Buying new Merc before Brexit

[Lordofknutsford]

I’ve spoken to Merc Grimsby via Carwow who can’t sell me a new car (gt 4 door 63s) Unless it’s already built and in the country. Lots of excuses including: possible extra fees.. build date could be a year.. COVID...

But surely if I buy it now for the current price and it’s built & delivered next year, tariffs wouldn’t apply.
Is this a UK wide problem? Have Merc stopped selling prematurely?

 

[grayb]

MB UK will have to pay any tariffs etc that will be due at the date that the car physically enters the UK. This will presumably be after the 1st of January now. The problem is, no one knows what those tariffs might be...

I wonder why this is the case? Hmm...

 

[peterws1957]

It's come to something when MB won't sell you a GT 63S. I'd be tempted to ring round a few more dealers - some are going to be desperate.

 

[davemercedes]

Write to Bumbling Boris and ask him for an "oven ready" solution to this problem!

 

[ajlsl600]

I would be well happy if HE was oven ready !!!

 

[Tony Dyson]

Roll on Brexit is my opinion, then we will all be able to revert to the previous practices of ordering RHD models for delivery and pickup at the EU dealerships saving a small fortune on inflated UK prices, Land Rover in the '70's would even deliver to a UK address! I've no doubt the goalposts will change with the manufacturers wanting to protect their profits but where there's a will there's a way.

 

[eman]

Its country wide I’m afraid. If there’s nothing in the country now in your spec its at least a March delivery. The offer on the EQC for 0.00%apr and0.0% fixed with a free wall box must be registered before the end of December or they can’t guarantee the offer next year. Was also told the German car plants are only a 20% production

 

[Oldspanners]

Roll on Brexit is my opinion, then we will all be able to revert to the previous practices of ordering RHD models for delivery and pickup at the EU dealerships saving a small fortune on inflated UK prices, Land Rover in the '70's would even deliver to a UK address! I've no doubt the goalposts will change with the manufacturers wanting to protect their profits but where there's a will there's a way.

"Roll on Brexit is my opinion, then we will all be able to revert to the previous practices of ordering RHD models for delivery and pickup at the EU dealerships saving a small fortune on inflated UK prices"
You seem to be in the know, where did you get your information from?

 

[grayb]

Roll on Brexit is my opinion, then we will all be able to revert to the previous practices of ordering RHD models for delivery and pickup at the EU dealerships saving a small fortune on inflated UK prices, Land Rover in the '70's would even deliver to a UK address! I've no doubt the goalposts will change with the manufacturers wanting to protect their profits but where there's a will there's a way.

You would probably then have to pay the Customs Duties, VAT etc yourself when you import the car, plus the Customs Agents fees (you can't do the Customs entries yourself, they have to be done using HMRC's software). Life will not be simple, even if our Government manages a 'deal' - we will still be doing the Customs entries.
Guess whose business relies on imported goods, as they aren't made in the UK...

 

[d215yq]

Roll on Brexit is my opinion, then we will all be able to revert to the previous practices of ordering RHD models for delivery and pickup at the EU dealerships saving a small fortune on inflated UK prices, Land Rover in the '70's would even deliver to a UK address! I've no doubt the goalposts will change with the manufacturers wanting to protect their profits but where there's a will there's a way.

I believe the EU enshrines that right and it is only due to the EU you have the right. The reaosn it's "disappeared" is because the difference has eroded away and manufacturers no longer price differentiate, there's nothign to stop you buying a car from a French dealer today.

I work in the car industry and at the moment it's about 1) moving all supply chains to avoid buying anything from anywhere in the UK or moving goods through the UK where at all possible 2) working out new prices to include the potential tariffs on UK vehicle sales/temporarily reducing reliance on the UK market.

I'm surprised they won't sell such a high end car where they can stomach a bit of extra unforeseen tariff without eating too much profit but there is a lot of doubt now - and not just tariffs for cars but how Dover would work and whether supply chains/parts can even be delivered.

Now I know some will say "yes but we traded before" and yes we did and will eventually, but the fact is the rules for trade are still not sorted at the 11th hour and that means that many suppliers will have to break the customs/trade regulations to supply (not having the ability to create export certificates, being one example. The government and EU will likely take a prgamatic approach, at least to begin with, but some companies cannot/will not take that compliance risk and as such if it's not a crucial market it's less bother just to not make any promises and try to avoid anything going through the UK atleast until the rules are cleared and there's some sort of precedent as to how it will all work.

There's also covid and the prospect of further lockdowns over winter that may impact production, etc which adds to it.

 

[Tony Dyson]

"Roll on Brexit is my opinion, then we will all be able to revert to the previous practices of ordering RHD models for delivery and pickup at the EU dealerships saving a small fortune on inflated UK prices"
You seem to be in the know, where did you get your information from?

Cars are generally cheaper in Europe anyway and Holland in particular because of the high taxes on vehicles over there, dealerships are under more pressure to be more competitive, vehicle tax rates in Denmark and Finland are also very high making those destinations popular, when you buy a car for export from these countries, it's bought tax free and you pay UK VAT when you import to the UK, savings will fluctuate, the exchange rate isn't very good at the moment but the better the marque and specification of the vehicle the more savings are there to be had, maximise savings by doing all the work yourself or contact the many dealerships around Schiphol Airport they will all provide the service, a popular service with Ex-Pats where they wouldn't be liable for UK VAT as well!

 

[Tony Dyson]

I believe the EU enshrines that right and it is only due to the EU you have the right. The reaosn it's "disappeared" is because the difference has eroded away and manufacturers no longer price differentiate, there's nothign to stop you buying a car from a French dealer today...

"I believe the EU enshrines that right and it is only due to the EU you have the right." Not the case, UK customers have been ordering and buying RHD cars in Europe before the UK joined the EU in 1973 and nothing has disappeared, it's perhaps not as active as it has been in the past but there is still an active market out there because someone is price differentiating whether it's the manufacturers or the dealers, cars are cheaper in Europe, especially Holland.

 

[d215yq]

"I believe the EU enshrines that right and it is only due to the EU you have the right." Not the case, UK customers have been ordering and buying RHD cars in Europe before the UK joined the EU in 1973 and nothing has disappeared, it's perhaps not as active as it has been in the past but there is still an active market out there because someone is price differentiating whether it's the manufacturers or the dealers, cars are cheaper in Europe, especially Holland.

OK the EU en shrines that right since we've been members under the free market competition rules ( I wasn't born in 1973). But not sure who will enforce it now as that's the bigp roblem... things don't just go back to 1973 when we leave and various rights transferred to oversight by the EU will need to be reawoken and may well not be (particularly as this will not be on anyone's priority list).

The more analysis we're doing on customs and trade, the less we know what will happen post Jan and the more questions are asked with no answers. It's difficult to bet on anything and hence why there could be disruption as per the op. I'm pretty sure that short to mid term Brexit certainly won't make anything easier to get nor cheaper.

Ps. The cars are cheaper in Holland/denmark because the tax is so expensive there (can be 120 percent of value!) that the manufacturers traditionally "help out" as much as they can to reduce the purchase price and so it made sense on luxury cars to buy there. Not sure if there's much in it any more but it could still be. Certainly in Spain cars are very slightly more expensive than in the uk but nothing really in it.

 

[Tony Dyson]

OK the EU en shrines that right since we've been members under the free market competition rules ( I wasn't born in 1973). But not sure who will enforce it now as that's the bigp roblem... things don't just go back to 1973 when we leave and various rights transferred to oversight by the EU will need to be reawoken and may well not be (particularly as this will not be on anyone's priority list).

The more analysis we're doing on customs and trade, the less we know what will happen post Jan and the more questions are asked with no answers. It's difficult to bet on anything and hence why there could be disruption as per the op. I'm pretty sure that short to mid term Brexit certainly won't make anything easier to get nor cheaper.

Ps. The cars are cheaper in Holland/denmark because the tax is so expensive there (can be 120 percent of value!) that the manufacturers traditionally "help out" as much as they can to reduce the purchase price and so it made sense on luxury cars to buy there. Not sure if there's much in it any more but it could still be. Certainly in Spain cars are very slightly more expensive than in the uk but nothing really in it.

Well that's virtually everything I said originally, of course goalposts are going to move as I'm sure they have done persistently since the '70's, Britain was known then to the European Manufacturers in the car industry as "Treasure Island" and I'm pretty certain there will be those who will be making efforts to replicate those times.

 

[sonic]

Cars are generally cheaper in Europe anyway and Holland in particular because of the high taxes on vehicles over there, dealerships are under more pressure to be more competitive, vehicle tax rates in Denmark and Finland are also very high making those destinations popular, when you buy a car for export from these countries, it's bought tax free and you pay UK VAT when you import to the UK, savings will fluctuate, the exchange rate isn't very good at the moment but the better the marque and specification of the vehicle the more savings are there to be had, maximise savings by doing all the work yourself or contact the many dealerships around Schiphol Airport they will all provide the service, a popular service with Ex-Pats where they wouldn't be liable for UK VAT as well!

I bought a new tax free Austin 1300 in 1972 whilst serving in Germany. Not my first choice but because of a change in circumstances I needed to have the car in 6 weeks, & only BLMC could provide. Just over 2 years later I sold it in the UK for what I paid for it new.

 

[Oldspanners]

Cars are generally cheaper in Europe anyway and Holland in particular because of the high taxes on vehicles over there, dealerships are under more pressure to be more competitive, vehicle tax rates in Denmark and Finland are also very high making those destinations popular, when you buy a car for export from these countries, it's bought tax free and you pay UK VAT when you import to the UK, savings will fluctuate, the exchange rate isn't very good at the moment but the better the marque and specification of the vehicle the more savings are there to be had, maximise savings by doing all the work yourself or contact the many dealerships around Schiphol Airport they will all provide the service, a popular service with Ex-Pats where they wouldn't be liable for UK VAT as well!

Well if you think exit is going to make anything produced in the EU cheaper in the UK, good luck.

 

[Oldspanners]

Well that's virtually everything I said originally, of course goalposts are going to move as I'm sure they have done persistently since the '70's, Britain was known then to the European Manufacturers in the car industry as "Treasure Island" and I'm pretty certain there will be those who will be making efforts to replicate those times.

A manufacturer will have no reason and no obligation to supply a UK specification car outside of the UK after exit.

 

[Tony Dyson]

Well if you think exit is going to make anything produced in the EU cheaper in the UK, good luck.

You miss the point, it will be bought outside the UK in a more competitive market.

 

[Tony Dyson]

A manufacturer will have no reason and no obligation to supply a UK specification car outside of the UK after exit.

Oooh yes they will, EU legislation says so.

 

[Oldspanners]

You miss the point, it will be bought outside the UK in a more competitive market.

How will you buy something that won't be supplied?

Oooh yes they will, EU legislation says so.

I'd like to see that legislation that says after the 31st December a vehicle supplied for a non EU ie third country has to be supplied within the EU for a non EU citizen.