Parallel Import Questions

[lazo123]

Hi guys, new to the forums, but having just come up with the means to purchase the mercedes I have wanted for years, hoping to spend some more time here soon!

I have managed to find a car that meets the spec I am after almost perfectly with one problem: it was originally bought from a dealer in Belgium but seems to have been brought over with a certificate of conformity to the UK for 1st registration. It has been registered here for 3 years and serviced at a mercedes dealership the whole time. I am buying it as a "used approved" from the dealership that has done the servicing.

The VeDoc printed out by the dealer indicates that it is "U92 - Regional Code 2 - Europe, Japan". Notwithstanding that, it is right hand drive, has head lamps for left side driving and came with a certificate of conformity.

I have run the VIN through the Russian mb club decoder as well which has verified the same info from the VeDoc. I am having quite a bit of difficulty in understanding the whole parallel import thing though and was hoping you guys might be able to shed a little light.

(1) Is the above VeDoc information meaningful to anyone reading these boards? In particular the regional code thing (someone has suggested it may just be for the DVD in the COMAND system)?

(2) How can I tell if this specification matches the UK specification car?

(3) Are you able to determine where this car was originally intended to be used - (I am confused because I thought all of continental Europe and Japan was LHD).

(4) Is it true that a lot of people did these parallel imports in late 04, early 05 because there was a long waiting list for SLK's in the UK?

(5) What kind of discount do you think is reasonable to pay for a parallel import?

I really appreciate any info anyone might be able to give.

Many thanks
Lazo123

 

[Deker]

can only help you with the fact that Japan are right hand drive

 

[crockers]

check it has been fully "undersealed"....Japanese cars often arent...

Can't see any problems with it personally....but I am sure others here have more knowledge on this than me..

Oh and welcome..:bannana:

 

[lazo123]

Thanks guys.

Just to clarify, as I think we seem to be heading in slightly the wrong direction - this car was bought from a Belgian dealer and registered as new in the UK three years ago. It has stayed here and had full MBSH at the dealer who is now trying to sell it to me.

I think the Japan thing may be a bit of a red herring (and am starting to agree with the person who thinks it is just a DVD coding thing).

I have seen on other threads that there are certain MB codes which indicate that the car meets UK spec, but I can't identify that through the VIN searches I have done. If it is helpful it is a 171 SLK that I am looking at.

I'm also interested as to what kind of % discount people would pay for a car like this, as compared to a UK dealer ordered car.

Thanks again,
Lazo123.

 

[crockers]

Why not phone up a dealer and say your thinking of trading in an imported car - would it make much difference to his pricing?

 

[jaymanek]

it does not affect the value if it came circa the time it was built and was never used abroad previously...

 

[Madeira Jon]

I imported my BMW Z3 from Belgium and when I traded it in to a BMW dealer for another BMW model he wasn't even interested in it being an import, just accepted it as a BMW. It was of course UK specs and the only difference was that it only had the 2 year BMW warranty as opposed to UK sourced cars which have that PLUS a 1 year dealer warranty.

 

[grober]

A car bought on the continent used to only have a 1 year warranty as standard rather than the UK 3 year warranty. Whether this is the current situation and applies to your car I don't know since you don't say exactly what age it is. Maybe the newer mercedes warranties are different now?

 

[jaymanek]

i think the current status is that officially is 2 years but if supplied through a UK dealer they will cover the final year....

 

[lazo123]

Thanks a lot guys, the information is very helpful.

 

[raymont]

I bought an e class in Germany in 98. Went to the trouble of ensuring it was fully to uk spec. Had it serviced by MB dealer in UK who said that as long as it was to uk spec they would happily accept it px with no value reduction.

Wish you could do this now, saved £8k.!

 

[JaceyBoy]

Yep you have no worries at all, the car will be a uk spec

 

[raymont]

Yep you have no worries at all, the car will be a uk spec

Depends what you mean by spec. If you mean underseal, tyres, suspension settings then it will be ok for the uk market. It will have a Certificate of Conformity meaning its ok for use in eu from a construction and use point of view.

However if you mean it will have the same equipment, in terms of things like airbags, alarms, elec windows etc. as a uk supplied car then this is not necessarily so. E.g. when I purchased my car I had to specify as extra the alarm / immobiliser fitted to the car. Indeed I had to specify an auto box (the only option in uk) but extra in Germany.