Buying 458 from Italy

[ahaughton]

Hi, a friend (UK based) has just viewed a 458 in Milan and they want him to pay for the car before they start any paperwork to transfer title to him. That process (apparently) takes 10 days at which point he can collect the car - is that normal? Cheers.

[iandc]

Yes perfectly normal and if you can get your friend to send his bank details to the nice man's Nigerian address there should be no problem. This is a scam

[ahaughton]

iandc said:

Yes perfectly normal and if you can get your friend to send his bank details to the nice man's Nigerian address there should be no problem. This is a scam

It's a large dealership so I find it odd that this is anything other than normal though?

[911Thrasher]

New or second hand?

I just bought a CStradale from Italy - back in the UK now - none of that none sense: we bought the car, paid by transfer, waited several hours to make sure italian bank had received the car ... and drove away with the car on italian plates back to the UK.

[ahaughton]

911Thrasher said:

New or second hand?

I just bought a CStradale from Italy - back in the UK now - none of that none sense: we bought the car, paid by transfer, waited several hours to make sure italian bank had received the car ... and drove away with the car on italian plates back to the UK.

2nd hand.

[ahaughton]

ahaughton said:

2nd hand.

I'm beginning to think he should 'run Forest run' and then run some more...

[kryten22uk]

There is another "buying a 458 from Italy" thread that was around very recently (that I can't be arsed to look up for you) that had a similar response to the above posters. i.e. 10days is utter nonsense; you buys the car, you takes the car.

[andysv]

I replied to the last buying in Italy post, a good friend purchases cars from around the globe but says Italy is riddled with scammers so beware.

[ahaughton]

Thx all, I appreciate the info. He should be buying something with a proper engine anyway (1,7,5,11,3,9,6,12,2,8,4,10)...

[FactoryPilot]

You buy the car, go to the local equivalent of DVLA who will issue you (whilst you wait) with a reg doc in your name - specifically for export, and you then bring it back. I've always had to surrender the Italian number plates when they issue the docs into my name for export, but not sure if this is a requirement or not.

[JazzyO]

ahaughton said:

Thx all, I appreciate the info. He should be buying something with a proper engine anyway (1,7,5,11,3,9,6,12,2,8,4,10)...

Hehe, I'm a 12 cylinder man myself but my 458 DOES have a proper engine. Amazing engine, actually!

No experience buying in Italy but I would be very wary. There are many cars there that have not been properly registered in lieu of the taxman and taking them out of the country will flag them.


Onno