UK2PTviaNZandChina

Hi everyone,

My wife and our dogs are coming to PT in August 2018 for AT LEAST 6 months direct from our China exit (after ten years) to acclimatise to Europe, and I want to get a car locally, despite the local premium prices. We'll be based 30km to the East of Coimbra.

Anyone recommend a place to go?

mfesharne

I can recommend a place NOT to go which is sevensports at Condeixa A Nova near Coimbra because they're absolute skellums who will tuck you up like a kipper at the drop of a hat............... they're as bent as a nine bob note & as dodgy as a fish with feathers!

Diddion

So, reading between the lines.......perhaps give them a miss?

macliam

D'you think??

mfesharne

Other than that, they're OK lol!

UK2PTviaNZandChina

Rather than list all the places NOT to go, which is meant to be helpful (I am sure) it would be vastly more helpful if replies were closer to the question asked, i.e. towards any recommendations based on good experiences that have been had.

macliam

You've asked quite a specific question requiring both local knowledge and experience - so being warned off a place is a pretty good result. Many expats bring their cars and re-matriculate them, others buy privately and others (like me) may well have bought locally, but may not be near to you and/or willing to recommend the place where they bought.

So, there are two possible outcomes - either your question sits unanswered and fades away, or someone throws a pebble into the pond which keeps the thread alive and increases the possibility of you getting the answer you desire.

liveaboard

I bought private, through olx.pt or standvirtual.pt

you can specify price, fuel, area, etc and see what comes up.

I wanted a turbo diesel with 2 airbags [many older cars had just driver's side] under 4,500.
I found one, but just one.

The dealers are 30% more expensive, but then you get some warranty.
Supposedly.

UK2PTviaNZandChina

Great. A fantastic start. Thanks. Now we're cooking. I just need such websites in English...

macliam

Yeah, maybe private sales aren't the place to look if you don't speak Portuguese.....

liveaboard

I didn't speak a word; you just auto translate the essential terms, then whole ads that might be interesting.
You're going to have to start sometime.

Google chrome will translate whole websites they say; I haven't tried it myself.

macliam

I understand that, but there are issues like how you get the ownership transferred, checking there's no back-tax owing, etc., etc. If you're lucky with the seller, all goes fine - but if not, there's a whole host of possible issues.

If it were me I'd either use a foreign registered car for 6 months or find some other temporary solution - that will give time to meet other expats in the area and see what they have to say.

I ended up buying mine from a local mechanic/breakdown operator who had rebuilt the engine after a cambelt failure..... he got it for a song because the previous owner didn't want to pay out over €1000 to get it back on the road, he did the work in his spare time and sold it on. So I got a car with a newly rebuilt engine and a "warranty" as the mechanic was just down the road.

mfesharne

I'd suggest buying from a dealer & preferably from a main dealer with their own on site workshop because of the guarantee issue.

peterfc

I answered an add on E-Beira for a van for sale by the owner who had gone back to the UK and was not coming back to Portugal. After getting the registration number from the owner I went to the Financas who told me there was no outstanding tax on the van. They also explained that had there been any tax due it would be the registered owner not the buyer who has to pay.

I then went to the Conservatoria who explained all about the transfer into my name. The gave me the forms needed for the transfer and told me what had to be filled in my the owner and what I had to fill in.

On my return I took the forms to the Conservatoria and paid about 60€ and the van was now mine.

Also get the registration number of any car/ van and make your own checks it's so common here that area to area do things there own way all you need to do is go and ask your own questions

macliam

I'm glad that worked for you and that you found someone willing to explain everything needed to you.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case - I remember someone a couple of years ago who bought a 4x4 and registered it..... then on going to get the tax sorted out he was told there was back-tax owing and they would not tax it for him until that was sorted. I don't know why this happened, but I can't see why he would lie about it......

I'd rather check out everything locally than jump in feet first and regret it later, hence my earlier advice .