long term car rental

gatita_fiera

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Ok, how does it work for renting a car long term? Am I better off going to a dealer? Or just buying some 2nd hand lil suv? I would need a minimum of a 6month rental,and i would only assume that places like Avis would charge and arm and a leg.
 

Kiwicanuck

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My Math would go like this

gatita_fiera said:
Ok, how does it work for renting a car long term? Am I better off going to a dealer? Or just buying some 2nd hand lil suv? I would need a minimum of a 6month rental,and i would only assume that places like Avis would charge and arm and a leg.

Avis would want your soul as well as all your families arms and legs.

I can only relate to the North Coast because thats what I am familar with.

I am fairly confident for a six month Rental I could pull of the following.

A local Sosua Rental company / an older Susuki Sidekick or similar / total cost per day including Insurance of $15. For six months math would be.

15 x 30 = 450 x 6 = 2700

Compare that to all the hassles of getting a vehicle in the D.R. The loss which one would expect to take on selling it etc. Not a bad looking deal I feel.

Thats depending on the $15 a day figure of course but that could be done with a perfectly adequate vehicle I believe.

I strongly recommend an SUV. The 4 x 4 aspect is very handy, it could even be a safety factor in getting you out from a situation where you might otherwise be stuck were you in a regular car.

Exploring the country side and the coast line is my favourite thing to do.

Kiwi Bruce
 

daydream

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which car rental places in Sosua are offering car rental at $15 per day including insurance?
 

gatita_fiera

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ya i would definately need a suzuki or something. 15$/day sounds reasonable. so who do i contact upon my arrival in the RD?
 

Kiwicanuck

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I am not day dreaming

daydream said:
which car rental places in Sosua are offering car rental at $15 per day including insurance?

I was not day dreaming with the $15 a day I don't believe. I certainly didn't say anybody was offering that. Negotiation is the key to any purchase in the D.R.

You put $2700 in front of the right guy ( the owner ) at the right rental company that I have used and I think he would take it from my experience with him.

They were a damn good company to deal with I found. As well as being a Dominican company.

Kiwi Bruce
 

HOWMAR

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Kiwicanuck said:
I was not day dreaming with the $15 a day I don't believe. I certainly didn't say anybody was offering that. Negotiation is the key to any purchase in the D.R.

You put $2700 in front of the right guy ( the owner ) at the right rental company that I have used and I think he would take it from my experience with him.

They were a damn good company to deal with I found. As well as being a Dominican company.

Kiwi Bruce
For your $15/day do you really think he is providing you with any liability coverage. Besides the valid license question. He probably secured a big deductable for the vehicle with a credit card? As far as liability, Have an accident and go chase the insurance to cover you.
 

daydream

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Kiwicanuck said:
I was not day dreaming with the $15 a day I don't believe. I certainly didn't say anybody was offering that. Negotiation is the key to any purchase in the D.R.

You put $2700 in front of the right guy ( the owner ) at the right rental company that I have used and I think he would take it from my experience with him.

They were a damn good company to deal with I found. As well as being a Dominican company.

Kiwi Bruce

I was not implying that you were daydreaming btw - I was just interested in finding out which car rental company you are refering to.

And yes, negotiation is definietly the name of the game in the DR
 

Kiwicanuck

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Money talks and Dominicans respect that

gatita_fiera said:
ya i would definately need a suzuki or something. 15$/day sounds reasonable. so who do i contact upon my arrival in the RD?

If you PM or email me I will send you the contact information. I have no connection to this business and myself was referred to it by a long time expat in Sosua.

One of the first things one hears when first in the D.R. is how many people often declare "I have no interest or connection to this business".

This is I believe because so many people have the ulterior motive of promoting business they have an interest in (and why wouldn?t they). The person genuinely trying to be helpful and give you the benefit of his experience does not want you to think that of them.

I think it would be a good time to devise an acronym that would be helpful, especially on these boards.

N.I.I.T.B (no interest in this business)

Probably a more creative member on here can come up with a better one. (the good ones have a rhyme to them)

Kiwi Bruce
 

abe

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Narc

Never a Referral Commission

Of course, many people might wonder if you may be involved in something else!
 

Kiwicanuck

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That got a good laugh

abe said:
Never a Referral Commission
Of course, many people might wonder if you may be involved in something else!

Narc is pretty good altho the other connatation may cause a problem like you suggest Abe.

I had to read the "people might wonder if you may be involved in something else" twice before I got it and laughed. Must be slow this morning, lol.

Kiwi Bruce
 

HOWMAR

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Kiwicanuck said:
If you PM or email me I will send you the contact information. I have no connection to this business and myself was referred to it by a long time expat in Sosua.

One of the first things one hears when first in the D.R. is how many people often declare "I have no interest or connection to this business".

This is I believe because so many people have the ulterior motive of promoting business they have an interest in (and why wouldn?t they). The person genuinely trying to be helpful and give you the benefit of his experience does not want you to think that of them.

I think it would be a good time to devise an acronym that would be helpful, especially on these boards.

N.I.I.T.B (no interest in this business)

Probably a more creative member on here can come up with a better one. (the good ones have a rhyme to them)

Kiwi Bruce
Something else you learn in the DR is that when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. With all due respect, how do you know if in fact your are covered by adequate liability coverage for your $15/day all included. You will never know until you have the big one. (Or a little one with a conniving motochoncho.)
 

Kiwicanuck

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Very True

HOWMAR said:
Something else you learn in the DR is that when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. With all due respect, how do you know if in fact your are covered by adequate liability coverage for your $15/day all included. You will never know until you have the big one. (Or a little one with a conniving motochoncho.)

What you say here is very true. However, without some risk being involved one would never leave there living room.

There is no end to the risk just getting off the plane at POP as well as any other third world country. Being a third world country gives it some advantages as well as disadvantages I believe.

The amount of liability coverage one will get will be the same as one would get when renting it for $30 a day I believe. The amount of coverage one has is not going to be that big a help in the big picture I don't believe. All one can do is pick what they think has been a good company to them on top of it being recommended in the first place by an estabilshed local.

After that its all the same risks. If one is living there then its a different story as one has there own vehicle with full insurance coverage.

However, the O.P. asked in regard to renting or buying for a six month period.

My information was intended as an alternative to giving an arm an leg to the likes of Avis. Also in comparison to buying a vehicle and reselling it.

Anything is less risk than riding around on the back of a motoconcho.

When a non resident is in the D.R. and they have learnt some of the ways don't they try to reduce there risk by carrying a good amount of dollars hidden in there wallet for emergencies. Bribes in other words. Don't they have the phone number of there Embessary also in there wallet etc.

Maybe I am one of those that just 'thinks' I know something about the D.R.

But it was a very good question HOWMAR. I hope I have answered it somewhat.

Kiwi Bruce

P.S. Its not just us Newbies that get into trouble and get ripped off. I know several 'permanents' that had horror strories for me last month when I was there.
 

HOWMAR

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My point simply is that when dealing with a company that is willing to rent a car for $15/day insurance included, it gives me something to think about. Common sense will say they have to cut somthing to survive. If they don't forward the taxes to the government I don't care. The tax man will come after them, not me. But if they don't provide the insurance coverage they say they will, I care. Anybody I injure will come after me, not them. If I were to enter into this 6 month situation I would require they take me to their insurance agent and have him provide me with a certificate of insurance showing the policy is paid covering the 6 month period. And even this doesn't protect you if driving without a valid drivers license.

P.S. For those unfamiliar with life here in paradise, if a foreigner has an accident and injures somebody he will be arrested and taken to jail. He won't be released until he can prove he has a valid drivers license and valid insurance coverage or pays the victim for his "injuries".
 
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Kiwicanuck

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I'm scared now, never coming back

HOWMAR said:
My point simply is that when dealing with a company that is willing to rent a car for $15/day insurance included, it gives me something to think about. Common sense will say they have to cut somthing to survive. If they don't forward the taxes to the government I don't care. The tax man will come after them, not me. But if they don't provide the insurance coverage they say they will, I care. Anybody I injure will come after me, not them. If I were to enter into this 6 month situation I would require they take me to their insurance agent and have him provide me with a certificate of insurance showing the policy is paid covering the 6 month period. And even this doesn't protect you if driving without a valid drivers license.

P.S. For those unfamiliar with life here in paradise, if a foreigner has an accident and injures somebody he will be arrested and taken to jail. He won't be released until he can prove he has a valid drivers license and valid insurance coverage or pays the victim for his "injuries".


Dont you think you are being a little dramatic. Can you honestly state here on this board that you have no interest at all in the 'rental' car business in the D.R. ( I don't know that you don't ) ( I know I don't )

I guess you are one of those people then that would, or could, afford to give the arm and legs etc to the likes of Avis.

lets see now, what are we talking, $70 to $80 a day. Then its

70 x 30 = 2100 x 6 = 12,600

Thats rediculous, so now you need to buy a vehicle. If you are not living there permanently etc thats crasy also.

This is exactly one of the biggest dilemma's so many of us run into.

What are you willing to suggest

Kiwi Bruce
 

HOWMAR

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Kiwicanuck said:
Dont you think you are being a little dramatic. Can you honestly state here on this board that you have no interest at all in the 'rental' car business in the D.R. ( I don't know that you don't ) ( I know I don't )

Kiwi Bruce
To answer your second question first, no, I don't have any interest in a car rental business. Most regular posters here know what type of business I am associated with in the DR.

NO I am not being dramatic. Let me tell you my personal incident. When I was a tourist here back in the 90's, I did rent a cut-rate rental from a local strorefront. I was very proud of myself, negotiating a good deal. Afterall, I was entitled. I was coming to the DR three or four times a a year for the previous 15 years. I knew how the DR worked. Was I wrong. A motochoncho broadsided my car. He obviously ran a stop sign. He was injured. The police came. The next thing I new I had a new hotel room at the local jail. My wife called the US embassy. It was a Friday night, the duty officer assured her I would be safe and they would inquire on Monday morning. She called a local attorney who I had known from a previous visit. In spite of the fact that the rental contract said I had full insurance, they weren't going to let me out until they could confirm it on Monday. The lawyer contacted the "victim" who would drop the so-called reckless driving charges for RD $10,000. ,about $850 at the time. One hour in a Dominican jail will motivate anybody to settle. No I am not being dramatic. Only careful. Every foreigner is a mark. Why place a target on your back?
 

Kiwicanuck

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Also I think

This thread should also be taken into consideration with the "Legal Driving and Insurance"thread that is running at the same time as this thread.

The gist of that (I am sure good advice) is that its illegeal to drive over 14 days anyway so one should rent a car and then hire a driver.

Even the very successful expat business owners in the D.R. often refer to it as the 'Third World Banana Republic'.

This whole example of a long term rental car situation is by far the best example I have seen of why the 'independant' travelers will never take to the D.R. It is why it is doomed to be a short term A.I. destination point.

We that would like to buy there are told that we should live here for at least 3 months to see if its the life style we would like etc. My life style includes driving a vehicle and visiting different parts of the country.

Kiwi Bruce
 

rellosk

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HOWMAR said:
My point simply is that when dealing with a company that is willing to rent a car for $15/day insurance included, it gives me something to think about. Common sense will say they have to cut somthing to survive.
I agree, although Kiwicanuck did say the rate was for an "an older Susuki Sidekick". He didn't say how old. There are some small local Domincan companies that rent clunkers. Kiwicanuck didn't say what company he was recomending.
 

Kiwicanuck

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Thank you for your knowledgeable imput

HOWMAR said:
To answer your second question first, no, I don't have any interest in a car rental business. Most regular posters here know what type of business I am associated with in the DR.

NO I am not being dramatic. Let me tell you my personal incident. When I was a tourist here back in the 90's, I did rent a cut-rate rental from a local strorefront. I was very proud of myself, negotiating a good deal. Afterall, I was entitled. I was coming to the DR three or four times a a year for the previous 15 years. I knew how the DR worked. Was I wrong. A motochoncho broadsided my car. He obviously ran a stop sign. He was injured. The police came. The next thing I new I had a new hotel room at the local jail. My wife called the US embassy. It was a Friday night, the duty officer assured her I would be safe and they would inquire on Monday morning. She called a local attorney who I had known from a previous visit. In spite of the fact that the rental contract said I had full insurance, they weren't going to let me out until they could confirm it on Monday. The lawyer contacted the "victim" who would drop the so-called reckless driving charges for RD $10,000. ,about $850 at the time. One hour in a Dominican jail will motivate anybody to settle. No I am not being dramatic. Only careful. Every foreigner is a mark. Why place a target on your back?

I think respectfully we have debated this point and reached an impass. I find the risk factor more acceptable to some degree I guess. I just think that I have some tourist dollars that I would like to spend in The D.R. that may not get spent there because of examples like this. If this is the case then I will not get the chance to see if I really would like to buy a place down there.

A frustrating situation all around, for everybody.

Kiwi Bruce
 

Kiwicanuck

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clarification

rellosk said:
I agree, although Kiwicanuck did say the rate was for an "an older Susuki Sidekick". He didn't say how old. There are some small local Domincan companies that rent clunkers. Kiwicanuck didn't say what company he was recomending.

I didn't recommend a company. I said that if anybody wanted to know the company they could PM or email me. I think that way I have just layed out my information and if they want to know who it was with then they can ask and then its them asking and not me recommending. I think this approach is fairer to all concerned.

The whole O.P question on this thread is over shadowed by the Legality of your insurance being valid after more than 14 days of driving tho I think.

The hiring a driver is rediculous. Is this legality aspect just something that has come to the fore because the 'Tourist Cards" were reduced in time ?

What length of time were they issued for previously ?

Kiwi Bruce
 

HOWMAR

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Kiwicanuck said:
The hiring a driver is rediculous.
Kiwi Bruce
I don't think so. I have a contract with a local taxi driver for RD$ 200/hour. Granted his van is about 4 years old, but the AC works. When I've called him the day before I need him, he never has had a problem showing up. Occasionally if he has an airport or long run and I call him the last minute he will send another driver. I just have to meet the 15 hours minimum per month with him.