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

TylerIE

whatyamacallit wrote: »

Bought a car today and collecting in 2 weeks. For those who have bought UK cars before, what/who is the cheapest method to transfer the money?

If lodging to bank account them currencyfair.ie - a bit of effort to set up but excellent rates.

If cash them The currency place in The Buttercrane in Newry.

whatyamacallit

It's a bank transfer so I will check out currency place.

Kotek Besar

whatyamacallit wrote: »

Bought a car today and collecting in 2 weeks. For those who have bought UK cars before, what/who is the cheapest method to transfer the money?

I can recommend currency.ie (Transfermate). Have used them several times over the years. Excellent rates and fast transfers (usually within 24 hours).

DieselPowered

Kotek Besar wrote: »

I can recommend currency.ie (Transfermate). Have used them several times over the years. Excellent rates and fast transfers (usually within 24 hours).

Second that - their call centre is in Kilkenny so you are dealing with a local to help setup your account and get the transaction going...

Kace

DieselPowered wrote: »

Second that - their call centre is in Kilkenny so you are dealing with a local to help setup your account and get the transaction going...

+1. I arrived at the UK dealership at 9am and checked the car out. Contacted TransferMate to complete the transfer at about 9.45 and the cash was in the dealer's bank account by about 11.30. Really quick.

They will not guarantee a transfer this quick but this is all it took for me. Speak with Anne Marie there and tell her it is for a car purchase and they can make it happen much much quicker than any bank. Top marks from me.

DieselPowered

Kace wrote: »

+1. I arrived at the UK dealership at 9am and checked the car out. Contacted TransferMate to complete the transfer at about 9.45 and the cash was in the dealer's bank account by about 11.30. Really quick.

They will not guarantee a transfer this quick but this is all it took for me. Speak with Anne Marie there and tell her it is for a car purchase and they can make it happen much much quicker than any bank. Top marks from me.

Just to be clear I believe same day payment transfers only work during the working week, so if you plan to pick up your car at the weekend, Transfermate may not be open.

Miscreant

Not sure if this has been answered anywhere but on the first page of this thread but with all the changes since 2004 is it still a case of having to pay VAT on a car with less than 6000 miles? I'm looking at getting a 2012 ex demo with 100 miles on it from Belfast.

Esel

Miscreant wrote: »

Not sure if this has been answered anywhere but on the first page of this thread but with all the changes since 2004 is it still a case of having to pay VAT on a car with less than 6000 miles? I'm looking at getting a 2012 ex demo with 100 miles on it from Belfast.

I think the figure is 6000 km? And yes, VAT is still charged. You can have the UK VAT refunded though.

DieselPowered

Miscreant wrote: »

Not sure if this has been answered anywhere but on the first page of this thread but with all the changes since 2004 is it still a case of having to pay VAT on a car with less than 6000 miles? I'm looking at getting a 2012 ex demo with 100 miles on it from Belfast.

Yes, Irish VAT is paid on the new import car here if it has less then 6000km and or is less than 6 months old.

Kace

DieselPowered wrote: »

Just to be clear I believe same day payment transfers only work during the working week, so if you plan to pick up your car at the weekend, Transfermate may not be open.

Correct - TransferMate (and the banks they deal with) are not open at the weekends, so you would need to do this during the week in order to use this method.

whatyamacallit

Kace wrote: »

Correct - TransferMate (and the banks they deal with) are not open at the weekends, so you would need to do this during the week in order to use this method.

Thanks all for the replies. I will be collecting the car late on Friday so I will make the transfer earlier in the week.

BobBobBobBob

The exchange rate is looking better this year 10,000.00 GBP = 11,548.33 EUR. I hope to buy in the next couple of months so I hope it stays like that or decreases!

whatyamacallit

Collecting a car from the UK on Friday. What documents do I need from the dealer?

V5
Invoice showing price & date of purchase

Anything else?

Thanks.

Harcrid

That's pretty much it. Make sure its the full V5 and not just the tear off bit at the bottom that confuses some dealers.

moonlighting

what if the v5 cert is complete but not filled out
bought a classic car from the uk but owner didnt sign or write anything

challengemaster

moonlighting wrote: »

what if the v5 cert is complete but not filled out
bought a classic car from the uk but owner didnt sign or write anything

The v5 doesn't need to be filled out because it means nothing outside of the UK/NI. It never gets sent back to the DVLA anyway. The proof of purchase and thus ownership is the receipt, and you get issued with an Irish registration cert (log book) when you register the car in Ireland.

aujopimur

challengemaster wrote: »

The v5 doesn't need to be filled out because it means nothing outside of the UK/NI. It never gets sent back to the DVLA anyway. The proof of purchase and thus ownership is the receipt, and you get issued with an Irish registration cert (log book) when you register the car in Ireland.

The V5 is returned to DVLA.

challengemaster

aujopimur wrote: »

The V5 is returned to DVLA.

By who? Shannon?

aujopimur

challengemaster wrote: »

By who? Shannon?

Up to a few years the V5 was handed back to the owner after VRT/Revenue photocopied it, now they return it to the DVLA.
I think this only applies to UK imports, as I have South African reg. docs for one of mine.

DieselPowered

whatyamacallit wrote: »

Collecting a car from the UK on Friday. What documents do I need from the dealer?

V5
Invoice showing price & date of purchase

Anything else? Thanks.

You can also ask for a mileage check report and a full HPI/finance/car check at their expense (you shouldn't have to pay extra).

Kotek Besar

DieselPowered wrote: »

You can also ask for a mileage check report and a full HPI/finance/car check at their expense (you shouldn't have to pay extra).

What makes you think that?

DieselPowered

Kotek Besar wrote: »

What makes you think that?

I've got them each time before from the main dealer. Its in their interest to provide you this information and with the purchase of a new (secondhand car), its good to see there is no HPI owed on the car, mileage is correct etc. These are normally £35 + so, again, let the dealer provide them.

Kace

challengemaster wrote: »

By who? Shannon?

No, the NCT centre expect you to furnish them with the vehicle's V5 - they then manage the shipping of this back to the DVLA.

Re the HPI - my independent Audi dealer had all of this HPI documentation present for me also when I purchased the car. Peace of mind from both their perspective and mine that some clown doesn't still owe a packet on it.

I nearly found this out to my peril with a previous purchase attempt, where I got the HPI carried out and confirmed that the guy still owed £20k on the car. Not sure whether it was cunning or naivety, but when I confronted him with this information, he told me he was going to pay it off once he got the payment from me. Lucky escape - phew !!

olewy

Kace wrote: »

Correct - TransferMate (and the banks they deal with) are not open at the weekends, so you would need to do this during the week in order to use this method.

I'm looking to potentially buy a car in a dealer's the UK next Sunday (Sunday suits best re work, flight times & costs etc). Left a voicemail with Transfermate today. If Transfermate can't do a transfer to a UK dealer on a Sunday what other options would I have to have same day GBP transfer to a UK dealer done on a Sunday? E.g. does anyone know of any other Transfermate competitors with good rates that work on Sundays?

Marcusm

olewy wrote: »

I'm looking to potentially buy a car in a dealer's the UK next Sunday (Sunday suits best re work, flight times & costs etc). Left a voicemail with Transfermate today. If Transfermate can't do a transfer to a UK dealer on a Sunday what other options would I have to have same day GBP transfer to a UK dealer done on a Sunday? E.g. does anyone know of any other Transfermate competitors with good rates that work on Sundays?

The financial system across Europe is closed on Sunday so there won't be any methods. Have you chosen the car, had it inspected? Is it a large or main dealer? Transferring the funds in advance or using a UK debit card would be your only likely options (setting aside bank drafts which aren't really that common anymore).

olewy

Marcusm wrote: »

The financial system across Europe is closed on Sunday so there won't be any methods. Have you chosen the car, had it inspected? Is it a large or main dealer? Transferring the funds in advance or using a UK debit card would be your only likely options (setting aside bank drafts which aren't really that common anymore).

Thanks Macusm. I've chosen a car & made all the relevant enquiries on it. Its a large UK dealer (Arnold Clark). It looks good but I've yet to place a refundable deposit on it, purchase an inspection with RAC & fly over to view the car. I want/need these things done before I'll transfer any money to the dealer. The current plan is to buy a cheap return flight for Sunday (same day return ticket) & if all goes well on the day after viewing & testing it to transfer the money to the dealer, book a ferry ticket back for that night, drive it off the same day, take the ferry back (& obviously forego the return flight). If something's not right with the car at least I can walk away, get my unconditional refundable deposit back & use my pre-booked return flight back.

I have a sterling account with NIB. I need to phone NIB to see if their online banking system or Telephone Banking will allow same-day Sunday transfers. That could be one option, particularly if Transfermate don't like people leaving funds in their client accounts for more than a day or two.

I have a virtual & physical prepaid sterling Mastercard with Neteller but for some reason I can't load it anymore (used to work from my PTSB Visa Debit for Ryanair flights. Neteller Customer Service say my bank must now be blocking uploads to Neteller. I'm not sure though).

A draft couldn't work obviously due to UK bank branches being closed on Sundays.

How about Saturdays? i.e. Are there alternatives to Transfermate that can send funds on Saturdays given that Transfermate operation Mon-Fri only?

Transfermate's website states;
Faster International Payments
Global ACH
24/7 Online Access

The 247 part is a bit misleading (i.e. 247 access but not 247 operation)

It also states;
Your recipient(s) will be sent payment as soon as we receive funds.

I assume though that you can just pre-arrange with Transfermate for them NOT to transfer the funds when they receive them but ask them instead to leave the funds in Transfermate's client account for a day or two until such time as you phone and instruct them (not via their 247 Online Access it seems though) to send the GBP transfer/payment to the UK dealer, right? I assume this is how posters on this thread who have used Transfermate have done it, rather than pay Transfermate AND have Transfermate pay the dealer all on the one day?

I used Currency.ie (now Transfermate apparently) a couple of years back when I was about to buy a car, set up a client account with them but I never went ahead with uploading money to them. I think I remember at the time that they could at least guarantee same day transfers to UK recipients on a Saturday. Maybe their business model & operating hours (cut backs?)has changed.

Bigcheeze

Saturday and Sunday are the same. No cash will be wired to a bank account until the next working day. It's not possible.

If a card payment isn't an option you need to either make two trips or do it on a working day.

Also check the cut off time for any same day transfer. I can pay same day to uk from BOI but cutoff time is 10.30am.

Marcusm

Maybe I'm not being clear. No one can do a GBP bank transfer on a weekend. The system is CLOSED. What you can do is a debit or credit card payment. If your NIB GBP account is an ROI account or does not come with a UK debit card, it will be as useful to you as a glass hammer. Just as you don't want to pre fund them with the money, they won't want to let you have the car without the money. I can't see how you're going to do this on a same day Sunday without a UK debit card; it's unlikely they'd willingly accept a GBP draft from Ireland as they'll have a wait for funds and not be able to check it's validity.

olewy

Marcusm wrote: »

Maybe I'm not being clear. No one can do a GBP bank transfer on a weekend. The system is CLOSED. What you can do is a debit or credit card payment. If your NIB GBP account is an ROI account or does not come with a UK debit card, it will be as useful to you as a glass hammer. Just as you don't want to pre fund them with the money, they won't want to let you have the car without the money. I can't see how you're going to do this on a same day Sunday without a UK debit card; it's unlikely they'd willingly accept a GBP draft from Ireland as they'll have a wait for funds and not be able to check it's validity.

Loud & clear thanks.

Using Transfermate and my Neteller GBP Prepaid Mastercard is looking like the solution so. http://www.neteller.com/personal/get-a-prepaid-card/

i.e. the procedure & flow of money would look a little something like this;

1. Tomorrow; phone dealer to confirm they accept payment via Mastercard.
2. Monday; buy Sterling via Transfermate (for best fx rate).
3. Monday/Tuesday; instruct Transfermate to wire it to my Neteller eWallet (no fee from Neteller's side for receiving international bank transfer ) or worst case scenario via my NIB GBP account in the ROI first as an intermediary if necessary (e.g. if payments to/from accounts in the same name was only possible)
4. Sunday; pay dealer with Neteller GBP Prepaid Mastercard.
Done.

Can anybody foresee any flaws with the above?

Marcusm

Many dealers don't use cc but this might be a debit transaction. Per neteller's website, the daily limit for POS transactions is £1,500. Given VRT etc, I presume your car will cost more than this. I really think you're going to have to do this on a Monday.

Also have you read the posts on tax/insurance. If the car you' e identified doesn't already have a current tax disc, I'd be shocked if a large reputable dealer would let it off the forecourt until it was taxed. They'll do the tax in the post office but the garage would need an insurance cert in your name. Will you be able to sort this out after you decide whether or not you want it. Impossible on a Sunday.

Also, my experience of UK dealers (4 cars so far) is that it is nigh on impossible not to have to wait a day or two for the car to be prepared.