Buying a new Vauxhall from Holland or dealer

[jmalls]

If anyone is interested i will post the full gory details of how i bought my Zafira last september & saved £4600 on £18000 (recommended price)

[MSE Martin]

I think it'd be great to have the full story of how you found it. I for one will read it with interest. It's great to talk about in theory, but the hear the practicalities makes it much easier to work out whether it is worth doing for people.

Martin

just to add a note we recentley bought a mpv from a car supermarket which imports them from abroad and also saved thousands off the rrp, we were a bit worried about the spec etc but everything was perfect and the staff were exellent (and very busy) and the service brilliant, would really recommend it.

[jmalls]

You asked for it...

1. Go to the website www.vandermolen.nl and click on international buyers. Fill in the ‘get a quotation’ section with the model and optional extras. The export dept will email you back with a quote within a couple of days. Don’t forget to state the car is to be badged Vauxhall not Opel, to have a full UK spec including RH drive, imperial speedometer, pan European warranty, UK headlights and UK manuals. You can pick the car up from the dealer in Holland, take delivery from Hull/Harwich docks or have the car delivered to your door – the delivery price varies accordingly, I chose home delivery. The quote Van Der Molen gives you is in euros. Conversion to UK pounds is euros/exchange rate x 1.175.

2. Get a quote from your local Vauxhall dealer. See if their price is within £1500 of the Dutch price. Repeat at different Vauxhall dealers until you get bored. They won’t be anywhere near the Dutch price. Compare the savings made.

3. In order to pay the deposit for the car in euros, I used a company called FX Solutions www.fxsolutions.co.uk based in London who specialise in trading in currencies. First set up an account with FX Solutions (tel: 08709 007 007). For this you need two forms ID, eg a passport & a utility bill. Fax or scan & email copies to them. They will give you two rates for buying euros; the spot price is used for the deposit and the forward price can be used for the balance. The exchange rate you get from your local bank or travel agent will work out far more expensive but by all means check them out.

4. Do you need a bank loan to finance the deal? Go to www.moneyfacts.co.uk and click on loans then click on unsecured and check out the best five and choose the best one and apply as required. I didn’t know about the MSE website then.

5. When you are happy with the specification, Van Der Molen will send you the Order Acceptance Agreement Confirmation to sign and return by fax. Buy the euros from FX Solutions and pay the 15% deposit. Ask FX Solutions to transfer the deposit to Van Der Molen’s bank account. This will cost you £15 to transfer the euros.

6. Ring the DVLA on 0870 241 2416 and ask for the following: the V55/4 form ‘Application for a first licence for a new motor vehicle and declaration for registration’, the VAT 415 form ‘New means of transport – notification of acquisition’ and the V267 form ‘Declaration of newness for use by an independent importer’. Also ask for the notes ‘How to complete the formV55/4’.

7. Wait until the dealer informs you the car is ready. Buy the rest of the euros and pay the remaining balance via FX Solutions. Again paying £15 to transfer the euros.

8. Receive the certificate of conformity and the car invoice by courier. Arrange for a cover note with your insurance company - the registration number can’t be filled in but you can give them the VIN number. Fill in the three forms obtained in (6) above. If help is required ring the DVLA on 0870 241 2146 and ask to speak to your local DVLA office. Take these three forms with the certificate of conformity, the car invoice, the cover note and payment (£25 to register and £160 for car tax) to the local DVLA office. A list of local DVLA offices can be found at www.dvla.gov.uk. The registration number and tax disc can be collected two days later.

9. Take delivery of your new car. Buy the new number plates (£10 each from Halfords) and fit them.

10. Customs & Excise will bill you for importing a new car and charge you VAT on the car. This is 17.5% of the imported price. You have thirty days to pay the VAT – so wait 25 days then pay it to get maximum interest.

An example of a total car price and saving (based on an exchange rate £=1.55€ on the 30/09/02) might be:
Car price c/w opt extras 16900€ £10900
Delivery to door 550€ £353
VAT car price £1969
Transfer fees from bank to bank £30
DVLA £25 +£155 £180
Number plates £20
Total Car Price £13452
List price £18050
Dealer’s price £16425
10% discount if you are lucky!
Saving on list £4598 = 25.5%
Saving on dealer £2973 = 18.1%
Door to Door delivery was to NW UK. The above figures are for illustration purposes only and are not guaranteed. Also these savings are dependant on the rate of exchange between £ & €. For any other car manufacturer, use the dealer locator section on their european manufacturer's website. You will have guess their web name eg www.ford.nl

Best of luck

[tonyivb]

We bought a new MGF from the Netherlands in 1999 and saved £7-8K.

We dealt directly with a Rover dealer in Rotterdam to get the best price, but this easy because my wife is Dutch & that is where her family lives.

I realise that a lot has changed since then (ie the Euro and car supermarkets) but if you put in the legwork you can still get great savings.

Two other things....

We drove the car back from Rotterdam (via chunnel) so we had to arrange insurance. The insurance company were fine about this but we had to quote the VIN (as it wasn't registered).

THis bit might have changed, but there was a period (for us it was two weeks) between when we went to the DVLA and they let us know what the registration number was. During this period you are not supposed to drive the vehicle on the road, so if you have a garage, fine, but if the car is to be kept on the street you may have a problem!

Don't know if this is still the case... perhaps someone knows?

Cheers

Tony

[Dannyboy]

A question:


Why buy a new car at all?

The biggest depreciation on a car is in its first 3 years.

Surely it is better to buy a second hand car? !3 or more years old?

Nothing more !anti-money-saving than buying a new car!

Danny.

[dingo]

Agree with Dannyboy BUT...


1. personal choice - some people like a car that hasn't been sicked up in, had dogs in, kids etc etc

2. A new car is covered by a decent warranty

3. A new car doesn't need a MOT for 3 years

4. EVERYTHING is new and should not need replacing for some time (eg tyres, exhaust)

5. Peace of mind that you are less likely to break down. I know all the horror stories regarding the reliability of new cars - but on the whole they are more relaible than older cars (unless you buy a Peugeot)

6. Pampering yourself

[Galstonian]

Agree more with Dannyboy because....

1. I assume most people would clean up the sick but I guess you never can tell.

2. Not all warranties are created equal and there are certainly horror stories around these if you care to look.

3. Not needing an MOT shouldn't be used as an excuse for not performing what is in reality only a very rudimentarty check of a vehicles roadworthiness.

4. "should not." is hardly the same as will not.

5. Can I ask where you got these figures from? Do you have a comparison which includes regularly serviced vehicles as opposed to new vs. old?

6. I can think of better things.

[Dannyboy]

From my personal experience:


3 years ago I bought a 3 year old Audi A4 Avant (Estate) - diesel with the turbocharger and fuel injection.


I've not had a single problem with it, only mechanical costs being the annual service, that a friend of mine does.


I have the oil and oil filters changed regularly, and my mechanic says that as long as I continue to do this and get it serviced regularly it should last me at least another 200,000 miles.


On motorway miles I get 50mpg, and city/rush hour driving I get 40mpg.


After 3 years old I don't get a car serviced with the franchised dealership, Audi in Leeds charge £75 an hour just for labour, my mechanic charges me £25 an hour.


Also, it is very important to get the Cam Belt changed at the manufacturers recommended mileage...


If that goes whilst you are driving it means a dead enging and £000's for a new one.


I would never buy a new car for these reasons and the ones I quoted previously...


The depreciation levels on new cars really is frightening! Some models are only worth half the buying price after the first year!


But of course at the end of the day if you want to lose one third to half the value of a new car in the first year, purely for vanity reasons, then that's up to you.


If I had the choice between a new ford/vauxhall, and a well maintained 3 year old Audi or Mercedes, I would go for the Audi/Mercedes every time!


Danny.

[mini]

I don't always think a car is about vanity, I bought the best car I could at the time based on it's safety,(it was a used car) yes I could have kept my old reliable VW Polo without any air bags or side impact protection bars but in a crash my money sat in a bank wouldn't be of much use to me or my children.
mini

If anyone is interested i will post the full gory details of how i bought my Zafira last september & saved £4600 on £18000 (recommended price)

I think it'd be great to have the full story of how you found it. !I for one will read it with interest. !It's great to talk about in theory, but the hear the practicalities makes it much easier to work out whether it is worth doing for people.

Martin
:)

[Nix]

Dannyboy and Galstonian,

Just curious - how could you buy your second-hand cars if no one had bought it new in the first place ???

Just teasing! ;)

Nix

[dingo]

It's an insult to describe buying a new car as a "vanity" choice. There are several reasons why people would want a new car. These may not fit in with the opinion of some, but that's what opinions are all about. A secondhand Audi would suit one person and a new Vauhall the other.

For those that think it is pure vanity, do you also buy your clothes and furniture secondhand? I doubt it. Yet such items would be easily available in good condition at a fraction of the price.

[jmalls]

At the moment the debate seems to be whether to buy a new car or not...

Fact - Some people want a new car (my wife did)

Fact - The figures I quoted are roughly what I paid for the new car - I don't really care if Dannyboy or whoever doesn't want a new car. That will keep the 2nd hand car market alive.

Fact - The warranty is European wide & works in the UK because I have used it. There is no RAC cover but full cover is around £100/yr.
Local Vauxhall garage hasn't ripped us off with servicing

I am explaining what happened to us when we bought our car and I just thought some others who were thinking of purchasing a new car might like the benefit of my experience. However, a much easier method of buying a new car without all the aggro I am told is buying from one of the car supermarkets in Burnley or Derby or wherever, but I'll leave you to debate that one...

Goodbye

Jmalls

[Galstonian]

jmalls,

I wasn't trying to offend anyone (except perhaps those who had suggested my car smells of sick!)

I think if you want a new car and can justify buying it to yourself (not the bunch of skinflints you find round here) then great and if you have a suggestion to do it more cheaply too then even better. I was impressed by your willingness to give all the gory details to assist others.

I hope the "goodbye" wasn't final.

[Nix]

jmalls,

Goodbye

Also hope that wasn't a final "Goodbye". This site is all about saving money in whatever you do and I think I can say on behalf of all those who are considering buying a new car that your input here has been well presented, invaluable and is greatly appreciated - THANK YOU!

Hell, with all that money you saved, why not cheese off Dannyboy by buying another new car? !:D

Nix

If you really want to save money you should try buying your car in Denmark. The tax there is so high they have to make the car price less tax very very competitive. A lot of people in northern Germany do this already, so if its cheap for the Germans its got to be cheap for us!!

:) ;D

[mini]

I really hope the goodbye wasn't final, it's a great story about shopping around which most of the people on here are doing for varying reasons with different budgets, when people ask for help buying a tv we don't all jump in & say keep with what you've got/buy a second hand one.

Thanks to Jmalls for giving sucha concise step by step guide, I hope you stay around :)

mini

[KEVIN]

jmalls

Excellent post, I've often considered buying from abroad but never understood what the proceedures were. Your post makes it very clear indeed and I have taken a print for future reference.

On the subject of why buy new, I'd just like to add that not only do you have peace of mind that nothing bad has happened in the life of the car, like accidents or potentially unwarranted intermittent faults which may not appear on the test drive of an out of warranty 2nd hand car, but by buying new you get to specify your optional extras. Finding a 2nd hand car with everything you want in the model and colour yof your choice can be difficult and you often have to settle for 2nd best.

When you can make such great savings on a new car, and you can afford it, why not!

However. if you're prepared to take the risk with a second hand car and you know what you're looking for, or employ a professional who does or prepared to pay inflated dealer prices or buy from a car supermarket that's fine, good luck to you. Mind you, I thought I knew what to look for but have had some awful problems with 2nd hand cars, but then I couldn't afford to buy new anyway.

Thanks very much.

Kev

[norman]

Dannyboy & his Audi are 150% CORRECT
I do it with VOLVO 740`s now on my third-----
bot 3 yrs old , put s/steel exhaust-, only 10% more than
mild steel AND never needs replacing - Lifetime g`tee
per Volvo Owners Club-- UTTERLY brilliant too for all
parts @ half price. OIL & filter change every 6 months
Our sooper dooper ind. guy chges £16.00 hr
Put on Kellys Tyres (by Goodyear)twice the grip & mileage @ a lot less money. @ 250.000 mls pull out the petrol engine & put in a Nissan diesel for next 250.000mls (free plans from VOC )

not looking for a Vauxhall, but after a good deal on a new Landrover Discovery, any ideas or sightings?

[Paul_Riley]

Haven't done it myself but I looked into it a while back just out of interest.

One thing I remember is the fact that Ireland is a decent source because (a) its easy to get to in person if necessary (b) the vehicles are RHD as standard.

If you do your research you'll find that different brands of vehicle will each have their cheaper country. e.g. At the time I looked into it VWs were at their cheapest from Holland whereas Ford were cheaper elsewhere.

There is a magazine readilly available from decent newsagents that specialise in buying vehicles from abroad. (Can't remember whether it is monthly or bi-monthly.)

A work colleague of mine got a VW from Holland last year.
On one hand it took months to get it because at the time VW put export orders at the bottom of the pile.
However, on the other hand when it did arrive it had many features that were standard on a Dutch vehicle but would have been optional extras on a UK sourced equivalent. !This makes the cost savings more attractive than on first sight.

[jmalls]

I'm back... (no offence taken)

More tips?

Go to Google - type 'car importing' will give you companies who will do the donkey work for you. It also gives you tips/guides by other people.

There are companies out there who import other car makes eg landrover you just have to search.

On the subject of which country to import from, Finland had the highest rate of taxation when I bought my car but delivery charges were also very high! There is a website which covers all taxation classes in Europe but I can't remember it.

jmalls

This is my 4th message & it's hard work keeping up. If guys out there have posted 100+ messages they obviously are spending loads of dosh with the internet on all the time but spending nothing on anything else because they sit in front of the PC!

Thanks for reading ...

[booogle]

Has anybody imported a car recently? A lot of the car mags are saying it's not worth it anymore due to the euro exchange rates. I'd be interested to know for BMW & Audi in particular.

Here's a link to the EU reports on regional variances in car prices :http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/car_sector/

[Dannyboy]

Dannyboy and Galstonian,

Just curious - how could you buy your second-hand cars if no one had bought it new in the first place !???

Just teasing! !;)

Nix


Exactly - which is why I am happy that some people do!


Danny.

[Dannyboy]

For those that think it is pure vanity, do you also buy your clothes and furniture secondhand? I doubt it. Yet such items would be easily available in good condition at a fraction of the price.


YES, I do buy those second-hand as well actually, when it is quality stuff and cheaper to do so!


Danny.

[Dannyboy]

ps.


I wasn't meaning to insult anyone who wants to buy a NEW car for themselves.

Maybe the word "vanity" was inappropriate, so replace that with "if you want to pamper yourself", then go ahead!

I was just looking at things from a money-saving perspective, possibly saving yourself thousands of pounds in the process, by citing my experience of the alternative option of buying a decent second-hand car instead, after you have had the AA or whoever to inspect it.

I don't want this to become an arguement, I much prefer discussion, with alternative viewpoints and helpful contributions.

So sorry if I offended anyone.

Oh, and if you want to "hide" how old your 2nd hand car is, you could get yourself a "cheap" personalised numberplate!

Danny.

[BikingBud]

Hi First Post on here, great site, so please excuse me if I'm not quite up with the etiquette.

Anyway, I bought a Mondeo estate with a saving of £4.5K from a car supermarket. You go down as the second owner even though it only had 8 miles on the clock. My intention was to keep the vehicle for over 100k miles. It was well spec’d and I was very happy with the deal. I had even approached Main Dealers to see if they could get any where near. They were not interested, wouldn't budge from £18.5k. I do not understand how they can run a business like that but I obviously went elsewhere.

I had the car for about 16 mths and was offered a job abroad. So I looked into selling the Mondeo, I had done about 18k miles nothing too excessive but it had been used, what else do you buy a car for?

The best offer I got was the £7.5k trade in offer from a dealer, phrases using Dick Turpin and mask sprang to mind. At the end of the day there are so many ex fleet cars with less than 10 miles where people can leave any MOT failure for a £1000 deposit that there was absolutely no interest in my car.

I could not let it go at that price, it was worth more to me, in the end I brought it with me, driving a RHD car is not too bad.

The moral "The prices are cheap but the residuals are even lower"

BB

Have been contemplating buying a Zafira for a while now and would love to hear how easy you found it. Are you pleased with your new vehicle?

Thanks

Linda : ;D

[jmalls]

Linda

It took 4 months from ordering our Zaf to delivery because of all the extras so my wife would be happy/pampered!?! It was relatively easy to buy from abroad - read the 10 point plan & print it out
The thing against buying from abroad now is the £/€ rate. I got 1.56, I think it is now about 1.4€ to the £.
Over 17000€ this is a loss of some £1250.
We have had the car so far 12 months & had no probs with it.
The dealership Van Der Molem speak good English - we had no probs with them either. You'll just have to get in touch with them (I don't work for them) & ask for a quote & do your own sums...

jmalls

[PhilUK]

Ok... I bought a car a couple of years ago.. A Vauxhall Vectra GSi and it was like 22k and because there was no sales guy about I spoke to a business guy there.

Now.. If you bought a car for like 22k like i did you WILL get at least 3k off it.

You just have to tell them that you are self employed.. They dont even check on it. Make a name incase they ask you.. But if you buy a vectra or astra thats 12k you will get 8-12% of it.. and thats no including any deals you can get. This is a vauxhall discount and not a dealer.. as the discount is off the car direct. The deals ar for all vauxhall cars, you dont even have to speak to the business side..

I went to get a convertable and I was offered it agan when i asked about it. I didnt like the astra one so I got the 307cc but the discount is worth it.!

If you use this please do post here. This will be the best deal you will every find if you buy a vauxhall car!

If you have a question please post it here.

Phil

[malcolmord]

Any idea why you get the discount, self employed or not?

[PhilUK]

Just tell them that you are self employed / own a business .. Its a offer that only vaxhall seem to offer.. I tried with ford when i bought a feista.. but only vauxhall do it!

[A.Richardson]

How do you get the discount, do you contact Vauxhall directly or my local dealer?

Cheers

[loates123]

not sure maybe phil will say

[johnllew]

Can you combine it with the 3% discount from The GM Credit Card (http://www.gmcard.co.uk/rebateReward.do?timekey=1101314954467)?

[Robert_Sterling]

You just have to tell them that you are self employed.. They dont even check on it. Make a name incase they ask you.

So are you saying that if you tell the seller a lie you can save a lot of money?

Have you got any tips to do with shoplifting?

[matthwnm]

So are you saying that if you tell the seller a lie you can save a lot of money?

Have you got any tips to do with shoplifting?



Hardly comparable ::)
If Vauxhall are "honest" enough to charge people about 10% more merely for the fact that people are employed by someone else, surely its no more dishonest to play the game?

Has anyone any good advice regarding how to beat the price down on any car?
Playing one dealer off against another?
Buying on the continent?
Would be interested to know.

Matthew

[MarkyMarkD]

Buy from a broker like http://www.drivethedeal.com/ who supply cars from UK main dealers at a discount of between 5 and 30% depending on the make and model.

[4richa4pora]

I provided a link to various online brokers etc in a previous post at:

http://forum.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=news;action=display;num=1102086255

Hope this helps!

[4richa4pora]

You might even consider minimising the fuss, and buying from a UK car broker.

I have created a list, which can be found via my previous post at:

http://forum.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=news;action=display;num=1102086255

Hope this helps!

[Davidboy]

Why don't you try www.trade-sales.co.uk

I bought Laguna from there a year ago, was a Dutch one but British spec, no hassle, just looked at it on forecourt, said yes 4 days later was mine saved 6 grand. Went to Renault dealer who quoted me £19,600 I paid £12,500.

None of those hassles quoted above ;D

And no I have nothing to do with the Trade sales, just a happy customer. They are based in Slough by the way.

[stevel1973]

if you buy ther car from holland then you may have to take it back there if there is a warrenty issue.

[jmalls]

We had warranty issues within the 1st two years...
Something to do with a broken shock absorber
Anyway, we took the car to the local Vauxhall dealership and they promptly replaced the parts free of charge - yes FREE

The Vauxhall Zafira is now six years old and is still nice to drive - but we do intend changing it in the next 12 months
With a crappy rate on the euro (£ = 1.22€ 09/08/08) it is no longer viable to buy new cars from Europe
I have no problems/hangups about buying new cars from abroad



:(

[stphnstevey]

Great thread