While buying a car abroad can be advantageous for finding exclusive models or good prices, it’s also true that it’s a rather complex purchase, where it’s important to pay attention to various aspects to avoid unpleasant surprises. Without expert guidance, indeed, with imported cars, you can face risks that can turn a great deal into a real nightmare. From verifying the correspondence between the advertisement and the actual vehicle to checking the documentation, let’s look together at the aspects to consider when buying an imported car and concluding a good deal.
Risks on Imported Cars: 5 Aspects to Verify
Finding the car of your dreams on a foreign vehicle sales portal, perhaps after a long search, is a dream come true. However, it’s precisely at this moment that you need to be particularly careful to avoid unpleasant surprises. But what are the most frequent risks associated with importing used cars? Our experience in this sector has allowed us to identify, in particular, 5 aspects to verify before buying a car abroad:
- Origin
- Terms and Conditions
- Price
- Documentation
- Warranty
1) Be cautious with vehicles imported from certain countries
Purchasing a car from certain countries can expose you to greater risks. For example, the Baltic Republics import a large number of vehicles from the United States and consequently have a wide range of American cars for sale. Often, however, sellers require cash payments, and this prevents purchases from Italy, as our Tax Agency requires all payments to be traceable. It’s better, therefore, to turn to dealers in other countries.
2) Correspondence between advertisement and reality
When buying cars online from abroad, not being able to see the vehicle you want to buy with your own eyes is certainly a limitation, and the risk of retouched photos, inaccurate descriptions, and missing information could exist. A car, in fact, may appear in perfect condition in photos but have undeclared structural or mechanical problems. By turning to a specialized company like Importami Auto, however, it’s possible to have all the detailed documentation available, get in touch with the seller for further information and, if desired, even carry out an on-site inspection of the vehicle through a specialized workshop, in case there are grounds for requesting additional checks before purchase.
3) Price with or without VAT
The payment of VAT on imported cars is one of the major concerns for those about to make this type of purchase. And it’s not always easy to understand if the price indicated in a sales advertisement already includes VAT, or if it needs to be adjusted to the Italian VAT rate compared to the rate in the country where the car is for sale. In short, it’s not an easy issue to resolve if you don’t have some familiarity. Also in this case, therefore, to know with certainty what the total expense will be for purchasing the car, our advice is to turn to a specialized agency like Importami Auto.
4) Complete and compliant documentation
Before purchase, another important aspect to consider is the vehicle’s documentation. In fact, the absence of original documents or the presence of discrepancies in ownership and conformity certificates can make registration in Italy difficult or impossible. Missing documents, not compliant with the standards required by Italian authorities, can cause delays and additional costs. In this case too, it’s important to carry out the necessary checks or delegate them to an expert in the sector like Importami Auto.
5) Coverage provided by the warranty
An often overlooked aspect is the warranty on imported cars. In Europe, there are two types of warranties: the legal warranty, valid for two years for new cars and one year for used ones, and the commercial warranty, offered by the manufacturer with varying conditions and duration. If the imported car is still covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, it can be used in Italy by contacting an authorized workshop. However, in the case of cars no longer covered, it is essential to verify if the foreign dealer offers a warranty and if it is valid in our country and what conditions are provided. In case the car you wish to purchase is no longer under warranty, Importami Auto offers you the possibility to add an optional one to protect your purchase from any unforeseen events.
Imported cars: possible problems of DIY purchase
As we have seen, importing a car on your own can expose you to several risks. For this reason, relying on a specialized agency like Importami Auto is the best solution for a safe purchase. With our support, you will be able to perform all necessary checks on the vehicle you intend to buy, on the condition of the car as well as on the documentation, before completing the operation that will allow you to finally have the car you desire.