US auto imports no duty after Jan 2010, read important info on this!

[Golfer]

DR-CAFTA for sure

Your vin starting in 1 would probably not be sufficient to qualify for DR-CAFTA. You need the vehicle's original COO stating that more than 35% of the parts are from North America. You will need to get your car to a shipper on the east coast and they should be able to help you with the information you will need to claim your vehicle in the DR. There are two different prices for shipping a car, in a container or on the ship deck with the ship deck being much cheaper. They will tell you that the container protects the vehicle from the salt in the sea air but in my opinion the short trip combined with modern paint finishes the sea air presents only a minor risk to the vehicle. And, yes, you're much better off with your own car than a salvaged car with a rolled back odometer like you might get stuck with in the DR. Additionaly, as I posted earlier, the DR dealers have no economic advantage when dealing with customs so do it yourself by talking to the DGA people in the DR AHEAD of time. I've found them to be much more helpful and reasonable than their reputation would lead you to believe.

 

[bayaguanaman]

On the same subject, some dealers are holding the price quoted by the importers for the Ford Explorer at $37,950. 2 in SD quote additional 4000 pesos for the placa, 1 stating it is included, and another in San Pedro De Macoris states Placa additional but cannot get cost ??????.

At the aforementioned and advertised price this seems a good deal based on the current 2010 models ( I do notice the SPDM raised his price on the vehicle offered by 4000 US$ over the last 2-3 days )!!! Caveat Emptor !

 

[Hipocrito Mejia]

Hipocrito Mejia:

How's it going with importing the car to DR?

I have some other things to take care of in DR; which I want to do during the same trip. As soon as I have those other arrangements finalized, then I'll be shipping the car. I already have the MCO needed to ship the car under DR-CAFTA.

I'll be sure to post an update when the car leaves for DR.

 

[bayaguanaman]

Windeguy

Have a look at the dealers including the main Ford dealers currently advertising on supercarros.com, the way I am going about it is quite simple, I will pay a small deposit by credit card (30% or so) and willing of course to pay the 3-5% of this as a surcharge, the balance by certified cheque. You will see the deals I mentioned all there as I write, it appears that the companies are selling the XLT 2 wheel drive like hot cakes, but we have found one.

Once it is reqdy, licenced and registered, my wife can pick go to the dealer, with her tellers cheque in hand and the deal is done. The reason for paying the initial amount on a card is simple, if it goes wrong I can reclaim on the card and let the banks fight it out between them.

The cost of the charge for the card at US450 is acceptable to me giving me the protection I feel comfortable with. Now we have to deal with the stupid Cardnet system in the DR which always has problems. (Although having told my bank the cash call is coming they don't see any problems)....time will tell. (and the airmiles gets me a freebie back to Santo Domingo from Dubai).

 

[playacaribe2]

Your right....

Ship those cars back

The Customs Department is ordering individuals and companies that imported vehicles older than five years to ship them out. The DGA says if they are not shipped within 20 days of arrival, the vehicles will be confiscated. Art. 2 of Customs Law 04-07 bans the import of vehicles that are older than five years. Wrecks have also been banned since 2002.Used electronic equipment are subject to a similar ban.


Above is from todays DR1 news which should put to rest the issue of importing cars older than 5 years ( but I bet it won't)

What exactly does the line mean "Used electronic equipment are subject to a similar ban. "?

it won't put anything to rest. The ban on cars older than 5 years gets enforced when the importers truly push the envelope and everyone and their brother is trying to get them in. Then what happens is that a huge press release coupled with the threat of, or actual confiscation or export back out of DR puts a halt to it for awhile. Then slowly but surely it starts over again until it reaches really noticeable levels...then the press release, threat of confiscation, actual confiscation or export back out of the DR...and so on and so on. A good freight forwarder knows when to send older vehicles and when not to. My freight forwarder out of NY assured me that my 2002 shipped in 2008 would only have to pay a small penalty, or they would bring it back free....and they were right.

Wrecks, salvage title, branded title not allowed since 2002. Run a carfax on a few select pieces and tell me how well that is enforced.

Used electronic equipment banned too. Better tell all those people who send boxes/barrels that the used DVD player, stereo, boombox, regular and LCD TV's, etc. that they put in are banned.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

 

[RacerX]

So confusing

 

[PICHARDO]

Ship those cars back


What exactly does the line mean "Used electronic equipment are subject to a similar ban. "?

That's for commercial importers... Those are for refurbished electronics, which are a dime a dozen in the US and Japan...
Legit stores must meet the refurbished offers and get stuck with their merchandise for long, or at least until the refurbished goods run out in the local market to sell theirs.

Don't get the idea that it means "used" as in visually able to tell the item apart from a brand-spanking new one, but in fact they're just as new. Most of those are items that fell off the loop in the quality control in those manufactures check points, made it to a buyer at home and had the client return the goods the same or next day, with little to no use.

The item's included warranty is mutilated or stamped to reflect this "refurbished" condition, once it's fixed and repackaged back as the original way it was. Those importers tend to replace the warranty/alter the stamps on the items and pas them as of equal value to clients in the DR, unlike the stores that must sell them 100% legit.

In the US is very common practice by electronic stores to sell this kind of garbage, while facing small fines from the cities they work at.

Individuals can and will continue to send their wares via the cargo companies, but commercial importers are 100% banned from doing so any longer...

Many major stores like Macys, Best Buy and others are offering their clients ease of returns on many items, they just re-stock into their shelves at their stores. The re-stocking fee is not extra cash for them, but how they pay for a contractor that re-packages the goods using manufacturer's supplied goods to do so. Many have bought laptops/PCs, MP3s, GPS, etc... at those stores that already have names on them or have their default settings changed as a result of a previous user.

While not 100% new (as somebody got to it before you did) these items are not considered as refurbished, by the consumer protection laws in the US and other areas. I got a nice 50% off from a Gateway laptop from Best Buy a few years ago, when the unit I purchased was already registered to some other person's name (proving that it was "re-packaged). I went to the store with a print-out from Microsoft detailing the date it was "registered" and my bill of sale. They couldn't get me a new boxed (really new) replacement a the store and I made it clear that it was deceptive selling, the store manager agreed with me and offered the 50% (bribe as I called it) off cash back on the spot. Needless to say, I went for the 50% off cash...

I'm still waiting for my Plasma 3D TV to "register" with the manufacturer or online service, in order to try and get me some discount that way. No yet on that front, but soon they'll start offering TVs that need to register their serial number as you plug them in! I'm drooling for that day!

 

[ratbastard]

I have some other things to take care of in DR; which I want to do during the same trip. As soon as I have those other arrangements finalized, then I'll be shipping the car. I already have the MCO needed to ship the car under DR-CAFTA.

I'll be sure to post an update when the car leaves for DR.

I was wondering how you fared with the import?
ratbastard