More q's....buying a car

daydream

Bronze
Sep 19, 2004
718
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Hi All

More questions......

If I were to buy a car to use during my 3 mth stay in DR, can anyone tell me the following:

1 - Do I have to take out insurance for a whole year and just cancel it when I leave.....would I get a refund? How much is insurance approx.?? I know previous posters have said that it's cheap but what's cheap?

2 - What documents do I need to bring - just my driving licence? But do you also need proof of address? I won't have anything showing this though.......?

3 - is it possible to sell the car back to a used car sales place.....I know you would lose a lot of money doing it this way but if it came to it - do they do that over there?? I think I read in a previous post that it wasn't a done thing?? I still think it would make better sense to buy a car than renting for 3 mths as renting is SO expensive.....and then attempting to get some money back from selling it at the end?

Has anyone else been in a similar position and if so what did you do??

Thank you all in advance for any info.

Daydream
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
20,574
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dr1.com
Give us an idea of your budget and we will tell you if it makes sense.

Remember, the no-hassle factor of renting is worth a lot of money.
 

daydream

Bronze
Sep 19, 2004
718
4
0
Robert said:
Give us an idea of your budget and we will tell you if it makes sense.

Remember, the no-hassle factor of renting is worth a lot of money.

Hi Robert

OK - well after carrying out some research it appears that to rent a compact car (smallest they offer - like a Fiesta or Corsa) will cost me over ?2000 which is around $4000 for three months......then there is the deposit of $1,500 in case of accident etc .....or you can waive this excess for something like $12 per DAY. If you want to add a second driver this is also extra.

One rental company came back to me when I asked if they sold any ot their ex rental cars and said that they sold a Grand Vitara last week (2001 model) for RD$420,000 ~$15,000.....

So I am kind of guessing that a small car.....such as a corsa or similar.....say, 5/6 yrs old, nothing special, should cost not TOO much more than the price of the rental car? Say ?3000. Am I way off the mark here?

Then there is insurance on top of course - and my concern is how much trouble this would be to set up - as per my questions below. Despite this - the way I look at it is however much MORE I spend to buy a car, over and above the ?2000 to rent, most of this I will get back when I sell it?? No? So, as long as I don't have an accident and keep it in good condition, then overall I would be in a better position if I were to buy rather than rent, which is money down the drain.

However my theory is squashed if my three questions below regarding insurance, proof of address & ability to sell are to create problems.....

Just trying to work out the best route to take....
Thanks
Daydream
 

Snuffy

Bronze
May 3, 2002
1,462
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If you are here for only three months then you don't need a car. Find a nice, comfortable taxi or several and use them for all your travel. Although I don't do it anymore, there is a great sense of freedom to just walk out to the roadside and get the carro publico for 10 pesos. Then you rent a vehicle for any long trips you may want to take. And if you want to go from say the capital to the north coast you get caribe tours bus on the cheap and then use taxis once on the north...or vice versa...or whatever. Of course, if you are determined to have a vehicle you can buy one, then sell or have a friend sell for you once you leave.
 

audboogie

New member
Jul 4, 2004
313
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to give u an idea, my husband bought a 94 honda accord from a private party back in dec 2004 and he paid 210,000 pesos which is about 7500 dollars....and this was a "good deal". the car had 120000 kilometers on it. whatever that is in miles. everyone was telling him what a "steal" that was....yeah right.....in US thats a rip off but over there its a good deal. also i have found that many people do not have insurence and mostly only those that drive suv's and expensive cars put ins on thier car. i've also heard when u get in an accident its basically "hit and run". thats why i never drive over there!!! so the previous poster is right, if you can do without and use taxis your way better off. and its way cheap and soo easy to do being that you can find taxies anywhere just make sure they dont try and rip u off