Wish I'd Purchased an Import

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 9:39 am

Well I like to be honest in recounting my experiences for the benefit of others so I'm starting this thread for members thinking of buying a new Pug.

I have my UK Peugeot dealer bought black b/r leather 2.0 SE Oct 2001 51 plate Pug now up for sale with lots of extras and would have taken Â£13,500. I bought it from a UK dealer because I felt I would have the longer warranty and courtesy car when servicing etc.

Since putting my car up for sale I rang round a number of UK Pug dealers, all of which don't want to know when I mention I'm not purchasing another vehicle from them. So its been in Autotrader now for 2 weeks but not one phone call.

I've just noticed a number of second hand and new pugs up for sale in AutoTrader, some of which have been advertised over a few weeks. I suspect the new ones advertised are imports from Motorpoint as these are only slightly more than the price I am advertising mine second hand.

Although these vehicles arn't advertised as imports, I doubt that many new customers care about the difference.

Its about now that I wish I'd gone to the hassle of arranging an import as I'm finding the second hand value of my Pug is being eclipsed by the value of these new cars.

I know if I was buying another one I'd go for the import until UK prices come down some more, as the second hand value of UK dealer Pugs seem to be very much affected.

I would say to other members thinking about purchasing a Pug that its not much point paying new through the nose with a UK dealer if they won't buy it back from you at a dearer price than an import. Members may find like me that they are then entering a very competative private second hand market where imports definitely seem to have the edge.

Well thats my experiences anyway, luckily there's no rush to sell my Pug, but its about now that I wished I bought my new SLK due 1st Sept through an import company.

Robbie.

carl · Post by **carl** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 10:26 am

The trade now recognize that the value of an import should be no worse than that of a UK car. This is fine for people like me who have a 2.5yr-old Scoob import (to be honest, I reckon I've spent more on servicing and petrol than it cost to buy). However, it does mean that unscrupulous people can go and buy an import, then put it up for sale within weeks/months for a higher price than they paid. This is against the spirit of personal importing (the rules state you must intend to keep the car for 12 months). Of course it's not against the letter of the rules, as you could say that your circumstances have changed.

Audi Man · Post by **Audi Man** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 10:33 am

Don't be so downhearted about the value of your car. A franchised dealer still needs to make a profit on the resale of your car, he will have to valet it and pay interest on the money he pays you to buy it until it sells again. I would be surprised if he would want to make less than Â£1,000 to Â£1,500.

So, private sales are usually always the best way to go. Your car has a three year warranty vs one or two years that come with imported cars (depending on date of PDI). A lot of the Trade Sales et al stock comes from Cyprus etc and is not to the full UK spec. Often their cars are preregistered, so a buyer is in fact the second owner. The cars may have had their PDI done 6 months earlier and thus only have 6 months of their warranty left whereas yours has two and a half years.

There is still a big stigma about imports, quite unecessary, but it does exist. Look at the amount of ads that say "UK supplied". This in part can justify a slightly higher asking price. The warranty is worth some more. The perceived treatment your buyer will receive at his local dealer taking in a UK car vs an import is also worth money.

So, Robbie, don't be disheartened. It's always the way when you have a car, when you drive it out of the showroom you suddenly start seeing loads of them. When you come to sell, it seems the paper is full of them.

When a potential customer is looking for a 206CC, they will not generally be prepared to drive more than 50-100 miles, so that narrows your market a lot. Many cars are still bought under company or private PCP plans with 3 year terms. The CC is less than 3 years old, so I would say that it is actually a sellers market right now with limited supply of clean used cars on the market.

All cars depreciate when they leave the showroom, but I don't think it's as bad as you imagine.

I run an Audi importing business, so I know a thing or two about importing cars! Despite being in the "know", we are still tempted to buy from a UK dealer so that my gf can have her car *now* in the colour she wants and in time for the rest of this summer. Car purchases are almost always a decision from the heart, otherwise we'd all be driving round in old Fiesta's.

Polish your car up, ask sensible money and hope for a sunny day when the buyer comes round.

Colin
http://www.sportimport.co.uk

Audi Man · Post by **Audi Man** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 10:40 am

Carl

I don't agree with you there. The used car market is like an auction, sellers can ask what they like, if there is a buyer who is happy to pay Â£x for the car they want, then a deal is done. On rare models (eg new Audi cabrio) people are openly asking for a premium on list. If I go to the trouble of waiting 12 weeks, bringing a car into the UK, completing all the paperwork and then choose to sell my car at less than other equivalent vehicles on the market, but which happens to be more than I paid, then good luck to me.

From experience, I have sold my last three S3's all less than 6 months old, all at a premium on what I paid. In each case the buyers knew they could order a new one for less and wait 12 weeks or have the car they wanted now and pay for it. As I mentioned above, car buying is an emotional transaction.

Where did you read the rule about the intent to keep the car for 12 months? I have never seen that written in any of the DVLA or VAT publications I have here.

Colin

carl · Post by **carl** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 10:57 am

Audi Man -- I think I have it written on one of the original DVLA importing documents that I had. I'll look into it.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 11:01 am

Well cheers for the support and responses.

I'd have thought that a buyer making a saving of some Â£3,400 for a 9 month old UK Dealer Pug (and me the loss) would have generated some interest in the second hand market. Especially as its being sold with an additional Â£700 worth of extras ie. windstopper, bootrack and Diamond Brited.

Sadly this hasn't been the case. I have always had at least a few phone calls on cars I have sold in the past so I suppose I'd feel better had I received at least one phone call after spending Â£50 advertising it in the Auto Trader over 2 weeks.

I do suspect though that the competatively priced imports are starting to gain more customers and therefore leading to more cars being snapped up this way.

Maybe this is why no UK Pug dealer wants to know about my Pug even though they quoted a price of Â£14250 they think it is worth because they still have a number of cars they have yet to sell themselves. Unfortunately their estimate isn't much use to me when the dealer isn't buying and when no phone calls come in.

Ah well, never mind, I'll check out the free loot and other avenues and if necessary lower the price again.

(Mind you with all this bad British weather I'll not be surprised if driving a convertible is the furthest thing from peoples minds at he moment).

Robbie.

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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Robbie on 2002-07-13 11:23 ]</font>

Audi Man · Post by **Audi Man** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 11:37 am

Robbie, forget all those other cheapo routes to advertising, save your money. I use only Autotrader and Top Marques (make sure you're in both). The market is very quiet at the moment, I have a TT Roadster, brand new at Â£2,000 off list and not even a peep from ads in above mags. It's not the car, it's the market, hold your price and sit tight. Can you email me the spec on yours, I'll pass it to my gf.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 12:06 pm

Many thanks AudiMan,

my spec is in the for sale section and I'll also e-mail it to you now.

I was thinking about advertising it in Top Marques as I'm an enthusiastic reader. I'll buy one today.

Robbie.

PS. Just e-mailed it from your website.

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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Robbie on 2002-07-13 11:21 ]</font>

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 6:18 pm

robbie,

sorry to hear about the lack of response but as mentioned i guess the poor summer isn't helping :sad:

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 6:21 pm

and maybe take heart that my dealer has advertised the rejected 51 reg SE at Â£16488 which is only Â£800 less than i paid for it.

it is low mileage at 2500 but it hasn't been on the road that much

if anything it shows that the uk dealer 2nd prices are holding up very well and it's maybe a case of hoping that someone who lives near you is looking for the car that you are selling as it's in as new condition with a decent saving over a new one.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Sun Jul 14, 2002 12:26 am

CB · Post by CB » Sun Jul 14, 2002 9:38 am

A very honest account of your experiance to date Robbie....I'm toying with he idea of selling ours when we get back in Sep. (how much cabrio use will we get in UK etc etc) Neither of us wants to sell, but it may be good business too...who knows.
As for this 12 month business Carl and Audiman are talking about, I believe thats the criteria for people who have bought tax-free rather than import. In this case that rule certainly applies, its 12 months before you can buy ANOTHER tax-free car, but you can sell after only 6 months.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Fri Jul 19, 2002 2:09 pm

Well anyone reading this thread, see my update thread "SLK Tough Decisions".

Robbie.