Shimmer
Junior Nomad
Posts: 69
Registered: 11-29-2005
Location: Todos Santo BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: In the Question
|
|
Border Crossing / Importing
I am just about to travel from Todos Santos to LA to pick up a car and drive it back down. I plan to stop in San Diego and pick up some construction
supplies for my home here in Todos Santos. Mostly Concrete sealers, wood sealers, concrete staining oxides and other misc items I can't seem to
find down here. I am also bringing an Electroacuscope that I have prescription for and use for pain mangement. A $4000, used, medical piece of
equipment... I have the prescription and the bill of sale I will be crossing at San Ysidro early Saturday am...... I drove down initially last
December, with simple luggage, with no problems... in fact no checks, but I have little/no experience at the crossing game. Can some one fill me in
on the best fashion... times, stategies to get thru the gaulet. I have no intention of "smuggling", yet I also dont want to incur any more fees than
necessary. Am I able to bring sealers, used equipment over with no import? Is there a $ ceiling? What are the best times to cross with the least
trouble. I have a working FM3, so I will have to check back in somewhere... where is best? Any info on the upcoming adventure is welcome...... I have
mucho respect for all of your input and experience...I check in here daily to raise the bar of my learning curve. Thanks in advance for the help.
My personal email is.....smridhwan@ yahoo.com if that is appropriate.
|
|
|
bajalou
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4459
Registered: 3-11-2004
Location: South of the broder
Member Is Offline
|
|
Have to pay duty on "Building Materials"
Have to have a broker if total value over $1000
Lots of luck-
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
|
|
Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8802
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
|
|
Call these people FIRST and set up the crossing.
You WILL have to cross at OTAY...
Have a plan to get out of town...it's a maze
Go early as you may have to wait awhile because the import people will have to do checking....
Tell us later what happened
|
|
|
djh
Senior Nomad
Posts: 936
Registered: 1-2-2005
Location: Earth mostly. Loreto, N. ID, Big Island
Member Is Offline
Mood: Mellow fellow, plays a yellow cello...
|
|
speaking of....
Don't mean to co-op this thread, but this is related...
When towing a small (16 foot) camp trailer full of.... well stuff we use in it and for camping, is there ever a problem... We've a piece of property
w/no casa, so we'll be camping mostly on our own land.... The stuff will be coming back across the border in the same camp trailer.
I know campers, motorhomes, folks with bicycles, cycles, ATV's, etc. do this all the time - I used to vagabond in my old VW Westfalia camper.... but
last trip like that was 1988, so I'm a bit rusty on driving down.
Also, is there a good route map to get through the border maze?? We'll be driving down I5 most of the way... Towing a trailer, we want to go the
"correct" route.
Where is the best (appropriate) crossing for this, and do I need to declare things that I'll bring back in the camp trailer??
If you have experience with this, your insight is appreciated...
thanks!
djh
Its all just stuff and some numbers.
A day spent sailing isn\'t deducted from one\'s life.
Peace, Love, and Music
|
|
|
Don Alley
Super Nomad
Posts: 1997
Registered: 12-4-2003
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
|
|
We bring through small quantities of odds and ends, like sealers, cutting blades, stuff like that from Home Depot for us and our local builder. Just
stuff we can't find here; our place is probably 98% local materials. Also one pickup load of our used furniture.
What we did: went through the declare lanes at San Ysidro, stopped at the little building past the covered parking. For the purchases, said we live in
Loreto and went shopping and showed the person receipts. They just said "push the button." Last time we got the red light, so she glanced in the back,
asked about alcohol, then waved us on. Fot the furniture: "Is any new?" "No?" "Push the button."
Yes, we have gone through the "Nothing to Declare" lines with a few things but I think we'll stick with the "declare" lanes. Do a search and read
accounts of people who got a red light smuggling stuff through. Ouch!
When in doubt, if you go through the declare and ask, you have some protection against any charge of smuggling. And I have seen no evidence that they
will try to take advantage of you and make you pay unnecessary duties.
|
|
|
turtleandtoad
Senior Nomad
Posts: 730
Registered: 1-20-2005
Location: Wherever I park. See sig for current location.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Good if fishing
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by djh
Don't mean to co-op this thread, but this is related...
When towing a small (16 foot) camp trailer full of.... well stuff we use in it and for camping, is there ever a problem... We've a piece of property
w/no casa, so we'll be camping mostly on our own land.... The stuff will be coming back across the border in the same camp trailer.
I know campers, motorhomes, folks with bicycles, cycles, ATV's, etc. do this all the time - I used to vagabond in my old VW Westfalia camper.... but
last trip like that was 1988, so I'm a bit rusty on driving down.
Also, is there a good route map to get through the border maze?? We'll be driving down I5 most of the way... Towing a trailer, we want to go the
"correct" route.
Where is the best (appropriate) crossing for this, and do I need to declare things that I'll bring back in the camp trailer??
If you have experience with this, your insight is appreciated...
thanks!
djh |
Don't worry about customs with your camping trailer and equipment. It's all legal to bring across without an inspection or paperwork, so use the
"nothing to declare" line.
As to the best crossing, I prefer the one at Tecate. It's a little out of the way, but there is seldom a line and the drive down Mex-3 to Ensenada is
easy and pretty. You can even stop in wine country and pick up some vino.
Also, you can park on the U.S. side and walk across to process your paperwork. The Migraci?n office is the first doorway on your right, about 10 ft
from the border. The Banjecito (bank) is directly across the street.
Mike & Robin; Full-Time RV\'ers
37\' Georgetown w/3 slides & 275 Watts of Solar Power
06 Taco TRD
www.turtleandtoad.com
I am here
To paraphrase Frank Lloyd Wright; I\'m all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let\'s start with keyboards. --
Mike Dean |
|
|
Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajalou
Have to pay duty on "Building Materials"
Have to have a broker if total value over $1000
Lots of luck- |
You don't need a broker but if over 1k you do need to use Otay.
Here's what I'd do:
Cross at Otay with receipts and Rx. Only declare the building materials. Wait and see if they question the medical equipment. If they don't then
you're home free. If they do then show them the Rx, tell them it is necessary for your health and see if they'll let you slide. I'll be willing to bet
that they will.
It would be wise to get a letter from your doctor (in Spanish) telling what the equipment is/does and why you need it.
Also, don't try and hide the equipment. You don't want them to think that you're trying to 'put one over'.
[Edited on 6-5-2006 by Dave]
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
