Import has wrong spec for UK
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Ne by Peter Lawton
An owner-driver who shipped his Canadian Volvo back to Britain has found himself landed with an expensive white elephant.
Michael McDermott brought his £55.000 bonneted Volvo VN 660 to the UK to launch a tipper operation after he spoke to a Volvo dealership in Maidstone, Kent.
Three weeks of phone calls to Volvo later. McDermott has discovered that getting the truck certified for UK use is next to impossible. Volvo has to tell the government's Vehicle Certification Agency how the VN differs from Continental versions so comparisons and adjustments can be made before the vehicle can be allowed on to UK roads.
But. McDermott says: "They keep on telling me that its like comparing apples with oranges, but surely they must be able to tell me how they differ—they build the things, after all. 1 just cannot understand why Volvo will not help me. I've opened a can of worms that no one wants to touch."
Volvo's Brian Anderson has been looking into the case for McDermott. Ile says: "We're trying to be as helpful as we can, but unfortunately that may not be very much. From previous experience we've had a lot of problems. We try as much as possible to discourage people from doing this kind of thing because of the difficulties involved."
Shipping the truck from Canada cost McDermott about 13,000, and at one point it looked as if sending it back might be the only option. Now he is hoping to cut his losses by selling the truck in Ireland.
McDermott claims MC Group, the Maidstone dealership he spoke to originally, told him it would be a simple matter of mak ing minor adjustments—but the dealer denies giving this advice.
MC's Dave Till says he spoke to McDermott once on his mobile phone about five weeks ago. and might have mentioned Type Approval, but stresses that he would not have gone any further. "We would never, ever have said to him it's easy to do and bring it in." he adds. "We wouldn't say that because it simply isn't something that we get involved with."
Modifying a North American truck to comply with European regulations could involve work on the brakes, exhaust, lights and air systems. Testing alone could cost as much as £20,000.
McDermott says: It's all going wrong. I'm trying to set up home and start a business—this really is the last thing I need."