Hi All,
I have rolled the dice and bought a 2010 Alphard at auction in Japan. The company that collected it and who will also arrange the shipping said that i bought a very good van and that it was in great condition. *phew*
Anyways, I would be very grateful to hear the various experiences of how you imported the van and got it to your home.
DIY - I understand that as long as you have the van insured and proof of an MOT booked, as long as customs fees have been paid, and the van has been cleared you are allowed to drive it to the location of the MOT (this could be anywhere). Please correct me if I am wrong.
On your own drive you can do the work, get it through the MOT and then register it with the DVLA.
Insurance - Do you insure it for the day to just drive it back home? Or do you insure it for the year like a regular car?
Declaring it to HMRC - do you declare it on the day it arrives or when it is still on the boat? Is the final price of declaration the complete costs of auction sale, inland transport in Japan, and shipping?
Collection - Do you have to know who to communicate with at the port to check if you can pick it up?
I would really appreciate any help with this as if i can save myself a few quid i would like to do so.
Thank you for persevering with my long post if you have got this far!