to import or not to import?

Tiff2015

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Mar 3, 2015
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Hi all! Can anyone tell me about their experiences importing their personal belongings from another country? I know many officials are on the take and have heard horror stories of people waiting for their shipping containers for years! I really want to bring mammy of our creature comforts and kids toys. .TVs etc.... would it be better/ cheaper to try to bring in some creates? Can I trust Amy customs brokers? We Are planning to come and never look back! Really need info! Thanks! !
 

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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If you're talking about moving to DR and getting legal residency, you will be entitled to a container load of your personal belongings, free or almost free of taxes, with some exceptions, but only in the 6 month window after you receive your residency. Each person is entitled to this, so supposedly a husband and a wife could arrange two containers.

If you're just talking about a bunch of large boxes, not a container load, use a mundanza for door-to-door shipping, assuming you're in the USA. Use the search function to get names and contact info for mundanzas.
 

chic

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Nov 20, 2013
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send your stuff.....mundazas of course when i ship i really try to send things that wouls actually make(save)me a trip to the store...i open boxes of little things and shake the box...bars of soap come out of original containers...etc...hdwre...anchors screwss etc
 

Tiff2015

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Mar 3, 2015
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Thanks for your skepticism Don P!!..... AND YES Der fish we have been there 7 time and methe many cdn expats there. We have done alot of homework. .. just waiting till we were ready. We wou not be selling ou r home and uprooting our child on a whim. Thank you for your welcome to the newbie on the site. I understand you see people come and go frequently but you don't need to be an ass!. I'm not willing to spend 1000th shipping all my crap there for 2 months! I simply want to know I'll actually get it when I get there!
 

Tiff2015

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Mar 3, 2015
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Sorry derfish most of that was meant for Don P. . I'm on my cell so please pardon the typos. I introduced myself on the new to forum thread
 

Cdn_Gringo

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Apr 29, 2014
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Don't bring large furniture or appliances. If you have lots of stuff, then a local shipper will construct lift crates that will fit inside a container. 3 or 4 lift crates per container if you don't have enough stuff to fill a container.

Have your residency certificate of deposit from Migracion or your residency card in hand and meet the container and your broker the day after it arrives. Clear customs. Go to the tax office and apply for a waiver of the taxes. Once approved and you will be because you are a resident and this is a shipment of pre-owned household goods, arrange to unload the container and get your stuff onto a delivery truck and out of port as fast as is humanly possible to avoid storage charges.

You need to be at the port with your broker right from day one to make sure everyone does their job in an efficient and timely manner. You need to apply for the tax waiver in person with the paperwork your broker will give you. Plan on spending at least two days in Santo Domingo doing this. Day 1, customs inspection and paperwork. Day 2 tax waiver, more paperwork and delivery arrangements. Stay in contact with your broker beginning long before your container gets to port. Press them to pre-schedule customs inspections. The tax waiver people do not process applications everyday. Your broker will know what days appointments can be scheduled for. The less time your stuff is in port the cheaper it will be.
 

pularvik

Active member
Jan 2, 2011
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Shipped a 20ft container with furniture, tools, kitchen stuff. Got it all in a timely manner. All stuff will be inspected and the repacking is not so good. some furniture scratches and dirt on mattresss. Not a cheap endevor but nice to have familiar things around.
 

Cdn_Gringo

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Apr 29, 2014
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The cost of shipping (determined by weight and size) is expensive as you will soon find out. It may be cheaper to get new local appliances. Parts for local appliances may be easier to source if service is needed. Most NA stoves do not fit in the allocated space for such an appliance in Dominican Kitchens. 220V appliances such as stoves/ovens, clothes driers may not have a 220V power source where you want to place these. After paying a premium to ship your whiz-bang KitcheAid electric range here, it can be a tad disappointing when the ants eat through the wire insulation shorting out the control board. A replacement board to restore functionality to the appliance will not be cheap or conveniently available.

The humidity and insects are murder on NA fabrics and wood products. Everything molds up and deteriorates quickly in the tropics. It is often more practical to furnish using local materials that have been shown to last longer than paying to ship your favorite couch from home. One will be able to sell their good furniture at home for far more $$$ than they would be able to get here. Use this money to offset the replacement costs here after your arrival.

Just my opinion offered solely as something to consider. As always people a free to do whatever they want. Most will not think to consider what happens to that nice teak dinning room table when it goes from 30% humidity to a place where the humidity is always north of 80%. When it splits down the middle, the wood worms will thank you.
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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as I recall, my 40ft container was about $4500 to ship

furniture , appliances and car..... lawn mower.... no kitchen sink

I figured that since it was a flat cost, I would throw everything in that would fit........ and pretty well did.

One piece of advice I would offer...
apply separately for residencies... two different times

After a few months or a year, I wish I had brought more things but my allowance was used up.
Separate applications allows for a followup shipment.

Cdn Gringo will have the name of his shipper... his arrived last December from Canada
 

Cdn_Gringo

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Apr 29, 2014
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I cannot recommend my shipper as the level of support and service in the DR was far below what is needed for a new arrival to rely on.
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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at this end , I used Hispaniola Freight in Sto Domingo

for shipping, any good freight forwarder will do.
but Gringo is right, this end is where to focus.... I think he missed that step.

work backwards, is my advice... start here and get a freight suggestion from this end.....
after all, it is a totally RD exercise ...... importation of tax exempt goods

my contact was Wendoline de Pena www.hispaniolafreight.com
 

Cdn_Gringo

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Apr 29, 2014
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as I recall, my 40ft container was about $4500 to ship

The container is the fixed price part. It's the cost of transporting your goods from your home to the container, packing the container, transporting the container to a port and of course getting your stuff from the port to your new home that is variable based on weight and volume.