Buying a car and importing it yourself.

widdyphuck · Postby **widdyphuck** » March 20th, 2021, 7:11 pm

How does one buy a car foreign used and import it themself.
I remember someone illustrating this process to me a long time ago but I forgot.
I've heard that as much as 30k can be save by doing the process yourself.

DMan7 · Postby **DMan7** » March 20th, 2021, 7:18 pm

Check the Ministry of Trade and Industry website they should give you the information you need in terms of importing your own vehicle. I was going to do this a few years back but didn't due to financial constraints.

If I remember correctly you need to get an individual importers license which is fairly cheap as opposed to a license that those RORO places have to get. The limit for an individual is 1 vehicle per every 4 years whereas the limit for a RORO is up to 25 per year I think. The japanese used car dealership actually mails to you via priority mail like FedEx all the documents as well as car keys you need to give to your broker who will be the one who does all the paperwork and clear the car at the docks etc...

Once you buy it online and you secure yourself a broker he pretty much does the rest and gives you all the necessary documents to sign and stuff to pay for. This is just a rough method of how it is done as far as I can remember the process from a few years back.

src1983 · Postby **src1983** » March 20th, 2021, 8:37 pm

When I did it, the basic steps were

1. Identify and get a proforma invoice for the vehicle, you would also need the deregistration certificate
2. Carry these to Ministry of Trade and Industry to acquire license
3. If approved wire funds and pay for car (Getting USD is the hardest part of t his process)
4. Once car arrives, you need a broker to clear
5. Once cleared you need to take the car to Bureau of Standards for tire checks
6. License, GPS and insurance

From here you good to go

Now I did this in 2013, would I do it again, no, reason its a blind process. Over the years I have read reviews where persons received severely damaged cars without recourse. I was lucky as I got a rating with mine, but I don't know if there is a standard rating scale that is regulated.

You also do not have a warranty (something reputable dealers provide), so if you get a car and you need a new engine and transmission you are out of pocket

Good luck

A172 · Postby **A172** » March 20th, 2021, 10:56 pm

also keep in mind OP you must have either cash/personal loan/unsecured loan to bring in a vehicle yourself

NO bank giving you a car loan to bring a car

this is the one thing plenty broke ppl unaware of but like to cyak all over social media dealers robbin we blind so we go bring in we own cyar

daring dragoon · Postby **daring dragoon** » March 21st, 2021, 5:52 am

what about the US$$$? no bank aint giving no small regular joe US$, only 1% getting the USD by the 10s of thousands and we who go to the bank and line up cant even get a $40 USD in cash.

SuperiorMan · Postby **SuperiorMan** » April 20th, 2021, 8:34 pm

daring dragoon wrote:what about the US$$$? no bank aint giving no small regular joe US$, only 1% getting the USD by the 10s of thousands and we who go to the bank and line up cant even get a $40 USD in cash.

Wonder when this kind of thing would get better and the regular joe would start getting USD like before again.

Chimera · Postby **Chimera** » April 20th, 2021, 8:45 pm

you can use your credit card and paypal to pay for the car
you have to cover the fees on your side though. think it was 3 or 4% transaction fees

and well if yuh have a small credit card hard luck lol

btw they dont register new RORO dealers anymore,

SuperiorMan · Postby **SuperiorMan** » April 20th, 2021, 9:15 pm

Phone Surgeon wrote:you can use your credit card and paypal to pay for the car
you have to cover the fees on your side though. think it was 3 or 4% transaction fees

and well if yuh have a small credit card hard luck lol

btw they dont register new RORO dealers anymore,

Was just wondering when it would go back to how it was in general...nothing to do with buying cars or anything.

like getting enough USD for a business.

widdyphuck · Postby **widdyphuck** » April 20th, 2021, 10:08 pm

SuperiorMan wrote:
Phone Surgeon wrote:you can use your credit card and paypal to pay for the car
you have to cover the fees on your side though. think it was 3 or 4% transaction fees

and well if yuh have a small credit card hard luck lol

btw they dont register new RORO dealers anymore,

Was just wondering when it would go back to how it was in general...nothing to do with buying cars or anything.

like getting enough USD for a business.

When WWIII happen or oil prices hit 200 a barrel.

Chimera · Postby **Chimera** » April 20th, 2021, 10:16 pm

SuperiorMan wrote:
Phone Surgeon wrote:you can use your credit card and paypal to pay for the car
you have to cover the fees on your side though. think it was 3 or 4% transaction fees

and well if yuh have a small credit card hard luck lol

btw they dont register new RORO dealers anymore,

Was just wondering when it would go back to how it was in general...nothing to do with buying cars or anything.

like getting enough USD for a business.

probably if they set the exchange rate to 9 or 10 TT to one USD we will readily get USD to purchase

right now its all kind of illegal and risky back channals

look how that car rental fella get killed in gasparillo going to buy USD

and that kind of sheit happens more often than you think, where businessmen get robbed when they go to buy blackmarket USD

real real often