Where and how to buy a car in Europe

This article is dated as shown. Laws, fees and prices have changed since then. Check the figures before you rely on them.

Finding a reliable source, not getting “burned” when buying a car abroad, making the purchase remotely and having the car delivered to your country. How is that possible? The specialists at Destacar will tell you where and how to buy a car in Europe.

Choosing where to buy

When choosing between a private seller and a dealer, compare the condition of the car, the documents and the terms of the contract. Buying from a dealer does not in itself guarantee a VAT refund. What matters is the tax treatment shown on the invoice, the delivery terms and the proof of export. Before paying, agree the final amount, the documents and the procedure for any possible refund with the seller. Under the margin scheme, you cannot count on a refund of a separately itemised 19% of the full price.

First assess the marketplace you have chosen and study the reviews and reports about it online. Remember that every used car market in Germany with cars offered for sale wants to sell its stock. So you need to study all the offers carefully and weigh up the information before planning a purchase.

Choosing the car

When selecting a car, assess the mileage together with its age, service history and condition. The odometer reading alone is not enough to decide on a purchase. Check in advance whether the car can be imported into the destination country.

Purchase and paperwork procedure

Once you have chosen a vehicle from the used cars in Germany offered on the website, you can start the paperwork procedure. This stage requires knowledge of German to negotiate with the seller and an understanding of the legal details of drawing up the purchase contract. If you cannot travel to Germany, inspect the car yourself or do not speak German, Destacar offers a range of services:

• assessment of the dealership and the specific car model proposed by the client;
• sourcing a car with the required parameters from the company’s own sources;
• negotiating and handling the paperwork.

You can also order delivery of the car to your country through transport companies. In that case you will not even need to leave home: our specialists will take care of every detail.