My car has arrived at Sydney Ports - Final Stage Now

[robm3]

I applied in December for an import of my 6 series, it was in storage for a few weeks, then on the water and now landed in Sydney.

Gets transferred to the engineers on Monday for plating and some minor work (needs rear childseat restraint bolts fitted despite having Isofix - stupid really) then should be on the road.

Let me know if you'd like to see costs to date...

Robin.

PS, fingers crossed it's in good condition as I put it on a RoRo and not in a container!

[rorys]

Definitely mate. There seems to be vast differences in shipping costs for some reason. My application to import went in about 2 weeks ago but still haven't heard back. Assume it takes a month at least to get something out of them?

Thanks

[robm3]

Yes, the Government Application took around 6 weeks, they're pretty good at answering emails though, just make sure you have all your paperwork together.


I used an Australian company called Cargo Online. They've been okay so far.

Costs so far billed by Cargo Online:

Shipping costs: (£1,106) $1,852.07 - This is in a RoRo not container
Overseas Handling: (£25.00) $41.86
Overseas Pick up: (£226.25) $388.00 - Car was in Birmingham and needed to get to Southport
Duty/GST & Entry Fee: $7,067
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Fees: $229
Port and Statutory Charges: $320
Customs and AQIS Formalities re Motor Vehicle: $425
Steam Clean Motor Vehicle plus transportation to depot: $275
Delivery Ex Whart to Metro $360

This basically gets your car into the country.

Then there's the NSW State charges (very similar for all States). I'm using a group called Complete Car Care, they've been pretty good so far.

Amdin Costs: $198
Import Blue Slip Inspection: $165
Obtain Complaince plate: $170
Supply & Install Child Restraint Anchor: $550 - don't get me started on this, stupid ADR laws mean this has to be fitted despite my car having ISOFIX, GRRRRR!
Transport Car to Weighbridge for weight: $154
Deliver paperwork for RTA registration: $198
Flatbed delivery of car to house: $264
Obtain Premium Plates: $92
CTP Green Slip (Compulsory Insurance): $461
Stamp Duties for Registration: $750 (estimate)
Obtain Registration: $446
Engineer Certificate: $385
Fuel: $88
Tolls/Travel Expenses: $33
Wash/Vacumn: $36

Total due to land my car; $15K or £9,800

Not included is Insurance as I have a corporate policy but add around 2-5% of car value depending on cover required.

(GBP) and $ are Aus$ ok

[Mc Fadden]

robm3 said:

Yes, the Government Application took around 6 weeks, they're pretty good at answering emails though, just make sure you have all your paperwork together.


I used an Australian company called Cargo Online. They've been okay so far.

Costs so far billed by Cargo Online:

Shipping costs: (£1,106) $1,852.07 - This is in a RoRo not container
Overseas Handling: (£25.00) $41.86
Overseas Pick up: (£226.25) $388.00 - Car was in Birmingham and needed to get to Southport
Duty/GST & Entry Fee: $7,067
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Fees: $229
Port and Statutory Charges: $320
Customs and AQIS Formalities re Motor Vehicle: $425
Steam Clean Motor Vehicle plus transportation to depot: $275
Delivery Ex Whart to Metro $360

This basically gets your car into the country.

Then there's the NSW State charges (very similar for all States). I'm using a group called Complete Car Care, they've been pretty good so far.

Amdin Costs: $198
Import Blue Slip Inspection: $165
Obtain Complaince plate: $170
Supply & Install Child Restraint Anchor: $550 - don't get me started on this, stupid ADR laws mean this has to be fitted despite my car having ISOFIX, GRRRRR!
Transport Car to Weighbridge for weight: $154
Deliver paperwork for RTA registration: $198
Flatbed delivery of car to house: $264
Obtain Premium Plates: $92
CTP Green Slip (Compulsory Insurance): $461
Stamp Duties for Registration: $750 (estimate)
Obtain Registration: $446
Engineer Certificate: $385
Fuel: $88
Tolls/Travel Expenses: $33
Wash/Vacumn: $36

Total due to land my car; $15K or £9,800

Not included is Insurance as I have a corporate policy but add around 2-5% of car value depending on cover required.

(GBP) and $ are Aus$ ok

Great info Rob.

If you don't mind what was the car worth prior to departure, so a rough cost + % could be assumed for other vehicles?

I understand there is also LVT luxury vehicle tax threshold which on some vehicles may come into play.

Thanks.

[robm3]

My car is a 2005 6 series convertible sport, it's value in UK was around £18K.

It's value here is around $65K or £40K

Technically I'm around £10K ahead but I don't intend to sell the car anyhow.


However if I could change one thing, I probably would have brought a Bentley GT or Audi R8 to import and made a proper good profit, as only the stamp duty and import duty are based on vehicle value (there's online charts if you do a search and it's based on the value of your car, unroadworthy, sitting at the ports, not on the road in Aus).
Also due to number of fixed costs it's probably not worth importing a cheap or japanese car.

[rorys]

robm3 said:

Yes, the Government Application took around 6 weeks, they're pretty good at answering emails though, just make sure you have all your paperwork together.


I used an Australian company called Cargo Online. They've been okay so far.

Costs so far billed by Cargo Online:

Shipping costs: (£1,106) $1,852.07 - This is in a RoRo not container
Overseas Handling: (£25.00) $41.86
Overseas Pick up: (£226.25) $388.00 - Car was in Birmingham and needed to get to Southport
Duty/GST & Entry Fee: $7,067
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Fees: $229
Port and Statutory Charges: $320
Customs and AQIS Formalities re Motor Vehicle: $425
Steam Clean Motor Vehicle plus transportation to depot: $275
Delivery Ex Whart to Metro $360

This basically gets your car into the country.

Then there's the NSW State charges (very similar for all States). I'm using a group called Complete Car Care, they've been pretty good so far.

Amdin Costs: $198
Import Blue Slip Inspection: $165
Obtain Complaince plate: $170
Supply & Install Child Restraint Anchor: $550 - don't get me started on this, stupid ADR laws mean this has to be fitted despite my car having ISOFIX, GRRRRR!
Transport Car to Weighbridge for weight: $154
Deliver paperwork for RTA registration: $198
Flatbed delivery of car to house: $264
Obtain Premium Plates: $92
CTP Green Slip (Compulsory Insurance): $461
Stamp Duties for Registration: $750 (estimate)
Obtain Registration: $446
Engineer Certificate: $385
Fuel: $88
Tolls/Travel Expenses: $33
Wash/Vacumn: $36

Total due to land my car; $15K or £9,800

Not included is Insurance as I have a corporate policy but add around 2-5% of car value depending on cover required.

(GBP) and $ are Aus$ ok

Thanks for that. Had a quote through cargo online a while ago (about a year now) but will need to get them to look at it again.

Would I be correct in thinking its just 10% duty you pay on the value in Australia? There are also a fair ammount of local charges to get the thing on the road, have to admit I didnt think they would be so high.

[robm3]

rorys said:

Would I be correct in thinking its just 10% duty you pay on the value in Australia? There are also a fair ammount of local charges to get the thing on the road, have to admit I didnt think they would be so high.

The variable costs are NSW registration, which I think is 3% of vehicle value.

For the import duty, there's an online calculator at Cargo onlines website, you'll need this as a luxury car tax kicks in over a certain value.

What I did was not repair my 6 series when it got little bumps and scrapes over the two years leading up to export and kept the interior in shabby condition therefore the 'average' condition of the car helped lower the estimation (it really is a bloke with a clipboard looking at your car dockside that gives it its value).

[eurobattle]

Great break down of costs mate.....Im looking to bring in an e30 M3 at the end of the year and ive been looking for something just like this to give me a good idea of the costs involved.

When you shipped your car did you install a rev limiter on your car?? Ive heard stories of RORO shipped cars being thrashed a bit on their way over...

[ukdennis]

robm3 said:

Stamp Duties for Registration: $750 (estimate)

Don't know what value you are going to declare for the purpose of NSW stamp duty, but it would be $1200 for a $40k value and $1600 for a $50k valuation. Complete rip-off, since you already own the car!

[MudGuts]

[Ive heard stories of RORO shipped cars being thrashed a bit on their way over...


[/quote]


I think you take your chances what ever way you ship. I used Cargo Online, Container Shipping. I have been fed a stream of BS from the start, the car sat in Southampton for 11 days and has been stuck in Singapore for 15 days waiting for a ship to Brisbane. Its supposed to go Tuesday but they have changed ships at the last gasp 3 times. I was promised I would have it landed on the 3/5/11. Iv still got the customs fun and games to come.

[motomk]

There is a fellow on the HSV/Holden section of this forum that is getting his car via ro-ro that is coming to Oz straight from the UK. The ship does stop on the way but stops in about 3 or 4 Oz ports. Think it is taking 5 or 6 weeks to get here.

[robm3]

ukdennis said:

Don't know what value you are going to declare for the purpose of NSW stamp duty, but it would be $1200 for a $40k value and $1600 for a $50k valuation. Complete rip-off, since you already own the car!

As it's an 'uknown' model I'll go with the customs valuation (documented too) which means I'll pay around $850 as they came up with 28K.

Good point though and I must remember to make Complete Car Care aware of this and not let them put down $65K

[robm3]

MudGuts said:

[Ive heard stories of RORO shipped cars being thrashed a bit on their way over...

I think you take your chances what ever way you ship. I used Cargo Online, Container Shipping. I have been fed a stream of BS from the start, the car sat in Southampton for 11 days and has been stuck in Singapore for 15 days waiting for a ship to Brisbane. Its supposed to go Tuesday but they have changed ships at the last gasp 3 times. I was promised I would have it landed on the 3/5/11. Iv still got the customs fun and games to come.

They certainly drive swifly when loading and unloading but not usually too bad. I've been dockside a few times in a previous role so know what to expect. Containers often get dropped a foot or two too and some sit topside and leak. Just got to shrug really and hope for the best.
RE: Cargo Online, they are only a small agent and have no sway with shipping lines, their freight would be bumped all the time when capacity is tight. For me their communication was an issue and not forecoming. Also they charged me for steam cleaning but this hasn't been done.

All going well the car should be here early next week, can't wait!!

[custardtart]

robm3 said:

They certainly drive swifly when loading and unloading but not usually too bad. I've been dockside a few times in a previous role so know what to expect. Containers often get dropped a foot or two too and some sit topside and leak. Just got to shrug really and hope for the best.
RE: Cargo Online, they are only a small agent and have no sway with shipping lines, their freight would be bumped all the time when capacity is tight. For me their communication was an issue and not forecoming. Also they charged me for steam cleaning but this hasn't been done.

All going well the car should be here early next week, can't wait!!

Interesting feedback as have got them on my list to consider using to import something soonish.

BTW, are you the chap with the VFR? If so, is it an Oz purchase or a UK import and how do you find it on the roads around your area? Reason I ask is I'm looking at one at the mo and would be riding it around Wisemans area and the road surfaces seem pretty poor which has put me off an out and out sports bike.

[Hasbeen]

Robm3 you must be excited. How long does it take to get it through customs these days?

In 62 I bought a new Morgan +4. After arrival it sat on the wharf for 3 days. I didn't really mind too much, as going down there, & looking at it through the wire fence, every day twice a day, was such a feeling of anticipation, it was like Christmas eve every day.

If I sound a bit foolish, remember I has waited for 19 months from my date of order.

[robm3]

custardtart said:

Interesting feedback as have got them on my list to consider using to import something soonish.

BTW, are you the chap with the VFR? If so, is it an Oz purchase or a UK import and how do you find it on the roads around your area? Reason I ask is I'm looking at one at the mo and would be riding it around Wisemans area and the road surfaces seem pretty poor which has put me off an out and out sports bike.

Yes, I have the VFR, it was brought in Australia because Jap bikes and cars are only fractionally more expensive than in the UK (and fixed shipping costs mean anything less than around $30-40K really isn't worth it).

I know the roads you're talking about quite well, for a pleasure ride I use the Old Road North to Gosford, then cut back in a loop that takes me to Wisemans and you're right, out and out sports bikes could be a right pain. But most Sports Tourers handle this surface with no issues, bikes such as the VFR, Triumph ST, BMW RT/ST etc...

[robm3]

Hasbeen said:

Robm3 you must be excited. How long does it take to get it through customs these days?

In 62 I bought a new Morgan +4. After arrival it sat on the wharf for 3 days. I didn't really mind too much, as going down there, & looking at it through the wire fence, every day twice a day, was such a feeling of anticipation, it was like Christmas eve every day.

If I sound a bit foolish, remember I has waited for 19 months from my date of order.

Well, the customs clearance was easy and took around 4 days or look at it this way, 50 years of advances in electronics, training, tracking and efficiency means it actually takes longer now