Car insurance

hi, Stevengill, let me introduce myself as the guy in this part of the world who helps expats to find and buy a used car. i see where you asked about the prices of a 2013 or 2014 Chevy Spark.  you would be looking at somewhere around 450k for that car, give or take a few grand.

just a little word of advice going forward...always seek to buy something which you can sell. the Dominican buying public is very picky, so unless you can sell this car to an expat, when the time comes for you to sell it you are going to be stuck with it. you can do a lot better with that kind of money, and if you need the help, i am here.

as for insurance...the same day you buy the car it can be insured. in the DR, it is the car that gets insured, not the applicant for insurance. once they run a CARFAX, and the car does not come back as a rebuild, you are good to go.

pm me if you need help.

Thank you very much but how much roughly is the insurance fully comprehensive for a year

roughly 25k pesos on a car of the value you referenced.

because it is related to the car,,,, the value of the car drives the policy - and the age

My car is $1000US(approx) annually
2015 Isuzu MUX

Does that mean me and my girlfriend can both drive the car because it is the vehicle that is insured and  not the person is this correct

And not the person is this correct sorry this predictive text is not good

as long as your license is valid, you can drive it. be very mindful of one fact...if you overstay your visitors' visa, your license is no longer legal, and your insurance carrier will disavow any claims made against them .

With your concerns / questions ,
I would go to an insurance agent and clarify things.

Banco Progreso is my insurer... there are many others

exactly, WW. in five minutes, all doubts can be erased...

Do you have to be a member at the bank to get insurance or can you recommend any good reputable insurance companies

To start - find an agent - they will answer questions and compare compare
Just like any other country

Try Progreso .... ask

Yes use an agent as they can quote all the insurance companies rather than just one.

There are many variable in insurance here that you want to look at. 

One thing that makes me nuts - once a vehicle hits a certain age, insurance costs go up and not down until you cannot justify full insurance anymore! 

I have an English speaking broker but we are in Santo Domingo.  In Sosua there is Angie Wolf who I am told is quite good. 

Make sure you understand what you are buying!

great advice, as usual, from Planner. pay special attention to the last sentence...make sure you understand what you are buying. be very careful with the advice you will be offered...some guys who think they have the most knowledge have never bought, nor owned, a car in their lives.

And leave all you know about insurance at home. It doesn't work the same here.

exactly. most expats come from countries in which the insurance is on the driver...that is why they charge more for a policy if you are 18 years old, have only had your license a few months, you have 100 traffic tickets, and have six DUI charges..in the DR, it is just the value and cylinders of the car.

and the age!   

I drive a Daihatsu Terrios which I love. She is now 10 years old.  My full package insurance jumped from about US 600 to US  1100 because it crossed that magic age line!   

I am told that is because people have them "stolen"  and disposed of and collect insurance on older vehicles.  Damn!

And the value of my vehicle has hardly changed in  5 years.

i just had a guy ask me to recommend an SUV he can get for small money, and i told him i will find him a Terios...they are lovely, and cannot be beat for the price. and you cannot kill them!!!

Maybe you can send me some photos of some of the vehicles and the prices

Steven
you might to narrow the search a bit...

4 wheels - Got it
4 doors?
Engine size?
Budget - 450,000 pesos - got it

LOts of thinking on your side before you pull out the wallet - hahaha

But I suspect your Amiga will have something to say about the choice - huh ?

Cruffman can do it.. but he needs a rifle approach- not a shotgun

He did my car... and friends of mine....

I love my Terrios!  It's got enough get uo and go on highway, economical and easy to fix.  Be careful of year.  The older ones are smaller then mine.  I easily for 5 people in mine as long as they are not all rather large!

i am looking at the nex box, like yours, not the old ones. even those are indestructible, because Daihatsu is primarily a manufacturer of heavy equipment, meant for durability. how is the reliability?

make that NEW BOX

Steven-
I don't want you to think I'm being hard on you

For car shopping - try here

supercarros.com

I shopped there and found a couple -
then cruffman did the legwork to verify quality, price , etc

Saves you a few trips to some dealers who want to open your zipper

Lots of filters to point you where you want to go

Thank you all very much  for all the information it is a great help
And I am just looking for a small car yes with four wheels 😂
Five door as we say in the UK. Engine size  from a 1 L Up to 1.4 L
Somewhere in that region something what is good on fuel. with low mileage, And some service history like Carfax, at a max price of 450k And I know everyone is different and depending on the car but what Discount do you think I can get if I pay cash can I be looking in the 500K mark
To get the vehicle at 450k?

here is the deal, Stevengill...you are a guy who appears to be buying a car in the DR for the first time. i  suggested to you, hint hint, that i offer a service in which i locate cars for foreigners. i think that the response you received from WillieWeb, for starters, is because you  appear to want members here to do the legwork of finding you suitable cars, and simply sending you pictures and info, and you take it from there. in my case, i would have no problem sending you a link to suitable cars. you still have a problem vetting a car, and transacting business in a market in which you are going to get skinned. be careful who you listen to...you might get separated from your money, with unfortunate results.

by the way, Stevengill, when you are buying a car which falls in the range you describe, there is very little margin on those. the fact that you are paying cash means next to nothing. you are not going to get any kind of worthwhile discount based on the way you pay. were you buying a  Porsche for 2 million pesos, yes, but a Honda Fit...not so much.

HI thank you for your advice

The car is not a problem I have been buying and repairing damaged repairable and stolen recovered vehicles all my life. I will know within a minute or two if the vehicle had been damaged prepared and also if the mileage is correct or not. Most probably be able to teach them a few things what they're doing wrong. And I also like a good barter, but one thing I didn't know was that vehicle was insured and not the person. To me that is a good thing a bit of a money saver instead of getting both of us insured, the car itself is insured win win,

good luck. you are not the first guy who has told us about his experience and expertise in dealing with cars in his homeland, then he tries to apply his paradigms in the DR, and wonders why he got skinned.

one quick question...do you know what is the cost of a valve cover gasket for a 2007 Camry in the DR? how about the same part for a Mazda CX7?

by the way..you mentioned a Chevy Spark in your initial posting. a new one, off the dealer floor, will run you 800k pesos. no Dominican with that kind of money to buy a car is going to buy a Chevy, much less a Spark. they are all bought for the rental business, since they are cheap, and economical on fuel. so, when you buy a 5 year old copy, it has already died 5 times.

happy trails.

Ever seen a Genie at work ??

A SPARK -
in fact 43 of them

https://www.supercarros.com/carros/cual … dition=252

Oh my. Another case of an expat who thinks they know how things work.  We have tried to help you, the rest is on you!

Cruffman - I live my Terrios. It is very reliable.  It is now at the age where little things are going. Lucky for.me  I have a mechanic on staff for it.  Last night I discovered I had no bright lights. Monday that will be fixed.  Parts are readily available and reasonably priced.

I never ever show.my face when buying parts or going to any shop for.repairs if needed.  As a female and an expat then I would be paying way more even though I too actually understand a lot about Motors and cars!

Planner, the last guy who had it all figured out, and needed no help, has a car in his driveway that he bought 3 days after getting here. he is taking Uber these days. the car ran for one day...

For a two wheel drive mazda cx7 at say about $50 so in the Dominican lets treble that and say $150
yes that's why I want a fresh import with a Carfax you are absolutely correct these are hire vehicles and will be well clocked and everything will be ready for getting changed as it will all be knackered the shell may look nice but internally mechanically will a wreck. I love you guys you are like a 3 way tag-team.
And yes I will have a lot to learn about things in the DR. and the Chevrolet Spark's you can pick up the imports brand-new with no mileage but a few years old for $5000 in Saudi Arabia. But I thought it was too much messing about and the taxes you have to pay in the DR for importing are too much.

what does a CARFAX guarantee? the best condition used imports in this country come from Japan, and CARFAX does not apply to those. i would much prefer to get my customers a clean car which was bought new from some outfit like VIAMAR, in the DR, than a 5 year old car with a clean CARFAX, which says it came from Green Bay.

the reason why you think we are a tag team is because we sometimes are, up to the point where it makes no sense. we have all been here a long time, and we know that buying a used car here, and buying one in Liverpool, entail different aspects, not the least of which is the social interaction. we are simply trying to let you know that the people who you think will help and guide you, and who are your ''frens'', will skin you alive...

happy motoring..read this, if you might be so inclined

https://www.picknbuy24.com/column_146.html

Steven
I have imported a car and bought 2 here.

I prefer the non-imports....
i.e. cars that are built for export... they are simpler, less mechanical/electrical features that often are useless or even troublesome here.
Example... my imported Jeep Wrangler cries like a baby by flashing the 'engine warning' light whenever I put gas/petrol in.
Warns me that the gas is low quality.

Whenever that warning comes on - I needed to check it....
it could be a more serious warning....transmission, etc
But NO... always the gas
Solution - 1/2 regular - 1/2 premium.......I never see the light any more

My current car is made in Thailand- Isuzu MUX... sturdy and bomb proof.

Don't fall for a nice imported car... get an export model.... no catalytic converter etc.

Just my advice -- don't overthink it - and adapt to the culture

I have been here almost 16 years and personally bought 4 vehicles and worked with people who bought another 4!.

I watched 4 men buy a vehicle - all 4 men knew about vehicles - right!  Paid way too much for a vehicle that needed us 7,000 into it in the first 60 days! 

I trust the advice of Cruffman. Also note as a newbie expat those selling see us a mile off regardless of what we know.  To this day I do not take my own vehicle for service or repairs, a dominican male takes it.

Planner, i have seen numerous men buy cars for their lady friends, and the matter almost always turns out badly. let me write the script..

guy meets girl, a relationship develops, and guy gets to a point where he has the need to buy the lady a car. the lady generally has a car in mind, and, quite oddly, her tio just so happens to have one for sale.  it is in impeccable condition...only driven to church on Sundays.

tio wants 400k pesos. lady tells novio that tio will let them have it for 500k, since it is a family affair. tio kicks back 100k to Belkis. the car breaks in two weeks, and tio offers a special discount on the repairs....he just so happens to be the mechanic.

Question... Our car is registered and insured to my father in law, a Dominican citizen.  My husband, a US citizen, not yet with dual citizenship drives it. As long as we are not there for more than 30 days at a time, I know his US drivers license is ok.

Question is, since the car is insured and not the driver, are we OK insurance wise or do we need to get my husband's name on the title along with his father's?

the car is insured. as long as the driver has a valid license, and has no impediment against his license, such as a suspension, he can drive the vehicle.

just an addition, as far as driving rights are concerned...

if a foreigner drives a car in the DR with a foreign license, that license had better be valid, and not suspended. if the cops ask him to produce his license in a routine stop, and it is suspended, it means nothing, because the cops won't check. if he plows into a pedestrian and maims him, the local carrier will have his license run in his country, before they start paying out to indemnify him. when it is discovered that he is operating on a license which was voided in his country, he is on his own , in a very bad place to be.