Importing (?) A Car Back From Overseas

[some_cs_student]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently making enquiries about buying a Nissan R33 Skyline GTR Vspec.

The only complication is the car is currently overseas (Spain) and *was* previously in Australia. So the car is going to be shipped back to Australia with all the relevant paperwork in a month.

The story is the seller was unable to register the car in Spain because its right-hand drive, and that the Australian registration is still current (because he bought the car from a friend in Australia).

If I do purchase the veichle, and the seller organises shipping (he has offered to pay for this), do I still get hit with customs duty of 10% + 10% GST?

Also is there any complications with compliance considering that it has being complied before? (What happens in this situation?).

I really need help ASAP as the seller has other interested buyers who are looking into it and would like a deposit made. Everything would be going via a shipping company...

Thanks,

Gareth

[memphis]

I hope this isnt a bargain $10000 V-spec, using the special trustable escrow service.....

[memphis]

Also i dont belive there is any issues importing a right-hand drive vehicle into spain..

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t294687.html

[some_cs_student]

No, fortunately its not . This car was on drive.com.au a little while ago...

Although the price is a little on the cheap side, I'm checking things out (I'm posted a VIN number in the thread about the Nissan FAST software) and I'm being careful about things.

However, the seller has said I can pay when the car arrives in Australia, not before (which sounds like a legitimate sale). However he does want a deposit...(waiting on the amount before I make a decision), but thats understandable.

I've seen pictures of the car and a VIN number so far . Although pictures don't mean much

Oh, the problems weren't with importing it. But registering the car over there....(according to the seller)

Edited October 29, 2005 by some_cs_student

[funkymonkey]

This deal has trouble written all over it. Walk away before you lose money, time and hair.

If it has been complied before tell him to provide you with the papers for the compliance BEFORE you purcase the car or give a deposit. Ring the compliance company, and the registration office for the state you're in and make sure you get in writing that everything is legitimate with the car.

Why on earth would someone import a Skyline from Australia into Spain. Its far cheaper to get one out of the UK which you can catch a train to and drive your new Skyline back from. A couple of cars we brokered have ended up in western europe that way.

[Iron Chef]

Seeing you're new to this, I'll let you down gently - IT'S A SCAM.

When I tried to sell a previous car, a guy asked for my details and those of the car, then posted ads all over the place pretending to be me...

Here is an excerpt from an email he sent to other people, telling them the car was in Italy...

Hello, I'm happy to see your interest in buying this car, yet, I believe you should know that for now i'm in Rome, Italy with the car, which is in a very good condition. I hope you like the car and also that we will complete this deal without any problems. About the transport, I'll have it shipped out to your location. What do you think?

Let me tell you that the price i ask for this Galant is 13000 AUD, the car is in perfect condition and with the car you will receive also the clear title, which can be registered on your name, so there is no problem about that. The car doesn't need any conversion because is AUS steet legal; it meets all regulations so you won't have to pay aditional taxes. It wasn't involved in an accident or anything like that, it's as new. You won't find a scratch on it, the paint looks great; I've garaged this baby.

The reason why I want to sell this car is that I realised that the import and register taxes are very high here in Italy so I prefer to sell it and buy another car. It is AUS street legal, so I can't find a buyer hare in Italy ,or in Europe because they don't like the car prepared this way. I love this car and I'm very sorry that I have to sell it. The car is registered in AUS and the other offers that I have are also from AUS and I hope that I can find a serious buyer. Thanks, Kristian.

Don't touch it with a barge pole

[funkymonkey]

would be interesting to see pics and details of the car you're looking at buying... chances are its a car that was for sale a while ago.

[jake32]

The following Private Vehicle Enquiry was generated by carsales.com.au:

Enquiry ID: 103759

Date: 19:15

Name: Roland Edmonds

Town/Suburb: Near BARDON

Postcode: 4065

Mobile Phone: 971507371847

Email: [email protected]

Comments:

Dear Sir/Madam,

we have a client that has intrest in the 1992 nissan sky line $32,900 you have

for sale,we would like to know your last asking price and the present condition

of the vehicle,we are located in the united arab emirate dubai,and as for

shippment my client has a shipper that will come to your location for the pick

up of the car,his prefared methord of payment is by bank wire trsfer,picking up

of vehicle will made as soon as you receive the fund's,please get back to me

urgently,i tryed calling your number but could'nt get through,i will expect your

reply.

Thanks,

Roland Edmonds.

Em:[email protected]

Cell:+971507371847.

has anyone ever got anything from this guy??

it smelt to me .wanted my bank details for deposit without any further details about car...then got another enquiry from same person regarding my Jackaroo ?? which i don`t own ..with the same proposition ..

certainly is some shifty fu*ks out there...

this one sounds the same

[Duncan]

wow interesting scams! and we think we have trouble with bad traders on SAU!

BTW if it is legit by some fluke there should be no issue bringing it back to Aus. If you can get proof of prior rego in Aus, you can import it without an import approval as "returned Australian Goods". Section 6 of the DOTARS Vehicle Standards Bulletin #10.

[some_cs_student]

Hmm, the rego plates on it are NSW....(and I can see the rego, who do I call to get it checked? NSW registration people (I'm in Vic)).

However, the seller is asking for $3.7K down deposit or 50% through a shipping company.

With the remaining balance paid upon arrival, http://www.cattalan-shipping.com/

I'm not too sure about that shipping company either. And while the car may be a bargain, I'll probably pull out of this sale (or say I'll pay $$$ when I can see the car, not before , or do a small deposit).

Also who can I call to check the VIN number? Nissan?

[Duncan]

There are a heap of people on SAU with the FAST software, have a search for that thread and post up there. in NSW the registerin authority is the RTA. www.rta.nsw.gov.au.

But no, way, for 3,700 for a gtr this is a scam for sure. As shan said at worst case they could drive it to the UK and get 10 times what they are asking you.

Get them to send you a photo with them standing with the car holding a sign of your choice

[some_cs_student]

There asking 15K which is unusally cheap. He said a friend brought it into the Country and he can't register it so he wants to send it back to Australia where the registration is current.

Maybe he just wants a quick-sale, but its still unusually cheap....

No, I wouldn't pay $3700 for a GTR, because thats a real scam (unless it has being stripped of all its parts ).

I've posted in the VIN number at the end of the FAST software thread (33 pages or so) and I'm awaiting a reply...(please someone check for me! ).

The shipping company is an escrow service which I don't like....

Thanks,

Gareth

[funkymonkey]

Dude its a scam. Move on.

You pay $3700 to the escrow, you never hear from them again. The deposit IS the scam.

[some_cs_student]

Ok, thanks for the info. Yes, it does look a little like a scam now the more I look at the deal...

Thanks for that

[blur]

if the car is that cheap it would be worth a trip to spain to buy it off the owner direcly!! if there is in fact a r33 gt-r in spain to purchase! smells like bullshit to me..

[some_cs_student]

Lol, found the pictures of the car pictures I was sent on Carpoint.com.au, at the price of 30 or was it 35K...

Except the pictures I've seen are more high-resolution, I wonder if the VIN number matches up...

Anyway, I've got some curiosity questions about what sites people use to find skylines (carpoint, carsguide, drive.com.au etc.) and what a realistic price is for a series 2 or 3 R33 GTR but I think I'll leave that to a future thread

Can't believe I made enquiries about that car (it looked a bit dodgy from the start!), should have trusted my instincts...

[BL01]

Mate, i don't think you should carry on with this deal. If you still want to go ahead, get down all his particulars and get a copy of a photo ID from him as well.

Edited November 2, 2005 by BL01

[BNR#$]

hopefully this guy doesnt paid a deposite and anything..

i had similar problem, but instead someone offer me to buy my car, and send me a US dollar bank cheque. i been told by my bank that i need a 30 day waiting period to clean the cheque.

during that period, the sender asked me to deposited the shipping charge by western union money transfer. and i even receved a letter from"shipping company" to comfirm the amunt and date. but i was not going to do anything untill the money is in my account. and gues what.

the sender withdraw the money after he send the cheque out! i end up with 35 dollar bank charge for dishonest !!!

just like someone else said, paid a trip if you really want this car.

ps, send him a letter and tell him that you will go there and check the car out and wait to see what is his reply

[some_cs_student]

Don't worry, as soon as he mentioned escrow, and not a major shipping company I pulled out of it.

I offered to see the car in person and never got a response.

I also found the car on carpoint.com.au (he got some higher res pictures of the car and the VIN number of the car).

Heres a URL, don't know if it will work:

http://carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/DesktopDefa...lias=carpointau

P.S. I was suspicious the entire time, I would never have just sent cash blindly!

[Iron Chef]

Do you know what the funny thing was, a guy saw some dodgy bugger advertising my car for $13K, then managed to track me down and bought it for $30K