Importing a Campervan

runforest1

Hi all, I'm planning on bringing a campervan in from a UK based business, AKCampervans. They have a depo in Germany where they store the campervans so that the customer doesn't have to face customs or brevity related fees.

It is a 2001 sprinter with a rimor 4berth build on the back.

They say they will do the registration for us at a cost of €210.00. Does this mean they will also NCT it for us? At present it has German TUV certification.

Most importantly for us when it comes to doing the NCT the following year and specifically regarding certification of gas appliances and seatbelts etc. Might we get caught?

I'm completely new to campervans so I would greatly appreciate any advice.

Cheers, Nik

Shoog

It will be tested as a DOE at a commercial center rather than NCT.

They do not even open the back apart from if you have safety belts to test - they are soley interested in its road worthness. DOE is much easier to pass than the NCT equivalent and they are generally a far nicer crowd that performs the tests. If it passed in Germany it should sail through i n Ireland.

empty21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058296656/importing-a-campervan

Hi Nik,

Just wondering how using this company is working out for you and would you recommend?

Thanks,

M

Mefistofelino

I'd be asking a lot of questions before handing over any money. Their FB page had a brief flurry of activity in 2019 and nothing since, and there is naff-all on their website.

And the whole "we're in Britain but we keep our vans in Germany" schtick was used by another website discussed here recently which turned out to be a scam.

EchoIndia

Have you physically seen the vehicle? If I was thinking of buying like this, I would at a minimum be taking a flight to Germany to see the vehicle myself. If the business is legit this would hardly be a problem.

empty21

A quick search for the site reveals it to be a scam site @runforest1

https://www.scamadviser.com/check-website/ak-campervans.com

https://www.corkbeo.ie/news/local-news/convincing-30k-camper-van-scam-19247652

Mefistofelino

A few weeks ago, a poster was asking about buying from a UK based company called Luma Caravans which turned out to be a scam. The Luma website has subsequently been taken down. I'm fairly sure AK is just Luma back at it again - many of the same photos on both websites, both claim to be keeping the vans for EU customers in Germany and - here's the kicker - the German depot for both is in the same small town (Straubing).

The same vans for sale appear on both sites, using photos lifted from elsewhere (one van is advertised using the very photos a legit dealer had for the van when they sold it earlier).

There are many legit motorhome sales companies in Germany, Belgium etc. Don't see why you'd need to involve even a legitimate UK firm if you're going to be bringing the van from Germany regardless.

Brian Bee

Do be very careful this supplier is rated as a scammer

Do a Google search ak-campervan scam

I was just about to purchase and stopped

Their prices are really good I wanted to send somebody to pay and collect and not acceptable and never replied