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By the day more and more middle men are coming into the market to organise buying a car from Europe for you. However they all take their cut, so if you want the lowest price - DO IT YOURSELF - but on the other hand, brokers and agents can also offer a good deal and minimise the hassle. Use the Importers and other sources to check the facts out for yourself such Wespoint Direct www.westpointdirect.com - New Car Importers. www.buyacar.co.uk specialises in supplying discounted cars & cars in demand without the waiting lists. It has a large selection of new cars & used cars available for immediate delivery. Another is New Car Direct supplying cheap new car deals with special offer sales at discounted prices www.new-car-direct.co.uk Some of the best deals can be obtained from small organisations who want payment up-front before delivery of the car. This can be of concern so to protect your position use an escrow company. It will cost around 1% say £140 for a £14,000 car - well worth it for your peace of mind. How does it work? Contact - Escrow.com - an accredited escrow company who acts as a secure third party to hold the money to protect the Buyer & Seller and their website is very user friendly. HOW BUYERS ARE PROTECTED? 1/ Escrow.com tracks the shipped car and verifies it was delivered. 2/ The seller isn't paid until the buyer accepts the car, or the inspection period expires. HOW THE SELLERS ARE PROTECTED? 1/ The Seller is authorised to deliver the car only after Escrow.com verifies the funds are in place. 2/ Escrow.com confirms when the Buyer receives the car. Now here is a Key DIY check list for buying from outside the UK - + Select your Country and Dealer, contact them, agree terms and place the order. As they will have to order a right hand drive model especially, they may require a deposit of about 20%, so check the financial health of the dealer. Beware specifications may vary slightly from country to country - so do your homework. Confirm the order and and all other conversations in writing to avoid misunderstandings. Don't forget to tell the dealer you want an English handbook. In Eire they also drive on the left so ordering from stock is easier. You may not save as much money as say Holland or Portugal but it may be far less hassle and they do speak English. + Savings have been reduced due to the steadily weakening pound against the euro. However this can fluctuate so if there is a long lead time you may wish to fix your price by buying your currency ahead. Your Bank can arrange this also the eventual transfer of the money abroad, usually by telegraphic transfer. + Talk to your dealer about him arranging to obtain a CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY, you must have this to register your car in the UK - red tape but essential. He will also need to obtain a foreign registration document and fix Export trade plates to the car. The Dealer may require the original of your driving license to obtain this. + You will need to arrange insurance and a green card from the moment you collect the car. As the car is not registered in the UK at this stage your insurance company will need the chassis and engine numbers from the dealer. You may also need to take out a 24 hour insurance in the country of origin which the dealer can arrange. + The first action on importing the car into the UK is to declare it either at the port of entry or within seven days of your return. + To obtain the required blank forms contact your nearest Vehicle Registry Office or the DVLA Customer Inquiry Unit, Logview Road, Swansea, SA6 7JL. Obtain the booklet "How to Import a Vehicle Permanently into Great Britain" + For the forms and advice on Import Duty and tax (from Europe seventeen and a half % VAT only) contact HM Customs and Excise Vehicle Appraisal unit, PO Box 242, Dover, Kent. 01304 224372/224606 Fax 01304 215786. They will need the original of the invoice from the dealer, the ferry tickets, the certificate of conformity and the foreign registration document. They will calculate the VAT for you and you must pay within 30 days. Meanwhile it is OK to drive on export plates. + Finally you must register the car at a Vehicle Registry Office, for this they will need proof of payment of VAT from HM Customs unit plus all the other documents you sent to the Customs unit. You pay your road tax and drive away to have your UK registration plates made (about £8). There are still good savings to be had on some models - so it's worth tackling a bit of red tape. GOOD LUCK and please send us an email letting us know how you get on. Alternatively if you cannot face doing it yourself there are plenty of Agents (see links at top of page) who will handle it for you for a fee. They can be found advertising in the newspapers or motoring magazines. You will not save as much, but a couple you could try a quote from are http://www.motorpoint.co.uk (01332 347357) or http://www.carseekers.co.uk and Westpoint Direct - New Car Importers www.westpointdirect.com ALSO SEE OUR OTHER MOTORING PAGES - Buying CAR INSURANCE AND Buying CAR HIRE The Japanese drive on the same side of the road as us and change their cars much more often. The Irish have realised the bargains that can be had, so import loads of used cars from Japan each week. The tax on used cars is much higher in Ireland but UK residents need not pay it when importing as long as the rules listed above are followed. The present strength of sterling at the moment only makes the prices even cheaper. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION To check if a second hand car you are about to buy has been stolen, written off by an insurance company or subject to an outstanding finance agreement you can use Equifax on 01722 422422. It will cost you £31, but it could prove to be money well worth spending, because if you buy a car which is subject to an outstanding finance agreement, you could lose both the purchase price and the car.
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DC Cook Direct - New Car sales online
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