Imports!

olih

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What sort of difference in value are we looking at on an import car? Im only asking cos i bought a 1.8T A3 and have just found out its a ****** import!!! Really am gutted, i love the car its fantastic but wasnt told at the time of sale (1month ago) and certainly wouldn't have bought it if id av known! Any help would be greatly appreciated cos im going to the dealer who sold it me 2moro for some answers and maybe blood if i dont get them! There not an audi dealer but are a large used car dealership. Do they have to declare the car is an import?
 
Dont know if they "have " to but im with u i would be serriously p1ssed off if i found out i had been sold a import with out prior knowlage . as AJ says phone trading standards , let us know how u get on!
 
If it is a UK spec personal import it will be exactly the same as A UK car, a fair chunk of the price difference was accounted for by new car tax which not unsurprisingly is a one off payment on new cars, also the option prices appear to be much cheaper in the rest of Europe.

As these extras are the initial losses you make just by driving the car out of the showroom I think that as time goes on the two values will inevitably come together, it is likely you are at that point now.
After all they are all imports anyway.

Also what age is your car?
 
the fact its a import shouldnt affect ur insurance but they do need to know, didnt make mine go up so good luck with it..

cheers tony
 
Does anyone know if the alarms on an EU import S3 are the same as a UK car?

Was thinking about importing a clio a few years back and would have had to put a thatcham approved alarm on it to keep the insurance company happy.
 
I got my S3 before Christmas and thought it was a UK car until I spoken to Audi who told me it was an import, then looking through the paperwork found the original invoice from a company in Holland. I was a bit annoyed at first that the garage hadn't told me (independant not audi) but I guess I should have looked through the paperwork more carefully before handing over the cash.

I was a bit worried that the insurance company was going to be funny about it and I Wanted to try and find out about the alarm before I let them know. Spoke to Audi customer services and my local dealer but neither could confirm it was the same (although both said they thought it probably was). Spoke to my insurance company expecting a load of problems but they basically couldn't care less!

I'm happy with the car, so no longer all that bothered that its an import.
 
Ok after phone call after phone call to audi at blackburn, bradford and audi's customer services, i have found out the car is from cyprus! it is uk spec but cyprus is a non eu country meaning the car might not meet all eu regulations. Spoke to my insurance company who informed me they dont insure imports and promptly voided my policy with them! As if that wasnt enough trading standards also advised me to contact my finance company, i found out they dont finance imports! The finance was sorted through the car supermarkets finance company. they wer not to happy when i told them as the car dealers didnt inform them that the car they were financing was an import, seems the car dealers hadnt even checked if it was an import! So now im stuck with no insurance, no finance and no flippin car! Thankfully iv got the finance company on my side!
 
Seems you have created a bit of a storm and it looks like the car dealers did not check if the car was an import, but one thing is for certain you now have a big pile of shoot to sort out.
 
Also on a car that is almost seven years old I am surprised that the insurance and finance co's are being so anal and with this age of vehicle there would be very little if any difference in value. I am sure you could find other finance and insurance co's to support your purchase
 
Was it 100% financed or did you put money of your own into it? If it was 100% financed, then it's ****** annoying & inconvenient, but at least you haven't lost anything. You can void the finance, hand the car back, and start looking again, this time a lot wiser as to which questions to ask.

If you have put money in, then I guess things are more complicated, but with some research in the appropriate places (like Trading Standards), you should be able to argue a case to get your money back from the dealer.

Whichever is the case, I wish you well. Let us know how you get on.
 
What a complete balls up!

dealer needs shooting! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burningmad.gif
 
Spoke to trading standards and as far as there concerned the dealer cannot claim lack of knowledge as they have a duty to check these things out before selling the car. They also said under the sale of goods act i have been sold a misrepresented vehicle and because of insurance being outrageous and the finance deal going pair shaped the car is not fit for the purpose sold for. The 12month warranty given with the car is also void. The insurance and warranty people want proof the vehicle is 'FULL' UK spec. I part exchanged my old vehicle(£900) paid a £2000 deposit plus 89.75 for 6 months tax, ive also made a payment of £274 for my first payment on the car and a £130 first payment on car insurance. Fairly broke at mo! Need a car to get to work and also need it for site visits, the management at the stealership doesnt seem bothered theyve sold me a ****** import, when i asked him what was going to be done he jus sat there smilin at me! He couldnt care less!
 

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