Vimenpaq vs. Domex: La Aduana Processing Fees

Lucas61

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Jun 13, 2014
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Hello All,

This post is NOT about the Custom Fees on items $200.00 or greater that we all avoid like the plague unless it's a "must have" item. The problem I am
referencing came up in a post from a couple of years ago but this post is a bit different.

Per a member's recommendation here, I switched from LogicPaq to Vimenpaq probably 5 or 6 years ago. They are superb in every way except one. As you know, when you have to pay La Aduana, you have a ton of annoying hoops you have to jump through BESIDES paying the exorbitant tax. Vimenpaq hires staff to coordinate this processing between Customs and the client. It probably takes mere minutes of labor while sitting at a computer terminal for a Vimenpaq employee to process this transaction. A few years ago Vimenpaq began STEALING money by raising the processing fees so high that they nearly equal the Customs tax payment.

So, when I buy an item from Vimenpaq, rounding up a bit, I'm paying ~ 40% processing fees and tax. That's a $400.00 fee on a $1,000.00 item. Yeah, you guessed it, I want to buy something that costs $1,000.00 - $1,500.00 that doesn't exist here. For those who have experience with Domex, what are the processing fees like? If they are less than Vimenpaq's I may go with Domex. I do have an account with them but I have only purchased one small item.
 
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Lucas61

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A long time ago, a member here really helped me out. I had bought cigars in the U.S. sent here via Vimenpaq. Vimenpaq refused the shipment in Miami. It took me two months for the product to be sent back and for me to receive a refund. Meanwhile, that member called Domex customer service in Miami to inquire about this problem. Domex said that I could receive a limit of 10 cigars. I made that order and received it with no problem. So now I will investigate how I can call their customer service and mention the problem with Vimenpaq and ask them about their processing fees. I understand paying something for processing but not ~20% of the value of the order. That's just stealing money, an ubiquitous practice in the D.R. It's so obvious that Vimennpaq is "on the take" and they don't even try to hide it.
 

JD Jones

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Nice! Me? My "go to" is a robusto maduro. How about you? When I was in the U.S. my favorite was La Gloria Cubana, Wavell. It appears that this Dominican cigar is 100% relegated to the export market. I have never seen one here.
I have been a fan of Leon Jimenez Robustos for years. You can buy them by the box in most supermarkets.

The bundle of 25 from last week? I have yet to finish one. They all burn terribly and I end up throwing them in the trash.
 
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Lucas61

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Jun 13, 2014
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I have been a fan of Leon Jimenez Robustos for years. You can buy them by the box in most supermarkets.

The bundle of 25 from last week? I have yet to finish one. They all burn terribly and I end up throwing them in the trash.
I have never liked this cigar. Maybe they were fakes? Near where I live in Zona Colonia there is a Caoba store. It's great for sitting and drinking coffee and smoking but I believe that the cigars are all fakes. I bought their best quality and most expensive robusto maduros and threw them in the trash. Horrible. My moto: "No cigar is better than a bad cigar." On the other hand, for about 10 years I've been buying a robusto madure house cigar at La Leyenda for RD$300.00. The price has gone up from RD$150.00 over the years. It is a wonderful full-bodied smoke with excellent construction. It's so good that when I go to the U.S. I bring them with me.
 
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JD Jones

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I've found with Leon Jimenez cigars that if you get a poorly produced cigar, the whole box will be lousy.
Luck of the draw, I guess.
The Torpedos are usually pretty well made.
 

windeguy

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Thanks to the OP for reminding me why I don't use Vimenpaq "no more"...

Would try Domex if they delivered to Cabarete.
 

josh2203

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I'd be willing to bet an office in Cabarete is coming soon.
We have ordered a few times now picking up at the POP branch. We're always the only customers there, so I assume this is because people want home delivery, as there is absolutely nothing wrong with their service. So this makes me wonder: Is their Sosua office really unwilling to deliver to Cabarete? Perhaps a whole branch would not be necessary?
 

JD Jones

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They used to deliver to me in San Cristobal from the Haina office, so distance wouldn't be a stretch.

I do know my delivery guy used to comment a lot about the volume of packages he was delivering here in SC.

Now they have opened a second office here in town, but I'm guessing the first office will be decommissioned soon due to the bad location.
 

Lucas61

Well-known member
Jun 13, 2014
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I've found with Leon Jimenez cigars that if you get a poorly produced cigar, the whole box will be lousy.
Luck of the draw, I guess.
The Torpedos are usually pretty well made.
Any tobacconist worth his salt, including in the DR, will replace problem cigars, no questions asked. At my cigar place, La Leyenda, I once bought 30 of their house cigars that I always smoke and put them in my humidor. Come to find out, they were laden with insect larvae that then punctured tiny holes in the wrappers. So everytime I went to La Leyenda to smoke, I brought a defective one with me and they replaced it, until all were replaced.
 

JD Jones

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That won't happen with cigars bought from a supermarket.
 

Lucas61

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Jun 13, 2014
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With a 3 minute research, it appears that you could get a quote right here: https://www.domex.do/gestionaduanal

Or call them and check: https://www.domex.do/
Thanks for this. This is where Domex has Vimenpaq beat by a mile: a separate email for Domex Customs Division; a calculator; a list of taxes, depending on items, for example, I found an article that explained that a digital camera is a luxury item, along with precious jewels, so a regular tax, a special tax, plus ITBIS = a whopping 58% tax. I may very well start switching to Domex. Plus they have an outlet walking distance from my house versus Uber/taxi to Sambil for Vimenpaq.
 

Lucas61

Well-known member
Jun 13, 2014
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I received another 25 cigar bundle from Domex last week.
Like usual in the D.R., the right hand does not know what the left is doing. I was emailed from headquarters when I inquired and I was told explicity that importation of cigars was not allowed. Yet I did buy 10 cigars via Domex a few years ago with no problems. Did their policy change? I think just the usual mass confusion. I think I'll do a test order of five cigars, like La Gloria Cubana Wavell, and see what happens. It won't break the bank.
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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We have ordered a few times now picking up at the POP branch. We're always the only customers there, so I assume this is because people want home delivery, as there is absolutely nothing wrong with their service. So this makes me wonder: Is their Sosua office really unwilling to deliver to Cabarete? Perhaps a whole branch would not be necessary?
Domex does not deliver to Cabarete