Discovered my 172 is an Import

[sneeks]

The 172 I'm due to collect this Saturday has been identified by Renault UK as a Netherlands import. The dealership have sold me this car as a UK model with no mention of the cars real origins. Any advice on what to do next?

Thanks

 

[blink172]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

Tell them you want a hefty discount or walk away. As long as it was registered with reno uk, whats left of the warranty should be ok. There can only be a maximum of a year left anyway.

You will have to tell your insurance company too, so it might bump the cost up.

 

[Rich]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

How much have you payed towards it already, deposit or more?

 

[sh33n]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

Is it from a Reno dealer?

I always assumed dealers only sold UK cars and never imports?

 

[sneeks]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

I've only paid a £100 deposit so far but I have the paperwork from the dealer which states the car is not an import.

Is there anything different in the spec I should be aware of?

I only found out when I decided to research the car with Renault UK and they could not find it. I had to provide the chassis number and they then told me it was a Dutch import.

From a UK Renault Dealer.

 

[Macca172]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

Why would you have to tell the insurance company? I thought that EU imports had to conform to UK regulations anyway? Hence why they have an alarm fitted etc.

 

[McBunny]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

if you dont ask they dont need to tell you its not a uk car

 

[sneeks]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

if you dont ask they dont need to tell you its not a uk car

It clearly states on the order form that it's not an import.

 

[McBunny]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

i had posted that before i got to see that post

 

[Bluebeard]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

Don't touch it! i work for renault, and you have every right to get your money back and walk away. If they don't play ball, mention Renault customer services........

 

[blink172]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

Why would you have to tell the insurance company? I thought that EU imports had to conform to UK regulations anyway? Hence why they have an alarm fitted etc.

Most insurance companies ask if its an import or a UK supplied car. Unless things have changed in the last 4 months

 

[blink172]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

I've only paid a £100 deposit so far but I have the paperwork from the dealer which states the car is not an import.

Is there anything different in the spec I should be aware of?

I only found out when I decided to research the car with Renault UK and they could not find it. I had to provide the chassis number and they then told me it was a Dutch import.

From a UK Renault Dealer.

Might not have Cruise, what plate is it on?

 

[Steve]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

There is no diffference, if it's a good car it's a good car end of.............

 

[TheCake]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

^^ There quite obviously is a difference when you come to sell it part exchange it in the future as well as insuring it. Its not going to be worth as much as say an official UK acr.

 

[Macca172]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

Most insurance companies ask if its an import or a UK supplied car. Unless things have changed in the last 4 months

Strange, I've never been asked if my 172 was an import, and I'd be interested to know why an insurance company would quote more for an imported 172.

 

[sneeks]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

I phoned the garage who have stated that the Renault network system they have access to has the car registered as a UK spec car and not as an import. The salesman has tried to say that it was not a grey import as such but may well have been imported from Holland rather than directly from France. He said he'll also check if the DVLA have it registered as a UK car and not an import. It's a June 02 car so does not have cruise.

 

[Rich]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

Lots of insurance companies have asked the question when giving quotes recently - is it a UK car.

Guess the possible lack of alarm, locking wheel nuts, window etchings could demand a higher premium?

 

[sneeks]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

Does the factory fit alarm for the UK market have interior sensors which are molded into the windscreen pillars?

 

[182 sport]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

^^ There quite obviously is a difference when you come to sell it part exchange it in the future as well as insuring it. Its not going to be worth as much as say an official UK acr.

not true.only garages may not give you full price for an import,but if your selling privately you will get exactly the same as a UK car.theres no difference in them anyway apart from no wheel locking nuts!

 

[Shaun16v]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

I phoned the garage who have stated that the Renault network system they have access to has the car registered as a UK spec car and not as an import.

UK spec doesn't necessarily mean its a UK car though! It could still be an import, just with the necessary adjustments to make it the same as a UK supplied car.

Either way, imports always have a value lower than non-imports

 

[sneeks]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

I think he was also saying that the car was registered as a UK car and not an import on the system, he's phoning me back later today.

 

[Ali]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

Mine's an import...No diff, except mine's got a cd player and the uk ones don't.

 

[Gareth]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

mines an import, no problems, bought a set of wheel nuts from Renault for £25, job done.

 

[run115]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

Mine is an import as well, no problems whatsoever, still got guarantee, insurance never asked if it was or not either.
If its a good car, go ahead with the sale mate.

Vince

 

[Ally]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

WTF have people on here got against imports? It's the same car made in the same factory FFS...

The ONLY differences are: 172 imports won't have an alarm, locking wheel nuts or window etching - all of that can be added very easily for a maximum of £300 (alarm £250, wheelnuts £25, window etching £25), so a second hand import should only be worth a maximum of £300 less than a UK car IMO. As long as an import doesn't originate in Cyprus it'll have a 3-year warranty. Everything else on my import (originally destined for France) is identical to a 'UK' 172 (if there is such a thing).

Yes you've got to tell your insurance company that it's an import - I told mine but they couldn't care less and didn't charge me any extra (my policy document states that my car is an import).

Do people hate imports cos they paid more for their 'UK' car? (I'm generalising here before anyone start - I know that UK-182s could be got for just as good prices as the likes of Motorpoint).

Ally

 

[TheCake]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

not true.only garages may not give you full price for an import,but if your selling privately you will get exactly the same as a UK car.theres no difference in them anyway apart from no wheel locking nuts!

No you wouldn't. An eagle-eyed buyer who does a HPI check and finds out its an import car would NEVER pay the same as a UK car. I certainly wouldn't.

 

[Ally]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

Yeah, I forgot to add, don't be put off if it is an import - just ask for a few hundred quid off if it ain't got an alarm/locking wheelnuts/etching!

 

[Macca172]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

I think as long as the car is registered as UK Spec, and you can knock the dealer down because it's not a UK supplied car, then go for it.

 

[cornburn]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

If you like the car I'd look at it as an advantage and knock them down for saying it was a UK car. I wouldn't be bothered about having an import at all, it's still the same car and you could get it a bit cheaper than normal so if you get money off there's no disadvantage

My insrance ask if it's an import, not sure if it would put the price up though.

 

[JBarber]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

I thought the ones at Motorpoint were imports?

 

[sneeks]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

The car is at full UK spec and has a factory fitted Cat 1 alarm and not an aftermarket install.

I'll check if it comes with locking wheelnuts but I'm sure they'll throw those in for free if I ask for them.

I don't think I'll be cancelling the sale and the HPI check they showed me last week stated NO next to the import field.

Do the 02 reg 172s come with a CD player and 6 disc changer or only the cd player? I forgot to check under the seat.

 

[blink172]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

WTF have people on here got against imports? It's the same car made in the same factory FFS...

The ONLY differences are: 172 imports won't have an alarm, locking wheel nuts or window etching - all of that can be added very easily for a maximum of £300 (alarm £250, wheelnuts £25, window etching £25), so a second hand import should only be worth a maximum of £300 less than a UK car IMO. As long as an import doesn't originate in Cyprus it'll have a 3-year warranty. Everything else on my import (originally destined for France) is identical to a 'UK' 172 (if there is such a thing).

Yes you've got to tell your insurance company that it's an import - I told mine but they couldn't care less and didn't charge me any extra (my policy document states that my car is an import).

Do people hate imports cos they paid more for their 'UK' car? (I'm generalising here before anyone start - I know that UK-182s could be got for just as good prices as the likes of Motorpoint).

Ally

No one has said anything bad about import. As far as i can see all comments are saying get a discount, insurance will/might want to now and this is the difference between the two. Your the one making an issue of it

 

[blink172]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

The car is at full UK spec and has a factory fitted Cat 1 alarm and not an aftermarket install.

I'll check if it comes with locking wheelnuts but I'm sure they'll throw those in for free if I ask for them.

I don't think I'll be cancelling the sale and the HPI check they showed me last week stated NO next to the import field.

Do the 02 reg 172s come with a CD player and 6 disc changer or only the cd player? I forgot to check under the seat.

iirc, it was optional on the 02's. Could (and probably am) be wrong.

 

[sneeks]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

I get the feeling that they'll not offer to reduce the price of the car even if it is proved to be a import. £6350 is probably fair for it anyway as this was well under the book price and other cars I'd viewed.

Thanks blink

 

[Steve]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

There are more IMPORTS on the roads than RENAULT UK supplied cars.....

Imports with proper alarm/immobs don't suffer the common alarm faults of UK cars.

Buy private, dont get BUMMED by a dealer do your research & you won't get F~~KED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[nezza]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

My 02 plate is an import from Holland. I bought it from Lookers Renault in Chester, second hand. They did not tell me until after the deal was complete.

I had a Renault alarm fitted which works as a UK 172 would, from the original "Plip key" and so far have not had any issues with anything else.

My insurance company, Adrian Flux asked if it was an import, I told them yes but it was "Full UK Spec" which did not alter the price.

Mine had both a single slot cd and 6 cd changer under the passenger seat, until I changed them for a Pioneer unit! Only difference I have noticed is that the map light is on the drivers side!! No big deal...

As far as everything else, you go by what your V5 document says. For instance, MOT is not required until 3 years after it is registered in the UK - so 3 years after the date on your V5.

 

[Ally]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

I thought the ones at Motorpoint were imports?

You've not read my post above correctly - I was comparing prices of UK-182s to motorpoint imports: "...UK-182s could be got for just as good prices as the likes of Motorpoint"

 

[Ally]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

No one has said anything bad about import. As far as i can see all comments are saying get a discount, insurance will/might want to now and this is the difference between the two. Your the one making an issue of it

I'm the one making an issue if it? Why is it that as soon as someone mentions 'import' on here that a lot of people make them out as inferior cars and adopt a negative attitude towards them - I'd describe that as sayign bad things about imports. I'm only providing the facts mate. No hard feelings if you took it the wrong way, no offence intended - I just tend to get defensive about imports cos I've got one

 

[sneeks]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

I had a Renault alarm fitted which works as a UK 172 would, from the original "Plip key" and so far have not had any issues with anything else.

The car indicators flashed when locking the car using the original plip key and there was no other fob to use so I assume this had armed the alarm and not merely locked the car?

 

[sneeks]

Re: Discovered my 172 is a Import

By starting this thread I'm not saying the imports are inferior Ally, only that it would have been nice of the garage to tell me this rather than showing me paperwork which stated otherwise. I'm still planning on buying the car.