Meant to explain - using a FX broker and doing the payment online via them, benefits you two ways. First you get a much better conversion rate than the high street banks will give (saves a couple of hundred quid typically), and second, the actual transfer costs 3 Euros whereas normal banks charge between £10 and £30 for the same thing.
Importing new from Belgium
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Could you pay in several visa transactions?
Visa Credit - probably not as very few people have anything above £20k limit.
Visa Debit - maybe, at a high(er) cost;
but why would you?
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Question out of interest if I may?
I imported my wife's French registered car a couple of years ago, which was no problem at all, and I drove it myself to our home here in the UK - all on French plates.
You say that, in your case, you were introduced to your driver and then proceded to Calais, on Belgian trade plates. I take it that the Belgian driver then left you in Calais and took his trade plates back with him?
If so, how did you get on driving the van from Dover all the way home, without number plates of any kind? Or, if you kept the trade plates, why did you have a Belgian driver?
Just interested............
I imported my wife's French registered car a couple of years ago, which was no problem at all, and I drove it myself to our home here in the UK - all on French plates.
You say that, in your case, you were introduced to your driver and then proceded to Calais, on Belgian trade plates. I take it that the Belgian driver then left you in Calais and took his trade plates back with him?
If so, how did you get on driving the van from Dover all the way home, without number plates of any kind? Or, if you kept the trade plates, why did you have a Belgian driver?
Just interested............
One word - insurance.
UK insurance co's will only insure an MH on the VIN number for driving within the UK. So a UK resident cannot obtain insurance valid in mainland Europe for a new unregistred MH.
Therefore the dealer provides his countries' trade plates and a driver for the sector to the port, and the purchaser insures it on the VIN for the UK bit.
Belgian trade plates are quite possibly not valid in the UK even if the Belgian driver came across with it. In my case we left the plates on the vehicle and returned them a few weeks later, next time we were over there, but that was just convenience, with the side benefit that an unregistered vehicle with no number plates can attract unwarranted attention.
I also believe that Trade plates are only valid when used by an employee of the organisation they are issued to.
UK insurance co's will only insure an MH on the VIN number for driving within the UK. So a UK resident cannot obtain insurance valid in mainland Europe for a new unregistred MH.
Therefore the dealer provides his countries' trade plates and a driver for the sector to the port, and the purchaser insures it on the VIN for the UK bit.
Belgian trade plates are quite possibly not valid in the UK even if the Belgian driver came across with it. In my case we left the plates on the vehicle and returned them a few weeks later, next time we were over there, but that was just convenience, with the side benefit that an unregistered vehicle with no number plates can attract unwarranted attention.
I also believe that Trade plates are only valid when used by an employee of the organisation they are issued to.
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Not quite the fact on insurance, I have got my Flair insured on the VIN from the day I collect it in Germany, Monday 6th tomorrow!! I know many insurers will not but the NFU at Louth will and have for me. They have a time limit that they are prepared to maintain it on the VIN, 2 weeks in my case, but that is extendable as I will want to keep it insured whilst the DVLA does its stuff and I can advise them of a reg number.
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When we imported ours from Germany we paid the Herman road tax the van was then fitted with German plates and covered by ins from the German dealer for two weeks.
On our return we got uk tax and insurance provided evidence to the dealer and the German tax was repaid in to our bank account.
The dealer was PALMOWSKI in Beilefeld
On our return we got uk tax and insurance provided evidence to the dealer and the German tax was repaid in to our bank account.
The dealer was PALMOWSKI in Beilefeld
A good result for you
I only relate my own experience; I'm with Safeguard and that's what they told me. When I first looked at insurance quotes and explained it was a private import NFU didn't really want to know. But I do know from other threads on here that insurance co's seem to change their minds as often as the wind blows !!
The answers you get also seems to depend on the pot luck of which agent answers the phone....
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