Buying a car from the United States and transporting it back to your residence in Canada, is importing the vehicle. A lot of Canadians visit the U. S. to purchase vehicles as the prices can be as much as 20% to 30% lower than purchasing the same vehicle in Canada. Additionally, car lovers can also choose from a wide variety of vintage or classic cars in the United States.
What to Keep in Mind When Buying a Car in the U. S.
Some car manufacturers prohibit or discourage cross-border sales to protect their dealership territories. There may be a significant difference in the prices you find online and get over the phone from what you can get when you visit an American dealership in person and the dealership discovers you are from Canada. Also, discounts and incentives may not be available to non-American car buyers. And because vehicle maintenance and service are an increasing part of dealer revenue, a lot of car dealers may not want to sell to somebody who’s not in their local dealership territory.
Moreover, it is imperative to confirm that the car you bought in the U. S. and brought across the border is protected by the manufacturer’s warranty. Also, you should modify the car to conform to Canadian standards, which may result in the warranty becoming void.
Tips When Purchasing a Car Across the Border
If it is your first time buying a car from the U. S. and bring it back to Canada, you probably don’t know how to import a car to Canada and the legalities you must consider. That is why you should work with a customs dealer with extensive experience in the customs clearance process. Your dealer should be able to handle all the necessary paperwork and complexities of the importing process to ensure your car arrives at its destination safely and on time.
If you want things to go smoother, don’t use the car as a shipping container. You should declare the car’s entire content so having plenty of stuffs in it will slow down the process. Should customs officials search your car and find items you did not list, you could be fined. When the officials catch you bringing illegal items across the border, they will seize your car and its contents.
Furthermore, customs officials know that people don’t want to pay taxes on expensive cross-border purchases and a lot of them may cheat. Because of this, they often check out vehicle imports carefully. If you are caught lying about what you paid for the car, customs can seize it. You should be able to get helpful advice if you hire a customs broker and avoid fines and seizures.
