Shipping Car Santo Domingo to Miami

Celt202

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May 22, 2004
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A friend of mine will be 83 at the end of the month and has decided to move back to the US.

He wants to ship his car from Santo Domingo to Miami. Does anybody know of a reliable company that can do this?

The board is chockablock with US to DR shipping information but I couldn't find any threads with information shipping DR to the US.
 

Castellamonte

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He might be better served to sell the car here and buy anew in the US. He will likely get more for the car here in the DR since autos are so much more expensive here. Then he can use his 'gains' to upgrade or by new.

...just a thought...
 

Celt202

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May 22, 2004
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He might be better served to sell the car here and buy anew in the US. He will likely get more for the car here in the DR since autos are so much more expensive here. Then he can use his 'gains' to upgrade or by new.

...just a thought...

Thanks for replying. I've explained that to him but he wants to ship it.
 

POP Bad Boy

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Jun 27, 2004
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Some cars...........

.......can't be sent to the US from here...........Make sure it is a make/model that can..............Some cars here do not meet US standards........

Ie: Skoda etc...............cars you see HERE and NOT there..........
 

Celt202

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May 22, 2004
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.......can't be sent to the US from here...........Make sure it is a make/model that can..............Some cars here do not meet US standards........

Ie: Skoda etc...............cars you see HERE and NOT there..........

It's a Mercedes 2 seater (I'm not sure of the model).

I would think a reliable company could tell him if it's a car that would be allowed into the US.
 

NALs

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Jan 20, 2003
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.......can't be sent to the US from here...........Make sure it is a make/model that can..............Some cars here do not meet US standards........

Ie: Skoda etc...............cars you see HERE and NOT there..........
If the car is converted to US standards, then it can be shipped.

-NALs
 
Feb 7, 2007
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Strange that Skoda cannot be shipped to the USA. It's sold all over Europe and produced within the EU so it has to adhere to strict EU standards, EU standards are stricter than US standards....

...having said that, I wouldn't ship any European model not sold in the USA already (Skoda, Seat, Peugeot, Fiat, etc.) to the US - good luck getting spare parts.
 

bienamor

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Apr 23, 2004
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Other problem

Strange that Skoda cannot be shipped to the USA. It's sold all over Europe and produced within the EU so it has to adhere to strict EU standards, EU standards are stricter than US standards....

...having said that, I wouldn't ship any European model not sold in the USA already (Skoda, Seat, Peugeot, Fiat, etc.) to the US - good luck getting spare parts.

Also if the converters and other pollution equipment has been changed modified will have to be repaired to US standards before offloading
This is common due to the lower quality of Gas/Desiel clogging the converters
 

Castellamonte

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It's a Mercedes 2 seater (I'm not sure of the model).

I would think a reliable company could tell him if it's a car that would be allowed into the US.

Make sure it has been constructed to US DOT standards. Often cars made for non-US delivery will have suspension systems, emission systems or headlight systems which are incompatible with US law. Fixing the car to meet those standards can be very expensive.
 

edm7583

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Unless the vehicle has been specifically designed and manufactured for the US market, chances are that it won't meet US standards. (most "import" models like toyota, honda, VW, BMW, and Mercedes that are made for sale in the US are actually made in the US. Models that actually made abroad are designed and made specifically for the US market.) The regulations are very specific and detailed and involve much more than emission standards.
 

edm7583

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Strange that Skoda cannot be shipped to the USA. It's sold all over Europe and produced within the EU so it has to adhere to strict EU standards, EU standards are stricter than US standards....

...having said that, I wouldn't ship any European model not sold in the USA already (Skoda, Seat, Peugeot, Fiat, etc.) to the US - good luck getting spare parts.


This kind of foreign arrogance makes my blood boil. If US law says its not allowed, Then it's not allowed! We don't use foreign countries as a guide to write our laws, we write them as we see fit. Try importing a car permanently into the US that does not meet US standards, and arguing "Well it's from Europe and if it's good enough for Europe than its good enough for you!" See how far that argument will get you with US Customs and Border Protection.

To the OP, its not worth the trouble. Get a new car in the US
 

bob saunders

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This kind of foreign arrogance makes my blood boil. If US law says its not allowed, Then it's not allowed! We don't use foreign countries as a guide to write our laws, we write them as we see fit. Try importing a car permanently into the US that does not meet US standards, and arguing "Well it's from Europe and if it's good enough for Europe than its good enough for you!" See how far that argument will get you with US Customs and Border Protection.

To the OP, its not worth the trouble. Get a new car in the US

And your kind of attitude is what makes Americans so beloved all over the world. The OP doesn't give us enough info on where the Mercedes came from. It may well meet American standards, It may have come to the DR via the USA. If the car is gas and not diesel it might be allowed but it shouldn't be to hard to find out.
 

bob saunders

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Strange that Skoda cannot be shipped to the USA. It's sold all over Europe and produced within the EU so it has to adhere to strict EU standards, EU standards are stricter than US standards....

...having said that, I wouldn't ship any European model not sold in the USA already (Skoda, Seat, Peugeot, Fiat, etc.) to the US - good luck getting spare parts.

You are correct except for older diesels and the windshield glass is different. This car 1992 was before EU Standards- correct me if I'm wrong.
 

Celt202

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May 22, 2004
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Back to the question I posted in the original post:

Does anybody know of reliable companies that actually ship cars from the DR to the US?

Bueller, Bueller....
 

SKY

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Apr 11, 2004
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You might be the first person to want to ship a car from the DR to the US, so to find a reliable company for this is not easy to do.
 

sweetdbt

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Sep 17, 2004
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If the car originated in the US, it may be possible to ship it back. Highly unlikely otherwise. Considering the practicalities involved, I have to agree that it makes no sense to ship it. Having a mother your friends age who is preparing to move across country from a large house to a small apartment though, I know how hard it can be for someone to come to terms with leaving a cherished posession behind. I wish him well, but have no suggestions.
 

Castellamonte

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Actually this gave me a wonderful idea. I have a Ford F150 I bought here at Viamar in Santo Domingo. But they didn't have them back then (2001) and had to get it from Miami for me. So now I still have it and can't seem to sell it here and I'll bring it back to the US.

If anyone has any connections on shipping a car (US made) from the DR to the US please PM me the information. I appreciate it!!