If you want to do something better, do it yourself – this is the principle behind the desire to bring a car from Germany without intermediaries
If you want to do something better, do it yourself – this is the principle behind the desire to bring a car from Germany without intermediaries. Of course, the fact that you can do it cheaper than through companies or individuals is also an important factor.
Let’s identify the main reasons why people decide to independently buy a used car abroad:
- Cost Savings.
- Ability to objectively assess the condition of the car. When buying through intermediaries, there is a high probability that the car will be given a “marketable appearance” and existing technical problems will be hidden.
- Actual mileage, number of owners. When buying a car in Germany independently, you can check these data in the vehicle registration certificate. However, the same information can also be obtained from the VIN code on one of the online services.
How to buy a car in Germany
Let’s look at two ways to buy a boo German car:
- Finding and buying a car in Germany on your own.
- On special sites, which provide not only the opportunity to conveniently search for a vehicle, but also undertake the organization of its delivery to the specified location.
Finding and buying a car in Germany on your own
If you speak a foreign language and can afford to leave your home country for quite a long time, the following recommendations are for you. We recommend that you start your search with sites near dealerships of major car manufacturers. This is in case you plan to spend more than 10 thousand euros. In such places, as a rule, you will find many cars with minimal mileage.
If you want to buy a car cheaper, we recommend checking the sites near service stations. Their owners most often buy up and resell cars with quite high mileage. Also, pay attention to special auto centers that specialize in selling boo cars.
As far as online marketplaces are concerned, the largest selection of machines are available on websites:
- mobile.de (in most cases, offers from resellers are presented);
- PLC Auction (huge selection of cars and not only from Germany);
- eBay, Kleinanzeigen section – tons of offers with photos, price, description, specifications.
In the advertisement you will always find information about the place where you can view the car. It remains to find this place on the map, determine how far it is from you and go to meet the seller. This is a good opportunity to see everything with your own eyes and discuss the price if you find any defects. Cars with minor faults are much cheaper, and it will only take a few days to restore them. Of course, in this case you will have to use the services of a car service center, but the savings will be significant. And even in the case when the undercarriage or transmission is defective.
Whether a vehicle inspection affects the value of a vehicle
When looking for a car, always pay attention to additional information. If you see the abbreviation HU, or TÜV in an advertisement, it means that the inspection has not yet expired and the car can travel freely on German roads. What does this abbreviation mean? It’s simple:
- HU (Hauptuntersuchung) is a mandatory technical inspection of the vehicle, which must be carried out every two years.
- TÜV (Technischer Überwachungsverein) is a network of services that can carry out technical inspections.
This is another opportunity to buy a car cheaper. Quite often, the seller sells the car at the end of the term to avoid the cost of technical inspection. How much cheaper you can buy such a car depends on many factors: the region where the car is registered, faults and their type.
Purchase and deregistration
To make the purchase, you will need a sales contract, a sample of which can be found on the Internet. You will need to fill it out in two copies, one of which will be kept by the seller. Your copy should be given to the organization that deals with vehicle registration.
To avoid paying an extra 100 euros for transit license plates, we recommend the following. You should make sure that your insurance policy expires after you leave Germany. In order to travel within the European Union, you will need insurance that includes the cost of transit plates. These will be valid for a month. But you can order a license plate that is valid for five days – its price is 100 euros lower. In this case, you must leave the European Union within this period.
Customs clearance
When determining the purchase budget, it is necessary to calculate approximately how much it will cost to clear the car. If you decide to buy a car that is more than 5 years old, you should add about 65% to its cost. Say, if you buy a car in Germany for 6000 euros, the customs costs will be about 3500 euros, so the car will cost you almost 10000 euros. In our market, such a car will cost at least 12000 euros.
When buying a used car not older than 5 years, the calculations will be different. In this case, customs clearance will be about 25% of the value of the car. Before you start your journey home, contact a customs broker who has a license for customs clearance. The clearance can be done either for you or for another person (in this case you will need a notarized copy of the power of attorney). The broker will need copies of the registration certificate and the sale/purchase agreement. The broker will make a calculation and send details for payment of customs costs.
Transit to Ukraine
If the car cannot move on its own, you will have to pay for the services of a car carrier. This will also be necessary if the car has not passed the technical inspection. Also, on your way home, you will need to stop at a customs terminal in Poland and pick up an export declaration. It is necessary for registration of the car if it leaves the EU zone. Border control is ahead of you, as well as the completion of customs clearance in your home country, certification and registration of the car.
Buying a car from Germany on a special site
On the platform PLC Auction – auto auction from Germany, all necessary conditions for effective and informative search are created. The main advantages of this online auction:
- Quick Registration. To participate in the auction you must complete a quick registration, which requires you to upload screenshots of proof of identity documents such as passport or driver’s license. Once verified by a moderator, you will be granted access to participate in auctions within 24 hours.
- Making a deposit. To actively participate in the online auction, a deposit of 10% of the value of the selected lot is required. This deposit confirms your intention to participate and can be used to pay for the lot or customs charges.
- Car selection and bidding. The user gets full access to the database of cars for sale. Choose a suitable car and participate in the auction. The winner is the bidder with the highest bid at the end of the auction.
- Payment. After winning the auction, you will be provided with an invoice valid for 3 days. Payment can be made using various payment systems such as Stripe (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, etc.), Apple Pay, Google Pay, or through any bank cashier’s office.
- Delivery and real-time tracking. The buyer can track the location of the purchased vehicle in real time through his personal account, providing control over the delivery process.
PLC Auction provides access to all lots of famous online auctions of the world on one platform. This allows you to make the best choice by getting complete information about the vehicles. A unique advantage is the ability to access lots usually available only to dealers, which opens access to favorable offers from major insurance companies.