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

larry_b00

Hi All
Eying up a car in NI that I want to buy( volvo s40 Rdesign 2.0d), price is about 14,500pounds on web site.
So what I want to know is form everyone's experience is how much less I can expect to pay if I look to pay in Cash there and then??

I'd heard car dealer cream themselves when they see cash:eek: so im hoping I can get to a price of 12000 - 13000pounds Cash, fingers crossed

What you all think??
What should be my starting price??

Thanks for all your help guys

Esel

I don't think you will be able to pay an amount like that in cash. Money laundering laws, afaik.

lifer_sean

larry_b00 wrote: »

Hi All
Eying up a car in NI that I want to buy( volvo s40 Rdesign 2.0d), price is about 14,500pounds on web site.
So what I want to know is form everyone's experience is how much less I can expect to pay if I look to pay in Cash there and then??

I'd heard car dealer cream themselves when they see cash:eek: so im hoping I can get to a price of 12000 - 13000pounds Cash, fingers crossed

What you all think??
What should be my starting price??

Thanks for all your help guys

Car dealers in NI price more agressively than here and will not really haggle to any great degree. What is the going rate in the UK for the car you are buying ? If the one you have picked is at the going rate then the seller is unlikely to drop the price much further. 14k is likely, if you are lucky you might get it for 13,500.

Re car dealers preferring cash ... what makes you think that ? Car dealers like a sale with no trade-in (sometimes referred to as a cash sale regardless of method of payment). An actual cash payment can cause problems:
1 - Banks charge 0.5% typically to logde cash, so costs 70 euro to lodge 14,000euro
2 - If you were to take a dealer's finance package then he would get a substantial commission from the finance house (could be 10%). Obviously you end up paying for this in the long run, but the dealer would love it
3 - Security risks
4 - Money laundering regulations.

As a dealer I specifically ask people NOT to pay me in cash - bank draft of credit union cheque.

slingerz

this thread should be a sticky

Deedsie

Hi,

I am having a bit of trouble.

I want to buy an Audi A4. I know alot of people dont like them. I have a budget for €9000 + travel.

What model has the cheapest VRT when you bring it back to Ireland?

I found a 2004 53 Reg AUDI A4 2.0 FSI SE
Price:
£5,995

The VRT came too €3135 and i am not even 100% it is the correct model.

It comes in at €9932

Is there any model that could bring the VRT down a bit?

Its the fourth car down on this page.

http://www.hitrading.co.uk/19542/stock.htm

McSpud

Deedsie wrote: »

Is there any model that could bring the VRT down a bit?

1.9L would surely be lower VRT (lower CO2) but not sure if it would be worth the lower amount? Could drop down from SE to lower spec but can't see that as worthwhile either.

Spartan09

Just put a deposit down on a 08 320d M Sport with 9k miles on it. Got it for 18645 (knocked 350 off it - I wouldnt expect big discount as they are priced quite competitively, will only hint at discount over phone but willing to think about it in person)

VRT 5,3O0 on it so total will cost 26,300, revenue tells me that OSMP here is 33425 but I've seen them on CBG from 35 to 39, either way I'm saving a minimum of 7.5k on the car. Tried a few BMW dealers here first but they wouldnt even think about any potential discount unless I put a deposit down first and even then they said they could probably do very little for me.

What is the best way to transfer the remainder of the money to the dealer? and how difficult is it / how long does it take? Hope to fly over next weekend and get the boat back on sunday.

stiofanD

I used Transfermate (currency.ie) recently to buy a car in the UK. They were cheaper than the banks and were very good to deal with. They have account with all the major Irish banks and once you're funds have arrived in their account they can have them in the UK account inside 2 hours using a CHAPS transfer

Seth Brundle

erm, yes, ok!
TCN is that way ===>

daRobot

Spartan09 wrote: »

Tried a few BMW dealers here first but they wouldnt even think about any potential discount unless I put a deposit down first

I think this quote sums up nicely, why the motor industry here is unbelievably screwed.

Spartan09

Just back off the boat. all went very smoothly, car is even better than I expected, the dealer even had 2 bottles of champagne waiting on the seats of the car when I arrived, nice touch.

McSpud

Spartan09 wrote: »

VRT 5,3O0 on it so total will cost 26,300, revenue tells me that OSMP here is 33425 but I've seen them on CBG from 35 to 39, either way I'm saving a minimum of 7.5k on the car.

That is a good price. VRT seems a bit low?

pelisor2000

a guy i know boght a audi A6 from uk with 65.000 miles from a garage...when another friend check the real miles storet in ECU..big surprize 165.000 miles

noeleeee

Hi all,
Just jumping on the bandwagon here as I have done a deal on a car from a car dealer in Belfast - I am looking to see if any of you know the RAC number for Northern Ireland to get the car inspection done ?
Cheers

lifer_sean

Spartan09 wrote: »

the dealer even had 2 bottles of champagne waiting on the seats of the car when I arrived, nice touch.

Goes to show how much he was making out of the deal !!!!

Sorry, just can't help being cynical !

Spartan09

McSpud wrote: »

That is a good price. VRT seems a bit low?

Ok slight adjustment, it was 5400 instead when extra's were included, still a substantial saving, Vrt payment was really straight forward, got new plates today and taxed the car online so no need to go to the tax office, all very very straight forward overall, would highly recommend going to the UK.

Spartan09

lifer_sean wrote: »

Goes to show how much he was making out of the deal !!!!

Sorry, just can't help being cynical !

Well he's in a business so I would expect him to be making something on it. Unsure if even by making something on the deal here that an Irish dealer would do the same. Either way I saved a huge amount on the equivalent car here and its an absolute pleasure to drive!

Fizman

Hey lads,

I'm looking at importing an Audi A3 from the UK over the next 4-6 weeks. Is there any sites you would recommend looking at? I've been looking at AutoTrader.co.uk and CarGiant, but are there any others I should look out for? Any Audi dealer sites you'd recommend?

I've a budget of roughly 11-12k, thats incl VRT cleared. I've pretty much narrowed down the one I'm looking for......2.0Tdi, Black, 3 door. For that spec/money I reckon it'll be a 2004/2005, with mid-high mileage. Leather would also be nice but not vital.

draycottgirlz

Fizman wrote: »

Hey lads,

I'm looking at importing an Audi A3 from the UK over the next 4-6 weeks. Is there any sites you would recommend looking at? I've been looking at AutoTrader.co.uk and CarGiant, but are there any others I should look out for? Any Audi dealer sites you'd recommend?

I've a budget of roughly 11-12k, thats incl VRT cleared. I've pretty much narrowed down the one I'm looking for......2.0Tdi, Black, 3 door. For that spec/money I reckon it'll be a 2004/2005, with mid-high mileage. Leather would also be nice but not vital.

Hi Fizman,
I recently did this for someone and I would like to recommend going for the 1.9Tdi not alone for vrt (big difference) but also fuel consumption and parts as they are a reliable engine and more then enough for an A3.
For that kinda money, it could be possible to get approx 05/06 average mileage A3, even an A3 sport.
Adding leather at a later date would be a better option, reduced Vrt etc

Fizman

draycottgirlz wrote: »

Hi Fizman,
I recently did this for someone and I would like to recommend going for the 1.9Tdi not alone for vrt (big difference) but also fuel consumption and parts as they are a reliable engine and more then enough for an A3.
For that kinda money, it could be possible to get approx 05/06 average mileage A3, even an A3 sport.
Adding leather at a later date would be a better option, reduced Vrt etc

Ya I realise that there is a nice bit to be saved with the 1.9tdi, but i've kinda had my heart set on the 2.0 for a while now. My old man has a 1.9 A6 estate, and as fine a machine as it is, the 2.0 a3 I test drove just felt more satisfying. I do a fair bit of driving with work, so the extra performance would be nice.

Where did you buy the A3 from? How did the transaction go? As in what kind of discount did you get off the list price etc??

draycottgirlz

Fizman wrote: »

Ya I realise that there is a nice bit to be saved with the 1.9tdi, but i've kinda had my heart set on the 2.0 for a while now. My old man has a 1.9 A6 estate, and as fine a machine as it is, the 2.0 a3 I test drove just felt more satisfying. I do a fair bit of driving with work, so the extra performance would be nice.

Where did you buy the A3 from? How did the transaction go? As in what kind of discount did you get off the list price etc??

I checked with the the crowd i dealt with here:
http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_used_cars.asp?car=I5DQ4ALL4SJD
Viewed &inspected the car, it was actually an A3 too and I confirmed everything with potential purchaser.
They took a day to decide and were more then happy with my report.
I confirmed that my buyer wanted the car and they held the car until finances were organised which took longer then expected and then went up with a sterling draft. Little bit of a discount but their motors are keenly priced...had it fully serviced etc
I must say I found the guy I dealt with top notch and it is a family business so they want to stay in business...

Almost sounds like I work for them, I assure you i don't but just explaining my experience....

FreudianSlippers

I'm thinking of buying a project car that will probably be towed back to Ireland and kept in a garage for at least a few months. Do I have to do the VRT within 24 hours still, or is it best to wait until the car is running/driving

draycottgirlz

OisinT wrote: »

I'm thinking of buying a project car that will probably be towed back to Ireland and kept in a garage for at least a few months. Do I have to do the VRT within 24 hours still, or is it best to wait until the car is running/driving

think it has to be running to be vrt'd

mbyrnes

Just a little extra to add. For a quick check text the UK car reg to 83600 from a UK mobile phone and you'll get back a detailed history from the UK car history storage system. It is quite detailed and was of great benifit to on one occasion. Text will cost £3.00 but well worth it... trust me. ...

Tragedy

Just a quick question: Has anyone ever asked a garage in Ireland for a written valuation to use in a VRT appeal?

Esel

Plenty of people have, I'd say. Word is that about 90% of appeals are successful. Be sure you have plenty of supporting documentation with your appeal.

del1

Hi, Looking at buying an A4 in England, It about 4 months old and has 1500 miles on it. I know about the VRT but my question is what VAT is payable. Car will cost about 24K sterling.

Tragedy

esel wrote: »

Plenty of people have, I'd say. Word is that about 90% of appeals are successful. Be sure you have plenty of supporting documentation with your appeal.

I have saved ads of similar cars, but I'd want some dealer quotations/price guides if you get what I mean.

I just don't think many would have a warm reception to me asking them for help in reducing the VRT on a car, even though it's not a model any of them are likely to have ever actually sold.

yop

binclintonusa wrote: »

It might seem like the prices are great.:pac:

<snip>

Let me guess.... your garage is cheaper! :rolleyes:

Deedsie

Hi, I am looking for a new car, i have a little over €9000 to spend. I am struggling to find a car i want for this money. I would really like a VW Golf TDI 2006 but i may be codding myself at with this money. Any suggestions on the best car i could get at this price?