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Personal import - £5K saving !


Chris_MKV
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Hi all,

Just picked up our MkV GTi at the weekend – absolutely love it!

Personally imported it in from Europe, saving approx £5K on UK list price, same waiting time i.e. 3 months, plus we’ve almost run it in and it’s not even registered in the UK yet ! We did the same with our MkIV six years ago – used the same dealer, no problems at all.

If there is anybody else seriously wanting to order a new MkV GTi and would like to make this sort of saving, drop me a PM or email, and I will get you a quote.

Cheers,

Chris

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Sounds good ... hope it is all you expected of a GTI ...

Did 2 personal imports about 4 years ago. Drove one around for a couple of weeks then registered it. Big shock. If you do more than a couple of hundred miles in it and / or (not sure) wait too long, the DVLA register it as 'Previous owner unknown' or something similar. I got stuck on resale as a result.

Be careful .. ! But enjoy the motor ... cool.gif

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Fresco1 – thanks for the advise regarding registration, should be OK as it is collection mileage, plus I visited the local DVLA office the day after collection – I know there is a rule saying you have to get it registered within 14 days (30 days at busy periods i.e. now) and mustn’t drive it on UK roads until registered.

Nhs – thanks too for running-in tip, first couple of hundred miles wasn’t all motorway miles, plus it has got 6 gears, so I think you can vary the revs whilst still making good progress! The manual doesn’t say anything varying revs, only don’t over-rev for first 1000KM, then increase revs gradually - you are more likely to damage an engine by putting it under load.

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Still a great saving if you want to make the effort and travel to pick it up and so on wink.gif

If you are going on holiday anyway that's fine, otherwise there will be some additional opportunity costs - travel etc. Indeed if you pick up your car overseas, then Euroimports give further discount - just over £400 I think confused.gif This would make the discount closer to three grand, still £2000 adrift from your example.

Which country did you buy it from Chris? SMOKE6.GIF

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[ QUOTE ]

.... I visited the local DVLA office the day after collection – I know there is a rule saying you have to get it registered within 14 days (30 days at busy periods i.e. now) and mustn’t drive it on UK roads until registered.

[/ QUOTE ]

....DVLA told me that I would literally have to put my car on a trailer at UK port of entry and could not drive it on UK roads until registered and that had to be done within 14 days. Also the paperwork is truly horrendous....a quarter inch thick form. You also get bureacracy problems and extra costs travelling between countries in Europe even if they are all members of the EU!! Car registration is a nightmare if you aren't a registered trader.

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Officially you are allowed to drive the car from the port of entry to your home only. You cannot then drive the car until registered. The DVLA will accept 'reasonable' delivery mileage when determining 'registered new'. I imported/drove two S3's from Germany to my home and never had a problem registering.

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Either you were very lucky, SiTa, or I was very unlucky, but my attempts to pick up my GTI from Wolfsburg, take a week coming back to UK via other EU countries, were made totally impractical. I can only repeat that I was told that I literally had to trailer tow my car from UK port and was not allowed to drive it anywhere until registered. I still have the thick form, which reminds me to ceremoniously burn it on my next bonfire.

This was in August 2005....When did you successfully import your S3?

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Yep, that saving includes UK VAT. It cost me £85 (flight & eurotunnel) + petrol to pick up the car. £203 for 12 months road tax + first registration fee. Only 2 forms to fill in at local DVLA office - took 30 minutes. They then send you back the docs, you get some plates made up, pay the VAT in 30 days and that's it!

As I said if anyone is serious, PM me with required spec and I can get them a price, the more the better, as I may be able to arrange more of a discount.

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[ QUOTE ]

If there is anybody else seriously wanting to order a new MkV GTi and would like to make this sort of saving, drop me a PM or email, and I will get you a quote.

Cheers,

Chris

[/ QUOTE ]

....Why are you asking us to do it through yourself?

....Why can't we arrange our own 'deals' direct?

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RedRobin, You only get the 2 year manufactures warranty, but I understand you can purchase the 3rd year from a UK dealer if done within the first 12 months or purchase.

Feel free to do your own ‘deal’ with an EU dealer, I’m not stopping anyone! I was just offering a service (for a small fee, of course!) to cut out all the initial work looking for a dealer, setting up the deal, knowing that the dealer can actually deliver, etc.

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[ QUOTE ]

.....Feel free to do your own ‘deal’ with an EU dealer, I’m not stopping anyone! I was just offering a service (for a small fee, of course!) to cut out all the initial work looking for a dealer, setting up the deal, knowing that the dealer can actually deliver, etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

....And who would we chase re progress and any problems? Yourself?

....You write: "for a small fee, of course!" - This makes me think that you may be a dealer yourself.

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Once the order has been signed and the deposit paid (directly to the dealer) the contract is then with the purchaser and the dealer.

No I'm certainly not a dealer, just someone who saved a packet by buying abroad, and if I can help a few others do the same, and make a few quid at the same time, then we all win.

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[ QUOTE ]

Either you were very lucky, SiTa, or I was very unlucky, but my attempts to pick up my GTI from Wolfsburg, take a week coming back to UK via other EU countries, were made totally impractical. I can only repeat that I was told that I literally had to trailer tow my car from UK port and was not allowed to drive it anywhere until registered. I still have the thick form, which reminds me to ceremoniously burn it on my next bonfire.

This was in August 2005....When did you successfully import your S3?

[/ QUOTE ]

first time was in Sept 2001, 2nd time in April 2002. Lots of people chose to do this at the time.

AFAIK it is an 'Advisory' recommendation to have the vehicle transported from the port of entry to your home. Of course, all subject to change.

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That's good to hear, Chris - I trust you don't mind me questioning you on this. However, I'm not sure that Tyresmoke's Moderators approve of the "make a few quid" via TSN. The spirit of TSN, as I understand it, is that we help each other without making financial profit from each other.

[/ QUOTE ]

indeed. If anyone wants any help with the documentation, I'm more than willing to point them in the right direction. It isn't as hard as people make out - especially since the introduction of SVA. 169144-ok.gif

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Red, my experience of personal importing was that it was very straightforward and hassle free. This was back in 2002 from Belgium. The DVLA part of it consisted of only a 2 page form?

The insurance in your case may have been a lot trickier. As for bringing it straight back to the UK, yes the rule was, one journey to a place where the vehicle could be kept off the public highway until it was registered. You also have to insure the car against its VIN during this period.

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Chris_MKV,

If you've come here to share the joy and be an active member of the GTi forum then great.

However if you are just here to promote your own business then you can clear off now. If you check the FAQ we are very stringent on the following rule.

[ QUOTE ]

Participants may not use the Forums to post or transmit advertisements or commercial solicitations of any kind.

[/ QUOTE ]

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well I've been doing a bit of digging around on this - the original DVLA guide, P1-4, "how to import a vehicle into Great Britain" definitely said "one journey from port of entry to home", however the same guide now at http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/exptimpt.htm has this statement missing.

However, if you read this post, http://groups.google.com/group/uk.rec.ca...e4c308b9ba1c6a8, then you can make your own mind up.

Personally, I'd still chance it.

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[ QUOTE ]

That's good to hear, Chris - I trust you don't mind me questioning you on this. However, I'm not sure that Tyresmoke's Moderators approve of the "make a few quid" via TSN. The spirit of TSN, as I understand it, is that we help each other without making financial profit from each other.

[/ QUOTE ]

Robin,

Im not sure if the last few posts were supose to read as hostile but they did to me.

I can understand his point of view if hes going to the trouble of to phone a company in Germany, sort a discount out for you bacuase he already knows them and has delt with them so probably more off than a newbie could get, he prob has to talk to them in there language, Its only fare he covers his costs and time.

Im sure its nothing more than quite a few have offered on here just he states he will cover his costs.

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[ QUOTE ]

Hi all,

Just picked up our MkV GTi at the weekend – absolutely love it!

Personally imported it in from Europe, saving approx £5K on UK list price, same waiting time i.e. 3 months, plus we’ve almost run it in and it’s not even registered in the UK yet ! We did the same with our MkIV six years ago – used the same dealer, no problems at all.

If there is anybody else seriously wanting to order a new MkV GTi and would like to make this sort of saving, drop me a PM or email, and I will get you a quote.

Cheers,

Chris

[/ QUOTE ]

Is there anyway you could do an indepth post and go through the process of personal imports step by step from start to finish to show exactly whats involved when doing it yourself.

Would be an extemely useful sorce of information for anyone thinking of doing it themself.

Im very interested in this myself if i knew what exactly what was involved.

Thanks

Geoff. smile.gif

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