Should I go ahead and buy it?
09-14-14, 01:33 PM
#31
Importing is actually a long and tedious process. There are a number of steps and paperwork that needs to be done, a number of things you need to have completed. You really need to know what your doing because any mistakes can end up in fines or the car not being able to be insured in Canada. Even with knowing what your doing it still costs money, about $1000 once all said and done, and takes about a month to do (less time and cheaper if you know what your doing).
As for 'insulting' the seller, I dont think offering $4000 on a $5500 is unreasonable at all. Offering $2500 would be an insult. Even then, it doesnt hurt to start low - its called 'negoitiating'.
09-14-14, 05:15 PM
#32
I helped my uncle with it last year. He didn't indicate any difficulties, and certainly no costs anywhere near $1k. All it took, as I recall, was spending a long weekend down here. I think they require you to be in the US for 3 days surrounding a car purchase before bringing it back, otherwise it qualifies as a dealer type transaction.
You yourself said it's a $10k+ car with those mods. It's a steal at $5500, so yes, an offer of 25% lower than that is very insulting. If I'm in the seller's shoes, I say "don't waste my time" and field no further offers from that buyer. Cash-in-hand low ball offers are usually accompanied by a lot of whining and pestering. No one wants to deal with someone who wants to be felt sorry for. Better to just submit an offer and say that's the most you can pay, and let the seller sit on it to see if they get better offers.
You yourself said it's a $10k+ car with those mods. It's a steal at $5500, so yes, an offer of 25% lower than that is very insulting. If I'm in the seller's shoes, I say "don't waste my time" and field no further offers from that buyer. Cash-in-hand low ball offers are usually accompanied by a lot of whining and pestering. No one wants to deal with someone who wants to be felt sorry for. Better to just submit an offer and say that's the most you can pay, and let the seller sit on it to see if they get better offers.
First off the 'dealer type' transaction your referring to is importing a vehichle 'commercially' versus 'privately'.
When importing a vehicle privately the 3 days youre referring to is how long it takes for Customs to process the paperwork, and the vehichle has to located near the border for these 3 days to give Customs a chance to inspect it if they so wish. It has nothing to do with the type of importation your trying to do (commercial vs private).
You cant leave your car parked on the street, and Customs will not allow you to leave it on their property. Be prepared to find a place to store it t for 3 days and the costs associated with that.
Customs will ask for a recall letter from the dealership as part of this paperwork. If no dealership wants to provide you with this, your screwed (not sure why some dont want to, but thats the expierience I've had more than once). Certain dealerships will even charge you $100 for the letter.
Other costs the importer will incur are a 15% tax on the value of the vehicle being imported, in addition to a duty that is applied to the specific make of the vehichle. Vehichles are subject to duties imposed by various treaties Canada has with different countries, such as NAFTA (which is why you need to find out where the vehicle was built as well - US? Japan? Mexico?).
The vehichle then can be imported into Canada, but not insured until Federal ($50) and Provincial ($200) inspections are completed, and any changes made to the vehicle (daytime running lights, immobilizer configuration, seat-belt anchors, etc).
So how are you going to get an uninsured vehicle from the border to your house? Tow truck. And good luck finding a tow company that will cross the border for you and wait while Customs takes their time completing paperwork. Expect a few hunderd dollars here. Then you'll need a tow to and from Federal and Provincial inspection centers.
Finally, you'll need to register the car with the RIV (Registrar of Imported vehichles) in Canada, which is a $300 cost.
Once this is all done, and you have your DRL's and whatever else installed (more $$$), you can finally insure and drive your car in Canada.
All this is not to mention the cost of temporarily insuring the vehichle so you can drive it in the US, time off work, etc.
..as far as insulting a seller with an offer, I find it more insulting (also as a fulltime student), to come to an online forum seeking advise only to get a ridiculous opinion from a member based on some second hand experience that "my uncle" had.
My "advise" to the OP is to not purcahse a vehichle in the US (unless the vehicle can be had at a price that still makes it worth all this additional cost and effort - and yes, there are great deals to be had in the US but you have to find them), and dont be afraid to make and offer and negotiate with the seller. If he is firm on his price then he will tell you so, and you can make a decision from there. Who cares if he is so thin-skinned that he is so awfully insulted by an offer on his Craigslist posted vehicle.
09-14-14, 05:17 PM
#33
Rookie
Thread Starter
Lemme Clear things up about the Price.
Firstly in his ad it said: $5500 or OBO
Secondly It came with those mods from japan, excluding the Paint, Wheels, R154, Tein Coilovers
I can afford to buy the car for $5500, but why not try and get a better deal. I would just like to knock $500-$1000 of the price tag, to be able to maintenance on the car if needed and pay insurance faster.
Firstly in his ad it said: $5500 or OBO
Secondly It came with those mods from japan, excluding the Paint, Wheels, R154, Tein Coilovers
I can afford to buy the car for $5500, but why not try and get a better deal. I would just like to knock $500-$1000 of the price tag, to be able to maintenance on the car if needed and pay insurance faster.
09-14-14, 05:21 PM
#34
Rookie
Thread Starter
Your ignorance is vexatious.
First off the 'dealer type' transaction your referring to is importing a vehichle 'commercially' versus 'privately'.
When importing a vehicle privately the 3 days youre referring to is how long it takes for Customs to process the paperwork, and the vehichle has to located near the border for these 3 days to give Customs a chance to inspect it if they so wish. It has nothing to do with the type of importation your trying to do (commercial vs private).
You cant leave your car parked on the street, and Customs will not allow you to leave it on their property. Be prepared to find a place to store it t for 3 days and the costs associated with that.
Customs will ask for a recall letter from the dealership as part of this paperwork. If no dealership wants to provide you with this, your screwed (not sure why some dont want to, but thats the expierience I've had more than once). Certain dealerships will even charge you $100 for the letter.
Other costs the importer will incur are a 15% tax on the value of the vehicle being imported, in addition to a duty that is applied to the specific make of the vehichle. Vehichles are subject to duties imposed by various treaties Canada has with different countries, such as NAFTA (which is why you need to find out where the vehicle was built as well - US? Japan? Mexico?).
The vehichle then can be imported into Canada, but not insured until Federal ($50) and Provincial ($200) inspections are completed, and any changes made to the vehicle (daytime running lights, immobilizer configuration, seat-belt anchors, etc).
So how are you going to get an uninsured vehicle from the border to your house? Tow truck. And good luck finding a tow company that will cross the border for you and wait while Customs takes their time completing paperwork. Expect a few hunderd dollars here. Then you'll need a tow to and from Federal and Provincial inspection centers.
Finally, you'll need to register the car with the RIV (Registrar of Imported vehichles) in Canada, which is a $300 cost.
Once this is all done, and you have your DRL's and whatever else installed (more $$$), you can finally insure and drive your car in Canada.
All this is not to mention the cost of temporarily insuring the vehichle so you can drive it in the US, time off work, etc.
..as far as insulting a seller with an offer, I find it more insulting (also as a fulltime student), to come to an online forum seeking advise only to get a ridiculous opinion from a member based on some second hand experience that "my uncle" had.
My "advise" to the OP is to not purcahse a vehichle in the US (unless the vehicle can be had at a price that still makes it worth all this additional cost and effort - and yes, there are great deals to be had in the US but you have to find them), and dont be afraid to make and offer and negotiate with the seller. If he is firm on his price then he will tell you so, and you can make a decision from there. Who cares if he is so thin-skinned that he is so awfully insulted by an offer on his Craigslist posted vehicle.
First off the 'dealer type' transaction your referring to is importing a vehichle 'commercially' versus 'privately'.
When importing a vehicle privately the 3 days youre referring to is how long it takes for Customs to process the paperwork, and the vehichle has to located near the border for these 3 days to give Customs a chance to inspect it if they so wish. It has nothing to do with the type of importation your trying to do (commercial vs private).
You cant leave your car parked on the street, and Customs will not allow you to leave it on their property. Be prepared to find a place to store it t for 3 days and the costs associated with that.
Customs will ask for a recall letter from the dealership as part of this paperwork. If no dealership wants to provide you with this, your screwed (not sure why some dont want to, but thats the expierience I've had more than once). Certain dealerships will even charge you $100 for the letter.
Other costs the importer will incur are a 15% tax on the value of the vehicle being imported, in addition to a duty that is applied to the specific make of the vehichle. Vehichles are subject to duties imposed by various treaties Canada has with different countries, such as NAFTA (which is why you need to find out where the vehicle was built as well - US? Japan? Mexico?).
The vehichle then can be imported into Canada, but not insured until Federal ($50) and Provincial ($200) inspections are completed, and any changes made to the vehicle (daytime running lights, immobilizer configuration, seat-belt anchors, etc).
So how are you going to get an uninsured vehicle from the border to your house? Tow truck. And good luck finding a tow company that will cross the border for you and wait while Customs takes their time completing paperwork. Expect a few hunderd dollars here. Then you'll need a tow to and from Federal and Provincial inspection centers.
Finally, you'll need to register the car with the RIV (Registrar of Imported vehichles) in Canada, which is a $300 cost.
Once this is all done, and you have your DRL's and whatever else installed (more $$$), you can finally insure and drive your car in Canada.
All this is not to mention the cost of temporarily insuring the vehichle so you can drive it in the US, time off work, etc.
..as far as insulting a seller with an offer, I find it more insulting (also as a fulltime student), to come to an online forum seeking advise only to get a ridiculous opinion from a member based on some second hand experience that "my uncle" had.
My "advise" to the OP is to not purcahse a vehichle in the US (unless the vehicle can be had at a price that still makes it worth all this additional cost and effort - and yes, there are great deals to be had in the US but you have to find them), and dont be afraid to make and offer and negotiate with the seller. If he is firm on his price then he will tell you so, and you can make a decision from there. Who cares if he is so thin-skinned that he is so awfully insulted by an offer on his Craigslist posted vehicle.
and Gas Guzzler Tax. On the soarer/sc300 it would be $1000
09-14-14, 06:40 PM
#36
Rookie
Thread Starter
Definitely gonna be picking up the Soarer, not gonna bother with that SC300, its gonna need a lot of work as members have told me.
09-14-14, 07:05 PM
#37
Don't forget to apply the same mechanical "due diligence"" list to the Soarer. The list is even more extensive with a boosted car. Other members will hopefully chime in and add more things to check out!
Good Luck
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