Giving bribe would have been better....

[Beenaway]

These guys must be struggling for cash more than usual - I have never been asked for a bribe there and I have been a couple of times - was a couple of years ago, though.

Vacara once told me that if you succumb to paying a bribe then you are half the problem - but we all know that is BS

 

[cleverlemming]

Buying a car here was sort of like getting jumped into a gang for me. The "friend" who helped me to find it secretly took a huge commission. I found later that another "friend" begged to go along on the car-buying expedition just so he could rob me. I'm guess that he was turned down because the first "friend" stood to make more on the commission than splitting the money four ways. It took three all-day trips to Santo Domingo to get the title transferred. On one of them, I got thrown out of the title place for not wearing a long-sleeved shirt. On another, I had to deliver a sealed envelope to the car owner, which then inspired a trip to the gold district which left no time to get the government offices. Then my next door neighbor's wife sent her brother to knock on my door at 8:00 in the morning on a Saturday to demand a huge commission because I had first looked at the car after driving her husband to the Santo Domingo airport in a car that he was eventually accused of stealing. I finally had to tell the first "friend" that I was going to set the car on fire in front of his house if I didn't have the title that week. Which worked. Because I was serious. I would probably go through a dealer the next time.

 

[badpiece33]

Great to see Motor vehicle offices all over the world suck

 

[Rattus_Rattus]

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooo, in the "World according To chip", low pay becomes an excuse for poor job performance????
You really CAN find a poor excuse for every dominican character flaw!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Admit it CC, you really admire his flawless skills.

 

[MerengueDutchie]

Guys relax...

AZB is buying Roberts car (which was advertised on DR1 so anyone could have taken advantage of a good deal) at a discount...

He is just venting about his experiences with the local administradores... which is kind of funny because he has the chief of police of Santo Domingo as his client...maybe he should have mentioned something to him, I'm sure he could have had the process expedited by sending someone over/having a few calls made..

Then again the amount isn't worth the hassle

 

[holland1974]

Got to agree with AZB here. I have also bought a car off Robert and had absolutely no problems whatsoever.
Maybe a good idea to get your name down on his next car now before he even decides to sell.

 

[JayinRD]

Strictly taxis for me. Less bureaucratic BS, so easy, plentiful, and cheap.

 

[CaptnGlenn]

My thoughts when reading the op were, "wow.. .those are some hefty bribes". When in these situations would an offer of a reduced bribe be accepted, or an insult, resulting in worse than none at all?

 

[Robert]

Got to agree with AZB here. I have also bought a car off Robert and had absolutely no problems whatsoever.
Maybe a good idea to get your name down on his next car now before he even decides to sell.

How is the Pathfinder? That was a great car!

 

[sayanora]

My thoughts when reading the op were, "wow.. .those are some hefty bribes". When in these situations would an offer of a reduced bribe be accepted, or an insult, resulting in worse than none at all?

If someone was asked for 500 pesos for a bribe they were pinned as a sucker the moment they walked through the door.

 

[Frank the Tank]

So did you get your papers?

 

[AZB]

I went to the police station and talked to a woman on tuesday (5pm) and got my certificate in my hand. the trick is to talk to some woman and talk in a very formal and respective manner. Do not talk in ghetto dominican spanish. I told her I am a chiropractor and I am very busy in my office. She instantly helped me. turns out they left out T on robert's name. only Rober. But they assured me there was no problem as its a common mistake.
then i went to DGII office to pay my taxes for the transfer. On the dgii website my car would cost me 10 thousand and change for transfer fees but it reality it will cost me $11,900 pesos to get my metricula. hahahaha.
i went to DGII at 1pm because I had too many patients in my office today. So as I walk in, I noticed there were a thousand people inside. Uffff, scary sight. I knew I could not stand there for hours scratching my arse. So i went up to talk to a man who was on his lunch break. i explained to him I am a medico and I have been trying to come to this office for days but I can't get out. Too many people are waiting on me at the office. So he gets me in touch with another lady who seemed to be in charge of the department. I told her I am a spinal pain doctor. All changed right there when she heard that. I was treated as VIP and all was processed in minutes. But there was a problem, I needed the back side of vendor's cedula and this guy is in japan as we speak. So now I have to wait on robert to send me his backside of cedula and I will be all set. I will return there on friday (tomorrow is holiday here). the lady told me to just come straight to her and she will do it all in no time. I am sure all will be done without any problems as I have done this sort of things many times before.
i know what you are all thinking: the truth is, this is how things are done here. if I can't change the system then I will take advantage of it. If you go the legal way, then you have to wait a long time and then you have to come back another day anyway and still you will wait. So the moral of story is that being a chiropractor is not such a bad deal in this country. just when they hear I am a chiro, all the rules bend for me. Police never touches me. Immigration can't wait to help me in immigration office for residency renewal and this goes for the rest of public officials. I have given my card out to many people and not a single person has ever come to me. They always seem to lose my card. hahahaha. if someone will come, he/she will also be treated like VIP and free for the 1st consultation.
Viva dominiana.
AZB

 

[suarezn]

Moral of the story is people hate corruption until it's THEIR turn to take advantage of it.

 

[william webster]

I find they understand my espanol MUCH better after a friendly handshake....:classic:

 

[AZB]

Moral of the story is people hate corruption until it's THEIR turn to take advantage of it.

I actually don't hate a little corruption. I only complain of too much corruption when people and their lives begin to get hurt. A tiny tip here and there doesn't bother me. These people just can't live off the salary they receive. The system is designed so that the employees have to make their own money on the side. No one can live off 8000 pesos salary these days.
if I have to wait there and miss patients at work, then the cost keeps rising for me. So i rather pay and get things done on time. Just so happens, I have never paid any bribe to anyone, my chiro status alone opens doors for me everywhere.
AZB

 

[william webster]

I'm going to get some cards printed up..... pass them around the police station.

Great idea

My current ones identify me as an 'Underwater Welder'.... not working too well outside the brothels... need a change of job status

 

[Curacaoleno]

Sometimes its also about if you have time or not. For example goverment checks my car every year if it is a good car.
This will cost you like 10 dollars and a half day waiting at the place.. after that half day the inspector comes up with some minor detail.. the choice is paying him 10 dollar cash and he will give me certificate that my car is ok (and telling him I will fix the issue) or make a new appointment and pay 10 dollar again (and maybe a 10 dollar fine if the inspection date has expired) and wait a half day again and maybe they will find something again..

 

[flyinroom]

AZB...............That is a common misconception doing business with the government in the Dominican Republic. Just as soon as you begin to feel that somebody FINALLY understands you.......
I'd be willing to bet that when you return to that office that woman will no longer be there or on vacation or called in sick that day.
And the cycle begins again.

 

[AZB]

AZB...............That is a common misconception doing business with the government in the Dominican Republic. Just as soon as you begin to feel that somebody FINALLY understands you.......
I'd be willing to bet that when you return to that office that woman will no longer be there or on vacation or called in sick that day.
And the cycle begins again.

lets hope this will not happen.

 

[Givadogahome]

AZB...............That is a common misconception doing business with the government in the Dominican Republic. Just as soon as you begin to feel that somebody FINALLY understands you.......
I'd be willing to bet that when you return to that office that woman will no longer be there or on vacation or called in sick that day.
And the cycle begins again.

This has happened to me with judges in a court case, 'come back -------' everyone turns up to carry on and the judge has vanished on vacation. Frustrating to say the least, in such important situations.