Buying Uk Galaxy Exported To Germany

[Guest bandekk]

I am buying a Galaxy 2.3 ghia (53) from a Ford dealer and he stated that it was purchased (in the UK) by a guy in the forces for use in Germany, then bought back to the UK and sold/traded in with the dealer.

 

I have carried out a HPI check on the vehicle and they have stated that the vehicle was used before it was registered in nov 2003 which seemed strange. I explained to the HPI guy that it was taken to Germany, but he seems to think it may have been bought in Germany first although he couldnt be sure, and registered later in the UK (which would make it a European import). I can confirm this by asking the UK selling dealer, but have looked on the net further and found that HM forces people can buy a UK car from a UK dealer, drive it over here for 2 months then take it abroad without paying UK Tax/VAT on the new car.

 

I just cant work out why HPI says the car was used before being registered, and as this is on a 53 plate it must have been between sept and nov 2003. Just want to be sure I know the history of the car before I complete. Will try to progress with the dealer to get a clearer picture before proceeding.

 

Any views on this situation?

[Andrew T]

I know someone who has bought cars both in the UK and Europe under the Forces scheme, so what the dealer tells you is true.

Bear in mind that if it was bought in Europe the Ghia Spec can be lower than in the UK. The invoice for ours, which was bought in Belgium, has several items of UK Ghia spec shown as extra cost options e.g. the cruise control and electric rear quarter windows. Are you sure this one is fully specced with parking sonar etc ?

[Guest bandekk]

I have been told that the car is UK spec, it has the parking sensors, electric rear 1/4 windows, anything else worth checking. I'm gonna look at the service book anyway that should show me the selling dealer.

[iainkirk]

Belgian spec Ghias are ususally HIGHER spec than UK ones, not lower.

 

Eg Multifunction steering wheel as standard.

[Guest paule230]

My Mercedes was like this:

 

The First owner was a British army officer serving in Germany with the NATO forces. This meant that he could buy his car through the NAAFI discount scheme and also not pay German taxes on it when it was first registered for road use in Germany.

 

What then happens is providing the car is classed as used and is more than 6 months old you can import it to Britain without paying any taxes!

 

So what alot of officers are doing is buying new luxury cars to order, registering them in Germany but then putting them into storage for 6 months.

 

They then import it to Britain, sell it to the dealer that they have an arrangement with at a cost far less than the dealer can buy the same car for.

 

To show you the savings / profits that can be made my E-class Mercedes cost the Army Officer

[Guest gritrash]

i have a mate who was in the army, and did a spell in germany. The tax breaks on cars were great - he did three BMWs in much the same way that paul230 descibes. The irony on his z3 was that it was ordered and paid for in London, built in the USA and air-freighted directly to Germany for collection. So much for 'german' cars.

As for specification etc. he always ordered UK spec, so that they could be sold on to the the UK market. Higher UK prices and (at the time) very favourable exchange rates meant a better return for him. Many dealers were offering guaranteed resale prices at the point cars were being ordered.

[Ivor_E_Tower]

My parents bought their last car, a Volvo 850, at 12 months old. It was first registered in Germany, supplied from the UK, but of British spec to either a member of the armed forces or a diplomat. As has been said, these people get such good tax breaks that they make money doing this. So long as the car is of UK spec, there is no problem, and there should be no problem when you come to sell it on.

[Andrew T]

Reading all this reminded me of a R*nault Laguna a friend bought a few years ago, which had been imported from Germany in such in such circumstances. When it went for its first MOT it failed because the headlights dipped the to wrong side. Something else to check for?

[Guest bandekk]

Thanks for the responses guys.

 

The replacement headlights were sat on the back seat ready to be fitted! :lol:

 

I spoke to the dealer again yesterday and he confirmed that the car was bought in the UK and taken to Germany under the HM forces discount scheme.

 

I still cant work out why HPI say the car had been used before it was registered. They said it was info from the DVLA. Maybe this is just how this type of purchase is represented by the DVLA.

[Ivor_E_Tower]

If the car was bought in UK but exported directly to Germany, then re-imported, DVLA will only record it as being registered from when it was re-imported. HPI will also probably know no better, hence the muddle. I seem to remember some confusion with my parents ' car's paperwork, but they have now traded it in for a new V70 so cannot check to see what it said.

[Masked Marauder]

In days gone you could buy 6 months before you went if your posting was for at least 2 years.

 

You had to register the car with the DVLA, then on export you had BFG plates. These distinctive registration plates simply made you a terrorist target so were dropped. However as the Military Police still wanted to keep tabs on you the new rules said you should keep your UK plates on.

 

Terrorist attacks continued, including an attack on some Aussie tourists in a UK hired car in Holland. The Army gave in and now your car is re-registered with the Germans and has a German plate when it is exported to Germany.

 

When it is then returned to the UK it is again registered with the DVLA but declared as previously registered (not new) The DVLA then issue a new registration number and V5 with the declaired age of the vehicle reflected in the registration mark.

 

As the time abroad is not reflected in the HPI check there is no connection between the old UK registration and the current one.

[Guest bandekk]

Now I'm even more confused here.

 

The car has a reg of 53, the V5 states it was registered on 30/11/03, so in theory, based on the fact that the DVLA will not issue a number plate to make the car look younger, the car could have only been used between 1/9/03 and 30/11/03.

 

I was going to ring HPI and tell them I think they've got it wrong and explain the 2 month rule etc. but I'm not sure now.

 

I suppose all will be revealed when I see the service book and original dealer stamp, will just have to hold off the balance of payment first.

 

thanks

[Masked Marauder]

What is the year of manufacture for the car? Can you get the VIN so I can de-code it for you?

[Guest bandekk]

The year of manufacture is 2003. I have spoken to DVLA now to find out what happens here.

 

The V5 declares that the car has been registered used before and this V5 information has now been confirmed by the dealer.

 

The DVLA said people in the forces can do a sort of mini registration that allows them to take the car out of the country. The dealer stated that all their tax free cars go off with a UK reg number, I think this has happened, the guy has taken it to another country where it get that countries plates, then bought it back 12 months later, had to register it with the DVLA and they have allocated a plate to it again based on the year of manufacture, and also stated it was used before registration.

 

Awaiting confirmation from dealer anyway.....car seems fine and its from CD Bramall, so should be ok.

 

cheers.