Cost

[Sharleen Nicholson]

Is the cost prohibitive to import a car if you're not rich.  What about sewing machines and home appliaces?  Are the easily accessible in Costa Rica or should you buy new ones in Costa Rica?

[Russ]

Hi Sharleen,

Thank you for participating in our forum.  It's new and we hope to get a lot of good information posted shortly.     This is a good question and I will tell you my opinion as a long time resident married to a Costa Rican girl.

Cars
In my opinion you should buy a car in Costa Rica rather than importing it yourself.  I have made calculations based on cars that are not popular in the US and are popular here, hoping to make a profit on the lower value there and the premium here, and it doesn't work out.  By the time you pay shipping, insurance, customs broker and the actual tax, you are very close to market value here.  This is especially true for later models, since a lot of people have gotten into the importation business and the margins are very slim.  

If you buy the car here you can test drive it, you don't have to worry about shipping damage and you don't have to bother with customs.  If you buy new car and ship it here, you won't get any warranty from the dealer.

Domestic Appliances
I am also in favor of buying common appliances here, because you will have a  warranty issues. Another factor is the repair possibility.  Manufacturers market different models in different markets, so even if you stick to a well known brand you may not find the appropriate parts here.  

Exceptions
The only exceptions in my opinion is in the case that you are shipping down things that you already own.  If you have a car that is good for Costa Rica and you purchased it new or know that it is a good car, then I would say it is worthwhile to ship it down.  The same with appliances. Even though they eliminated the exemption officially, I believe you can also get a break on the import duty for things that are obviously shipped as household items or personal, used goods.

Another time when you might wish to buy overseas and ship here is if it is a specialty appliance.  Sewing machines are a good example, a lot of Ticas sew, but I am pretty sure that the fancier machines don't sell well here, so they would probably be prohibitively expensive.  Another example are portable items like digital cameras or video cameras.  I had my parents bring down a DV camera last year when the visited, the same camera is not even available here and the DV cameras were hideously expensive.  The models I see advertised are probably 2 years behind the model I have and about 75% of the price I paid.  I would have gotten an even better deal if I had been able to wait for a good sale or liquidation.

I hope that helps and don't hesitate to ask for more detail!

[Pete Smedly]

Hi Sharleen,

Maybe I can help here...I shipped all my household goods from the US to Costa Rica last year.

I would NOT recommend anyone ever moving their belongings to Costa Rica, based on my experience.

First, it is VERY expensive. The customs people will charge outrageous taxes, especially on cars and electrical items (that includes very simple things like lamps, irons, refrigerators, TVs, radios, stereos, etc.).  The fee schedule is not very well defined, and it seems you are charged according to the whims of the customs people.

Second, it is an incredibly frustrating experience.  The paperwork and bureaucracy are nearly insurmountable, and will definitely test your patience to the end.  There's always just "one more detail" that needs to be worked out.  And every one of those little details has some sort of fee attached!

Third, the logistics of moving is unbelievably contorted.  Our container was "lost" in Puerto Limon for over a month!  When it was finally "found", it was subject to a "special inspection" in Limon before it could be shipped to Santa Ana.  And we had to pay handsomely for this "special inspection"!  It was 5 weeks later when the container finally arrived to our house.  Then the bastards charged me "storage" fees and wouldn't release the container until I paid!

Since we didn't have a pollution certificate for the car authenticated by a Costa Rica counsel in the States, we had to have one fabricated here (again $$$) before we could get the car out of the customs warehouse.  Don't forget, you have to pay cash for the taxes and fees they will charge before they will release your car!

Lots of our things were damaged or totally destroyed in the move, too.  Unfortunately, the shipping insurance only paid by the pound (weight), so it was our loss.

And that only scrapes the surface of our moving adventure.

While household furnishings (imported) are very expensive here, I think you would do well to pack an extra suitcase full of money and buy what you need when you arrive.

One thing I can say, however, is that despite the numerous openings and inspections of the container, nothing was missing.  We got everything we shipped, maybe not in the same condition, but it was all there.

Hope that helps

Pete

[Russ]

Thanks Pete for participating in the forum.
That's great information from someone who's been there.

[Ivo Henfling]

Hi Pete and Sharleen,
Great topic and lots of different opinions on that issue. As a realtor, I have had lots of clients serviced by TA Mudanzas from all over the world. They will tell the client which company to use for packing and shipping and TA Mudanzas will take care of the Costarican end. They will tell you exactly how to evade paying high taxes, like packing your dryer in an old box, make a complete inventory list with low prices etc. You can find there website and email at http://www.tamoving.com/
Another good reason to use an American-European realtor    

[Joquin Brant]

We're debating whether to bring down a container of our possessions, and to that end have asked a Costa Rican customs broker in Golfito who works with our US-based moving company to check our planned list of stuff and give an estimate of the duties we'll get hit with.

we've been warned that unless your goods are packed and crated very well, they are subject to unusual wear and tear while in the container. Ships pitch and yaw, so your piano might experience about 200,000 small stresses; it depends partly where your container sits. Low in the hull is good, minimal movement. High above the deck is the worst. Temperature constancy is better in the hull, too. How do you get good placement? I think luck. I am not aware of being able to pay to get your container in a nice spot on the ship.

We expect it's something like tossing the dice and hoping you are lucky, when it comes to moving things by ship.

Alternatives: on my last flight in, I carried 130 pounds of household stuff through customs at the airport, and was asked but one question. Think they'll let me bring a piano as checked baggage?

PS - Hi Jogi.    Regards, Joquin

[Russ]

Good Points Joquin!
I'd like to add that we just updated the Go Dutch Site with a good article about customs:
Costa Rica Customs procedures

It's a good idea to talk to your local agent before you even pack anything.  The way you pack things can determine whether they arrive safely and how much you will pay in Customs.

If you are coming soon, you can talk to Edwin Obando at West International Movers (Winmovers) at (506) 215-1585 or email  winmovers@racsa.co.cr for good advice.