation - How much is the usual here?
4. Use the garage details to make the Dekra/AA booking

donkey balls

Thanks for the reply lads I never thought about the dealership getting stung for speeding fines etc, A lad I work with always gets his cars in the UK and never a problem he said the warranty carries over to here (Ford)
If I was to use either a friends address in the north or England do I register it in their names ? Also with transferring the payment would the dealership not cop on to what I'm up to;)

Bobeagleburger

Two questions for anyone who bought recently:

1. If going over and back the same day, how do you deal with the payment?

Pay when you arrive and wait to clear? (Possible time issues if rushing for a boat)

Pay day before? (not recommended surely?)



2. What's the best mehod of transferring money via bank transfer(cheapest and quickest).


Thanks

Mervyn Skidmore

Quick question. I'm collecting a car in the North on Saturday, all paid for. I'll just be looking for full V5 and invoice (it's a 2016 so no MOT). I never thought about motor tax for the North (for the 1 hour i'll be there!), nor did the dealer say anything to me. Is there much risk of driving the car out of the North without tax? I presume you'd want to be very unlucky for anything to happen. Also looking at the VRT requirements they want some proof of when the vehicle arrived in ROI, I presume this isn't an issue buying from the North?

bazz26

Dated proper sales invoice from the dealer should suffice as proof of time of entry. Motor tax is touch and go really. You get away with it, then again you might get unlucky and stopped.

IrishGrimReaper

Mervyn Skidmore wrote: »

Quick question. I'm collecting a car in the North on Saturday, all paid for. I'll just be looking for full V5 and invoice (it's a 2016 so no MOT). I never thought about motor tax for the North (for the 1 hour i'll be there!), nor did the dealer say anything to me. Is there much risk of driving the car out of the North without tax? I presume you'd want to be very unlucky for anything to happen. Also looking at the VRT requirements they want some proof of when the vehicle arrived in ROI, I presume this isn't an issue buying from the North?

You'll be fine on the tax.

They don't need proof of entry of car arriving from Northern Ireland - UNLESS the invoice is dated MORE than 30 days.

So VRT it within 30 days and you will be fine.

Brussels Sprout

Brussels Sprout wrote: »

What's the usual process people go through to get a AA/Dekra check done?

Is it something like this?

1. Ring or Email the Dealer and ask for them to reserve the vehicle for you
2. During this contact get the Reg number from them so that you can run checks on it
3. During this contact pay a deposit so as to make the reservation - How much is the usual here?
4. Use the garage details to make the Dekra/AA booking

anyone?

Mc Love

Brussels Sprout wrote: »

What's the usual process people go through to get a AA/Dekra check done?

Is it something like this?

1. Ring or Email the Dealer and ask for them to reserve the vehicle for you
2. During this contact get the Reg number from them so that you can run checks on it
3. During this contact pay a deposit so as to make the reservation - How much is the usual here?
4. Use the garage details to make the Dekra/AA booking

If reg isnt clear, call them and ask for it, if they're hiding it, I'd stay away from it.
Drop a deposit, book the AA/Dekra etc - if acceptable say you'll take the car and arrange to collect/pay!

Brussels Sprout

Has anyone had the experience of paying a deposit, getting an AA/Dekra check done - which showed up something that you were unhappy with and then had to walk way losing £400-£500?

darragh o meara

Brussels Sprout wrote: »

Has anyone had the experience of paying a deposit, getting an AA/Dekra check done - which showed up something that you were unhappy with and then had to walk way losing £400-£500?

If I go down that road I always arrange that the deposit is refundable if the inspection shows up stuff the seller failed to disclose. I would also only give a 50-100 quid deposit which if they didn't decide to be c-u-nt I wouldn't be loosing too much.

On the other hand of you asked a seller to take it off sale for a week and then decided you didn't like the colour, then that's a different story.

AmberGold

Don’t have time to trawl through this thread, what’s the situation re booking in to pay the VRT. Tried Dundalk and Santry and no slots available, instructions to ring?

What’s the current wait time?

Galway_guy_33

Anyone used credit to make there vrt lately... whats the limit they can take ?? Credit card itself is good up to 9k... Looking to pay 6k on credit card

darragh o meara

AmberGold wrote: »

Don’t have time to trawl through this thread, what’s the situation re booking in to pay the VRT. Tried Dundalk and Santry and no slots available, instructions to ring?

What’s the current wait time?

They usually only have a week or two online but if you ring them they should be able to give you a date to suit. The vibe I got the last time was that they don't have someone at each VRT office every day and that they travel between them.

declan123

:eek:

Galway_guy_33 wrote: »

Anyone used credit to make there vrt lately... whats the limit they can take ?? Credit card itself is good up to 9k... Looking to pay 6k on credit card

Yes, a few weeks ago. Paid 5k with debit card. The only restriction is max transaction with your bank. The VRT office doesn't impose a restriction.

Galway_guy_33

Thanks for the reply but I was asking about using a credit card not a debit card.

Anyone used a credit card for say over a 5k vrt payment recently?

masit

Galway_guy_33 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply but I was asking about using a credit card not a debit card.

Anyone used a credit card for say over a 5k vrt payment recently?

Is there not something like a 2% charge with a credit card? Anytime I bought in the UK, dealers always say there is a charge on credit cards.

omri

For my VRT which was over double of what previous poster mentioned I paid €2.50 for bank draft. Took like 5 min in my bank...

Galway_guy_33

omri wrote: »

For my VRT which was over double of what previous poster mentioned I paid €2.50 for bank draft. Took like 5 min in my bank...

Probably didn't make myself clear vrt will be around 14k... so was planning on getting a bank draft for 10k paying the balance on credit card as I'm not 100% sure of the final figure.

Read some where bank draft couldn't exceed 10k.. not sure that's true

So it appears this won't be an issue.

Mervyn Skidmore

Just finished the import process from the North and it was surprisingly pain free. If you're thinking about it then just go for it. Bought a 2016 Yaris Hybrid with 16,000 miles for €12,700 including VRT. Probably saved at least €3,000 going this route. It's a big saving when you consider the overall outlay. Now just have to figure out how to affix the new reg plates

darragh o meara

Mervyn Skidmore wrote: »

Just finished the import process from the North and it was surprisingly pain free. If you're thinking about it then just go for it. Bought a 2016 Yaris Hybrid with 16,000 miles for €12,700 including VRT. Probably saved at least €3,000 going this route. It's a big saving when you consider the overall outlay. Now just have to figure out how to affix the new reg plates

Halfords and most other motorfactors sell double sided tape for affixing plates. I use it all the time, saves trying to line up holes and it works a treat, just make sure the surfaces are thoroughly clean before sticking.

mgn

Galway_guy_33 wrote: »

Probably didn't make myself clear vrt will be around 14k... so was planning on getting a bank draft for 10k paying the balance on credit card as I'm not 100% sure of the final figure.

Read some where bank draft couldn't exceed 10k.. not sure that's true

So it appears this won't be an issue.

A bank draft can exceed 10k. Another thing is you don't have to pay on the spot.You can get the paper work done and pay them before the 30 days is up.

darragh o meara

Just a quick FYI. I'm currently on the way to the ferry with another car and this time I did have to Tax it before leaving ( In the past I have always chanced it and would use the sorry cop I can't tax it because I don't have a UK address routine) anyway this time the dealer was insistent that it was taxed before leaving which I was able to do quite easily and without a postcode!! Just as well I did as I was stopped by the Police 15 mins after leaving..

Obviously if buying private and the car is already taxed by prev owner then you'll be fine heading to the ferry as it doesn't cancel until the change of ownership/export goes to the DVLA so technically the car will be taxed..

darragh o meara

Just a quick FYI. I'm currently on the way to the ferry with another car and this time I did have to Tax it before leaving ( In the past I have always chanced it and would use the sorry cop I can't tax it because I don't have a UK address routine) anyway this time the dealer was insistent that it was taxed before leaving which I was able to do quite easily and without a postcode!! Just as well I did as I was stopped by the Police 15 mins after leaving..

Obviously if buying private and the car is already taxed by prev owner then you'll be fine heading to the ferry as it doesn't cancel until the change of ownership/export goes to the DVLA so technically the car will be taxed..

bazz26

Why were your stopped? ANPR?

Bobeagleburger

How will Brexit affect this market I wonder.

bazz26

it's been discussed in this thread a few times, nobody knows.

darragh o meara

bazz26 wrote: »

Why were your stopped? ANPR?

Yes, I passed a Police car pulled in at the side of the motorway and they followed and pulled me in. The ANPR system takes a week or two to update and therefore my car flagged as being out of tax for a month.

To be honest, the Police man was really nice about it when I explained and proved that I had just purchased the car and was heading for the ferry, he was surprised that I had actually taxed the car and commented that it was unusual to see it. He also said, he usually leaves people go I such cases but that not every cop is the same. Also told me to be careful parking it in public areas and to leave the printout in the windscreen if doing so.

As I said above, had I bought the car privately and it been previously taxed I wouldn't have bothered.

Bobeagleburger

bazz26 wrote: »

it's been discussed in this thread a few times, nobody knows.

Hopefully positively for us!