Car Prices

L

Lemurz

Guest
I though Charlie McCreevey's new job was to accelerate the single European Market. He seems to have gone very quiet since he jumped on the EU gravy train!

From todays' Indo........

A NEW EU report will today show pre-tax car prices are converging across Europe - but Irish buyers still have little to cheer about.

Pre-tax prices have varied because manufacturers have pitched them to accommodate the prevalent tax policies in individual countries. The EU Commission wants this practice phased out.

Ireland has one of the lowest pre-tax prices in the EU, but when taxes and VAT are added, the country ranks in the top four or five most expensive.

There have been warnings that Irish pre-tax prices, traditionally low to help offset the penal car taxation measures, will rise to meet the higher EU average.
 
Looked at a new renault on Saturday last ... the dealer informed me that the price of all renaults goes up by 1.5% in April. Mad ... the same car could cost me 500 euro more in a couple of weeks time.
 
Cars

Henny Penny what discount was he offering?

Check out this crew for a good deal........

[broken link removed]
 
the dealer informed me that the price of all renaults goes up by 1.5% in April. Mad ... the same car could cost me 500 euro more in a couple of weeks time.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a fairly standard closing tactic.
 
Thanks rainyday and lemutz ... decided against purchasing a new car ... Mr HP was looking to rid himself of his porsche and not many places will take old rust buckets!
 
Lemurz,

Have you actually used Internet Car Company ? If so what was your experience like with them?
 
There the DIY option too.

Friend of mine last year wanted an Opel or Ford , list price €14200 and the dealers around the area said €14000 incl delivery and plates . Best offer they could do .

He rang around dealers in Charleroi in Belgium , they settled on a price and TRANSIT (temporary plates) . He flew there on a Sunday with Ryanair.

That price was about €7000k or less with the transit plate on it (he had to go to an office somewhere) . He paid NO Belgian VRT and NO Belgian VAT on top of that €7000k as it was leaving Belgium and thats no hassle over there . The car is Right Hand Drive

He transferred his Irish insurance onto it by phone, giving the transit plate numer, and had a week before the transit plates expired. He drove home with it on the ferry and had it home on Weds.

He went to the local VRT office in the Revenue with the about €7000k receipt and paid IRISH VRT and then IRISH VAT on the 7k + VRT

The total including

Flight
Accomodation
Car
Ferry
Insurance
VRT
VAT
Phone Calls

was €10,700 or €10,800 so he saved about 25% of the Irish on the road price .

His warranty is 2 year EU wide one and he really enjoyed his first visit to a local garage that quoted him €14000 . They could not tell it was imported at all, same spec as here, till he showed them the receipt. The car is identical to Irish ones.

Needless to say the Irish garage was disgusted and came up with all sorts of crap about parts not being available and stuff when they found out where he got it .

The garage were instructed from on high to honour the warranty in full after he wrote a stinking letter to the boss and other than that he is a happier and richer bunny.
 
increase

i'm getting new merc and was told prices going
up buy 1.5% in april also
 
ICC

Most manufacturers usually increase their prices on 1st Jan each year. I'm not involved in the local car market anymore, so don't know what 2005 increases were implemented.

I haven't used the ICC myself, but know quite a few people in receipt of car allowances who have used them to acquire private cars. All cars are supplied by main dealers, they just neogiate top discounts as they know the trade well. They keep a pretty low profile so as not to upset the dealer cartel. They also offer second hand cars from the Carzone website, & do the haggling for you. They can also arrange competitive finance and personal leases. Maybe somebody else has used them and can post their experience.

I have used their sister company for purchasing cars for my company and can recomend them 100%.

BTW - I'm not connected with the ICC in any way. I like their approach, giving the consumer a good deal by dealing with those nasty car salesmen on your behalf!
 
Re: ICC

Tonka
that is mad, has he got a good language to close the deal??

So I take it that any of us can do that??
 
Belgium

<So I take it that any of us can do that??>

The Belgians allow card on the road for a week at least with transit plates and without VRT and VAT for export, the Irish and Brits dont, the taxman must be paid first. The plates are valid EU wide for that week.

Anybody can import a Car , ring these lot and ask for a bog standard Corsa RHD and a bog standard FIESTA RHD for immediate export from Belgium with transit plates .
Contact ths lot [broken link removed] , yes they speak English . There are others but you will get the idea .

Then quote your local revenue office the price they give you and ask them to calculate VRT on that and VAT on the Car+VRT price. Thats the total on the road cost .

Add flight and ferry and plates and thats about it.

Post it in here for us Quinner and never mind ICC who take a big cut for doing the same legwork.

The Economist
The ending of the EU’s block exemption for car dealers, which has lessened carmakers’ control over sales outlets, will gradually increase competition in the EU car market. This will bring down prices in some member states, but in Belgium, where car prices are lower than average, the impact is likely to be negligible. Some commentators have even suggested that car prices in countries such as Belgium might be equalised upwards, although we do not think this probable
Click to expand...
[broken link removed]
 
Re: Belgium

Cheers Tonka - Must do some investigation!
 
Begium/car imports

Even if the Belgium prices go up there are plenty of new members in the EU where prices won't go up to the "old" EU standards.Check also the Spanish prices,Denmark etc..
 
Re: Begium/car imports

correct Heinblod but the Belgians seem to have no problem sourcing Right Hand Drive cars , Hungary (I vaguely heard) is another but its a long drive :) .
 
Buying a car abroad

I have been following this excellent post with interest, as I am thinking of changing car at the moment. I have one or two questions:

Do other coutries charge VRT or is it just Ireland? I'm looking at online prices in Belgium, and can figure out the VAT figure, but need to know if I have to consider a VRT figure also.

I spoke to a dealer in Brussels, and he appeared to have no difficulty in principal with selling a car to me, although he said he'd have to speak to his head office.

Can anyone tell me if some car manufacturers and/or countries are more amenable than others in selling RHD vehicles?

Thanks in advance

Imperator
 
Re: Buying a car abroad

I will answer what I can for you.

Do other coutries charge VRT or is it just Ireland?
Click to expand...

From what I understand we are the only country to rip the pants off the car buyer.

but need to know if I have to consider a VRT figure also.
Click to expand...
Yes you do, there is a VRT calculator on the revenue.ie site
 
Re: Buying a car abroad

That price was about €7000k or less with the transit plate on it (he had to go to an office somewhere) . He paid NO Belgian VRT and NO Belgian VAT on top of that €7000k as it was leaving Belgium and thats no hassle over there . The car is Right Hand Drive The total including….was €10,700 or €10,800 so he saved about 25% of the Irish on the road price .
Click to expand...


I am certainly not up-to-date on this issue, but I did research this about 6 years ago. Then the situation was that the only cars worthwhile importing from Belgium were the heavier <1.2L super-mini versions. Anything larger than 1.1L, it was certainly better to import from the Netherlands. Savings in the 15% range were only achieved on cars which were relatively heavy for the engine size. This was because the Benelux taxed vehicles wrt weight (higher taxes forcing manufacturers to reduce pre-tax price to maintain market share) whereas in Ireland VRT was applied wrt engine size.

Very interested to know what the situation is currently.
 
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