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Re: shipping a car

To: <mgs@autox.team.net>,
Subject: Re: shipping a car
From: "Dan Ray" <danray@bluegrass.net>
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 17:59:19 -0600
I was stationed in Germany for four years, but finally had to come back in
April '94. I had a '92 BMW 325is to ship home that I had picked up in
Munich.
It cost me approximately $1500 to ship it from Mannheim, Germany to
Charleston, SC. There wasn't a scratch on it when I picked it up at the port
and it was there on time (I think it took about 2-3 weeks) -- very smooth,
professional service.
Now...this was a US Spec Bimmer that I had purchased through the Canadian
version of AAFES over there. If you want to ship a Euro-spec car it's a
WHOLE 'nother ball of complicated wax!
Oh...and by the way. I did NOT end up paying the sales tax (that I NEVER
paid) when I registered the car in Augusta, GA. Many US DMVs will look it up
and charge you sales tax.
YMMV -- tarrifs, customs and all else can be a problem and I don't know if
things have changed. Furthermore, my situation is kinda "special" since I'm
a service member covered under the SOFA (status of forces agreement).
Hope this gives you an idea...figure about $2K now.
I plan to do the same thing if I get stationed back in Germany. I paid about
$5k less than the car listed for in the states, and ended up clearing $10K
over the balance of my loan when I sold it for my big American truck.
Dan
73 B


>Not that I have any plans to do this in the near future, but has anyone
ever
>shipped a car from England to the States, or vice versa?  Any idea how much
this
>project would cost?  Would tariffs, customs, or any other government
obstacles
>be a problem?  Are there companies that specialize in doing this?
>
>
>(inquiring minds want to know.)
>
>
>Thanks!
>
>
>Stephanie Gibbs
>
>('77 Midget)


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