Ireland is witnessing phenomenal growth in the luxury car importation market, with Audi imports alone practically doubling in the last two years, according to new figures released today by Cartell.ie – Ireland’s only used car history check.

Cost saving and specification benefits can be found by purchasing in the UK, which explains why both private buyers and Irish car dealers looking for bargains make the trip.

Cartell.ie hold information on every car registered in Ireland and when importation figures from January 05, 06 and 07 are compared, the number of Audis imported into the country more than trebles!

Nicola Aherne, Director of Cartell.ie, attributes this trend to the fact that more and more high specification car buyers are keen to avoid Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT).

She commented:

“We’re not in the least bit surprised by these figures.  Discerning car-buyers are still eager for a bargain and know that they can save thousands on the vehicle of their choice by buying overseas. The number of luxury vehicles such as Audis and BMWs being imported from countries like the UK will only increase in the next few years while the anomaly in Vehicle Registration Tax remains in place.

“It’s widely believed that many people importing UK cars are deliberately understating their specification, and in consequence the VRT they pay is substantially lower than it should be.  Given that approximately 80,000 vehicles are imported annually, the likelihood of Revenue inspecting the vehicle is minimal.”

This week, the deadline closes for submissions to the Department of Finance on how a new emissions-based vehicle tax system should operate – a development which has re-ignited a broader debate about the Irish car taxation system and one of its key components, Vehicle Registration Tax.

Cartell.ie have in the past, urged caution to car buyers searching for bargains in the UK as they deal with customers on a daily basis who have encountered unforeseen problems when they attempt to re-sell cars purchased in the UK once they return to Ireland.

Nicola says:

“Individuals buying overseas need to be just as careful as those buying at home.  Every day, we hear from customers who’ve picked up cars in the UK only to find when they attempt to sell them in Ireland that they’ve purchased a car that’s been previously written off or had its mileage altered.  Unfortunately, unscrupulous sellers go out of their way to disguise some of the less desirable elements of the car’s previous history.”

“We caution all car buyers to conduct a thorough background check on the vehicle of their choice before they hand over their hard-earned cash. At Cartell.ie, we’ve come into contact with many car owners who have been duped by vendors overseas and are left with very little course of redress.”

Cartell.ie cautions all car importers to conduct thorough background checks on vehicles via a similarly reputable car history provision service – such as HPI – and to fully familiarise themselves with the UK versions of Irish vehicle documentation.

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