ventmore

After only 5 months of ownership, my circumstances have changed, and I want to sell the Scoob. I took it into the local (non-subaru) dealer where I had spotted a suitable replacement vehicle.

Anyway, they said as they weren't a Subaru dealer, they'd have to make a few phonecalls to get me a price. I got a call this morning to say that they have checked the car out and it's an import. Since one of the first questions before I bought it was whether it was imported, I was sure it wasn't.

It turns out that the first owner was a squaddie, and after having purchased it from the local dealer, he took it to Germany where it was registered with different plates. He then brought it back and sold it back to the dealer he originally bought it from.

Now...even though the log book says that the date of first registration, and the date of first UK registration are the same, and even though I can produce proof from the local dealer that they were the first to register the car from new, and the service book shows that the first service was done in the UK, and the second was carried out in Germany, with all subsequent services being carried out in the UK, the dealer said that it is classed as a grey import, and they're offering me 6k less than I paid for it 5 months ago.

The problem apparently stems from the car showing on the Experian System as being "First" registered outside of the UK, instead of just being registered outside of the UK at some point.

I'm going to contact Experian tomorrow, and see if they can rectify the problem, but I'm wondering if I wouldn't just be better selling privately.

The car is an '04 WRX PPP with 30,300 miles on......any ideas what I should be getting for it?

Sorry it's such a long post, but I wanted to explain fully.

Cheers
Neil

Big_Papa_T

If all is well with the car and its in good condition i'd say its worth 10-10.5K private sale.

Mikkel

Only if you can sort the import status that is. Otherwise knock a couple of grand off.

Big_Papa_T

Correct, this is assuming it's not classed as a grey import.

jasonius

iTrader: (1)

Sounds to me like they're trying to justify giving you a ****e price..!

Even if it is an EU (uk spec) import it's value wouldn't be that much different from a uk car £1500 to £2k max IMHO..! There would be a bigger difference in value due to condition IYSWIM..?

When trading in, the dealer will use any excuse to give you as little as they can, at the end of the day that's business I suppose..!

What they offering you now..? It doesn't really matter what you paid for it as you may well have paid over the odds..! Check out the auto trader online for a good idea of current value..

ventmore

They're currently offering me £8500. I owe 12k on the finance, but realistically, I need to make 10k on it.

I think I may have paid a little over the odds, but I think we've all done that with something we wanted at some point

Forgot to say...thanks for the replies...much appreciated

bpm1588

i not so sure of the offer price but why not try a subaru dealer,he may have a suitable replacement car for you.plus mayby he might be a bit more flexable and understanding with the reg problem......my last wrx spent some time in germany and had a stamp on the service book but was never reg'ed there,it was'nt even an issue with the dealer come to trade in time.

carnivorous

if it's a nice clean UK car you should get 10 or thereabouts. parker's will give you a free valuation. www.parkers.co.uk. it's never spot on but will give you a rough idea of what to expect.

good luck.

ventmore

It doesn't show up at all on the HPI check that the dealer I bought it from uses, but it does on the Experian system.

As I say, I have all of the proof that the car isn't an import...right down to the original consignment order when the dealer got it delivered.

As for going to a Subaru dealer, the only one in the area has been approached by the garage I want to trade in with, and they offered 7k, as they admitted they simply don't want the vehicle

bpm1588

they say they don't want it but what they really mean is they want it for nothing.looks like you just have to keep pricing around and just bite the bullet with the best possible offer

bob r

iTrader: (46)

Surely you can get near 10k private for the car?
Dont give in to the stealer!

Mikkel

I think the scoob is just one of those cars you need to sell privately... dealers don't seem to know what to do with them.

I talked to a dealer a month or so back about a p/x on my car, purely out of interest and as a comparison, before considering selling privately (which I decided against in the end as it happens... anyway, they offered me £16k because "the car is a limited edition and garages are wary as they don't know what it is"... normally the fewer the car the more you pay, but that logic didn't apply when trying to dupe me Of course I said no and he called back in a week and offered me £19,500, which is an ok price.

leerichosti

sell it private **** the dealer trying to trade in my 06 megane f1 was offered 9k for it parkers guide syas about 12800 they try to pull your eyes teeth and most of your internal organs out too bide your time and get a good price for it mate

bob r

iTrader: (46)

This has just reminded me about a car near me for sale on a small forecourt.
It's a WR Blue 54 plate standard WRX (don't know the mileage) Have a guess how much is on the screen..............


14995.00 I kid you not.

ventmore

Thanks gents......I'm going down to see the dealer I got it from tomorrow to tell them to sort out the reg problem......it shouldn't be down to me IMO.

I'll probably sell it privately......can't get any pics ATM though, as I'm working 24/7 'til next week

Prasius

iTrader: (1)

It's utter toss. Its a UK car. Taking it to Germany and having German plates, and the correct lights fitted to it doesn't make it an import any more than sellotaping some sheets of cardboard to the roof makes it a plane.

stuh1981

I would also try a Subaru dealer. I was wanting to trade my03 WRX PPP (34K miles) in 4 months ago and from non Subaru dealerships the best i got offered was 9.5K, which was a pretty big hit on what i paid for it just a year previously.

Due to this I went back to my local Subaru dealer where i bought it from, to see what they had in. I fell in love with a P1 that they had but it was priced at 15K, I thought there was no way i could take such a huge hit but to my suprise they gave me 12K for MY03 WRX PPP.

That was 2.5K over book price, so really I got the P1 for 12.5K. The deal was done.

ventmore

Well...I've spoke to Experian, and they spoke to the DVLA whilst I was ln hold. As far as DVLA are concerned, their data is correct, and they believe that the vehicle "may" have been registered and/or used outside of the UK before first registration.

I phoned the DVLA myself to explain the history of the car, and they want me to pay £5, and wait 4-6 weeks while thay investigate where the car has been. I would also need to wait upto another 4 weeks for the data to filter through to Experian.

Basically...I'm lost for words......and that doesn't happen very often, as the young man I spoke to at the DVLA this morning will attest

PeteBrant

Parkers are pretty hopless with valuations of Scoobs amongst other cars.

THe best guide of your cars worth is setting similar specs on Autotrader and seeing what they go for. Obviously a car is worth what someone will pay for it.

ventmore

Just spoke to International Motors, and they're going to see if they can deal with the DVLA......fingers crossed

badgersport

I tried to part-ex a euro import sti last year and when I was offered a very low price I assumed it was because the car was a Motorpoint supplied, euro import. The dealer reckoned being an import knocked about £500 - £1000 of the UK price and that was on a 6 month old car. I ended up putting it on ebay and got £1500 more that the best part-ex price.

I suspect the dealer doesn't really want your Subaru and is bidding you in the nuts to see what happens.

ventmore

When the dealer asked the garage they were trying to sell it to for me how much difference it would make if it was definitely a genuine UK car, they said it would add a couple of hundred to the price......so I think your suspicions could be correct.

I spoke to a very nice lady at IM this morning, and she has since called back to say that they are now working in cooperation with the dealer to rectify the situation with the DVLA. I'll probably still end up selling private, but the next owner won't have to deal with this s**t storm when they come to sell

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Been there and done this too! DVLA are the biggest issue here. When you leave UK for BFG (Army speak) you have to have a "Certificate of Permenant Export" even though it's not permanent!!!! On return you get your old plates and everthing back The joys of serving your country

bluenosewrx

iTrader: (2)

True,

But the fuel coupons and autobahns are worth the hassle of BFG ing a car,lol

used to rag my old XR2i round the range road from Hohne to Fally.Then you had the Hohne Calais Rally with last stop at Wankum to fill the gerrycans robbed from the MT,Those were the days.

Mac

ventmore

I now have a copy of the letter that IM has sent to the DVLA proving that my car is a UK vehicle......that should be enough to convince people. As soon as I can get some photos of it clean, I'll get it into the "For sale" section

Cheers
Neil

SPG

What about your service book? that will have the supplying dealers stamp on the first page with the date of registration etc surely?

And in my opinion you car is definatley worth 10K in p/ex and should in no way be devalued due to it being ex-forces.

ventmore

The service book does indeed have the supplying delaers stamp, but the garages I originally tried were unwilling to take this as proof.

I have so far been offered £9,400, but that's still a joke IMO.

As I say, I'll probably put it in the for sale section, but I'll be unable to clean it up to get any photos before monday now due to work.

SPG

Give them a quick call and ask them if they could pop the fact they were the supplying dealer on a letter head. surely that would surfice for the new owners? feel for you with all the grief!

ventmore

Cheers mate...appreciate it

The car's now gone. I got £9,700 from the local second-hand stealer...no part-ex, but that's only because he was selling it straight on. I've lost a bit, but I was willing to lose a little just to avoid trying to sell it private, and having every rally driver-wannabe coming round for a test drive

Thanks for all the advice...it was all much appreciated.

Regards
Neil