NormantheDog

Bought a car over the phone and went to pay and collect it today from a Subaru dealer. When I returned home I looked through the log book and found it is a parallel Maltese import which was not mentioned in the advert and when I asked him on the phone before I bought it he says he said yes I just remember a long story about the first owner and no direct answer to the question. Long story short happy with the car but now feel I have paid too much as I had another offer on the table for a similar car but £1200 cheaper because it was an import so cheaper as it was when the first person imported it.
What is my legal position, can I return the car for a full refund or I am stuck with an overpriced car? Be interesting to know what people think the value is worth on an 05 WRX with 24k miles I appreciate I need to pay more if buying from a dealer. Very cheesed off.
Cheers

jonboy0373

Take it back if your not happy, i think it was miss represented when sold to you. have you done your own hpi check ?

NormantheDog

No as I was buying it from a Subaru Dealer I assumed they would have doen the HPI check for finance, accidents etc which I asked about never thought about doing it to pick up an import but as I said I asked and got some convoluted response which I took as a no.

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

Any link to the sale??

After 5 years any reduction in the original cost of the car will be lost in the mists of depreciation................ I've got a car from the Netherlands to UK (ish) spec, I would expect it now has the same resale value as a Uk car.

Shaun

GREGGYG

iTrader: (2)

If you are buying from a Subaru or in fact any seller, and the car is an import, this would need to be stated in the ad. If it isn't, then you have been misled under the Sale of Goods Act as the car was incaccurately described.

Call the dealer first thing Monday and mention this to them. Let us know how you get on. If they are not immediately forthcoming, tell them you are seeking legal advice as you believe the car you were sold was not accurately and honestly described.

Greg

HAGGY

iTrader: (1)

my car is a maltese import , they are not the same as grey imports , they are uk spec no difference in insurance either !!! but you were still sold a car not knowing it was imported ! so yer get in touch with dealer if youre not happy !!

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

Haggy...........was your car described in the advert as an import ??

Shaun

yorvik

iTrader: (4)

My Hawkeye is Malta import...to be honest I can`t see the problem. Subaru don`t build cars in the UK so they are all imports.

Abx

iTrader: (15)

When I traded in my euro hawk it was not reduced for being an import, as said above after a few years the initial saving does not really follow through, same as uk spec, only difference is importer passed on saving to customer rather than subaru making 25% profit or similar.

At end of the day only difference is a uk car was imported by IM, so if you look at it that way all are imports.

I'd pay same for euro as uk if I liked the car and was right spec.

Does dealer have to tell buyer it's an import?

Abx

iTrader: (15)

My old hawk is actually up for sale again on ph, don't think it's advertised as being an import and is priced as other cars of similar age, mileage and spec, many uk cars are actually cheaper.

HAGGY

iTrader: (1)

shaun ,,,, no ,, my car wasnt advertised as an import either !!! but wen i was given the paperwork to look at i saw it was imported in 2004 , its a 2001 bugeye , the dealer said to me then its the same as a uk bug !!!

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

Haggy...........just curious as car planet and most others dont actually say in the advert that it's an "import"...........bit of a tricky one as aaronb says IM "import" all the cars here...




Shaun

200sex

iTrader: (2)

right if im reading this right you phoned him and asked him if it was a import to which he said yes and then gave you the history of the car from previous owner and you then brought it and now think you have been ripped of ?? thats how im reading.

wrx287

iTrader: (8)

If it wasnt advertised as an Import then id get on to them and get some freebies

GREGGYG

iTrader: (2)

Yes, the ad must state the car is an import.

A Euro import was less to purchase than the UK car, even though they are exactly alike, bar a couple of different digits in the chassis number. This is why people expect to buy them at a lesser price than their UK equivilent.

The general rule for Impreza buying has always been to pay around £1000 less for a Euro import.

Greg

NormantheDog

Not really, I asked the question and got an answer that it was owned by a guy in the forces and has a UK PDI, I didn't get a straight yes and interpreted his answer as a no. I had looked at two imports which were £1000 cheaper for the same age / spec but wanted to get a UK car and also assumed a Subaru Dealer would be pretty honest and up front about an import particularly as the others had been and they weren't Subaru dealers. Happy with the car just feel I have paid £1000 too much as stated by response above.

Advert did not state it was a parallel import. I think I am about to learn an expensive lesson even though I asked the question.

200sex

iTrader: (2)

oh right ok cool yeah well worth going back telling them they didnt have it advertised as import see what they will do for you

NormantheDog

Already have and they have basically said tough. He is adamant he told me it was as it wouldn't be in his interest not to but then it's his word against mine. Also says it is bull**** that parallel imports should be £1000 cheaper as he says it is the same car. He told me the alarm had been upgraded when in fact it hasn't as an import it wouldn't have had one but now has a Sigma fitted. He also says it has an upgraded Prodrive exhaust in the advert but the paperwork for it states quite clearly it is another manufacturer's. His response is he will give me the best part exchange price in a few years time a laughable response for me to buy another car from him. On this basis though I can't see them remaining a Subaru dealer for much longer having only been one for a year.

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

Sorry......... I can't see a UK spec car from Malta being £1000 cheaper than a UK car after 5 years of depreciation, a few quid maybe but not a grand.

Shaun

dunx

iTrader: (3)

At five years old, just walk away. If it was in warranty still I'd be more likely to agree with you.

IMHO

dunx

P.S. That's assuming your insurance company agree that it's a UK Spec. car.

GREGGYG

iTrader: (2)

All Imprezas leave the factory without an alarm being fitted. The alarms for UK cars are fitted here by IM Subaru. A parallel import will NOT have an alarm fitted, hence the Sigma one on your car.

When you go to a car dealer in the UK, you expect, naturally to purchase a UK car, in other words, a car specifically made for the UK market....these cars may be exactly the same as their Euro counterparts, the difference only being the chassis number! If the car you purchase is an import, (i.e. not made specifically for the UK market, did not originate from a UK main dealer as a UK car), then you need to be told this in the advertisement.

I would go to the Citizens advice bureau, or alternatively have a read of the Sale of Goods act on the net and write your own letter to that dealer....I would suggest no further verbal communication as he sounds like an idiot.

He has been clearly dishonest with you by omission, selling you an car which was specifically manufactured for another country. (I know the UK and Euro cars are the same spec technically, that's irrelevent to this particular issue)

Hope this helps,

Greg

PS: I have been down this exact road myself more than once. I ended up writing my own legally threatening letter and managed to retrieve my money.

GREGGYG

iTrader: (2)

Hi Shaun, around 2003-2005, it was a tradition amongst the Subaru community to pay £1000 less if purchasing a Euro import car rather than a UK car, as it was also the same tradition to pay £1000 less for purchasing a non-PPP car.

Today, 2011 that may be very different, as you said

Greg

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

GreggyG.............yep, the PPP cost £1600 to fit new 2005 and worth about £200 extra today, if anything at all

Shaun

tazio77

Is it allowed to ask who the dealer was?, or could you PM me?

ste_brough

iTrader: (2)

Were the imports you looked at from a Subaru main dealer? If not then that probably explains the £1000 premium .....

ukimpreza

iTrader: (9)

The seller doesnt have to state it is a import in the advert as long as the advert doesn't state that its a UK car, but if asked the seller by law does have to say yes its a import or no its not, the same rules as declaring accident damage etc.

NormantheDog

In my long search I came across three, two from other dealers and the third one which I bought was from a Subaru Dealer. I remember all the fuss when people started importing cars to do them out of business and now they are selling them, well at least this one was and apparently has loads more on his forecourt.

I have concluded to have learnt a lesson and get on with life. My intention is to hopefully keep the car for three years by which point the import issue won't be on an 8 year old car it will just have hit my pocket in the money I will eventually use. Could have done with the cash to sort out the few bits which let it down - do some people know that kerbs are not to be parked in but next to?

ste_brough

iTrader: (2)

I wouldn't worry too much, my first WRX was the same story. Private seller though, told me it was UK, only when I serviced it I was told it wasn't by the dealer.

I remember my mate bought a brand new Clio 172 from Direct Cars, that was an "import" much the same way and he paid a fair bit less than the Renault dealers were charging. So the slight "discount" will only apply to new cars anyway, second hand there is no reason they shouldn't fetch the same money. As long as you've found a good example thats the main thing, not the fact it's an import.

ste_brough

iTrader: (2)

An it defo sounds like the reason they were cheaper was the fact they weren't Subaru main dealers .....

techno_brat

iTrader: (5)

back in the day of the classics and early newage alot of uk subaru dealers use to import impreza's themselves from belgium and malta etc etc because your only aloud to import 'x' amount of cars from each country, so when they were popular and selling alot of them they use to reach their quota and had to source uk cars from other countrys- they were first registered over here and came with a uk certificate on conformity(the important bit as to not make a difference for insurance etc), so would have foreign service books etc but are 'uk spec'. As was said technically their all imports. not quite sure how it stands if it wasnt registered over here? might need the appropriate checks etc like grey imports?!