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Shipping Cars to Puerto Rico

18 messages,  Last post on Sep 25, 2007 at 6:28 AM

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#15 of 18 Re: PR car excise tax didn't bite me after all [joel0622] by fezo Sep 18, 2007 (2:33 pm)
Replying to: joel0622 (Sep 18, 2007 2:10 pm) Yes. He's becoming a dealer by default....
#16 of 18 Re: PR car excise tax didn't bite me after all [joel0622] by tonyv1 Sep 18, 2007 (6:24 pm)
Replying to: joel0622 (Sep 18, 2007 2:10 pm) Technically, I did buy two cars, a 2006 new? Kia Sedona LX for $24K on a car loan and a 2007 definitely new Caravan SXT for $20K cash. But I cancelled the Kia Sedona by falsely telling the Kia dealer my bank loan fell through. I had yet to take actual delivery of the Sedona although a mechanic did check it out for me at the dealership. So we had a verbal contract pending receipt of the loan paperwork, which I secretly cancelled with the bank when I saw the opportunity to get the Caravan online for $4K less. I jumped on it and held it with a credit card deposit.   It wasn't ethical. The Kia dealer cursed me out, but I didn't feel bad because he had previously pulled a switch on me. He told me he would sell me a 2007 new Kia Sedona LX at $24K, and when I agreed, he "corrected" himself to say he only had a new 2006 Sedona LX. So you live by the lie, you die by the lie.   I still don't understand why the Caravan dealer didn't charge the $6,200 excise tax on the new car, but that's the dealer's problem, not mine. It definitely came with the lifetime powertrain warranty in writing on the bill of sale.   For an extra $300, the Caravan dealer even drove the new car, with new plates and registration in my name, over 100 miles from Bayamon to Ponce to have my mechanic check it out because it seemed too good a deal to be true. But it was. The odometer read 108 miles, so it is a new car and got a nice break in drive.   My relative took the dealer to the local Banco Popular where I had wired enough funds for a cash deal. The Caravan is now in my new Puerto Rican home garage until I arrive next week. I also arranged online for full insurance coverage at a quarterly premium of $250 through Geico PR in case my new car gets stolen or damaged before I get down there.   I have test driven the 2007 Caravans and TCs in NYC, so I know what I bought. If I do want to add adjustable pedals or other minor options, the Ponce Dodge dealer told me I could do it anytime and he had no qualms about honoring my warranty even though I bought from another dealer because I did give him the chance to match the $20K price and he simply could not. He actually told me I would be a fool to pass it up, but to make sure it wasn't a problem car, which my mechanic did certify to me in writing via email.   As I wrote in my original post, I had wanted to wait for the 2008 TC LX or GC SXT, but the PR dealers were telling me the price was definitely going to be over $30K with the excise tax and they wouldn't even get inventory until next month, October, which in Puerto Rican time means "whenever." The classified ads there show dozens of 2006 models still being sold as new, so don't hold your breath waiting for 2008 models.   I do prefer the squared front styling of the 2008 models than the 2007 egg-shape. I also gave up Stow N Go, but the Caravan SXT seats do pull out completely when I really need all that cargo space on rare occassion. So I decided to save over $10K and have a new car awaitng me while there was still 2007 new inventory on sale in the colors I wanted.    End of story. Replies to this message: tonyv1 (Sep 19, 2007 6:37 am) tonyv1 (Sep 25, 2007 6:28 am)
#17 of 18 Re: PR car excise tax didn't bite me after all [tonyv1] by tonyv1 Sep 19, 2007 (6:37 am)
Replying to: tonyv1 (Sep 18, 2007 6:24 pm) One last note, I received an email copy of my new car auto insurance policy which I thought was to be underwritten by Geico PR. The policy is actually under CAICO, which sounds like GEICO. I don't know if this is a subsidiary of Geico in PR or what, but my PR relatives assure me it is a reliable insurer because they use it too. I just wanted to advise readers of this detail. In fact I used an online insurance broker and not the Geico website itself, so when we spoke by phone to conclude the deal, when he said Caico, I heard Geico. I'm sure this is no coincidence to take advantage of the similar names, but that's business. Buyer beware. Replies to this message: tonyv1 (Sep 25, 2007 6:28 am)
#18 of 18 Re: PR new car Excise tax lingo in Spanish [tonyv1] by tonyv1 Sep 25, 2007 (6:28 am)
Replying to: tonyv1 (Sep 19, 2007 6:37 am) A friend suggested I offer a basic Spanish translation for asking about the new car excise tax if you call the Puerto Tax Dept. at 787-774-1474 and 787-774-1463   The tax itself is called el arbitrio "arh-bee-tree-oh."   Therefore, to ask the tax on a new 2007 (dos mil siete) or 2008 (dos mil ocho) model you could say.   "Buenos dias. Cuanto es el arbitrio del dos mil siete auto del modelo Dodge Caravan Ese Eckees Teh (SXT) , por favor?"   Don't forget "Gracias" after you get an answer.   It's very important to be extra polite in the Spanish language, especially if you are butchering the pronunciation.   After receiving my new 2007 Caravan SXT, I asked the dealer how he and I avoided paying the arbitrio, which I was told would be over $6K. He told me that as soon as he received new stock of 2008 Caravans, the 2007 technically became last year's model and exempt, at his option, from the excise tax, although it could still be "liquidated" as new with the full factory warranty.   So if you can wait till the usual Sept/Oct model turnover, that could be your best chance to avoid the new car excise tax.   The dealer also said shipping a used car to PR should not have to pay the new car excise tax, but may still have to pay a host of shipping, insurance and customs luxury taxes that can vary greatly from model to model.

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