European buyers
Discussion
Hi all. Did a quick search for other instances of this but couldn't find anything.
I am currently selling my S2 Elise in the classifieds. I have had at least 8 responses but they are all from Europe (France, Belgium and Germany). Each person has given me roughly the same story, i.e. they buy and sell cars from the UK and sell-on in Europe. They can usually come within the week and pay cash if required. At least 2 I have replied to can provide details of people they have dealt with before in the UK. However, I can't shake off the doubts that come with this sort of thing. Has anyone had any experience of this?
I am currently selling my S2 Elise in the classifieds. I have had at least 8 responses but they are all from Europe (France, Belgium and Germany). Each person has given me roughly the same story, i.e. they buy and sell cars from the UK and sell-on in Europe. They can usually come within the week and pay cash if required. At least 2 I have replied to can provide details of people they have dealt with before in the UK. However, I can't shake off the doubts that come with this sort of thing. Has anyone had any experience of this?
Incidently I found this post about not selling to European buyers because of the mark-up they make due to the strong Euro. http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Have a look on SELOC and you'll find plenty of people who have succussfully, and happily, sold their Lotus to European buyers. There are even one or two of the regular buyers posting on there, and plenty of advise on how best to sell to an overseas buyer (payment, currency exchange, Certificate of Conformity etc).
Sold my old Elise to chap in France last December, he flew into Gatwick, hired a car and drove up to West Yorkshire. Agreed to buy it at my asking price and flew into Liverpool a week later, I picked him up, did the deal and off he went. It took me a 2 weeks to pay the Euro's into my account and I made £400 on the currency fluctuation! He was a really nice guy called Arnaud Besnier and was quite honest about buying plenty over here to sell in Froggieland. I had some tyre kicking, time wasting dreamers over here and one in particular who got arsey with me when I wouldn't cancel other viewings for other people, the frenchie, in contrast, was a pleasure to deal with. 
The savings on buying in the UK are big for two reasons: first, the exchange rate is currently very much in favour of anyone buying in Euros or Swiss Francs; second, due to the relative rarity of the cars here they depreciate very slowly. As an example the cheapest car (a 2001) for sale here in Switzerland would be GBP 20,000 if you had to buy with pounds.
I bought my LHD SC earlier in the year in the year and saved about 22% even after all costs (including shipping it over here on the back of a lorry.) Lotus cut the price of cars in EUR / CHF by about 8% in October but older car prices seem to have been untouched by the price drops of new cars.
You can get them converted from RHD to LHD but given many European buyers seem to be buying them for track or autocross work then the driving side would be less important.
I bought my LHD SC earlier in the year in the year and saved about 22% even after all costs (including shipping it over here on the back of a lorry.) Lotus cut the price of cars in EUR / CHF by about 8% in October but older car prices seem to have been untouched by the price drops of new cars.
You can get them converted from RHD to LHD but given many European buyers seem to be buying them for track or autocross work then the driving side would be less important.
Does anyone here have experience with targetcars in the Netherlands? They always have some UK Elises and other rarities on stock but I wonder if they're reliable as a seller.
I'm looking at this car; http://www.targetweb.nl/shop/article.asp?article=3... They're situated in Eindhoven where I live so taking a look shouldn't be a problem.
I'm looking at this car; http://www.targetweb.nl/shop/article.asp?article=3... They're situated in Eindhoven where I live so taking a look shouldn't be a problem.
My mate who sold his Esprit V8 the week got an email from a guy in Macedonia asking him to give the car for free as he didn't have a car.
This is all the guy said;
"Please give me the lotus for free i'm from macedonia and i dont have any car."
You have to laugh that he even sent it in the first place, cheeky fecker!
This is all the guy said;
"Please give me the lotus for free i'm from macedonia and i dont have any car."
You have to laugh that he even sent it in the first place, cheeky fecker!
Thanks for the feedback and advise guys, was reassuring. I have since readvertised the Elise on here and asked any European buyers to provide evidence of previous transaction over here. Instead of getting a dealer I got a guy from Italy who seemed very keen on the car ("111R, right colour, good price"). Can anyone see any flaws in this proposal? I've added some comments in the hashes ### ###
"After I read your email I looked for a flight for Sunday to come over and give you a small deposit to not let the car go. ###Someone else e-mailed me to have a look at the car on Sunday###
I also called my bank but unfortunately my bank (that is the only one in Italy opened on Saturday) doesn' t keep Pounds. And a money transfer between Italy and UK will take 5 working days. So I can not come over with a deposit in GBP this weekend.
I can see 2 options ANYWAY!
I take a flight anyway on Sunday, the 24th, we will meet, I look at the car, I leave you 500 euros as deposit and I come back the weekend of the 30th/31st. we will go to your bank on monday the 1st ###with full payment###, and after we have taken the car to your mechanic ###we leave the car and keys with a local dealer### I will leave with the docs I need ###to register the cat in Europe###.
The second option is this: if these people will show up, ask them if they can wait until monday the 1st of February. That day you will sell me the car or you will sell it to them if something goes wrong (but I don't think on my side).
If you prefer the first option, may you text me: let' s meet on sunday the 24th, to my mobile? +393408997407. I' m going out now, and in this case I prefer to come back home and book the flight.
If you are patient(!) I will call you on Monday to tell you what kind of documents I need and to plan my trip.
The website of the agency that will release me the plates is www.dantino.net It looks like I will need the v5 and the MOT (emission test).
i think it' s all for now."
"After I read your email I looked for a flight for Sunday to come over and give you a small deposit to not let the car go. ###Someone else e-mailed me to have a look at the car on Sunday###
I also called my bank but unfortunately my bank (that is the only one in Italy opened on Saturday) doesn' t keep Pounds. And a money transfer between Italy and UK will take 5 working days. So I can not come over with a deposit in GBP this weekend.
I can see 2 options ANYWAY!
I take a flight anyway on Sunday, the 24th, we will meet, I look at the car, I leave you 500 euros as deposit and I come back the weekend of the 30th/31st. we will go to your bank on monday the 1st ###with full payment###, and after we have taken the car to your mechanic ###we leave the car and keys with a local dealer### I will leave with the docs I need ###to register the cat in Europe###.
The second option is this: if these people will show up, ask them if they can wait until monday the 1st of February. That day you will sell me the car or you will sell it to them if something goes wrong (but I don't think on my side).
If you prefer the first option, may you text me: let' s meet on sunday the 24th, to my mobile? +393408997407. I' m going out now, and in this case I prefer to come back home and book the flight.
If you are patient(!) I will call you on Monday to tell you what kind of documents I need and to plan my trip.
The website of the agency that will release me the plates is www.dantino.net It looks like I will need the v5 and the MOT (emission test).
i think it' s all for now."
I brought a UK S1 last February and imported it to Belgium. The math’s where easy, S1 RHD 100.000 kms / 60.000 mile here you where looking at €18-20.000 for a LHD, I paid half that and live with RHD… … as I brought a car with V5 (needless to say) and the PO had the COC, I had no troubles importing it… €0.01 for the customs paperwork – yes you read that right, that’s it….
I’m afraid UK Elise’s are a bargin here on the mainland. Just treat your interested party like anyone else, follow the normal buying / selling rules.
I’ve heard of many UK cars going to Italy for LHD conversions, then they are resold in Europe.
It wasn’t so many years ago many LHD Porsche where heading to blighty (OK thinking about it was the 80’s dam 30 years ago……)
Just remember your buyer has paid for a flight and will be prepared to give you the asking price, I guess with no come back ….. it’s worth thinking about.
He can take signal day insurance on the car from NU, with a EU address, License and UK plated car and drive home – fully insured.
Cheers
Matt
I’m afraid UK Elise’s are a bargin here on the mainland. Just treat your interested party like anyone else, follow the normal buying / selling rules.
I’ve heard of many UK cars going to Italy for LHD conversions, then they are resold in Europe.
It wasn’t so many years ago many LHD Porsche where heading to blighty (OK thinking about it was the 80’s dam 30 years ago……)
Just remember your buyer has paid for a flight and will be prepared to give you the asking price, I guess with no come back ….. it’s worth thinking about.
He can take signal day insurance on the car from NU, with a EU address, License and UK plated car and drive home – fully insured.
Cheers
Matt
Tomaz said:
Does anyone here have experience with targetcars in the Netherlands? They always have some UK Elises and other rarities on stock but I wonder if they're reliable as a seller.
I'm looking at this car; http://www.targetweb.nl/shop/article.asp?article=3... They're situated in Eindhoven where I live so taking a look shouldn't be a problem.
I could be very wrong, but the RHD cars are very cheap, I wonder if they are Cat D insurance write off's...I'm looking at this car; http://www.targetweb.nl/shop/article.asp?article=3... They're situated in Eindhoven where I live so taking a look shouldn't be a problem.
Best bet go and look,
Glad this thread's been revived. I ended up selling the S2 to an Italian guy. He flew over and viewed the car, we agreed the price and he gave me a deposit. He transferred the money in full when got back. We then had issues getting him insurance to drive it back to Italy, so, I drove it all the way to Milan. 14 hour drive across 4 countries and some of the best roads for the Elise, and all paid for by the buyer! Great send off for the car.
Thanks for all your advice guys.
Thanks for all your advice guys.
BadgerLad said:
Glad this thread's been revived. I ended up selling the S2 to an Italian guy. He flew over and viewed the car, we agreed the price and he gave me a deposit. He transferred the money in full when got back. We then had issues getting him insurance to drive it back to Italy, so, I drove it all the way to Milan. 14 hour drive across 4 countries and some of the best roads for the Elise, and all paid for by the buyer! Great send off for the car.
Thanks for all your advice guys.
Haa haaa thats great, what a great "last trip".....Thanks for all your advice guys.
Sorry didn't realise I'm so many pages into the archive..
Best I can Say is watch out, get your money checked dont accept 3rd party collecting your car and a promise to payment via that firm western union, I recommend have any funds like bankers drafts cleared fully and if its cash take them to the bank and have the bank accept the money as real first, another scam is "can you pay the collecting driver and we will pay you later"
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