Paying for a car in UK

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3-bed-semi

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Hi,
I plan to head over to the UK to buy a car in March/April. I am going to buy the car I'm after from a garage, the question is:
Once I have located the car (while in UK) how should I pay for it?
I don't really want to be travelling around with £14 sterling with me in cash. Is it possible to arrange a bank draft from my bank here in Ireland while I'm over there?
Has anyone here ever done it?
Any other suggestions?
Plan is to scour the net on the Tuesday & Wednesday for a few potential cars, head over Thursday & Friday to look at them & buy one that I like.
Head home on the Ferry on the Saturday (with a flight booked as a back up).
 
Personally, I would either pre-arrange a STG draft - but the pitfall there is if it's stolen or lost.....

Or

Arrange for somebody at home to wire it to you using the Western Union or similar to a financial institution.

Anytime I've gone to the UK, I've always carried cash with me but I can see why you would have reservations about carrying such a large amount (I assume you mean €14K).
 
Don't you think you would be better off allowing a bit more time for your search? Will it be possible to get mechanical assurance and a HPI check etc. in the space of a day?
 
Hi,

I bought my last 2 cars from the UK and used a STG draft made out to the garage.

I got the RAC to check the car 1st (150 STG) and once I was happy with the report i.e. mechanics/HPI, I then got the draft made up.

First time around the dealer actually brought the car to Hollyhead so I left Dun L at 4pm, came back in the same ferry and was back in Dublin at 8pm.

Second time I flew to Bristol and drove from there to Fishguard.

I would have the car choosen 1st as the most you will loose is the 150 RAC/AA report. Check www.autotrader.co.uk for used cars, www.parkers.co.uk for used car price evaluations to ensure you're getting a good deal. Car dealers love a cash buyer. Then compare the total UK price (dealer price+VRT+flight/ferry+RAC) against the Irish dealer price.

VRT (and the open market selling price) can be obtained from https://www.ros.ie:/VRTEnquiryServlet/showVRT
 
I am quite competant on the mechanics side.
As for the HPI, I used AA the last time I bought a car in the north. They gave me the details over the phone there & then followed up by a report in the post.
That time I knew the car I was buying & from which garage so I had the draft with me.
I plan to view a few cars while over there so bringing a pre prepared Draft is what I'm after.
I have done the whole autotrader.co.uk I know the car I want to buy inside out from a value point of view. A 2002 BMW 520i sport with less than 50k miles, value abotu £14k sterling. VRT approx €8k euro. Same car over here is goign for about €34k.
I have been watching them on all the various web sites for the past 6 weeks.
I plan to buy the car from an established independent dealer (not BMW) but also plan to ring the dealer that serviced the car in question. You would be surprised at the number of cars that are clocked. A friend of mine went to the north earlier this year & most of the BMWs he looked at were clocked. A simple call to the main dealer revealed all of them. They had the service history up to a mileage value higher than indicated on the cars.
 
Hi

I am thinking of doing the same thing. Planning on using cash as a friend of mine did the same. Got a much better deal - about £1500 off the cost!

I am thinking of buying from a dealer (Volvo) and am wondering about the mechanics side of things. What is the HPI? If I buy from a dealer do I need RAC to look at the car?
 
Just bought my second car in the UK today. Bought wife a top of the range scenic.. I am going to a show in the NEC, Birmingham on thurs, they garage are bringing it to my hotel Friday morn and I will drive it back to holyhead and boat home. Gave them 200stg deposit with visa this morn, balance will be given by sterling bankers draft ( much safer than cash ) when they deliver car.Did the same thing last March with my own car.. the only way to go. Incl VRT & boat cost, all in for top spec Scenic 15k miles( Leather, air con, every imaginable extra ) €14,200 euro.. Rathdown motors have a standard model same year, same mileage for €16,500 :) Garage faxed me HPI report ( no finance, mileage check, crash check etc ) and V5 form ( Logbook ) Make sure u get all this sent pre travelling. spent a week trawling the net before I purchased but well worth it.. much more choice and far better spec than the crappy spec you get in Ireland.
 
For those that have done it, is there a better selection or much variations on price, between buying on the mainland UK and up north?
 
Hi,

I work with a guy from Newry and he buys his cars from mainland UK as the roads are better (hhhmmm and NI roads are good compared to ours) the cars are more trustworthy i.e. not clocked, full main dealer service history, and English folk in general maintain their cars to a higher standard
 
Just back from UK with a 2003 Renault Scenic for my wife. Registered yesterday. Amazingly smooth transaction across the board. Conservative saving estimate.. €4,000 & got top of the range car.

Advice: Go to the UK.. much more choice ( a week on the internet before you go ) Great check system for peace of mind ( HPI check )

We are being ripped off here with a sub-standard service
 
Agree very much with the sentiments on here and will be heading over to the UK shortly for the second time in less than a year to buy a car there. The reasons are many;

1./Cheaper
2./Better maintained
3./Better roads
4./HPI check available (which covers much more than just finance owing like potential clocking etc.)
5./Dramatically better selection of cars
6./Better specs (well known problem in this country)

Autotrader is good but i've used ebay in the past and will again this time. The usual advice regarding feedback/history etc. should of course be carefully checked but together with an AA/RAC examination and the HPI check you really can't go far wrong.

Like any second hand car purchase common sense should prevail since while there is decent money to be saved always observe the old rule "if it's too good to be true...".
 
I presume certain vehicles are better value than others in the UK

Any reccommendations on the best value for money !!!
 
I have been looking at a Volvo s40 1.6D SE version. an 05 here costs €29500 at the garage which i suppose you could get down to about €28500 - maybe more.

In the UK - a jan 05 s40 costs £13995. However, on the basis that plates are due to change in March this should come down to about £12995. I am told that if you go in with cash they might drop even more. I am hoping the very most I would pay to be £12500. VRT is about €6500 (more than likely less but always work on the higher side just in case!) and flights and ferry about €150.

All in all works out to be about €24500. So a saving of 4000
 
Hi,

be careful that the UK car is older than 6mths or the Irish customs and excise will change you VAT.
 
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