[Always] WOW ---- New and used cars from US up to 30% cheaper - Read post #1

hi, Guys,
Is there anyone has the experience of importing a 4 Runner from US to Calgary? I am preparing that right now and will be very appreciated if the following questions are answered.
1. is the warranty valid in Alberta?
2. any modification needed (DRL, bumper, odometer, and anchors for car seat)?
3. which border office is easy to get through?
4. how do I pay? I mean when do i need to pay? pay full before I get there? or just a deposit and the rest on arrival?
5. which dealer can give a Canadian a better price?

hope to share experience from you!
Thank you.

jnmontario wrote: ↑What was the final verdict on the CMVSS114 thing? For all vehicles where it applies, do we still have to get a letter from the manufacturer stating that it complies? I seem to recall reading in one of these past 800 pages that there was an alternative but after surfing for the last 20 min. looking, I've resigned myself to asking.

The RIV PDF link is the last word. Get your info directly from them. On page 2 you will see 9. Immobilizers.

According to Mastercard (and I'm sure VISA has a similar policy), the dealer cannot charge extra for a customer to use the credit card, however, the dealer can offer discounts if the customer pays in cash.

So -- if you've negotiated a price, you can pay that entire amount on the credit card, or they can give you a discount off that price if you pay cash.

They cannot add to the negotiated price because you want to pay with a credit card.

http://www.mastercard.com/us/wce/PDF/ME ... Manual.pdf
See 9.12.2 and 9.12.3 on 2-22 (page 49 of the PDF file).

michelb wrote: ↑I imagine most auto dealers will have no problem with you paying with a credit card as long as you don't mind paying 3% or so 'administration fee'. They'll probably just tell you that the 'cash discount' is factored into the price (lots of stores offer 'cash discounts' so I don't think the CC companies will be able to help you there). Also, most likely the dealer will not sign over the vehicle until they get paid so they might make you wait 30-45 days until the CC company pays them before you get your car ...

3. Go through Sweetgrass, Montana, it's like 3 hours away from cowtown and it's 24 hours
4. I wired my money, full amount.

ericwangge wrote: ↑hi, Guys,
Is there anyone has the experience of importing a 4 Runner from US to Calgary? I am preparing that right now and will be very appreciated if the following questions are answered.
1. is the warranty valid in Alberta?
2. any modification needed (DRL, bumper, odometer, and anchors for car seat)?
3. which border office is easy to get through?
4. how do I pay? I mean when do i need to pay? pay full before I get there? or just a deposit and the rest on arrival?
5. which dealer can give a Canadian a better price?

hope to share experience from you!
Thank you.

ac328 wrote: ↑You're in Calgary right? I went to Richmond Road registry in the SW (Signal Hill). Only Bill of Sale, MSO, Form 1 required. They will take your MSO, but the Alberta govt. mails it back to you once they're done with it. That took 2 or 3 weeks after I got my plate. .

Hi ac328. I went to the same registry. I've heard the gov't keeps the MSO but if you got yours back, then why didn't I get mine? Should I care?? I imported back in mid Nov. Thanks!

Another question for my fellow Albertans.

When you imported, did you do so at the US/Alberta border or at another province's border? If you did at another provinces border (BC, Sask, Man), did you have to pay that provinces sales tax, or do they waive it as the vehicle will be registered in Alberta?

Thanks

Marzipan wrote: ↑The RIV PDF link is the last word. Get your info directly from them. On page 2 you will see 9. Immobilizers.

Hehe, I knew I read it somewhere, the Monroney label! d'oh. In fact I think I even added to this thread about it in the past.

ty for the reminder.

PrimeBane wrote: ↑Another question for my fellow Albertans.

When you imported, did you do so at the US/Alberta border or at another province's border? If you did at another provinces border (BC, Sask, Man), did you have to pay that provinces sales tax, or do they waive it as the vehicle will be registered in Alberta?

Thanks

The border just collects GST. PST, for us not lucky enough to live in Alberta, is paid when you register the car.

Thanks faston

1. See this website for warranty
http://www.apa.ca/template.asp?DocID=253#TOYOTA
2. See this website for admissibility
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/importation/impusae.htm
4. I'm wiring the full amount
5. Probably none if I had to guess... US pricing is just that much better.

ericwangge wrote: ↑hi, Guys,
Is there anyone has the experience of importing a 4 Runner from US to Calgary? I am preparing that right now and will be very appreciated if the following questions are answered.
1. is the warranty valid in Alberta?
2. any modification needed (DRL, bumper, odometer, and anchors for car seat)?
3. which border office is easy to get through?
4. how do I pay? I mean when do i need to pay? pay full before I get there? or just a deposit and the rest on arrival?
5. which dealer can give a Canadian a better price?

hope to share experience from you!
Thank you.

OK - I've called a dealer in each of NY and PA to sell me a Toyota Sienna and they seem happy to sell to me BUT they want to charge me state sales tax.

I've noticed some people on this board have located dealers in NY that will sell to them but they did not seem to get charged state sales tax.

Could anyone please verify that they were recently able to purchase a Toyota new vehicle in NY/NJ/Mass/PA without being charged state sales tax? Please do not disclose the dealer name and/or location, however, as I don't want Toyota to hunt them down. Mere confirmation that it is possible will allow me to continue my quest. If you wish to PM me - please feel free.

Delaware and New Hampshire do not have state taxes, you might wanna try there

Sunspot21 wrote: ↑OK - I've called a dealer in each of NY and PA to sell me a Toyota Sienna and they seem happy to sell to me BUT they want to charge me state sales tax.

I've noticed some people on this board have located dealers in NY that will sell to them but they did not seem to get charged state sales tax.

Could anyone please verify that they were recently able to purchase a Toyota new vehicle in NY/NJ/Mass/PA without being charged state sales tax? Please do not disclose the dealer name and/or location, however, as I don't want Toyota to hunt them down. Mere confirmation that it is possible will allow me to continue my quest. If you wish to PM me - please feel free.

Same here, I am also looking into Toyota from New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania or Virginia.

PM with further details. Thanks.

In ohio you can sign a affidavit exempting you from the tax.

whampoa wrote: ↑Same here, I am also looking into Toyota from New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania or Virginia.

PM with further details. Thanks.

carswithoutborders.com suggests that NY tax isn't applied if it's for export.

Carswithoutborders is right. There is no tax if you export the car form NY. The problem is that Toyota wson't let their NY dealers sell new vehicles to Canadians. The way around tis for the dealers is to sell the vehicles to someone who is a US resident and then immediately have that person/corporation sell it to a Canadian. This method, however, would seem to attract state sales tax.

The economics still make sense if I pay the state tax but I would love to find a dealer who can see past this nonsense.

Message to Toyota: why are you declaring economic warfare on your Canadian customers?

For those seeking toyotas, while I don't want to get anybody in trouble (and I SURE am paranoid about dealerships knifing each other over it) there are some (ok: read 2 I found) in NY willing to sell to CDNs if you look hard. No need to go to PA or MD etc... (please don't PM me - I'll assume that if you joined after last summer and have few posts you're a dealership....sorry).

Sunspot21 wrote: ↑ The economics still make sense if I pay the state tax but I would love to find a dealer who can see past this nonsense.

Message to Toyota: why are you declaring economic warfare on your Canadian customers?

The other thing that sucks is they know that they have you by the curlies - there's basically no negotiation.

i went shopping for a lexus in jacksonville ,FL over the past weekend..no problem buying a car for export,but the payment of sales tax is mandatory..the salesman explained that as of jan. 1,this was lexus policy ..he said it was an attempt to help the canadian dealers..
he also admitted that prior to jan 1,no tax was charged on exports and that FL had not changed its laws to make the collection of tax mandatory..it certainly has deterred me as i am not paying $3000. into the state's coffers improperly.
how lexus can charge tax when it is not due is beyond this humble writer,but if i were here in FL longer,i would sure find out.
another little roadblock to solve for we future importers..
do you get the feeling that if you are going to buy a car,you should do it sooner ,rather than later.

spottedmoose wrote: ↑ do you get the feeling that if you are going to buy a car,you should do it sooner ,rather than later.

Couldn't agree more. I had that feeling when I imported my BMW in October before they instituted their blatant cash grab. I can only forsee more manufacturers making it more difficult or costly to import.

While free trade is supposed to allow us access to the U.S. market, in reality the Canadian car dealers have too much at stake to allow it. And we can see their influence in the ever changing regulations on the RIV site. It amazes may that a quasi government office is so obviously in the pocket of the Canadian car dealers.


Buy in the U.S. now, while it's still possible.