Imports

Nickolarse · Post by **Nickolarse** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 4:57 pm

Has anyone experienced any problems with a UK spec car they either purchased from abroad, or got from an agent? Is it true pug dealers have a fit about servicing them, and refuse to take them as part exchange?

any comments most welcome, cheers.

Alex LS · Post by **Alex LS** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 5:18 pm

Servicing may be an issue - Virgin do their own package that covers servicing - although I fail to see why. Warranty repairs may be another matter.

I can't imagine why they'd refuse to take one as part-ex if it's full UK spec and first registered in the UK. They may give less for it, but since you're saving at the start that should cancel out.

Nickolarse · Post by **Nickolarse** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 5:20 pm

Does it affect insurance?

Alex LS · Post by **Alex LS** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 5:25 pm

I don't see why it should but I won't be able to answer definitively for another few months.

If the car is built to UK spec then it's identical to a car purchased in the UK and therefore there's no reason to insure differently (other than the insurance company being greedy b*5t@rd5).

They're all built in the same factory after all...

col · Post by **col** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 5:36 pm

Insurance cost vary from company to company, some ask if its UK spec then it okay. But others are funny about it if it's not UK sourced car.

I don't think they will refuse to take the car but will give you a stupidly low price to get rid of ya

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 5:44 pm

I was in my dealer recently, Wokingham Motors, and saw a poster on the wall explaining that a person had bought an import and it developed a fault.
The customer had to pay 1400 pounds for it to be fixed.
They said that if it was bought in the UK then it would have been covered. Some polaroid pictures showing the problems.

As for import cars on insurance a friend of mine had a lot of trouble insuring his imported Corsa...I dont know about CC's though

NikNik · Post by **NikNik** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 5:48 pm

Still regarding imports -has anyone heard of a Tibli (or similar) blue. A garage has said that they can get hold of one but i've never heard of it. I checked to see if it was Aegean but they said no - Any ideas??

Julia · Post by **Julia** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 5:59 pm

Chris - do you own a black CC?
If not which colour as I am close to Wokingham!
Julia

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 6:09 pm

when you think of the number of CC's with problems, you should remember that a dealer won't give you a courtesy car if your import CC is in for repair.

until it was rejected, my CC had been at the dealer for 36 days and in terms of car hire that would easily have cost Â£750. i also wouldn't expect the rejection process to be so easy with an importer or peugeot against a uk dealer.

when i rejected my CC, i was offered a full cash refund. i thought about taking this and then sourcing an import and save a few Â£k, but then i considered the back-up you get from a dealer compared to an importer - for that reason i took a replacement from my dealer.

also worth remembering is what you save when you buy the car is going to be a similar loss when you sell it.

derek

Alex LS · Post by **Alex LS** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 6:16 pm

Virgin have the 3 years' service & warranty package including pick-up and return. If it's longer than a day, I think you may need to hire a car though.

However, if you're financing your car with HP or PCP, your contract is with the finance company so you can go after them instead of the supplier in a different country.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: alexls on 2002-03-18 17:16 ]</font>

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 6:28 pm

> However, if you're financing your car
> with HP or PCP, your contract is with the
> finance company so you can go after them
> instead of the supplier in a different
> country.

and if you bought your car outright like i did then you are effectively ******

gmjones · Post by **gmjones** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 6:36 pm

I know quite a few people that have import cars (UK Spec). None of them have had any problems regards servicing and warranty repairs. I think most of them have courtesy cars as well. Until the UK get their act together regarding UK prices then a lot of people are going to start importing. I imported my VW Golf a couple of years ago and had no problems at all regards the car being an import. A CC these days on import will save you around Â£3000-3500. I know what I would do

.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 6:46 pm

Nick, perhaps in your circumstances you would be better to sell the car second hand yourself and pocket more than a dealer would give.

You may need to mention that the car was originally sourced from abroad when you come to sell it to avoid any misrepresentation (especially if a buyer were to experience hassle from servicing main dealers due to its origins).

I suppose a bit of hassle with dealers is the down side to importing, but if the european playing field were level with regard to Peugeot's prices, then none of us would have to worry about the potential of paying over the odds in the UK (or the hassle from protective dealers if we don't).

To be fair to dealers though, I think they may get some hassle from Peugeot HQ if they deal with cars sourced from abroad, after all, it appears to me that manufacturers have a nice little number going overpricing cars in the UK (compared with abroad) and one can see how they would wish to jelously protect their extra profits (I'll jump off my soap box now - lol).

Robbie.

Alex LS · Post by **Alex LS** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 8:09 pm

gmjones, that's good to know. Legally, I would have thought that since the car is sourced in the EU, (and I'm sure the warranty is EU-wide in any case) there shouldn't really be a problem.

gmjones · Post by **gmjones** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 9:04 pm

Alex you should have no problems with an import. As long as it is UK spec then there is no problems. You dont even have to tell the dealers. I have ordered my cc on import and saved Â£3100. I am the first registered user unlike some import companies. I cant see why there would be any problems. A woman in work with me imported a BMW from germany and one BMW garage refused to service the car. Bad mistake she then went back to the garage in Germany who hit the roof with the UK garage. She had a free service after all the hastle

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