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New BMW Purchase in NI/UK for import

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  • 01-09-2008 10:26pm
    #1
    DanRocksOn
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭


    I am looking to buy a new BMW 520d in NI for import into ROI using the 411 route.

    I have contacted a number of dealers in NI but have hit a stone wall.
    they dont want to sell a BMW for export.
    I am referred to BMW Mayfair London where they will sell a BMW with absolutely no discount.

    Has anybody found a dealer in NI/UK who is happy to sell?

    Dan


Comments

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    #2
    Tipsy Mac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,559 ✭✭✭Tipsy Mac


    What's the 411 route?


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    #3
    mickdw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,363 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    Thats odd. must be BMW policy for some reason.

    You could im sure buy a very slightly used version without paying uk vat if exporting. Im sure there would be considerable savings that way.

    Out of interest, If you bought a new one from mayfair BMW, how much would it be costing after irish VAT & VRT? and what is the irish price?


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    #4
    DanRocksOn
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭DanRocksOn


    It allows you to export a car from one EU country to another VAT free.
    the dealer completes the form and you get export plates on the car.
    Then you register and pay VAT in the destination country.

    So I want to buy a BMW in Northern Ireland and have it registered VAT Free for export to the Republic.

    However the main dealers do not want to play ball.

    I was wondering if there is a conspiracy or is it just ignorance?


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    #5
    Tipsy Mac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,559 ✭✭✭Tipsy Mac


    You should try from a dealer in another country, there's a couple of people on here who imported and collected their cars from dealers in Germany.


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    #6
    DanRocksOn
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭DanRocksOn


    Assuming 8K VRT , it works out around 46K with luxury pack.
    Better with discount obviously.
    Around 51K here with discount


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    #7
    DanRocksOn
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭DanRocksOn


    Better value due to GBP FX rate at the moment


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    #8
    robbie99
    Registered Users Posts: 1,261 ✭✭✭robbie99


    DanRocksOn wrote: »
    Assuming 8K VRT , it works out around 46K with luxury pack.
    Better with discount obviously.
    Around 51K here with discount

    So the bottom line is that buying the car in Ireland is at least €5k (or 10%) more expensive than buying from the UK fully taxed. Rip-off.


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    #9
    mickdw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,363 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    Well sterling rates account for a fair bit of it at the moment. If the rates change, we will all be on here wondering why we didnt buy over there when we had the chance.


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    #10
    Anan1
    Registered Users Posts: 22,815 ✭✭✭✭Anan1


    DanRocksOn wrote: »
    I am looking to buy a new BMW 520d in NI for import into ROI using the 411 route.

    I have contacted a number of dealers in NI but have hit a stone wall.
    they dont want to sell a BMW for export.
    I am referred to BMW Mayfair London where they will sell a BMW with absolutely no discount.

    Has anybody found a dealer in NI/UK who is happy to sell?

    Dan
    I used to sell cars for a well-known Dublin VAG/Mercedes dealership in the late 90s, at a time when cars were going the other way. We were instructed to discourage export sales, give no discount, quote long delivery dates etc. The trick is to do the deal as a domestic customer, and only tell them you're exporting the car when it's actually ready for registration. At this point you'll have the order form complete with quoted price, discount, VIN # etc. They'll have no choice but to give you the car, you may need to fire off a few threats but ultimately you'll have them.


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    #11
    cooper38
    Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭cooper38


    Make sure to shop around for your sterling. Leavng it till the last minute to call the bank will cost you a few hundred euro more. Calll around your bank, currency.ie and xe


    Also make sure theres no finance owed on the car. I nearly got stuck with one


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    #12
    Anan1
    Registered Users Posts: 22,815 ✭✭✭✭Anan1


    cooper38 wrote: »
    Also make sure theres no finance owed on the car. I nearly got stuck with one
    The OP is going to buy a new car.:)


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    #13
    Stevie Dakota
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭Stevie Dakota


    There is definitely some instruction from BMW UK on this, BMW don't want people shopping in the UK as it messes up their Irish sales ambitions. You can do it via London where they have the exports section but I suspect you won't get the same discounts a dealer could offer.


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    #14
    randomer
    Registered Users Posts: 1,160 ✭✭✭randomer


    DanRocksOn wrote: »
    It allows you to export a car from one EU country to another VAT free.
    the dealer completes the form and you get export plates on the car.
    Then you register and pay VAT in the destination country.

    So I want to buy a BMW in Northern Ireland and have it registered VAT Free for export to the Republic.

    However the main dealers do not want to play ball.

    I was wondering if there is a conspiracy or is it just ignorance?

    You will have to pay VRT and VAT when it is imported into Ireland though.


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    #15
    cooper38
    Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭cooper38


    You only pay vat if the car is new or from outside the eu. otherwise you just pay vrt


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    #16
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    cooper38 wrote: »
    You only pay vat if the car is new or from outside the eu. otherwise you just pay vrt

    You have to pay Vat somewhere. Either here or the UK.

    If it was that easy to knock 21% off the price of a car, no one would buy a car in their own country.


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    #17
    Brewster
    Registered Users Posts: 3,093 ✭✭✭Brewster


    If u buy a new car in UK and do not pay VAt over there by going the 411 route, you have to pay VAT and VRT in Republic... Works out much cheaper still to be honest.


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    #18
    brundle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 94 ✭✭brundle


    The op is well aware of the Vat deal on this. He has the final price sorted. he is just looking for a dealer to sell him anew BMW with discount.


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    #19
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    brundle wrote: »
    The op is well aware of the Vat deal on this. He has the final price sorted. he is just looking for a dealer to sell him anew BMW with discount.

    The replies were for Cooper ho said no Vat is due.


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    #20
    kluivert
    Registered Users Posts: 2,399 ✭✭✭kluivert


    Does this not go against what the EU was set up for - free movement of goods services capital and labour.

    I reckon if you get that in writing BMW might find themselves in trouble.

    As members of the EU they legally cannot refuse you the right of export, they might however refuse to sell to you which is in their right.

    I would have thought at this time of the year that BMW dealer would jump at a sale. We bought a new Mazda 6 from a dealer in NI. They delivered in south of the border and all, signed all doc's including 411.

    Say to them that the Merc dealer across the road is willing to sell to you and that you ll bring your business to them, or ask to speak to the owner (not the manager) of the dealership and work out a deal with them, with sales volumes down am sure they will sell to you.

    I dont see how BMW have a record of what cars are exported, this is held with the DVLA in the UK. I cant imagine they got a young lad on a computer tracing VIN numbers to make sure that they are still in the country of origin.

    The other point is that going down this route the car will be pre reg'd to the dealer first so they car tax the car for six months to put it on the road. Again I dont see what problem BMW dealer would have with this just because of company policy. I think that is unfair competition and should be raise with EU counsell or fair trading standards in the UK should you get something from them in writing.


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    #21
    R.O.R
    Registered Users Posts: 12,685 ✭✭✭✭R.O.R


    I think (and I could be wrong), that it's only registered vehicles which count towards dealers volume bonus targets.

    I'm presuming if a car is exported via the 411 route it leaves the UK unregistered, so while the dealer gets a sale and makes some profit, it's not going towards the manufacturer target which is where the big money is.


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    #22
    Stevie Dakota
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭Stevie Dakota


    R.O.R wrote: »
    I think (and I could be wrong), that it's only registered vehicles which count towards dealers volume bonus targets.

    I'm presuming if a car is exported via the 411 route it leaves the UK unregistered, so while the dealer gets a sale and makes some profit, it's not going towards the manufacturer target which is where the big money is.

    I think that is the case, yet when I was recently discussing an imported C5 from the North using the 411 there were still healthy discounts to be negotiated.


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    #23
    nogoodnamesleft
    Registered Users Posts: 1,031 ✭✭✭nogoodnamesleft


    Why dont you source the car in another in another EU country like another poster mentioned. Special order it as a right hand drive (AFAIK the purchase price has to the same as a left hand drive not to be discriminating against right hand drive EU countries). Base model 520d in germany is 37900euro with the german VAT.

    The owner of the company I work for when to Holland in the late 90's as cars were more expensive in the UK. Special ordered RHD brought it to the UK and subsequently into Ireland. He got a Highline 2.0 Beetle for the OH off the shelf for 75% of the price he would have paid in the UK.


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    #24
    brundle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 94 ✭✭brundle


    nogoodnamesleft wrote: »
    Why dont you source the car in another in another EU country like another poster mentioned. Special order it as a right hand drive (AFAIK the purchase price has to the same as a left hand drive not to be discriminating against right hand drive EU countries). Base model 520d in germany is 37900euro with the german VAT.
    quote]

    THe uk price even without discount looks better value than that. According to OPs figures, he can have a 520d with extras here fully legal for 45,000, vrt & vat included


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    #25
    DanRocksOn
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭DanRocksOn


    thanks for all the post guys.

    There is definitely an unwritten policy by BMW not to support export sales from NI.

    One of the posters gave good advice on a posing as a domestic customer, placing the order and catching them out. Risk is that they register the car as UK!

    I am going to try some dealers in Britain to see if any leeway.
    they might be hungrier over there.

    Worst case, buying through Mayfair with no discount still saves money.


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