SIMI stepping out of line?

smash

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2008/1015/1223988031202.html

I think they're stepping out of line - they're there to help dealers and they should really stand for quality, assurance etc. But taking the law into their own hands and asking dealers to do the same is a very vigilante attitude to say the least!

Any opinions?

Cookie_Monster

Thats totally uncalled for and none of their business.

If they spent more time concentrating on giving best possible value to customers there wouldn't be as many people going abroad to buy cars in the first place.

You don't see them outing dealers for clocking, over charging, poor service etc etc

R.O.R

Hmmmm, I wonder if that's what this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055396643 was about.

Kingmaker

I'm with cookie monster- SIMI is all about shafting Irish motorists

Zonda999

Dont particularly like this move either but i still dont think people should be able to get away without vrt'ing their cars.Theres something good about this sort of thing on RTE-1 this sunday night at 7:30.From the preview there on the last episode, there goin after some f**ker in an unregistered 7 series beemer.The shows called "Customs" by the way

handbraker

in fairness customs have raised there game a lot recently & are much more visible than they were 12 months ago.if you drive with un-registered plates for more than 2 months now u will be caught

Cookie_Monster

Kingmaker wrote: »

I'm with cookie monster- SIMI is all about shafting Irish motorists

the clue is in the name;)
Shafting Irish Motorists Intently

L-M

R.O.R wrote: »

Hmmmm, I wonder if that's what this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055396643 was about.

:pac:

unkel

To be honest, if someone's illegal actions were threatening my job, I'd do anything in my power (legally) to stop it

lafors

handbraker wrote: »

in fairness customs have raised there game a lot recently & are much more visible than they were 12 months ago.if you drive with un-registered plates for more than 2 months now u will be caught

Customs have had to raise their game to get the missed VRT for the govt.
Really shows how many people are buying abroad, that its now worth their while doing more work to get the tax they're losing from the home car market.

Bunch of idiots (the Govt) if you ask me, they'd make much more in VRT on new cars sold here if they helped stop the rip off.

smash

unkel wrote: »

To be honest, if someone's illegal actions were threatening my job, I'd do anything in my power (legally) to stop it

car dealers are some of the worse offenders, I know they've got a TAN - but they're still making money bringing them in abroad!

Has everyone forgotten the Veyron that was brought in - kept here for a few months without VRT being paid before it was sent off to Spain....

There's 800k VRT lost because they have a TAN number! and they're complaining about someone driving around in a car with VRT worth only 5k

Tipsy Mac

There's a well known car dealer in Dublin driving around in a €100k plus car with a personalised (to his own name) UK plate which he has on his forecourt "for sale" for the past 18 months, handy way of having a flash plate and avoiding VRT. He is not a SIMI garage.

Leprechaun77

Whilst I dont have specific opinions in relation to SIMI, why should people be allowed to drive their cars without paying the necessary VRT? It is the normal Joe who pays his taxes thats made look like a mug otherwise. btw, the legitimacy of these taxes is another days discussion......IMPOUND away lads..the more the merrier!

Darragh29

Leprechaun77 wrote: »

Whilst I dont have specific opinions in relation to SIMI, why should people be allowed to drive their cars without paying the necessary VRT? It is the normal Joe who pays his taxes thats made look like a mug otherwise. btw, the legitimacy of these taxes is another days discussion......IMPOUND away lads..the more the merrier!

Yeah but what any of this has got to do with the SIMI is beyond me.

They should get their own house in order before pointing fingers at other people...

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/car-dealer-faces-pricefix-charge-1269267.html

10-10-20

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

There's a well known car dealer in Dublin driving around in a €100k plus car with a personalised (to his own name) UK plate which he has on his forecourt "for sale" for the past 18 months, handy way of having a flash plate and avoiding VRT. He is not a SIMI garage.

Are you referring to an N11 dealership which is up for sale at present?
Did he also previously not have a "250GTO" for sale for €22k back about 5 years ago?

Tipsy Mac

10-10-20 wrote: »

Are you referring to an N11 dealership which is up for sale at present?
Did he also previously not have a "250GTO" for sale for €22k back about 5 years ago?

Yes, that's the chap.

smash

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

Yes, that's the chap.

he's got a few cars with uk reg plates and they've probably never left Ireland!

bustershark

Does anyone know if the law regarding the registering of imported cars within a week differs for dealers?
Just did a quick search on carzone for ads that had the words "VRT" for SIMI dealers and came up with this lot -

I am sure that they have all complied with the VRT regulations and registered the cars within the legal limit and just happened to take the photos as soon as the cars landed!

smash

Dealers don't have to register cars on arrival, they can register on the sale of the car.

TheWaterboy

AFIK the customs and guards are keeping an eye on dealers too. I know a particular dealer that has had two cars impounded because their sales reps were caught driving them outside company hours on garage plates.

I think its a fairly low blow on SIMI behalf if they have to resort to these tactics of reporting motorists!

Hellrazer

Dont know how I missed this thread but every Simi garage received a letter and a form last week asking for all employees to look out for unregged/Vrt`d Uk imports.And if they see one then fill out the form and email/fax it to a specific address / fax number.

Dont know whether its safe to post the letter up here though

smash

post it!

jimmycrackcorm

steve06 wrote: »

post it!

And then we can fax in details of cars we see on tv.

Cookie_Monster

steve06 wrote: »

post it!

+1 and then send it to the Indo, I'm sure they'll come up with a very thorough and well balanced article on the issue

Robbo

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

And then we can fax in details of cars we see on tv.

A person with a keen eye for chaos might be persuaded to use said form to inundate the ratline with spurious claims...

E92

With attitudes like these, it makes me more and more glad that I never take my cars within an asses roar of an SIMI garage, and furthermore I never will either.

The SIMI doesn't give a flying funk about enforcement about the law - rather it wants to try and force us into buying the overpriced sh!te they're selling that nobody wants.

Kashkai

SIMI are running scared cause they have thousands of unsold 2nd hand cars that are losing hundreds in their individual values by the day and once they round the 31st December date, thousands will have been knocked off their prices. Taking into account the way the VRT changes in July brought down the price of new cars with the knock on effects on 2nd hand stock on the forecourts, its been a very bad year for SIMI and Co after years of raking in the cash.

Personally I hate to see any person having a hard time of it financially but motor dealers are not people to me as for the past 10 years, when I went into garages (all makes of dealer) to buy cars, they treated me with utter contempt, gave very little info on the cars (if any), turned their noses up at any attempts to haggle and snorted that the price they offered was the price I paid or else I could fcuk off. I'm only sorry that I'm not in a position to buy a car at the moment as I'd make the ba$tards squirm for the sale and just when they almost have me signing, I'd look for a few more quid off to hammer the final nail in. Yes I'm bitter but they got away with selling cars at big margins, charging a fortune for servicing and providing damn all after sales service for over 10 years.

Hope the arrogant sh!tes like the feel of hairshirts.

Stevie Dakota

I'm liking militant stance, lets ship in some French truckers to kick things off (i.e, start burning stuff).

melbourne

Is it just me or does it feel like these guys have been fleecing the average Irish car driver for years, now people are starting to do something about it and their crying calling for people to report vrt bandits.

If I remember correctly they tried another scam not to long ago trying to get people done for advertising cars at the road side, granted if the car is causing a hazard it should be removed but SIMI are only involved as their gravy train has slowed down.

L-M

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

And then we can fax in details of cars we see on tv.

Lol, quote from the letter went something like this.

Please try to avoid tourists etc which would waste alot of time etc. etc. etc.

Basically don't go out taking down every f3cking reg you see lol:P

bustershark

steve06 wrote: »

Dealers don't have to register cars on arrival, they can register on the sale of the car.

I've heard that this is the case, but I couldn't find anything on the vrt site to back this up and couldn't find anything in the legislation either.
Do you reckon that this is just an informal arrangement that dealers have with Revenue or is there something more concrete?