Hazelcrest

I have just got through this red tape - its 18 Jan 2013. I am now happily driving my Citroen Zsara Picasso 2006 in West Australia. I did not bring my car to make big profits - infact after transportation costs, tax , stress & long time delays its hardly worth it especially as imported cars do not sell well in Australia. We shipped our car on the 12 October 2012 & its only just passed going over the pits 2 days ago. Its not just the red tape you have to deal with its the lack of help from our shipper , shippers agent in Oz & the agent you have to pay to get it through customs clearance. They all charge you but do not help you with any information on the next stage!! My Oz agent for my shipment told my she did not need to know anything about importing cars or documents required & passed me off to the agent getting customs clearance for Kent International. All they did was to tell me I just needed to pay various bills including $ 550 for steam cleaning for the car. I expected to collect the car from them upon paying the bill but no, the car was at Kent International. I discovered I needed a 48 hour permit (ended up buying 3 of them) to get the car but after speaking to the testing station discovered I had documents missing which should have been issued by Victoria (State) along with my white copy of Approval to Import. These people also had to send you a sticker after the test (cannot be passed until they receive the partial test document in order to get this flaming sticker!!) What ever happened to techology here & knowone advised me of this stage until it failed because I did not have a sticker. I had to send my appoval of the test (still needed this sticker before it could be plated & passed) on a $13 recorded delivery to Victoria. Obviously the 2nd 48 hour permit was not long enough to use for the retest. All I can say is I am glad we bought a second car (we need two cars anyway) instead of hiring a car till we were able to use our imported car. Finally the clerk tried to charge me for stamp duty in West Australia even though I had already paid tax on valuation (had to pay a valuer to get it valued = jobs for the boys). After twice asking why I had to fill another valuation - statutory declaration on the car & why I was having to pay such a high 12 month licencing fee. She declared she had included stamp duty which I told her I did not have to pay (repeated myself)because I owned it from new & she had already asked for proof of ownership which I gave her at the beginning. As she could seen I was getting annoyed she then phoned a friend who told her I did not have to pay it. My conclusion is I did the right thing bringing it cause the resell value was so poor in the UK. Buy one in the UK to make a profit - not likely!! Unless you enjoy getting frustrated pissed off with everyone. Its a wonder why we are called winging poms !! Winde up Aussies delibrately unhelpful.

Oh you have to pay a valuer to value your car when it arrives the you pay import tax on the value. You may not have to pay stampduty when you have paid for inspection & passed if you have you proof of ownership logbook from the UK. If not you have to pay stamp duty & you need to have owned it longer that 2years I think otherwise you will be taxed again. I have not got that far yet. My advise to you is if you can sell it without much loss dont even think about it - sell it.

I have shipped my car with my container of household goods. Not sure if this was a wise move as the shipper PPS though seemed to know what they were doing the agent used to deal with the car clearance have been no help & I now have missing documents request by my shipper (Approval to Import a Vehicle in the UK now are req hereto get it over the pits for approval. The car is now at my house & I cannot use it - unlicenced untested & no plates. Everyone of my Australian Agents I thought would give me guidance know nothing (only customs clearance taking a big cut in fees etc). I thought they would be taking me through the process - instead I have missing documents (Originals needed) . I wasted a 48 hour permit because of this & its likely I will waste alot more. You can see the steps about importing on the internet & I am upt step 7 out of 8. I paid tax via the shipping company then additional fees of $844 for the agent dealing with custom clearance of the car - not sure what for. Then I paid $550 for steam cleaning & $138 fees . They have done nothing in sorting ot testing movement pit inspections etc I am stuck until either Canberra can produce some originals again or PSS.

We are awaiting approval of importing my car into Oz. My shipper implied that we are unlikely to have to regass the aircon system.......??? Not too sure on this one or if I will be asked to change tyres wing mirrors etc. I was under the impression that Australian citizens who have lived overseas are allowed to import one car as long as they have owned it 12 months (I initially thought this was tax free (NZ is)). Anyhow its seems I will have to pay a number of taxes for this previllage. Not sure on the value in OZ of the car since it was not sold there but I know if I sell it here in the UK its only worth £3500 approx. On the current rate of exchange that gives me about $5000 to buy a car . I looked at Holden Zafira 2004 model's knackered probably - $10/12000 on some web sites. Presumably I am looking at $5000 in taxes etc in OZ taking my car . Its a rip off I know but we have 3 kids the seats come out & it getting me over 50MPG & I owned it from new. I know everyone says its a waste of time & money & trouble too. We are shipping a 40ft container which the car is going in & I am still informed we will need the same size container even if we do not take the car. It costs another £300 for the shippers trouble to add the car. I wonder if you still think I am bonkers doing this & if I will be asked to change the aircon gass? Martin