recent disastrous trip to italy!!
Printed From: Bavarian-Board.co.uk - BMW Owners Discussion Forum
Category: Regional & Specific Forums
Forum Name: Irish Forum
Forum Discription: where Irish members can discuss upcoming events, etc.
URL: http://www.bavarian-board.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=35506
Printed Date: 08-May-2024 at 22:08
Topic: recent disastrous trip to italy!!
Posted By: Eamo
Subject: recent disastrous trip to italy!!
Date Posted: 29-January-2007 at 14:19
|
well folks was away in turin last week trying to buy a 320is
now as some of you may know im a hard core veteran when it comes to bring stuff in from the continent - been to the uk many times - germany and france as well - so i know the score! now i knew italy would be tough but not this tough. I had been in email and telephone conversation with the garage selling the car for a full week prior to flying out. I was assured both orally and by email that there would be no problem whatsoever what me taking the car away on the day with the licence papers so i arrived at the garage at 10am that morning. met the guy i had spoken to previously and he told me that the car was elsewhere and was been valeted. at 11.30 car arrived. I inspected it and drove and was very haapy. this took about an hour. deal was done and i paid by credit card. I signed about 6 bits of documentation and had to meet 2 provisios before leaving with the car 1. a copy of my insurance to show i was covered on that car - not a problem. rang FBD - explained the situation, got a temp transfer request and they faxed it through to the garage. 2. they would only give me a photcopy of the tax book. Once i returned to Ireland I was to post back the no plates and then they would send me the original - no problem with that 1.30 arrived and they were still completing documentation. I was told to go for lunch and come back an hour later and that everything would be ready so after lunch i came and there was a problem - there was 3 15" wheels on the car and 1 14". they wanted me to sign a document to say I accpted that - I said no problem. While they went away to get this document the head sales guy came up to me to say that I couldnt drive the car out of the country as the no plate belonged to them and they were financially and legally resposible for the no plate. so after arguing with them that i had met their conditions, was assured by email that there would be no problem, the only option they would give me was to have the car transported out of the country which I wasnt prepared to pay for or do. at the latter end i said forget about it and got a refund on my credit card. i then left and needless to say got absolutely twisted that night in Turin. had to stay an extra 2 nights more than planed cos ryanair only do 2 flights a week to turin So I ve missed out on the car but I will be back!! |
Replies:
Posted By: KenM325Ci
Date Posted: 29-January-2007 at 15:31
| Ouch sorry to hear about that!! |
Posted By: gjoconnor92
Date Posted: 29-January-2007 at 16:09
|
Difficult trip that. It just shows that the novice would be on a "hiding to nothing" in a similar situation, when as you said yourself you have experience of importing. Hopefully next purchase attempt goes better
------------- Gerard O'Connor 
1989 E30 320i for track day use 1972 2002 competition car project (delayed!!) http://homepage.eircom.net/~goconnor/Fvee1/FVee.htm - Sheane Formula Vee mailto:bmw2002_92@yahoo.ie - My e-mail |
Posted By: Sporty1
Date Posted: 29-January-2007 at 16:28
|
I have always been lead to believe that bringing a car across from the continent is a 'piece of cake', but have never done it myself. A friend of mine is currently half way through the purchase of a Porsche 993 RS from H&S in Germany....wonder how that is all going to pan out??????
|
Posted By: T.J.
Date Posted: 29-January-2007 at 16:43
|
Typical italians!! I can only imagine the volume of shrugging, gesticulating, "tutti-bene"'s and jumpers over shoulders that came off during the whole debacle. Not what you want so far from home. It'd have been a nice razz back too.
------------- Mazda 6 MPS S1 Elise 135 Sport Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon http://www.bmwcarclubireland.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-3254"> 
Formerly E39 TDS, E36 M3, E36 328i, E34 525i, E34 518i |
Posted By: brybusa
Date Posted: 29-January-2007 at 16:45
| Ah mate..what an adventure to buy a car...at least your sense of humour shone thru reading that! |
Posted By: fozzymandeus
Date Posted: 29-January-2007 at 16:50
|
I've heard about the number plate difficulties before... Italy is a notorious place to get a car out of... If I ever try to get a car from there I'll be making use of my tuscan family!! |
Posted By: lukeduke
Date Posted: 29-January-2007 at 18:46
|
really sorry to hear that!!!!! ------------- Previous: 2001 M3 2004 M3 CS. Current: 2007 318D SE SALOON. |
Posted By: flyingalexf68
Date Posted: 29-January-2007 at 20:26
|
That's a bit crap. Buy why on earth were you going all the way to Italy to buy
a BMW? I might buy a Ferrari from there but I'd buy a BMW from Germany. there has to be plenty of well looked after examples there and the Germans are generally more efficient and speak better English then most of us! ------------- 1995 e36 3.0 M3 Coupe, Daytona Violet, AP Racing BBK, CCFL Angel Eyes, M3 Spoiler, M-Tec 3 Steering Wheel. 2000 530d Steptronic, Poverty Spec, 18" Alloys. |
Posted By: Eamo
Date Posted: 29-January-2007 at 21:14
its an e30 320is - only made for the italian portugese markets. they had a 2 litre e30 m3 engine in them due to tax purposes. standard m3 engines were 2.3 till the sport evo came out with a 2.5. these are rare cars - thats why ------------- |
flyingalexf68 wrote:Posted By: JohnH
Date Posted: 29-January-2007 at 22:48
|
How much of a pain would it be to do it again (but come home with the cat), now you know what's involved?
------------- |
Posted By: thepits
Date Posted: 29-January-2007 at 22:58
|
I offered to buy SWMBO a 320is to replace the the 318is
should I mention the LHD bit? ------------- Cats know your every thought. But don't care. |
Posted By: Rossi
Date Posted: 29-January-2007 at 23:04
|
S14 block too IIRC Eamo.. ------------- |
Posted By: Eamo
Date Posted: 30-January-2007 at 09:45
exactly!!! 192bhp from a 4 pot!  ------------- |
Posted By: beemerchris
Date Posted: 30-January-2007 at 10:32
|
sorry to hear that. Even in my days growing up in bavaria everone there was horified to buy a car in Italy (and the bavarians love the italiens so that wasn't the reason). My brother emigrated to Italy with his family 6month ago and he gets screamin fits ever so often..... Try to get garage plates here and you should be ok to transit the car trough europe. Maybe they give you some money of seeing that they said it's ok but changed the goalposts while you were there? Oh and to the german question they have special plates to export cars if the garage sorted that for you peace of cake. I for sure ------------- Chris 3rock-Car-Electronics-Services Cars.: e34 540t 6sp e24 635csi |
Posted By: Fey!
Date Posted: 30-January-2007 at 13:08
|
Can you not get ZZ plates here for importing, or do they only apply to export? ------------- "http://www.tempoantiques.com""> 
|
Posted By: Eamo
Date Posted: 30-January-2007 at 13:40
|
yes i did ask about temp plates but the garage were not keen on it ------------- |
Posted By: Fey!
Date Posted: 30-January-2007 at 16:00
|
So what if they weren't keen - it wasn't as if it would cost them anything!!! ------------- "http://www.tempoantiques.com"">
|
Posted By: Rhys
Date Posted: 30-January-2007 at 22:25
Never mind Eamo, 2 months later you'd only flog it anyway  ..right pain tho' going through all that and then being let down at the last minute. ------------- V reg Rustbucket Merc C220 Cdi estate J Reg Saab 900i 16v '63 Ford Anglia 105e deluxe R reg Honda PC50 moped.. No BMW as yet... |
Posted By: Eamo
Date Posted: 31-January-2007 at 09:38
i know that but the point is that they are legally and financially responsible for the no plates. Its not like here where you can go to any aul motor factors and get plates made up. ------------- |
Posted By: nn_dd
Date Posted: 31-January-2007 at 11:35
|
I would have just trailerd the thing out of garage as they had requested and get the guy to drop it off around the corner- 100 euro tops. Once they've got the cash, the car is yours, just take it handy coming back to make sure there're no extra complications regarding speeding fines on their plates. Or am I just talking out of my southern regions. ------------- E39 530d Touring |
Posted By: Estate_Guy
Date Posted: 31-January-2007 at 13:26
|
Hard luck on getting the car back. Maybe I am also talking through my southern regions as well but how about getting the car registration prior to travelling over the next time (if there is going to be a next time that is), getting two plates made up in Ireland, driving the car out of the garage without any plates in Italy (or wherever), park up at the side of the road and stick em on! Or am I missing something that deserves a 2 by 4 on the back of the head? ------------- Colm '93 BMW E30 316 Touring with 117k on the clock! |
Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 31-January-2007 at 13:46
|
I don't think you can register/VRT a car without it being in the country.
------------- Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual |
Posted By: Dergside
Date Posted: 31-January-2007 at 14:23
|
Eamo I'm pretty sure that Italy has a temporary registration process similar to the ZZ plate in Ireland. As far as I know the number plate designation in Italy is EE. I'm not sure what the mechanics of getting an EE number issued is but if you still want the car its worth suggesting to the dealer. It would get past their issue with the proper plate but they may have to deregister the Italian plate and knowing the red tape and so on that might take a little time. ------------- Now: BMW 523i SE '00, 318i SE - e91 '07, 325i Coupe '93. Prev: e46 328i SE Touring, 330Ci, 318Ci. e39 523i SE. e36 325i Coupe *2, 323i SE, 316iSE. e30 325iSE 2dr, 320i Conv, 320i 2dr, 316i. |
Posted By: panman
Date Posted: 31-January-2007 at 16:50
|
Just saw this ad for a 320is on classic car sales. Its the same car your
after right? http://www.classiccarsales.ie/index.php/906 - http:// www.classiccarsales.ie/index.php/906 |
Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 31-January-2007 at 16:59
|
Welcome to the forum panman! Looks nice but it would want to be for 10K! Does the price include the original rims? ------------- Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual |
Posted By: panman
Date Posted: 31-January-2007 at 17:25
Howdie  been visiting this website for quite a while but i'd
never even registered let alone posted anything. Have to design a banner ad for that website. So when looking through the site to see if there was any beemers for sale I saw the ad for that 320is. Remember seeing this post so thought I'd post the link to it. I know absolutly nothing about that car but does look like a nice one.
|
Posted By: nn_dd
Date Posted: 31-January-2007 at 17:26
|
Why those awful wheels ???? For 10K it'd want to be 100% ------------- E39 530d Touring |
Posted By: Eamo
Date Posted: 31-January-2007 at 17:26
|
hes having a laugh!!!
the one in italy i was buying was €4k!! thanks any ways panman and welcome aboard! ------------- |
Posted By: nn_dd
Date Posted: 31-January-2007 at 17:29
|
Hmm....what was the name of that garage again ? ------------- E39 530d Touring |
Posted By: Eamo
Date Posted: 31-January-2007 at 17:30
 ------------- |
Posted By: paddym3
Date Posted: 01-February-2007 at 23:10
that is is a bit rich and doesnt look well after. sorry to hear about your trouble. some day soon all will be good again
|