Importing ex demo cars from UK?

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Batman

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#220191 30-Jul-2017 14:25

Can't find such a thread so I thought I'd ask if anyone has personal experience or recommendation on importing a car from the UK?

Just the other day I saw an Audi RS6 2016 UK ex-demo with next to no ks sold on Trademe for $100,000. Obviously I don't have that much money, but a NZ equivalent demo (Ok, Ok I admit, the NZ ones have an uptuned engine) would be about $200,000+.

Now ... anyone has any experience? I am so tempted!

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#1833813 30-Jul-2017 17:15

I know someone who does this quite regularly. Imports a mid to high spec "common" car, drives it for a year and sells it for enough to go back to the UK, have a holiday, and choose their next car.

Somethings to be aware of:

The vehicle needs to be new (or demonstrator) to be able to claim back VAT before exporting. Not all dealers support this, although you can do it yourself
You will need to factor in insurance and shipping costs
You will need to pay GST on arrival
You will need to pay to have the vehicle certified - it often doesn't matter that the same vehicle is on NZ roads already
You may need to buy local maps for your SatNAV. I've seen them for up to $1k before but I wouldn't be surprised to see them higher

The key thing is to do your research beforehand on the cost/benefit, understanding the costs and risks.

NightStalker

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#1833857 30-Jul-2017 19:03

I was in the UK for a while. Before I left I looked into it specifically with how to minimise import taxes (must own it for x time to qualify as personal possession) etc vs buying something in NZ I looked at a wide range of vehicles such as BMW 3/5 series, Audi A4/A6., Subaru sedans, and a few others.

As a basic outline example what I found was that for about 20,000 UK pounds for an ex demo I could buy a good high end Subaru (New Jap import modified to UK rules) might have a 90% chance of it passing NZ import rules. If all else failed I might have been able to resell in in Australia (this was circa 2012 so rules may have changed) for NZ$4,000.
Ultimately it was not worth the risk.

The other thing to be aware of is that in my experience that UK second-hand/ex demo vehicle sales is really hit and miss. I dealt with a few corporate entities and fleet vehicles. One occasion a "preferred vendor" had dinged the front left wheel panel (I saw it happen so just a panel replacement) I was really keen on it but the fleet management company was trying to sell it off as a pristine demo vehicle. In another instance I saw a merger where company vehicles were removed as perks but they sat at derelict sites for months (wheels going flat to the rims/windows broken/parts stolen, etc). After the "get out of lease terms" became available I saw some of them being sold as near new at auction via places I wouldn't ever want to go near.

In addition I drove a lot of fleet vehicles. The weird electrical issues put me off buying anything Euro branded made for UK.

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#1843161 10-Aug-2017 07:42

I bought a UK ex-demo via an NZ importer. The importer deals regularly with parties in the UK and they generally know who they can trust. They make a few thousand on being my agent in the sale. I paid one price that included GST, shipping and compliance costs / processing for the car. When it arrived, it was exactly what I wanted and has been outstanding.

If you aren't up for the risk, pay a knowledgeable, experienced importer to import it for you...and see their profit as your insurance against a bad deal.

I might have saved $3000-$5000 doing it myself, assuming I got the same vehicle, or I might have been ripped off entirely by buying a dodgy car because I didn't know who to trust.

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#1843162 10-Aug-2017 07:58

Guy I used to work with imported a demo CLS from the UK and saved about 60k on NZ New.

kryptonjohn

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#1843235 10-Aug-2017 09:20

I assume this is what Corporate Cars http://www.corporatecars.co.nz/ do. They seem to have access to warehouses full of cars with < 1000k on the clock so not really ex-demo which would have up to 10,000k.

I do notice that their ex UK cars often have lower spec than the NZ ones - no tow bar, cloth panel seats instead of all leather, lower spec wheels etc (looking at Audi Q7, they have current shape models that old style gauges instead of the Audi virtual cockpit all LCD dashboard)

But it amazes me the volume of effectively new "used" cars that are floating around in the UK.

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#1843404 10-Aug-2017 10:59

lxsw20:
Guy I used to work with imported a demo CLS from the UK and saved about 60k on NZ New.

Now wouldn't that be nice

networkn

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#1843657 10-Aug-2017 16:34

I bought a Brand New BMW out of the UK from a guy I had previously bought a demo BMW from and it was smooth sailing. He handled everything and I just paid for the car. It saved me over 50K I estimate (this model isn't sold in NZ and neither are some of the extras I ordered).

I would do it again. As a long time Audi Fan boi, I would have to say the BMW experience is absolutely outstanding. I wouldn't have thought that Quattro would have an equal, but I'd say that with the exception of the Gearbox the BMW is as good if not better in terms of handling, and the interior is far superior if you compare the two brands in 2015.

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#1843681 10-Aug-2017 17:13

I found the X5 a bit light weight for towing, and the Q7 is as long as a boat, so Touareg or Cayenne use the sweet spot for me.
Wish I could afford a Cayenne!

networkn

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#1843764 10-Aug-2017 20:20

kryptonjohn: I found the X5 a bit light weight for towing, and the Q7 is as long as a boat, so Touareg or Cayenne use the sweet spot for me.
Wish I could afford a Cayenne!

Wow, I am not sure how much you are towing but all the 2010+ X5's I've seen look like they could tow the South Island to the North :)

Batman

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#2730843 18-Jun-2021 20:04

hi was wondering if anyone can recommend a direct importer from UK?

Scott3

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#2730892 18-Jun-2021 23:13

Batman:

hi was wondering if anyone can recommend a direct importer from UK?

I have used European car imports before. Service was really good.

But be aware of the following (general comments about importing from the UK):

Process is generally more expensive than importing from japan. Agents fees, shipping etc.
Have somebody check the spec of the car you are getting matches the advert. My car was missing a few features - not stuff I felt strongly about, but still kind disappointment.
Shipping from UK to NZ takes a while.
You carry risk - I know somebody who brought in a car that failed compliance due to flood damage indicated by silt behind wheel arches.
No warranty on most cars you bring in (BMW is an exception with a 2 year international warranty)
The current exchange rate means the sweet deals like I got post brexit vote arn't around now. - Still might be able to find stuff that is worthwhile.
Pritty much need a Vat Qualified car for the process to work.

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#2732437 22-Jun-2021 08:14

every dealer i contacted said the are legally unable to sell to someone who doesn't have a UK address.

any ideas?

really need to contact these companies - @networkn any suggestions?

networkn

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#2732572 22-Jun-2021 10:42

Sally and Lincoln from European Car Imports is who I was going to import my car through until a local dealer who had a cash crisis offered me a deal I couldn't refuse. I know a few people who have dealt with them and found them excellent.

I wasn't told about any such requirement for importing a car.

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#2732593 22-Jun-2021 11:47

I think these guys know something I don't. Even if I import a car and got VAT refunded I still can't get it cheaper than a used car dealer here. There is some kung fu that's needed here lol

networkn

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#2732595 22-Jun-2021 11:56

What are you exactly trying to do ?

If you call Sally or Lincoln and ask them to find you an Audi RS6 (I think a newer RS4 would be better personally) for $100K in your driveway, they will investigate and offer you some options.

If you find a car at a dealer and ask them to facilitate importing a specific vehicle, that may be more of an issue (I am not saying that this is the case categorically).

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