Where is pick-up available?

For reasons largely explained below, the only vendors we represent in this respect are located
in the Netherlands.

Is it worth the hassle to purchase a motorhome or campervan in Europe
rather than rent one?

Well, if you opt for peace of mind or for a very new vehicle, or if you are traveling for less than 10 weeks, renting is the way to go. Otherwise, you should consider the purchase option.

What are the hassles on the front end?

IdeaMerge's trusted and expert partners in the Netherlands will offer to "carry" the insurance and registration for you, making the process on the front end as simple as can be. You see, it is no longer legal for a non-resident of a European Union country to obtain normal registration and in turn to insure a vehicle in such country. Sure, you can still register a vehicle "for export" — and thereby also avoid paying for one year's worth of ownership tax — but Germany is the only country which allows vehicles registered as such to be insured for more than 2 weeks, their limit being 6 months; and in general it also means you must take the vehicle out of the country — officially for ever — within that 2-week (6-month, in the case of Germany) window of time; moreover, the "export plates" will raise the eyebrows of many an official, so you may be stopped frequently; in addition, the compulsory (minimum third-party liability, i.e., "green card") insurance sold on the open market is very expensive for tourists, and vehicles registered for export cannot be comprehensively insured; and, lastly, within 6 months of registering a vehicle as such you're supposed to either officially export it from the European Union or sell it to an EU resident in a country other than the one in which you bought it (and you probably wouldn't get a good price, for normal registrations are transferable whereas yours would not be, requiring the buyer to pay for new registration straightaway). On the other hand, if our partners in the Netherlands carry the insurance and registration for you, you will have to pay the ownership tax, but only for the fraction of the year that you will own the vehicle; you will effectively have normal registration and plates and you will pay just a bit more than does a resident for insurance — and this insurance can be comprehensive; furthermore, you will have normal Dutch plates; and, perhaps most importantly, you won't have all the hassle of the registration and insurance process. (The only other option is to have a friend or relative or such carry the insurance and registration for you, but that is a tall order.)

What exactly does "green card" insurance give you?

First of all, it takes only a few minutes to get you properly covered with such insurance. International green card insurance is very expensive but compulsory. It is valid all over Europe and also in some parts of Northern Africa and the Middle East. It is third party liability insurance that covers with up to EUR1,000,000 per accident any licensed driver operating your vehicle. The longer the duration you cover, the "cheaper" the insurance gets. Two weeks worth of coverage costs EUR100, but 6-months worth costs EUR700. Fully comprehensive insurance is also available, but it costs about 5 times as much.

And what are the hassles on the back end?

One of our partners offers a standard buy-back plan: Any vehicle which they sell to you for less than EUR15,000 and which you have used for no more than 3 months they will buy-back from you at 70 percent of the sales price minus the 19 percent value added tax (VAT) — and minus EUR500 more if the the vehicle cost less than EUR7500; the rate drops to 65 percent for vehicles used for no more than 6 months, and to 60 percent for vehicles used for no more than 1 year. If, however, the vehicle was sold to you for more than EUR15,000, the buy-back price will equal that purchase price minus VAT and minus one-half of what it would have cost to rent the vehicle for the duration you had it. This same partner also offers to store your vehicle for only EUR100 per month; your insurance will be stopped during storage, for the partner's insurance will cover the vehicle while it is in their care. Alternatively, both our partners officially offer to sell your vehicle on consignment. Sure, in taking advantage of this last option you would be putting great trust in our partners — but they are trustworthy and in fact they have a proven track record in this regard; consignment, indeed, is a very popular option with our clients. (You could also sell the vehicle to whomever. Officially this can be done only in the country in which the vehicle is registered, i.e., in the country where you bought it, but there are ways around this restriction, and our partners will inform concerning these ways, if you wish.)

Can the vehicle be waiting and ready upon a client's arrival?

Yes, but a 25 percent downpayment (up to a max of EUR2500) is required. If you wait to make your purchase decision until you are on the spot, our partners will need about 2 days to get everything ready. Stock tends to be plentiful until the end of March, at which point it starts to become depleted.

What is the next step?

Go to IdeaMerge's request page and submit your information. Our partners will then contact you, providing details concerning the vehicles they presently have for sale.