Car shipping from Dubai to UK...who knows what?

Car shipping from Dubai to UK...who knows what?

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Discussion

cain-it

Original Poster:

60 posts

219 months

Sunday 30th December 2012
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Hi Guys
Thinking of shipping 2 cars back to Blighty - never done this before, but know others have.
Can anyone offer advice regards costs, companies to use, dos & don'ts?

One of the cars has previously been in the UK, so that should make things easier. Other a fresh import, so I guess requires VAT to be paid?

Cheers Sean


dxbtiger

4,432 posts

179 months

Sunday 30th December 2012
quotequote all
Do you own the other? If so how long?

There is a company that specialises in this, fecked if I can remember their name though, it comes up every few months this question, really need to remember who they are.

thb

303 posts

180 months

Sunday 30th December 2012
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Whatever you do - don't use Relogulf to handle your shipment. I'm have endured months of pain, endless chasing and countless amounts of dicking about with this company on what should have been a simple shipment of some household goods and a car from Dubai to Tunisia.

Stuff has been sitting on the side of the dock in Tunis for 3+ weeks now with no end in sight.

Avoid, avoid, avoid.

IanUAE

2,939 posts

170 months

Monday 31st December 2012
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Sean,

Posted a contact on the other forum for you.

Harris_I

3,237 posts

265 months

Monday 31st December 2012
quotequote all
Hi Sean. I sent Cobalt Blue and my Lancia back to the UK. I used Ahmed Saleh & Co.

Do me a favour, if you ever pass by their warehouse, ram their doors in with a monster truck. Fecking useless.

You could try GlobalPack or Paul Denby uses TMS (Total Moving & Storage) though when I contacted them they were utterly unhelpful. Paul is a good source of info - stop by A2B Garage in Al Quoz to get good advice.

To be honest, they're all fecking useless. You will have to micromanage the whole process yourself. Good luck and I hope it all works out.

Harris


Harris_I

3,237 posts

265 months

Monday 31st December 2012
quotequote all
I think there's no VAT if you've owned the car 6 months. Best get on to HMRC's website to be sure.

No import duty either if it's a personal import and you intend to keep the car (not sure if it's for 6 or 12 months - again all on the website).

After_Shock

8,751 posts

226 months

Monday 31st December 2012
quotequote all
Just on this topic, well not as much as the shipping but the actual import stage when you get a car back to the U.K.

Whats actually involved if the cars not a Euro spec vehicle, i.e something american to get it useable on U.K roads?

Very tempted to buy something LHD here to send back as a toy back home but it wouldnt be a euro spec, emissions etc etc vehicle.

cain-it

Original Poster:

60 posts

219 months

Monday 31st December 2012
quotequote all
Hi Guys, thanks a lot for your replys.
I remember reading Harris you shipping your GT3 / Lancia to the UK...sorry to hear you had a bad experience...

Yes. I've owned both cars for a while.

OK, I'll ask Paul at A2B, Gareth the previous owner was always shippping cars back & forth, so there must be an economic way that works...

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Cheers Sean

Harris_I

3,237 posts

265 months

Monday 31st December 2012
quotequote all
After_Shock said:
Just on this topic, well not as much as the shipping but the actual import stage when you get a car back to the U.K.

Whats actually involved if the cars not a Euro spec vehicle, i.e something american to get it useable on U.K roads?

Very tempted to buy something LHD here to send back as a toy back home but it wouldnt be a euro spec, emissions etc etc vehicle.
If your car is less than 10 years old, it will need to go through an Individual Vehicle Assessment. This can be a nightmare. My GT3 was heavily modified and it has taken 5 months and 3 tests before it got passed.

If your car is more than 10 years old, it will only need an MOT.

In both cases, you will need to pass the IVA/MOT before registering with DVLA.


After_Shock

8,751 posts

226 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2013
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Harris_I said:
If your car is less than 10 years old, it will need to go through an Individual Vehicle Assessment. This can be a nightmare. My GT3 was heavily modified and it has taken 5 months and 3 tests before it got passed.

In both cases, you will need to pass the IVA/MOT before registering with DVLA.
That does sound a nightmare with your porker, sorry to hear! What were the issues relating to the test, emissions or other stuff? Also inbetween tests what have you been doing with the car, left parked up unused?

If I purchased a new car that is US spec considering they have stringent emissions laws could you forsee a major issue getting it into the u.k or is it a case of how long is a piece of string!?

VanquishDubai

642 posts

150 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2013
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Unless you REALLY want to keep the cars, just flog em here and buy new ones in the UK. There are so many variables, but in short, you have to choose between Roll on Roll off...cheap as no container...or put them in a container which will be about 3 times the price. ballpark....800 quid Roll on Roll off to around 2,000 or 2,500 for container. (Before any taxes etc)

The UK customs "Shouldnt" charge you if you have had the care for a year here and have an address in the UK but nothing is guaranteed until you land in the UK. (I have spoken to UK customs before about this). Plus, if the VAT have never been paid on the Car as it is a GCC spec car then I am pretty sure you will be subject to VAT/.....at the "Market price of the car" in the UK. It can be a mare. Plus, which the pound to the Euro at the mo not being decent, if you want to sell the car (A left hooker that is) to the Euro market you aint gonna get as much.

I have heard of mates who took to coratia...registered under croatian company and then drove to the UK to avoid tax...but thats more of a hassle. He did it as it was a Ferrari 430 so he wanted to save monkey.

In short, unless its a classic with real emotional value...sell it and get one in the UK. People there are bleeding anyway like most in Europe so just get a deal on the UK spec car....which has the steering wheel on the right side....literally.

I have imported a few and will ry and dig out mateys number for you.

After_Shock

8,751 posts

226 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2013
quotequote all
VanquishDubai said:
The UK customs "Shouldnt" charge you if you have had the care for a year here and have an address in the UK but nothing is guaranteed until you land in the UK. (I have spoken to UK customs before about this). Plus, if the VAT have never been paid on the Car as it is a GCC spec car then I am pretty sure you will be subject to VAT/.....at the "Market price of the car" in the UK.
If you have owned it here for 12 months and are keeping it for at least a year back in the U.K that should not apply? Or so I was told.

Harris_I

3,237 posts

265 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
After_Shock said:
Harris_I said:
If your car is less than 10 years old, it will need to go through an Individual Vehicle Assessment. This can be a nightmare. My GT3 was heavily modified and it has taken 5 months and 3 tests before it got passed.

In both cases, you will need to pass the IVA/MOT before registering with DVLA.
That does sound a nightmare with your porker, sorry to hear! What were the issues relating to the test, emissions or other stuff? Also inbetween tests what have you been doing with the car, left parked up unused?

If I purchased a new car that is US spec considering they have stringent emissions laws could you forsee a major issue getting it into the u.k or is it a case of how long is a piece of string!?
You should have no problems on emissions if the car is OEM and unmodified.

I had multiple problems as my car was ex-race. An importer handled the whole DVLA/VOSA process and the car has been with them the whole time. For some reason they were wedded to one VOSA test centre and required constant prompting to follow up. In restrospect, I should have handled it myself, saved a shedload and done it much faster. Issues were:

Plastic windows - no EU markings. Carbon mirrors - too small. Rear wing - sharp edges. Exhaust - noise and emissions. Tow hooks - protruding. Steering wheel - metal spokes (wtf?!). Extinguisher system - remove. Exhaust was the trickiest. Wouldn't pass even when replaced with a standard exhaust as the IVA requirements are tougher than the OEM specs (e.g. there is no drive-by noise test, I think the static test is 99db at 500mm 45 degree angle from exhaust - impossible to achieve with a 911). Again, wtf. In the end, we strangled the exhaust as follows (even though bizarrely they didn't mind the exhaust now protruding from the back). Needless to say, the exhaust will not remain like this:



For the full set of VOSA regs, see their website.

After_Shock

8,751 posts

226 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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Thanks for the detailed reply, had a read through the VOSA stuff last night.

Surely they have different noise restrictions for rear engined cars?! Know the track days ive done they always have a different noise limit for those with the engine in the back.

Interesting exhaust set up to get it to pass, as you say silly they would allow that to stick out as no way that would potentially burn a passers by legs or anything!

VanquishDubai

642 posts

150 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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Aftershock, you are correct. import duties "Shouldnt" apply if you have owned the car for more than 12 months but in short, they wont gurarantee this until you crack the container open in the UK. Its bullst. I spoke to them in the UK from here re taking my Vanquish back and in short, they wont give you any indication or gurantees until it lands in the uk.

And yes, you will be liable for VAT (This is in addition to import duties I mentioned above)if the standard VAT was not paid in the EU. In short, if its a GCC Spec car then the full VAT would not have been at 20% or 17.5%, whatever it is now. So they will try and stripe you for this. (I read through all the documentation online) You can google and find it easily.

Basically...if the chap in the UK who opens your container doesnt get any the night before and is fed up with meagre salary...if you rock with up with spanking 911 in the container he is likely to cane you for charges.

VanquishDubai

642 posts

150 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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That exhaust is hilarious. Its like something you would get in Al Quoz. What the hell. Classic.

After_Shock

8,751 posts

226 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
VanquishDubai said:
That exhaust is hilarious. Its like something you would get in Al Quoz. What the hell. Classic.
Its like a boxster exhaust attached to a 911 one!

After_Shock

8,751 posts

226 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
VanquishDubai said:
Aftershock, you are correct. import duties "Shouldnt" apply if you have owned the car for more than 12 months but in short, they wont gurarantee this until you crack the container open in the UK. Its bullst. I spoke to them in the UK from here re taking my Vanquish back and in short, they wont give you any indication or gurantees until it lands in the uk.

And yes, you will be liable for VAT (This is in addition to import duties I mentioned above)if the standard VAT was not paid in the EU. In short, if its a GCC Spec car then the full VAT would not have been at 20% or 17.5%, whatever it is now. So they will try and stripe you for this. (I read through all the documentation online) You can google and find it easily.

Basically...if the chap in the UK who opens your container doesnt get any the night before and is fed up with meagre salary...if you rock with up with spanking 911 in the container he is likely to cane you for charges.
Does sound a total ar*e on then. So its down to the person who opens the container as to if they will hit you with charges then not down to any actual written law on the matter?

VanquishDubai

642 posts

150 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
Well..Yes. .if you go through the customs and excise online relating to importing a car into the UK then you will see that whilst there are clear "Guidelines" and "Rules", as there are so many then can stripe you on whatever they want.

The chap above's case in point re the emmissions. They might not get you on the tax or import duties but they might get you on the emissions...if headlights (As they will need to be changed or stickered for the other side of the road).

I ain't putting you off, just making you aware. If I left here I would like to take my cars with me too so I understand looking into it. However just bear in mind that the bods in the UK can be miserable so and so's, plus the UK govt wants all the cash it can get at the moment and people importing cars from tax free countries are ripe for the picking.

After_Shock

8,751 posts

226 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
VanquishDubai said:
Well..Yes. .if you go through the customs and excise online relating to importing a car into the UK then you will see that whilst there are clear "Guidelines" and "Rules", as there are so many then can stripe you on whatever they want.

The chap above's case in point re the emmissions. They might not get you on the tax or import duties but they might get you on the emissions...if headlights (As they will need to be changed or stickered for the other side of the road).

I ain't putting you off, just making you aware. If I left here I would like to take my cars with me too so I understand looking into it. However just bear in mind that the bods in the UK can be miserable so and so's, plus the UK govt wants all the cash it can get at the moment and people importing cars from tax free countries are ripe for the picking.
Dont worry, appreciate the advice massively as its hard to pick up on real life encounters on it!