Letter of Admissibility Fee Refunded

Informed Importer Receives Refund From BMW

Comments from UCanImport reader:

I am pleased to announce that I was able to get my $350.00 for the Letter of Admissibility refunded from BMW/ Mini.

After reading the UCanImport Blog, it prompted me to re-look at the RIV admissibility list and see the changes. Armed with the downloaded RIV info, and the fact that the Mini I am importing has not made it to the border yet, I contacted the issuing Mini dealer and stated that the letter is useless and I would like a refund placed on file towards my required modifications. They complied! The total mods are still going to be $1750.

Thanks for the new info on being able to get the Recall letter from a US dealer, that will save me another $500!!

I love this site!

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UCanImport says:

Congratulations on your savings! We are pleased to have been a part of your experience and thank you for sharing these valuable comments with our readers nationwide

Inspections for Vehicles Imported from US

Successfully Completed Inspection Report Must Be Faxed To RIV

In an effort to keep your importation process moving along smoothly, please ensure that your inspection centre sends RIV a copy of the successfully completed inspection report and Form 2 by faxing it to 1-888-346-9416.

If the inspection centre does not normally complete this step, you will have to do it yourself to receive your Canadian Compliance sticker from Transport Canada.

As mentioned in the importing guide, please make photocopies of all your importing documents, including the completed and stamped Form 2 after the federal inspection is completed. In the event that RIV doesn't receive the fax from the inspection centre, and you have given this form to your insurance agent, you will still have a back up copy that you can send in.

Many thanks to a UCanImport subscriber who provided these additional hints to make your importing experience more streamlined.

Duty and Tax Relief for Returning Residents Importing Vehicles

Import Up To $10,000 Duty And Tax Free

If you have been a resident of another country for a minimum period of 1 year without any return trips into Canada during this time, you will qualify to bring up to $10,000 worth of goods back to Canada tax and duty free.

If the vehicle you purchased while abroad is valued at over $10,000 and was made outside of North America, you will be charged duty and tax on the amount exceeding $10,000.

NOTE: all vehicles with a VIN beginning with 1,2,3,4 or 5 may be imported duty free.

For more information on this program, please contact CBSA at 1-800-461-9999 and press "0" to speak to a helpful officer.

Letter of Admissibility Waived For Volvo Imports From US

RIV List Updated To Show All Volvo Models Admissible To Canada

We are pleased to report that as of today importers of Volvo vehicles from the US will not require to apply for a Letter of Admissibility. The RIV list has been updated to that all 1993 to 2009 Volvo models are admissible to Canada.

In January 2008, Volvo Canada refused to provide admissibility information on the RIV website stating that they would only provide a Letter of Admissibility when requested by the importer.

As of today, importers may obtain admissibility information from www.riv.ca and separate Letter of Admissibility is not required from the Volvo Canada head office.

Previously, the requirement for a Letter of Admissibility made it difficult for importers to negotiate on vehicle purchases in the US as they required advance written confirmation from Volvo Canada that the vehicle in question would be allowed to enter Canada. In addition, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) would request proof of admissibility prior to allowing the vehicle to be imported into Canada.

Waiving this requirement means importers simply have to verify the admissibility list before completing their negotiations and purchase in the US.

Mercedes-Benz Imports Exempt From Letter of Admissibility

RIV List Updated To Show Admissible List of Mercedes-Benz Models

We are pleased to report that as of today importers of Mercedes-Benz vehicles from the US will not require to apply for a Letter of Admissibility. The RIV list has been updated to show which Mercedes-Benz models are admissible to Canada.

Importers may obtain admissibility information from www.riv.ca or from Mercedes-Benz Canada at the following web address: www.mercedes-benz.ca/admissibility

A separate Letter of Admissibility is not required from the manufacturer's head office.

Previously, the requirement for a Letter of Admissibility made it difficult for importers to negotiate on vehicle purchases in the US as they required advance written confirmation from Mercedes-Benz Canada that the vehicle in question would be allowed to enter Canada. In addition, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) would request proof of admissibility prior to allowing the vehicle to be imported into Canada.

Waiving this requirement means importers simply have to verify the admissibility list before completing their negotiations and purchase in the US.

Letter of Admissibility Not Required For BMW Imports

RIV List Updated To Show All BMW Models Are Admissible

We are pleased to report that as of today, the RIV list shows that all 1993 to 2009 BMW models except the 1995 M3 are admissible to Canada and do not require a Letter of Admissibility from BMW Canada.

If you have imported a BMW and paid $350 for the letter of admissibility, please follow the instructions on http://www.ucanimport.com/lawsuit.aspx to participate in the class action lawsuit launched earlier this year. The lawsuit alleges that these fees charged by BMW are unnecessary, unlawful, and arbitrary.

This letter is no longer a requirement and the importer does not have to pay a fee to determine if the vehicle may be legally imported into Canada. A complete list of admissible vehicles is available at www.riv.ca

This is a great victory for the vehicle importer.

Volvo Safety Inspection Costs

RIV has no say or authority over manufacturers' methods

Communication between concerned importer and RIV follows:

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From: RD
Sent: July 3, 2008 2:30 PM
To: RIV Info
Subject: safety inspection gouging by Canadian dealerships

Dear Sir/Madam

I’m sure I am not the first to write to you on this subject but I thought I would add my name to the list of those concerned. The Canadian retailers of specific European manufactured cars are using the RIV’s importation programme to legitimize an artificial monopoly by requiring that the safety inspection of US imported vehicles be run through their service departments rather than by any generally qualified inspection centre. One retailer is charging as much as $2495.00 for a 2-3 hour inspection that, prior to March 2008, was charging roughly $250 for the same service. In speaking with individuals at retail stores associated with that car manufacturer, no one can reasonably justify the exorbitant increase except to say they are trying to re-coup the sales losses they are experiencing due to the increased importation of vehicles. It has NOTHING to do with a change in the inspection service.

Please take this seriously and consider mandating any approved inspection agency as qualified to perform inspections on passenger cars rather than allowing the original manufacturer to dictate who can inspect the cars. In my opinion, this is likely to get far worse before it gets better if it’s not managed.

For a change, we in Canada have a strong dollar and as a result we have many benefits we haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing for a very long time. Please don’t allow these car dealerships to use the RIV to take away one of those benefits.

Kind regards
RD

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From: Gray, Cameron
Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008 12:57 PM
To: RD
Subject: RE: safety inspection gouging by Canadian dealerships

I sympathise with the frustration you must feel with the difficulties you are having in getting your vehicle inspected and registered. Please note that the RIV's processes and requirements for issuing an inspection form are independent of the manufacturer's methods or conditions for issuing certifications of admissibility and recall clearance.

The RIV has always required that acceptable recall documentation come from the manufacturer in order to ensure that a vehicle will meet Canadian safety compliance. Furthermore, the issuance of an inspection form has also been dependent on vehicle admissibility. The www.riv.ca website shows that these requirements are applicable to passenger cars and multipurpose vehicles made by all manufacturers.

The RIV's mandate is to merely certify that US specification vehicles being imported into Canada meet all applicable Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, through inspection, proof of recall clearance, and proof of modification. Unfortunately, it has no say or authority over the methods a manufacturer chooses to provide proof of recall clearance or admissibility.

I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

Respectfully,

Cameron Gray
Registrar of Imported Vehicles

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UCanimport advises that there is currently a way to bypass the "safety inspection" fee, but cautions that manufacturers may dream up new ways to stall importations from the US.

What is critical is that manufacturers' representative dealerships charge fair prices for their work. In our opinion $2,450 for an inspection constitutes unfair pricing and extortion, and a violation of importers' rights.

While Transport Canada won't step in to resolve this money-grab, we fear that other manufacturers' will sense an opportunity and want to join in.

Continue to seek fair treatment and keep the limelight on these unfair practices.

Manufacturers' Policies Frustrating Importers

Special Meeting For Importers Sponsored by NAATA

The North American Automobile Trade Association (NAATA) is holding a special meeting on July 17, 2008 at 2pm at the Credit Valley Golf & Country Club boardroom in Mississauga, Ontario.

If you have been affected by manufacturers' policies that have forced you to pay exorbitant costs or entirely prevented you from purchasing a certain vehicle from the US, this meeting is targeted to you.

To participate in the meeting or for more information, please contact Brian Osler at brian@naata.org.