Wozza

Hi all.

I was speaking to a guy the other day about my intended move to Oz and we got onto the subject of shipping the possessions out there. He told me a really cool way that his brother did when he moved to the USA. He bypassed all the usual stuff and bought a big old luton van type thing, packed all their belongings into the van and put the van onto the boat and shipped it across this way. This seems great as when it gets to the other end, it is already packed into a van for you and you just drive it away to wherever you want!!!! Now I have explained it in it's simplified manner of course, but was wondering if anybody else had done this. Of course there are issues of insurance both for the travelling there and for the use on the road once there etc, but it is the principal I am interested in.

TIA

Wozza.

Chris Mitchell

Hi we haven't done it but we contacted the shipping people as we wanted to take a caravan with us and was told that contents travelled free so presumably it can be done. try contacting the shippers if no joy here sounds a very simple way of doing it, so if everthing else is a sign to go by probably not!!lol

Chris

marco121068

Not a bad idea in principal - except you get hammered at the other end with import duties for the van.

kevinbloomfield

I think if the van is over a certain age there is no duty to pay, the question is how much is it to ship an old van over to OZ?
Surely it is just as cheap to use a 20' container?

moneypenny20

Customs will probably take a greater interest in it as well and take everything out and check it because it's not gone through "usual channels".

kevinbloomfield

Also it would need transporting to where you wanted it as it wouldn't be road legal. The caravan option sounds better, least you could tow it home with your own car (as long as the towbars are the same)

Wozza

I don't believe there would be any import duty to pay, only if you wanted to sell the vehicle within two years of impoting it into the country I believe??
The whole idea of not having to worry about relocating the possessions at the other end appealed to me, that is to say, not having to bother with a removals company to transport it all, just simply drive it away! This chaps brother did it iin America, whether it was stictly legal or not is another matter!! I am sure this can be done with some prior arrangement regarding driving the vehicle on the highway, the same way anyone else who imports a vehicle there does. I guess this compared to how much is it to hire a container, pay a removals firm this end and the other end is the question, and the ease of each of the cases of course.
I do appreciate that customes may take an 'extra careful' interst in the contents of the van, but if the cost is cheaper than a container, maybe it out weighs the inconvinience at the port?!?!?!?

W.

Pollyana

Have a look at some of the posts on the Aus Lifestyle forum regarding importing vehicles. Its not just import duty, and getting them passed as "clean" by AQIS, but the vehicle has to be road legal in Aus - and in the particular state you are landing in. This can mean inspections and modifications before you can drive it on the road as a registered vehicle.
And Customs/AQIS will want to know what is in the van - normally you would have a few boxes of declared goods such as wooden items - if everything is just packed in a van they will want to inspect the lot. From what I can gather from the likes of Mr Mover - who posts on the Lifestyle forum - if its an unusual shipment - which yours would be (!) - it would attract more than the normal interest.

marco121068

Take a look at this http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=4371

If it's over 6 years old you are allowed a max. of 76% depreciation, after which you need to pay customs duty GST.

" * Obtain a "VEHICLE IMPORT APPROVAL" from the Vehicle Safety Standards Branch of the Department of Transport and Regional Services. Phone: 1800 815 272 (Australia only) or (02) 6274 7506, Fax: (02) 6274 6013, email: [email protected];
* Pay Customs duty, GST and Luxury Car Tax (LCT) where applicable and obtain a customs clearance at the port of entry; and
* Obtain quarantine clearance from the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) after the vehicle has arrived at the port of entry. For more information visit the AQIS website on www.aqis.gov.au"

Wozza

Thanks.

Sounds like a bit of hassle, but if I can compare what it would cost this way with what it would cost to ship it by conventional methods I'll get the answer. First problem of course is I don't have a van to provide details for!!!

Woz.

Rooksie

in fact the duties for the van will probably cost twice as much as the "usual" way!!!

Wozza

Who's to say - nobody who has done it has replied, that is, if anyone has done it!! How much does a 20ft container cost???

W

Jonahs_mummy

Wouldn't the van be classed as an "import" so would have to be spekked up to the same Aussie standards before it could be driven there???????

Mat

You pay for shipping by the cubic foot or meter depending on where you
presently live. From Canada to Aus it's 10/cubic foot. You don't have to
use a whole 20' container. Most shipping companies will let you share with
others they are moving. So I think the van would cost you way more
"Wozza" <member12265@british_expats.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected] m...
    > > in fact the duties for the van will probably cost twice as much as the
    > > "usual" way!!!
    > Who's to say - nobody who has done it has replied, that is, if anyone
    > has done it!! How much does a 20ft container cost???
    > W
    > --
    > Wozza
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

The Druid

[QUOTE=Wozza]Hi all.

I was speaking to a guy the other day about my intended move to Oz and we got onto the subject of shipping the possessions out there. He told me a really cool way that his brother did when he moved to the USA. He bypassed all the usual stuff and bought a big old luton van type thing, packed all their belongings into the van and put the van onto the boat and shipped it across this way. This seems great as when it gets to the other end, it is already packed into a van for you and you just drive it away to wherever you want!!!! Now I have explained it in it's simplified manner of course, but was wondering if anybody else had done this. Of course there are issues of insurance both for the travelling there and for the use on the road once there etc, but it is the principal I am interested in.

TIA

Also you might need to think about owning the van for 12 months before you can import it as a personal import, and also customs & excise and DOTARS have got you by the balls as before the van can leave it has to Aussie road legal, who knows what they will find to quibble over especially if its a commercial vehicle !! remember until you cough up all the cash they want you dont get your goods let alone the van.

I though about doing it with a trailer and a 40 ft container, simple drive car & trailer to depot, drive into 40FT container drive out other side, ha, importing trailer is more grief than car.