Vastly Overinflated Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) on my SAAB I recently VRT'd

AWP

Hi,

Can anyone assist with this? I got an absolute bargain in the UK on a SAAB 9-3 AERO 2.8. I brought the car to Ireland and paid my VRT.

I should have done some homework first as I've been a victim of a ridiculouly overinflated OMSP figure.

The VRO valued my car at £46,500 and I paid 30% of this (like a fool).

I popped into a main Saab dealer who said they'd be lucky to get £35k for my car on their forecourt. The figure they'd get may be closer to £33k ie. the real OMSP.

One week after I paid the VRT I went to the VRT office in Tallaght to complain and ask for my money back with the intention of bringing my car back to the UK and selling it. I was told no and that I'd have to appeal. They told me VRT is only refunded in exceptional circumstances eg. where a car has been stolen. I think this is an exceptional circumstance as I feel I've been a victim of a serious miscalculation.

The Saab dealer in question would not give me a written valuation to support my appeal. Does anyone know where I can get a written valuation for my car? Also, bearing in mind that the VRO has valued my car far too highly do I have a right to claim my full VRT back?

Appreciate your help.

AWP.

Dwilly

As you say, I think you should have done your homework.

The OMS prices, I think provided by SIMI, can be estimated online or over the phone before you bring the car in, so Revenue will argue that you had the ability to find out before you paid it.

Having said that, I agree some of the OMSP estimated online are ridiculous. Prices have jumped wildly on some motors since the July 1 changeover, whereas the 2nd hand market prices have obviously stayed the same. Would be keen on finding out more on how they're calculated and how often they're updated.

ninty9er

Can we clarify that the VRO valued your car in £Stg... That's not normal practice.

A 2.8 Aero private would go for €33-€35k. A dealer might GIVE you €33k for it, but you can be guaranteed that if a new one is over €60k base that the sticker price on the forecourt would be closer to €46k than €33k

No harm in appealing. It's your only option anyway. The VRO don't HAVE to do anything least of all refund you and telling them such will make them more unlikey to do so.

AWP

Dwilly,

I actually contacted SIMI. A guy there said he'd get back to me but didn't. Maybe there's a conflict of interest. I'll appeal and see what happens.

AWP

Ninty9er, the car is an 07 model and not the brand new shape. The dealer said they'd give me less than £33k for the car. Maybe the VRT guys didn't realise it was the older shape?

The VRT office calculated my car in € and not £.

I was super polite when I went to ask for my money back.

I'll appeal and see what happens. I just need someone to give me a written valuation to support my claim. This is what I need but is proving difficult to get.

Cheers.

testicle

AWP wrote: »

Ninty9er, the car is an 07 model and not the brand new shape. The dealer said they'd give me less than £33k for the car. Maybe the VRT guys didn't realise it was the older shape?

The VRT office calculated my car in € and not £.

I was super polite when I went to ask for my money back.

I'll appeal and see what happens. I just need someone to give me a written valuation to support my claim. This is what I need but is proving difficult to get.

Cheers.

Please clarify whether the dealer you are in contact with is valuing your vehicle in € or £ ?

AWP

Do you know somewhere where I can get a written valuation?

Thanks

TomMc

Unless you can find examples of similar cars for sale in Ireland and what they are selling for, you might have trouble convincing them.

This must be a new site but see #6

http://www.vrt.ie/vrtInDetail.html

I seem to recall a few people on another forum getting a refund of sorts, although it is rare.

Guy:Incognito

AWP wrote: »

The dealer said they'd give me less than £33k for the car.

The dealer might give you that for your car, but he wont sell it to you for that.

Soarer

Had a quick look on carzone there, and there's only one 2.8 aero for sale. Saab Aero. They're looking for €33k.

You obviously VRT'd it before July 1st, or else you would've had to pay 36% vrt due to co2. So at least that's a grain of comfort there.;)

As for getting back all your VRT....ain't gonna happen. All they'll possibly refund you is the difference between what you should've paid and what you actually did pay.
You should definitely put in a claim. Ring around a few garages, and write down the names of the garages, their phone numbers, and the value each of them put on the car. Then print off all similar cars you can find for sale (like the one above). Finally, take all the info you've put together, bring it into your local vrt office, politely tell them that you're looking to appeal, and could they forward all the info you have with you down to Rosslare. Explain to them that none of the garages will give you a written quote, but if they ring any of the numbers supplied, they'll hear the values "from the horses mouth".

Hopefully you'll get something back.

Lesson learned though, huh?!:(

Murt10

This sounds like you are the victim of an unfair Revenue practice. Revenue are either unwilling or or just couldn't couldn't be bothered to do their job properly. They are inappropiately and unfairly acting on the advice of the vested interests in the motor trade and not in the interests of the consumer. The OMSP supplied by the SIMI is clearly out of line with the real price that can be charged for these vehicles.

Asking the SIMI for a valuation for a car is like asking the barber whether you need a haircut. The Director of Corporate Enforcement (I think) has already proven in court how corrupt some main motor dealers can be, in colluding together in setting the price of new cars, also and how much they will allow people who already have their cars on trade ins.

It is not in the interest of the SIMI to supply Revenue with the true OMSP of a car as this will lead to more individuals and indepent garages going to the UK and importing their own cars, thereby taking business away from the SIMI members.

I suggest that you make a complaint to the Ombudsman outlining your case. Send in copies of pages from carzone and copies of ads from Buy and Sell. You can also argue that the prices being sought by the garages (SIMI members) are further inflated in Carzone to take account of haggling and taking your old car as a trade in. As a cash buyer you should not have to pay more because garages offer this service.

Also, the price of a car being sought in Buy and Sell is the maximum that the seller hopes to receive for it. Everyone overprices their car so that they can come down a bit and let the buyer feel that he has done well for himself.

Here is the site for the ombudsman.

http://ombudsman.gov.ie/en/MakeaComplaint/WhoCanIComplainAbout/

The Ombudsman has already made various major findings against unfair administrative practices in both Revenue, Social Welfare other Government bodies. Many of these cases were fought tooth and nail by the Departments, but in the end they were forced had to change their unfair practices.

Mickk

I went to register a car in late june and had been in contact with the revenue for about a month beforehand as the value wasn't on their site. Their value came in at about 20k over what it should have realistically been. I asked them if they would reconsider this value quoting simi articles showing values of luxury cars down 25% and a few examples from carzone.

My plan was to pay it, appeal and hopefully get back the extra but when I went to pay it I was told the value had been re-assesed and was dropped by 12k! I don't know if it was because of my contact with them but either way it saved me 4k...

OP any word on your appeal?

-Chris-

From another thread:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=57049519&postcount=17

Seems like a lot of appeals are upheld, so you do have a strong chance. Also seems like not enough research was done before importing, imho.

galwaytt

First, don't lose any time - get your appeal in.

FWIW my brother's car is here: Same spec as Aero, virually... - if you extrapolate your car's price from that, 46k is a cuckoo price.

RedorDead

Looks like this guy got his case highlighted in the times. Hope he won it.

Revenue: no plans to alter VRT on imports

THE REVENUE Commissioners has said it does not intend to adjust the way it calculates Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) on second-hand cars that Irish residents import into the Republic, until the motor industry here advises it to do so.

Revenue calculates the amount of VRT payable on foreign-registered cars that are being imported, based on the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) of a similar vehicle in the Republic.

If a person wants to import a vehicle, they approach the Revenue and obtain an OMSP here and pay a percentage of that price as VRT. But despite car prices in the Republic have fallen in recent times - due largely to the massive stock levels on forecourts - the OMSP employed by the Revenue has not reflected this fall.

The result is that the Revenue's website is giving significantly inflated valuations for used cars, which is deterring buyers from importing cars from Northern Ireland or abroad.

In the case of a Saab 9-3 Aero 2.8 litre imported from England recently, the importer complained that the Revenue valued his Saab at €46,500 and he accordingly paid more than €15,000 extra as VRT. However, he discovered the market price of his car was closer to €33,000.

A recent examination of used car websites Carzone.ie and Autotrader.ie shows a significant disparity between the Revenue's OMSP and market price.

A 2004 Audi A4 Avant with a Northern Ireland registration for sale for €10,600 is valued at €17,891 by the Revenue calculator, which takes into account fuel type, engine size, etc. It would therefore incur VRT at €3,578 - 20 per cent of the total figure. However, 20 percent of the market cost of the car is just €2,120.

Other examples checked by The Irish Times found similar discrepancies. A 2006 VW Passat was available for €19,995 based on the market price of the car and applicable VRT rate, but the Revenue calculation put the price of the car, based on a higher OMSP, at €22,897.

A Revenue spokesman said OMSPs were advised by the motor industry in the South, and they would not be changed until such advice had been received. However, the situation is causing much anger among importers.

One business in the midlands that imports from the UK said there was a conflict of interest with the industry here setting the price for imported cars.

-Chris-

I didn't even spot that! Nice one!

I never notice if threads are old or recent...

Nice of him to come back on and let us know that he was successful and whether the information he received here was of any help to him and to share that info with others who may want to do the same thing. Or is that a case of the 'Times reading threads here and reporting them as news?

Cj Mac

The Irish Times failed to understand the essential point. In one of their examples they referred to the price the car was advertised for in the north, and as anyone who knows anything about VRT will appreciate, that figure is irrelevant when it comes to the inequitable Tax that is VRT.

It doesn't really suprise me, I don't think their motoring journalists can see past their local MSL garage when it comes to purchasing or recommending a car.

skyhighflyer

So the SIMI set the OMSP?

What an absolute joke. Like they're going to revise the OMSP downwards anytime soon - they have every interest in keeping it artifically high so as to discourage private imports. :mad:

AWP

I've made my appeal and I'll let you know what happens.

That was me in the Times motoring supplement. I didn't contact them. It looks like they read my original posting on boards.ie and then simply printed it in the Times.

My observation is that dealers sympathise but don't really want to get involved. SIMI didn't get back to me but I am going to contact them again and ask them why? I think I already know the answer though.

I hope I get somewhere with this as I've seriously been ripped off to the tune of €5000.