Cost of importing

[JoPo1]

Hi guys,

I'm looking at various cars over in the states and the cost of them is a lot less even if you consider doubling the price compared to the price of a similar, older vehicle here.

Has anyone done it? Was it worth the hassle to get the car YOU want and for less?

What is the cost of getting a car from a US dealer to the UK? Will alot of car dealers over there be willing to allow the car be shipped?

What is the cost on say a $14,000 car, by the time it gets here?

Sorry, alot of questions!! Haha

[fatboy18]

Hello, Yes a few of us here in the UK have imported our cars in from the USA

Of course the biggest factor is the £ pound / $ Dollar exchange rate as this makes a massive difference on large amounts of money
Still, If you find a car is within your budget and has a clean Carfax History etc its worth doing.

The rough rule of thumb is by the time you have paid out for the car, the shipping, the duty, the registration fee etc .... you can convert the dollar price to pounds. The bill of sale is what everything is calculated from

Not sure why you would want to bring a car over to the UK though, your profile says your in the USA

[Viper]

basic rule of thumb is around +36% above the US purchase cost, by the time it lands in the UK

Edited by Viper on Monday 6th August 17:03

[ViperDave]

More info on why someone in the US wants to ship a car to the UK is needed as the details can greatly affect the cost and ease of purchase

returning ex pat or making a quick buck shipping cars to the UK?

[JoPo1]

I live in the UK but im lucky enough to spend some of the year in the US.

I'm not an ex-pat or anything, just a UK citizen who would like an American car over here.

[ViperDave]

Ok fair enough, just trying to avoid helping someone run their business.

The ex pat bit relates to if you can buy and own the car in the US for a year before returning home you don't pay the duty which is a big saving.

If you are buying new then you will need to find a friendly dealer as most wont sell to you without a US address, 1) due to difficulty titling the car and 2) they risk sanctions from the manufacturer if they sell for expert as the manufactures don't like their markets being blurred. Also you may have to pay sales tax on the advertised price if new, unless your dealer is prepared to do it for export.

As for the practicalities, you can probably arrange via your international shipping agent for local collection, or ask the dealer/seller if they will deliver to the port, be aware that domestic shipping can be expensive. it cost me $300 to get mine the first 20miles to the other side of Houston so if you can get it delivered for free/do it yourself, go for it.

once its at the docks then about £1500 - £2000 to cross the pond in a box, less for roro and the higher end maybe more now if west coast. Add on about 1% for marine insurance for when the boat sinks, catches fire or they just ding it drop it etc.

In the UK its
+10% duty on the purchase price (what the invoice says) + shipping cost
+20% VAT on the duty and shipping
allow up to another £500 - £1k for you to do the IVA and get registered taxed etc, maybe more if you get someone to do the work for you.

so go on then what are you thinking of, Viper, vette, camaro, charger?

[fatboy18]

On the subject of importing, its always nice to know if anything is coming over in a container as getting larger parts into the UK is a pain! So if there's a bit of spare space Tyres are a hell of a lot cheaper in the States

[fatboy18]

ViperDave said:

Ok fair enough, just trying to avoid helping someone run their business.
so go on then what are you thinking of, Viper, vette, camaro, charger......Frd Puma?

EFA

[Viper]

when i looked about a year ago you only had to own the car for six months in the US, so not sure if thats now changed to 12 months Dave?

if you sell the car within 12 months of being registered in the UK you are liable for the VAT charges

Edited by Viper on Monday 6th August 18:56

[ViperDave]

Viper said:

when i looked about a year ago you only had to own the car for six months in the US, so not sure if thats now changed to 12 months Dave?

i was working from memory so your probably right. is it you have to keep it for a further year once in the uk?

[Viper]

yes if you want to avoid the tax charges, i guess thats in place to stop people bringing them over just to sell them on straight away

there's no law i know of that says you cant sell it within the first 12 months

Edited by Viper on Monday 6th August 19:02

[Viper]

in Florida at least sales tax can be avoided, as long as the vehicle is put into a container at the delearship, if you have the vehicle driven to the docks your liable for sales tax. So as usual look for a car near the docks and reduce transport costs as well

this no doubt varies in different states

[JoPo1]

No, no...Not running a business just want one over here in my spec.

Its actually a 2005 Escalade im after, But you guys seem to be the ones shipping cars more than any other owners.

The cost seems quite high compared to what i thought it was. And finding a dealer trustworthy enough to get the car to the docks without doing a runner with my money will be hard work i imagine.

Thanks for all the help this far.

[neilsfishing]

Escalade Y