Iron Chef Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 It can be done, just email me. I hope you're enjoying our glorious Adelaide weather at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debabrown Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Hi hoping that you may be able to help us with this one…. My OH has been renovating a 1964 Lambretta scooter for 16 months now, as our visa were approved and he wanted to take it with him to save on time he has had a professional finish the job, it has an MOT, but he hasn’t registered it in the UK as we have run out of time. All our stuff is being packed up by the shipping company on the 14th Nov and they have agreed to take the scooter and hold it until the license is through for a month. He has sent all details and the $50 to apply for the import license, sorry a bit long winded. My question is would this be categorised under the pre 1989 (or does this only apply to cars) or something else and how much longer will we have to wait for an answer, been nearly 4 weeks now???? Getting worried that all our stuff will go and the poor scooter is going to be left behind, it is his pride and joy J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted November 3, 2011 Author Share Posted November 3, 2011 If it has been 4 weeks, then contact Vehicle Imports and ask what the delay is - chances are they're missing something in the paperwork. And yes, if you didn't apply for it as a pre-1989 import, you've probably done a whole lot of work for nothing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debabrown Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Hi we called them this morning and they said that it had taken 4 days for the email to reach them and the 15 days processing is actually 15 working days so they would look at it maybe tomorrow!!!!! if they do look at it this week when should we hear back????? Sorry it is all so close now and getting a little stressed :twitcy:, as we all do or is it just us? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Druid Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 If it has been 4 weeks, then contact Vehicle Imports and ask what the delay is - chances are they're missing something in the paperwork. And yes, if you didn't apply for it as a pre-1989 import, you've probably done a whole lot of work for nothing... Hello Ironchef, you seem to be tha man to talk to, maybe you can advise, I applied for a vehicle import permit for my 2009 Mini end of September, I e-mailed vimports last week and they replied that they received the application on the 6th October and they would not look at it for 15 working days as they are so busy, problem I have is my car is being shipped with my household effects in a 40ft high cube container, the shipping company want confirmation on 11th that the car is going, I emailed vimports, a few days ago as the 15 working days would have passed and now they wont even reply, I dont want to upset them by bugging them, I have been reading that permits are currently taking 8 weeks to process, I am going on a 457 visa, before I even applied I called vimports and asked could I take a car on a 457, they didnt say yes, but they did say they could only tell me if I applied, could the 457 be the probem or delay, thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 Hi we called them this morning and they said that it had taken 4 days for the email to reach them and the 15 days processing is actually 15 working days so they would look at it maybe tomorrow!!!!! if they do look at it this week when should we hear back????? Sorry it is all so close now and getting a little stressed :twitcy:, as we all do or is it just us? Hehe no it's very common, and it's also common to get pathetic copy-and-pasted emails from DIT to make you go away. I know our internet is slow in Australia, but 4 days for an email to reach Canberra is a new one... Hello Ironchef, you seem to be tha man to talk to, maybe you can advise, I applied for a vehicle import permit for my 2009 Mini end of September, I e-mailed vimports last week and they replied that they received the application on the 6th October and they would not look at it for 15 working days as they are so busy, problem I have is my car is being shipped with my household effects in a 40ft high cube container, the shipping company want confirmation on 11th that the car is going, I emailed vimports, a few days ago as the 15 working days would have passed and now they wont even reply, I dont want to upset them by bugging them, I have been reading that permits are currently taking 8 weeks to process, I am going on a 457 visa, before I even applied I called vimports and asked could I take a car on a 457, they didnt say yes, but they did say they could only tell me if I applied, could the 457 be the probem or delay, thanks in advance A 457 is fine for importing, not having a reply since September is a joke. Despite what they send you in their copy-paste replies, their target service standard is to have it processed within 15 working days. They seriously have no idea how their delays affect people. Just so you can live your lives vicariously through me, here's the email I fired back to them when I got their standard reply... Hi xxxx, I appreciate that you need to reply with copy-and-paste emails because so many people are asking where their import approvals are, but the target service standard (according to your own website at least) is to have the application processed within 15 working days, not to begin processing after 15-20 working days. Can you please advise what is causing it to be a peak period currently, given that you are failing to meet your target service standards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Druid Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Thanks Ironchef, I will give them a call UK Sunday Night, Aus Monday morning, after seeing your e-mail I am not frighetened of upsetting them now, I just dont want to bug them as they will find a problem and put me back on the bottom of the pile again.:shocked: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 Funnily enough, I never got a reply, but the customer's credit card was debited for the $50 application fee about an hour after I sent that email Give them a call is a good option if you can afford the time to sit on hold, that way they have to explain what's going on in their own words... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Druid Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Funnily enough, I never got a reply, but the customer's credit card was debited for the $50 application fee about an hour after I sent that email Give them a call is a good option if you can afford the time to sit on hold, that way they have to explain what's going on in their own words... They billed my credit card 3rd November, does that mean they have processed it? do I have it?, planning on giving them a call Sunday night from the Uk, that should be ACT Monday morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazsmith Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Smart Passion 2002 800cc, with a value of approx £3k How much to import! Is it realistically worth it? Wife will be gutted to leave it but i need to convince her to get shut before going! Gary & Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Steve Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 They billed my credit card 3rd November, does that mean they have processed it? do I have it?, planning on giving them a call Sunday night from the Uk, that should be ACT Monday morning. I had been checking CC payments when waiting for mine. I believe that once they take payment, it means they have processed the request and assuming no emails asking for more information, you are likely to have been approved. In my case the first 'confirmation' I had was 8 days later when a physical letter arrived (from Canberra) with a copy of the approval. The 4 Originals they hang onto until you give them an Aussie address - in most cases the Agent you have selected. Apparently they won't send the originals to a non-Aussie address. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Druid Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Smart Passion 2002 800cc, with a value of approx £3k How much to import! Is it realistically worth it? Wife will be gutted to leave it but i need to convince her to get shut before going! Gary & Sue Hi Gary, substitute in your values exchange etc to the attached spreadsheet Car-Shipping-Victoria-Costs-Generic(1).xls Car-Shipping-Victoria-Costs-Generic(1).xls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 It seems my email got bounced on to the boss of Vehicle Imports - I got a phone call from him this morning! It turns out there IS a reason why it is a peak period - Aussies are all buying boats ex-US (courtesy of our strong dollar) which need import approval, as well as the trailers they come in on. Anyway, I explained my situation to him, and he has very kindly offered to deal with my inquiries and chase up my applications himself. One other point he also made during the course of the (and this changes how I've been doing things too) is that DIT would rather people submit their applications as soon as they decide they want to import their cars, even if they don't have all the supporting documentation. I had traditionally avoided sending applications till they were all complete so they didn't involve double handling, but Steve was saying that they are able to process the application straight away once the final docs come through rather than taking another 15 days, and that it actually allows them to be more flexible with their processing. So keep this in mind when you're applying guys! They billed my credit card 3rd November, does that mean they have processed it? do I have it?, planning on giving them a call Sunday night from the Uk, that should be ACT Monday morning. If they've billed your credit card, then yes they've started processing. They will normally contact you straight away if there's a problem, so no news is good news. Smart Passion 2002 800cc, with a value of approx £3k How much to import! Is it realistically worth it? Wife will be gutted to leave it but i need to convince her to get shut before going! Gary & Sue If she loves it, then sure bring it over, but from a financial standpoint, it makes no sense whatsoever She's better off buying another one here. I had been checking CC payments when waiting for mine. I believe that once they take payment, it means they have processed the request and assuming no emails asking for more information, you are likely to have been approved. In my case the first 'confirmation' I had was 8 days later when a physical letter arrived (from Canberra) with a copy of the approval. The 4 Originals they hang onto until you give them an Aussie address - in most cases the Agent you have selected. Apparently they won't send the originals to a non-Aussie address. ^^^Wherever possible, ALWAYS list an Aussie address on your application, it saves having to track down the extra copies of the import approval later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Druid Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Hi Ironchef, I called vimports, they had processed my permit and mailed it out 3rd November, its on the way to my mates address in WA, thanks for your advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wiltonson Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Hi Iron Chef could you advice if I should sell my car or ship it over to Melbourne? I have a January 2007 Toyota Prius and I paid £9000 as second hand in Jan 2010. it's top of the range (T Spirit) with leather seats upgrade and also 3rd party professionally installed 2 screen with DVD player plus digital TV with 4 remote controls. Car currently done 48,000Km (30K mileage) and I can see similiar car for sale at £8500 in the UK. Not sure if I can get that price if I have to sell it in a hurry as I want to ship it in early December. Additionally this car (of this batch) comes with 8 years warranty for the hybrid engine and I'm not sure if the warranty still remain valid with Oz Toyota. Me and my wife is worried of the import hassle can delay things for months. We wonder if it's easier to just sell the car in the UK and buy a cheap fiesta in Melbourne. Thanks for any advice, really panic now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 *cue the faint sounds of me shooting myself in the foot* I'd say start advertising it in the UK - with the aftermarket gear you've got in it, you've got a much better chance of selling it there. Much of the AV equipment may not be compatible when you get it over here, in which case it's wasted money. I can help if you really want to keep it, but the smart move would be to save the headaches and sell it there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wiltonson Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Thanks Iron Chef for the super fast response, my wife can't take stress with car importing so I guess we will sell the car here and buy a simple car to begin in Oz. Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackcab Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.aspx?menuid=0&doc=/content/47151.htm&page=4&H4 Imported vehicles - personal effects All privileged persons are able to import their personal effects, including a vehicle that they have been using in their country of residence or previous posting, into Australia for use during their posting, free of all customs duties, taxes and related charges. Help.....I am thinking of bringing a/my car with me to Australia. I am a UK citizen, i am also a permanent resident of Australia. I have been back in the UK for two years, i have owned my present car for the past 18 months. I can easily qualify for the personal import scheme on my return to Australia as i have never imported a car into Australia and i have owned the vehicle for the qualifying period of more than 12 months. But i am thinking of buying a better newer car to take with me, so i will only have owned the vehicle for a week prior to importing the vehicle into Australia. Can i ask, how much more expensive in costs/taxes will it cost me comparing importing the vehicle owned for more than twelve months to the vehicle i have only owned for a week. I know the personal import scheme is more cost/tax efficient, but how much. I just do not want to buy a new car, only to get hammered for import tax. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.aspx?menuid=0&doc=/content/47151.htm&page=4&H4 Imported vehicles - personal effects All privileged persons are able to import their personal effects, including a vehicle that they have been using in their country of residence or previous posting, into Australia for use during their posting, free of all customs duties, taxes and related charges. Help.....I am thinking of bringing a/my car with me to Australia. I am a UK citizen, i am also a permanent resident of Australia. I have been back in the UK for two years, i have owned my present car for the past 18 months. I can easily qualify for the personal import scheme on my return to Australia as i have never imported a car into Australia and i have owned the vehicle for the qualifying period of more than 12 months. But i am thinking of buying a better newer car to take with me, so i will only have owned the vehicle for a week prior to importing the vehicle into Australia. Can i ask, how much more expensive in costs/taxes will it cost me comparing importing the vehicle owned for more than twelve months to the vehicle i have only owned for a week. I know the personal import scheme is more cost/tax efficient, but how much. I just do not want to buy a new car, only to get hammered for import tax. Thanks This is why the Australian government annoys me with their misleading information - the term 'privileged person' really only applies to ambassadors and consular staff from other countries. For the rest of us, see the first post in this thread. You will qualify with your current car only, there's no point changing to a new one. And yes, you will need to pay tax on it (unless you're a 'privileged person' of course!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackcab Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 You will qualify with your current car only, there's no point changing to a new one. And yes, you will need to pay tax on it (unless you're a 'privileged person' of course!) So in a nutshell, if i buy a new car i will get hammered for tax and duties, just not worth the extra costs..................................... If i take my current car, due to satisfying the qualifying period, it would be more cost effective, but i will still pay taxes and import duties. My current car is a £2k VW Polo, what will it cost me all in all to get it over there.... I was going to buy a £5k VW Polo, owned for a week prior to import, what would be a ball park cost increase due to not satisfying the ownership rule... Whats the best time to call you Perth time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chandi Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 So in a nutshell, if i buy a new car i will get hammered for tax and duties, just not worth the extra costs..................................... If i take my current car, due to satisfying the qualifying period, it would be more cost effective, but i will still pay taxes and import duties. Hi there, it's not just a tax issue, you just won't be "qualified" to import anything other than what you've owned for more than 12 months, Period. Exception: Vehicles on the list below may be imported under a special license. http://rvcs-prodweb.dot.gov.au/sevs/sevsindex.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest judyb1940 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Dear Iron chef, You seem to be the person in the know re/ importing cars .:biggrin: Forgive me if this isnt in the right place its my first post! I am thinking of importing my VW cabriolet 2005 beetle to Oz, and wondering whether it is worth it? I have been told that if you get a recognised valuation from the UK the authorities (frm a vw agent) will use this price for charging tax etc...cause its prob worth about £5,500-£6000 gbp, but the price is alot higher in Oz, which I think would mean paying more tax, and I dont think i could afford to buy another one at Ozzie prices! Im trying to work out a general price for import, and would my car need any modifications ie/ speedometer to read predominantly kilometres per hr, would there be any other modifications ? as other people have said once they have imported their cars , they have been had over a barrel re/ costs to make their car Oz legal!! I have been quoted £5700 for a 40 ft container to bring it in, as with all my other house hold things. But have been trying to ask one part of the import agent exactly how much I woud end up paying to make it road legal ....but I dont get a firm reply...am I right in thinking it would roughly be about £2000...... Thanks for any advice ...in advance! judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Chef Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 So in a nutshell, if i buy a new car i will get hammered for tax and duties, just not worth the extra costs..................................... If i take my current car, due to satisfying the qualifying period, it would be more cost effective, but i will still pay taxes and import duties. My current car is a £2k VW Polo, what will it cost me all in all to get it over there.... I was going to buy a £5k VW Polo, owned for a week prior to import, what would be a ball park cost increase due to not satisfying the ownership rule... Whats the best time to call you Perth time? As chandi said, it's not a matter of tax, it's a matter of whether or not the new car would me the criteria to be eligible for import, and the answer to that would be no. As for your current Polo, unless it's less than 5 years old, sell it before you leave, it's not worth the hassle. Dear Iron chef, You seem to be the person in the know re/ importing cars .:biggrin: Forgive me if this isnt in the right place its my first post! I am thinking of importing my VW cabriolet 2005 beetle to Oz, and wondering whether it is worth it? I have been told that if you get a recognised valuation from the UK the authorities (frm a vw agent) will use this price for charging tax etc...cause its prob worth about £5,500-£6000 gbp, but the price is alot higher in Oz, which I think would mean paying more tax, and I dont think i could afford to buy another one at Ozzie prices! Im trying to work out a general price for import, and would my car need any modifications ie/ speedometer to read predominantly kilometres per hr, would there be any other modifications ? as other people have said once they have imported their cars , they have been had over a barrel re/ costs to make their car Oz legal!! I have been quoted £5700 for a 40 ft container to bring it in, as with all my other house hold things. But have been trying to ask one part of the import agent exactly how much I woud end up paying to make it road legal ....but I dont get a firm reply...am I right in thinking it would roughly be about £2000...... Thanks for any advice ...in advance! judy Hi Judy, Have a read of the first post in this thread, I put most of the important stuff in there as it has come up along the way - look at the topic "Customs value v retail value" or something similar in there where I explain how they calculate it. As a general rule, no shipping companies will have any idea about registration processes. Even if they did, the requirements vary from car to car and state to state, so getting an exact figure is like nailing jelly to a wall. Certainly nowhere near GBP2000 though, most personal imports are between $500 and $1000 for the work required. If your speedo has km/h on it, you should be fine, you just have to change the gearing in the odometer to km, which is usually fairly straightforward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackcab Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Here's an idea, i went to a local garage/trader to day, told him my situation, he said he will/would trade in my old Polo for a newer one (£7k), and backdate the sale date by 12 months, no problem he said......I was quite surprised, i thought all data was held electronically, but he said, just tell the DVLA that i forgot to send off the documents.... Criteria satisfied, helo Oz.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gchapmanswfc Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 did he have a sheepskin on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.