laptop duty/taxes

boniouk

New member
Aug 17, 2010
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Hi there. Shipped a Dell laptop from USA to DR through fedex. tracking it tonight i can see its in "clearance Delay".... im assuming this is bad news and now im gonna get taxed.... Any ideas how much it can be? I've seen posts with people saying it could be $20 or $1000? :S The declared value of it was $470.
 

boniouk

New member
Aug 17, 2010
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Well i declared the value as more coz it was insured for whatever i declared it as, and it was brand new. so kinda had too. But next time i will definitely get someone to carry it over there for me.

Annoying. the same laptop was for sale from a dominican site for $100 more, but the person told me they cud get it shipped from us to them for $50 so just do that... turns out shipping was $150, and no taxes on top. Not helping huh
 

johnny

Bronze
Feb 8, 2003
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hausenland.com
they will charge you the itbs 16% of the price declared. I bought a 900dlls HP, I told the shipping company to declare for 400. Finally I paid for everything around 2,800pesos.
 

georgig

New member
Jul 25, 2010
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As far as my research shows you have to pay duty /3% over CIF value/ plus 15% ITBIS plus 13% exchange commission. I try to find a customs agent in Puerto Plata in order to clarify this, but without success for the timebeing. If anybody knows such agent pls let me know.
Have a nice day all
 

boniouk

New member
Aug 17, 2010
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So the laptop is stuck on fedexs tracking system as "clearance delay" in santiago airport.

I called woman in usa who said would receive a call today later on about how much to pay to release it.

Then called fedex woman in DR who advised it would be 7-10 days before hearing anything regarding clearance, then they would advise how much to pay but only once they had her ID number etc.... or that she could go to the airport directly with ID and tracking number and have it cleared whilst she is there and told how much...


How ridiculous is this country?!?! I paid for 1-3 day shipping to her door.

its going to be 10 days
shes gonna have to pick it up
its gonna cost even more..

any advice?, im fuming!
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
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So the laptop is stuck on fedexs tracking system as "clearance delay" in santiago airport.

I called woman in usa who said would receive a call today later on about how much to pay to release it.

Then called fedex woman in DR who advised it would be 7-10 days before hearing anything regarding clearance, then they would advise how much to pay but only once they had her ID number etc.... or that she could go to the airport directly with ID and tracking number and have it cleared whilst she is there and told how much...


How ridiculous is this country?!?! I paid for 1-3 day shipping to her door.

its going to be 10 days
shes gonna have to pick it up
its gonna cost even more..

any advice?, im fuming!
I hope you learned a lesson.

Best way: bring it down yourself.

Next best way: have someone bring it down, sans box, for you.

Third best way: EPS/Business Mail/other package forwarder. They seem to get things through quickly with the least pain and expense.

Worst: US Mail, UPS, FedEx, DHL.
 

JuanDolioLiving

New member
Sep 7, 2010
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You should not be saying bad things about the Dominican Republic and instead call up FedeX because you hired their services and pay for it. So to make any complaint about the issue. I suggest that you contact FedeX international office and have them take care of the whole issue. Because this has nothing to do with the country but instead with Fedex.
 

boniouk

New member
Aug 17, 2010
107
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Well if i let fedex deal with it, they will accept the taxes and pass them on to her which she will then have to pay, alternatively, she can go with her dad and try and slip someone $20 to just go get it for them on the sly.... that's the next way to do it. And i wasn't having a go at the country as such, just the bizarre airport shipping custom thing. Seems like its full of criminals sat around wondering how they can make the most money.
 

boniouk

New member
Aug 17, 2010
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Oh and i called fedex international, they refuse to deal with and give me numbers for fedex DR. Which half the time doesnt even ring, when it does they dont even answer, and when i finally do get through, they say wait 7-10 days for clearance n you might get a courtesy call.... "might get a courtesy call"... i paid $150 for courtesy?
 
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johnny

Bronze
Feb 8, 2003
907
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hausenland.com
I use Aeropaq, across street from Saint George School, not problem at all.
they charge 2.95dll/pound, a laptop does not weight more than 8-10 pounds.
I bought it in Best Buy and 3 days later I have my laptop here. I went there Drive thru, and paid 2,800. It didnt take more than 3 mins.
www.aeropaq.com
As somebody mentioned before, Fedex is the worst company for shipping. at least here in DR.
 

SteveS

Member
Apr 15, 2008
297
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It should only pay 16% sales tax.

Should....should.......should......should.....haha

A few months ago I brought a cheap older laptop through. Cost $150.

I used Vimenpaq as a referral from a friend who'd just been made a manager there.....bad move

First thing was they didn't like the packing, they waited 5 days to tell me they didn't like it, added $15 to repack it up in some posh box or other and then spent the next 10 days doing that. (During which it seems that it was dropped and damaged a memory module.)

After 16 days it made it to the DR, get my call/email to go pick it up. Get there and its not there. 30 mins later I find aduanas held it at the airport because they didn't believe the price. So made up their own price. And charged $2300 pesos import tax. ($62). After many an arguement, proof of purchase, credit card receipts etc.... I wasn't going to win, and vimenpaq were as much help as a chocolate fireguard, so I conceded and paid the $2300. (7 days later)

3 more days later it arrived at Churchill. I go, and my bill is $2900..... I think it included $1300 for "CUSTOMS CLEARANCE"..... After swearing, cursing and having my "friend" ignore me cos he knew what a disaster it had been, I retired my battered damaged laptop from there, having paid more in transport than the item was worth.

Closed my account and back to Pobidom. As a note, a week later I brought a camera ($280) through Pobidom fully declared and the impuestos were RD$90..... go figure....and cleared in less than a day....

And on the Fedex topic, you might want to ask Expat13 about spending 9 hours at Las Americas airport clearing his last item through Fedex.....
 

boniouk

New member
Aug 17, 2010
107
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Received a call today from a woman at santiago airport saying she can help with the laptop in clearance delay. She says she will call again this afternoon with mroe details now that she has my gf's ID number but that it will be charged at 36%!!!

Thats $172 USD for a $400 laptop...

Is there any official page with what taxes should be? She said if we went there personally we could get it cheaper maybe. Are they making this up as they go along?
 

SteveS

Member
Apr 15, 2008
297
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The only "negotiable" thing is the CIF value which you already declared. So no. Sorry!
 

boniouk

New member
Aug 17, 2010
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Her dad is a pastor and going there with her on Monday, has an angry man so hopefully he can persuade some unsuspecting victim to go get it for a small fee.
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
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dr1.com
Its correct. 20% import tax, 16% ITBIS.

I thought computers are exempt from import duties and only pay the 16% ITBIS.

I'll ask the owner of OmegaTech, he brings in 5 containers a month of computer stuff, he should know :)