Importing A Volvo From Uk

knightowl · October 27, 2011

I recently took up a job in Sri Lanka. I have a Volvo V50, diesel bought brand new, done only 28,000 miles in UK. It has become my wife's second car at the moment but hardly used.

Will it be a good idea if I import it to Sri Lanka under Blue permit scheme?

1. Never seen a Volvo V50 in Sri Lanka. Swedish car says they will look after it. But..

2. Will I have a significant economical advantage?

3. Will the second hand market be rubbish? [because it is not a toyota]

Your opinion will be appreciated.

MrCat · October 27, 2011

Dont think you`ll gain any financial advantage if you are planning on selling. Could be good for your own use though. If you must bring a car, sell it and bring down a Toyota car or some sort of a 4WD pickup truck.

However, AFAIK, you can only benefit from a blue permit if the car is at least 5-6 years old (maximum depreciation for tax purposes). So if it`s only 1-2 yeas old, it`s almost the same as importing without a permit. How old is the car anyway?

MrCat · October 27, 2011

On a side note, it sucks loosing money on car depreciation isn't it? Just don't feel like selling if you`ve bought band new eh? I recently figured that mine depreciated by around 6k dollars in 11 months.

carboy2011 · October 27, 2011

may not be worth the hassle in bringin it down espcially when parts can be a problem ,if i were you i wont bring it,btw how long are you here for? coz if its for a short time (1-2 years) then its best you keep your Volvo there in the UK and use it when your back there again as selling it in UK will be a loss to due to the deprciation in used car values

knightowl · October 27, 2011

1. YOM - 2008

2. My plan is to stay put in Sri Lanka.

Its wonderful to be back. I feel I wasted my time in UK. Nothing like Sri Lanka my friends!

My gut feeling is that I'll be in great trouble owing a Volvo in Sri Lanka. Servicing, spares etc. Only reason for import would be if I am going to have great financial gain which I doubt.

Toyota it is then.

carboy2011 · October 28, 2011

I agree its nothing like good ole' Lanka !

Im afraid you will have to scrap the idea of that Volvo mate,its not worth the hassle at all

Sifaan · October 29, 2011

My gut feeling is that I'll be in great trouble owing a Volvo in Sri Lanka. Servicing, spares etc. Only reason for import would be if I am going to have great financial gain which I doubt.

if it will be your only car, then it can be tricky if you have to wait 3 weeks for a part to come down. but if you have an alternative then it might be ok

(and not every part that takes 3 weeks to get down necessarily means that you can't use the car till then)

plus if you have contacts in UK you could buy the parts there and have it sent to you

knightowl · October 30, 2011

Thanks guys. I think I'll give up the idea. My family is still here in UK. I'll be traveling every two to three months.

Will buy a Toyota. Oh, toyota sucks, but no alternative!

Good thing is it is like having cash at hand, there will always be suckers to by a toyota.

knightowl · October 30, 2011

By the way, bought a Nissan presea [crap] in a hurry within two days of arrival. You know you cant live or breath in SL without a car.

Went to see few Cefiro cars. Couldn't find a single good car. They all were trying desperately to sell but they were all hacked or with multiple problems. There was a guy in Maharagama who was close to committing suicide.

Presia is crap but good on fuel. I can just hack it without much concern. It fell on a ditch one day but I didn't feel a thing. Just walked away handing over the keys to my assistant to get it out. I could have had a heart attack if it was one of those expensive cars.

Paid 15 and 1/2 for a 1999 Presia Refina. How stupid am I?