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Budget 2010 – Scrappage Scheme, Should YOU buy?

Brian Lenihan delivers budget 2010
Posted by Shane Teskey on 10 December 2009 in New Car Registration Stats

So now it’s official! 2010 will see the introduction of a long awaited for scrappage scheme. But will it make any difference to the catastrophic slump that new car sales have seen this year? Who will benefit from the scheme and what are the options when it comes to trading up?

Budget 2010 has introduced a stimulus package for the Irish motor industry in the form of a 1,500 Euro Scrappage allowance. This allowance will be made available to persons trading in any used car provided that it’s ten years or older against a new vehicle that falls into the category of Band A or Band B CO2 Emissions. Unfortunately our online car index doesn’t go back to the year 2000 but a previous post I wrote about the national fleet shows that there could be as many as 550,000 vehicles on the road that will qualify for the discount.

Just who will benefit from the scheme?

Before you rush out to order a new car, it’s worth checking that your personal circumstances meet these four criteria;

  1. Do you own a car that’s at least ten years old?
  2. Is your car worth less than 1,500 Euro?
  3. Do you like anything in Band A or Band B?
  4. Do you have access to cash / credit to make the ten year leap to a new car?

1. Do you own a car that’s at least ten years old?

How old is your car?

How old is your car?

This is the easy part. Dig out your vehicle licensing certificate (logbook) and check the car’s first date of registration (if you don’t have it to hand you could request a Motorcheck valuation report where its detailed along with a market value for your car).

The date of registration needs to be ten years prior to the date you are thinking of taking delivery of your new car.

2. Is your car worth less than 1,500 Euro?

If you feel that your car is worth more than the scrappage incentive of 1,500 Euro then there’s no point availing of the offer. Try to realise the vehicle’s true value by selling it privately or offering it to the dealer as a normal part-exchange.

You can always take the scrappage deal later but be warned – any vehicle qualifying for the scrappage discount will be scrapped according to the terms and conditions of the scheme. You won’t have any opportunity to buy it back from the dealer at a reduced price!

3. Do you actually like anything in Band A or Band B?

CO2 Bands

CO2 Bands

Okay – so you’ve got a ten year old car that’s worth less than 1,500 euro and you’re ready to order a new one!

Have you looked at the range of vehicles available in Band A and Band B? Is there something here that will fulfill your daily needs and put that ‘new car smile’ on your face?

42% of all cars registered this year fall into band b and with more manufacturers introducing CO2 reducing strategies we’ll find this segment becoming increasingly popular.

Choose carefully – you could be driving it for another ten years!

4. Do you have access to cash or credit?

Now that you’ve decided what car you’d like to purchase, have you considered the best way to finance it? Sourcing finance at the dealership is not as easy as it used to be. Many of the banks that offered finance through the dealer network have stopped accepting new applications or signaled their intention to leave the market altogether. If you’re planning on taking out a car loan, call your bank first. Make sure the credit is in place at a term and monthly repayment that you’re happy you can afford.

Some additional insurances to consider would be Payment Protection (this can cover your payments if you’re made redundant or unable to work) and Gap Insurance (If your car is stolen or involved in an accident it will cover any finance owned on the car).

If you have any questions or comments on this post or your own particular circumstances, feel free to drop me a note below. I’d be glad to offer you any assistance I can.

Other Posts we've Written on This Topic

  1. Scrappage Scheme Costing Dealers Millions

    The current public sector go-slow is costing Irish dealers 2.5 Million Euro in unpaid scrappage...

  2. Scrappage Scheme Rules Relaxed for Spouses

    Changes to legislation mean you may have to bring a copy of your marriage certificate...

  3. Essential Guide To Car Scrappage Scheme: Is your car fit for ‘Scrap’?

    The opportunity to purchase a new car and save €1,500 doesn't come along often and...

  4. New Band A Cars Qualifying for Scrappage Scheme Discount

    We've spent some time wading through the our car database to bring you a full...

23 comments so far

Reply
Funky Motors
December 10, 2009 at 8:11 pm #

Very nice article and very well explained for people who think of getting a new car soon.
Just wrote an article about the scrappage scheme the other day: http://www.funkymotors.ie/blog/2009/12/09/double-scrappage-deal-from-renault-ireland/

Reply
Shane Teskey
December 10, 2009 at 9:31 pm #

Thanks for your comment. I’m glad you mentioned the Renault scrappage offer which is now offering some fantastic value on the range. All we need now is a Renault bank!

Reply
Funky Motors
December 10, 2009 at 9:40 pm #

The way the main dealerships are closing hard-luck Shane.
I’ve heard Koping Motors, EP Mooney & Belgard Motors closed down, some of the biggest car garages in Ireland.
If things are going in this direction I’ll see pigs flying quicker than a Renault Bank… lol

Reply
Tony
February 1, 2010 at 12:47 am #

I wonder if the list prices will rise by a couple of grand like in the U.K., which means that the consumer in effect gets nothing for scrapping their car?

Reply
Shane Teskey
February 1, 2010 at 4:09 pm #

We can only wait and watch! Thanks for the comment.

Reply
tony law
February 9, 2010 at 4:23 pm #

If I have a 99 car, can I scrap it with the govt scheme and buy 06,07 0r 08 car?

Reply
Shane Teskey
February 9, 2010 at 9:58 pm #

Unfortunately not. Scrappage is only available on a new car.

Reply
tony law
February 9, 2010 at 4:29 pm #

What are the 7-Seater cars in the scheme?

Reply
Shane Teskey
February 9, 2010 at 9:56 pm #

Good question Tony! I don’t have a list at the moment but what I’ll do is pull out a list of all the 7 seater’s registered so far this year that fall into band A and band B. That should give us an idea.

I’ll be back to you tomorrow.

Reply
Shane Teskey
February 10, 2010 at 12:38 pm #

Hi Tony,

Some suggestions below;

CITROEN C4 PICASSO
FIAT DOBLO
KIA CEED
PEUGEOT 308
PEUGEOT 5008
RENAULT SCENIC
TOYOTA ESTIMA

Reply
John breen
June 10, 2010 at 11:24 pm #

Can I buy a ten year old car tomorrow and get the scrappage the day after?

Reply
Shane Teskey
June 11, 2010 at 10:38 am #

No. You have to own the car for a minimum of 18 months.

Reply
Denny
June 27, 2010 at 2:19 pm #

Hi
Just wondering my brother in law is getting a new car, but his current car is only 2004. If I buy the car for him and get the scrappage on my car, do I have to keep the new car in my name for a certain period? And if so how long?

Reply
Shane Teskey
July 19, 2010 at 5:51 pm #

Common one this! You can sell on the car to him anytime after buying it. There’s no time limit.

Reply
Hector
July 21, 2010 at 2:47 pm #

I bought a 10 year old car last year in september and the NCT expires in august. My mechanic told me it will not defenitely pass. Can I get the scrappage or what i can do?

Reply
Shane Teskey
August 9, 2010 at 8:49 pm #

Hi Hector, As you have to have owned the car for 18 months before you can qualify for scrappage it will be March of next year before you could qualify. Fingers crossed for an extension to the scheme!

Reply
Gerry Dorrity
August 3, 2010 at 11:29 am #

Can I buy a new car in NI, import it to RoI and then scrap my ten year old car under the scrappage scheme?

Reply
Shane Teskey
August 28, 2010 at 12:38 pm #

Hi Gerry,

Sorry for the delay on getting back to you on this one. Good news! Revenue have confirmed to me that there is nothing in the legislation limiting the eligibility for scrappage payments to the location of the purchase of the vehicle. In other words, provided all the other conditions are met, a vehicle purchased in NI is eligible to the scrappage repayment.

Reply
MDM
August 24, 2010 at 3:46 pm #

hi Shane,
My car is over 10 yrs old and I ordered a new car last May and was told it will be November before i get it.
The insurance of the car has just expired and it is taxed and nct’d until Dec 2010. My car is off the road since April, can i claim back the tax in the car and still get the scrappage?

I have been told by the garage that the car must be taxed to avail of the scrappage. Can you clarify the position on car tax?

Reply
Shane Teskey
August 28, 2010 at 12:43 pm #

Hi Mairead,

There isn’t anything in the legislation that says your car must be taxed. With regard to claiming back tax you can only do this if you have in excess of three months tax on the car on the date it was scrapped.

So if you scrap it now you will be able to apply for a refund on the road tax paid up until December. More info on how to go about this here

Just remember that the window for scrapping your car and registering the new one is 60 days so be sure you will have the new car within this period before you scrap the car.

Reply
Confused dude
August 26, 2010 at 3:14 pm #

Hi, can someone answer me this, I own a Citeron Berlingo Van which emits more and more black smoke every day, i have a good job and so could probably afford finance. Could I go to someone, say Renault, and they would take the berlingo van as scrappage while i come out with a nice new Clio or something to that effect?

Also for Finance, how does that work, do i have to have a certain deposit first before i can apply? say the car is 10k, do i need to have a 2k deposit? and then generally how much would repayments be monthly?

Sorry about the essay, iv never done anything like what i mentioned before and its not something that’s written down anywhere. I hope someone answers and doesnt just think im some complete loser

Reply
Shane Teskey
August 28, 2010 at 12:34 pm #

Hi Gary,

Bad news is your Berlingo van doesn’t qualify for scrappage as it’s a commercial vehicle. Good news is you might want to consider a personal contract purchase (PCP) car lease. I know Renault were offering something attractive on their new Megane recently. More info here

Hope this helps!

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