Purchasing a car from NI advice sought.

[Abb]

As my search continues for my elusive CLS, I have come across one which happens to be in NI. Initial enquiries reveal this is its service history from MB:
2015 – 16153 Miles
2016 – 29310 Miles
2017 – 36839 Miles

Current mileage is 56k and as it is a 2013 model, I would assume it should have been service in 2014 and 2018, and is due on at some point this year. Obviously this is not to say it has not been serviced elsewhere just not at MB!

While it's not the end of the world, unlike cars registered in the UK, I could not find anything on the MOT database for it, as the reg mark is not recognised.

A little bit of further digging and it would appear the NI registered vehicles are not on the database and are subject to a more rigorous check than our MOTs?

Does anyone have experience of purchasing from NI? Is it any hassle? Is doing the checks possible (MOT history, HPi etc) or am I asking for trouble!

Just keeping my options open, as the garage could not have been more helpful, polite and accomodating. The questions they couldn't answer, they have emailed me, as promised!

Thanks

 

[Will]

As you say they have a different test over in NI and it won’t show on our MOT database as a result.

I’ve sold a car to someone in NI before who I know through some of the other MB clubs and I think it’s pretty straightforward to bring cars back/forth to the mainland. He certainly buys lots of Mercs from England as there is so much more availability. I know that car was tested over there and never showed up on the MOT history site either.

From what I gather the tests over there are considered to be quite stringent as they are government run facilities and not operated by private garages as much of the ones over here are.

BTW, Northern Ireland is part of the UK

Can’t help you on some of the other questions but to be fair a garage selling a car in NI probably want to be more helpful as they know they’ll have a wider audience with the mainland buyers so would need to put some groundwork in for the sale. Allow a few hundred for ferries and fuel to bring it over but if you’re in the North of England it’s probably not too much of an inconvenience compared to buying a car from down South.

 

[E55BOF]

I bought my wife's last car from NI. No problems at all; ferry over, drove it home, submitted V5 for change of owner, kept NI plate. The NI MoT was valid in the mainland UK.

 

[st13phil]

There’s nothing difficult about buying from a NI vendor, but I would counsel that you should check the spec of the car carefully as - especially if it was originally supplied via an Eire dealer - it may not be identical to a mainland car.

 

[Abb]

Thank you guys. How would I find out the spec of said car.....

Mercedes-Benz Cls Class 3.0 Cls350 CDI Blueefficiency Amg Sport 4D 265 BHP

 

[st13phil]

If you can get the VIN, the data card will tell all.

 

[Rich H]

A friend of mine had issues with insurance as they regarded it as an import even though NI is part of the UK.
Not a deal breaker but something to remember.

 

[91dm]

Bought several cars in NI and brought them over/back. No additional paper work, just fill out the V5 as normal. The only concern is rust but usually on older cars.

 

[MD5]

I've bought two cars from NI, one new, one 2nd hand, both from Belfast dealerships. Met at the airport both times, and drove to Dublin to take the ferry back over both times.

As said, the mot is more stringent and government run, but won't show up on the gov.uk database. Ask all the questions you need to first, and ask for a video presentation, along with proof of service history, etc. If you are happy the car is for you, see if you can negotiate with them to tax it for you. If not, you can do it and register the car in your name in the usual way at a Post Office whilst you're there and don't forget your insurance, which I didn't have any issues with.

 

[ShaunB]

Ask them for the registration number and the VIN, I've never dealt with those guys personally, but can't says I've ever heard anything bad about them.
Our MOT's are government controlled, so in theory, probably more strict than what you guys do on the mainland.
So long as its not a Diesel car, we don't care about the emissions on those during our MOT tests, so your test in that regard will bebetter

 

[merc85]

When you insure/tax the Vehicle will it pick up the Irish Mot? Just out of interest, Also are all the vehicles classified as "Imports" ?

 

[renault12ts]

When you insure/tax the Vehicle will it pick up the Irish Mot? Just out of interest, Also are all the vehicles classified as "Imports" ?

Strangely yes, they are classed as imports. Just as if I brought one in from the rest of the UK. But, this does not mean anything in relation to the vehicle...they are all UK spec. Having said that, my car is a Dublin car...but that is quite a rare thing in reality.

 

[ShaunB]

Strangely yes, they are classed as imports. Just as if I brought one in from the rest of the UK. But, this does not mean anything in relation to the vehicle...they are all UK spec. Having said that, my car is a Dublin car...but that is quite a rare thing in reality.

Free state car

 

[tangey]

Free state car

as opposed to the captured state ?

Anyhow the financial attractiveness of bring ROI cars into N.I. is gone perhaps 10 years ago, so I'd wager few cars on N.I. roads these days were sourced in ROI.