import issues and BMW Canada

[itspossible]

I recently brought a used LT back from the U.S. and in trying to register it with the Federal Registration for Import Vehicles found that I need a BMW Canada head office letter stating all recalls have been fixed. This is not an issue as I have all the receipts for the work, however, BMW Canada wants to inspect the bike and charge me $500 before they issue a letter.

I'm 700 km. away from a dealer so they said, no problem, we'll issue you the letter but it will still cost you $500. My complaints did not register with them...sorry sir no exceptions, new policy since June 07.

Anyone else run into this or have a way around it?

I'm looking for a letter from the dealer in the US but not sure they'll offer.
Canadian Registry insists on letterhead and logo on recall waiver letter.
thx

Ron

[Nebish]

I researched this issue when I considered bring in an LT from the USA.

If I recall correctly, you can satisfy RIV (Registrar of Imported Vehicles) with a letter from a dealer or BMW. I believe that by providing BMW USA with the VIN, they can provide you with the official letter you require confirming that all recall issues (if any) have been dealt with.

Since I did not contact BMW USA, I do not know what they will charge for this letter but I doubt that it will cost anywhere near $500.

Good luck.

[astuber]

Not sure if this will help or not but every time I took my LT to the dealer for service, they would check on the computer to see if any recalls needed to be done while it was in for service. This leads me to believe that any dealer could run the serial number and check to see if all the required recalls had been done. You might check with the seller or a local dealer in the sellers area and see if they would be able to provide the required documentation. It seems like the Canadian dealers are trying to discourage people from buying in the US.

[ajs]

FWIW. When I bought my used '05 LT in the US in '05 I contacted BMW in N. J. and they emailed a letter to me here in New Glasgow verifying all recalls had been done. This letter cost nothing. I vaguely remember something about the email being sent under some kind of security to ensure it's authenticity. The letter was acceptable for Canadian gov. requirements. This was all two years ago and it may have changed since then.

I had planned to get the letter from BMW Canada. When I called BMW in N.J. it was to get information regarding any repair issues (warranty or otherwise) that had been carried out by dealers in the US. The person I was talking to advised I would need the letter for the Canadian gov. and he volunteered to sent it to me. I had it the same day. I found him to be very helpful. HTH

[lnowell]

I recently brought a used LT back from the U.S. and in trying to register it with the Federal Registration for Import Vehicles found that I need a BMW Canada head office letter stating all recalls have been fixed. This is not an issue as I have all the receipts for the work, however, BMW Canada wants to inspect the bike and charge me $500 before they issue a letter.

I'm 700 km. away from a dealer so they said, no problem, we'll issue you the letter but it will still cost you $500. My complaints did not register with them...sorry sir no exceptions, new policy since June 07.

Ron

This really just amounts to blackmail especially if they are willing to waive the inspection and issue you what you need if you just pay them. I hope you can get a letter for free.

[Caper11]

A couple of weeks ago I was down at MAX BMW in NH looking at a 2006 K1200LT. When I told the salesman I was from Canada he advised me then that BMW Canada had to provided this recall letter and that it would cost $500.00. The last bike I bought at MAX, they provided me with the letter but told me effective this year that they could no longer do it. BMW must think we should be supportting Cdn dealers and this is a way of discouraging us from buying south of the border. Even so, it is still a much a better deal going to the US to purchase a bike. :bmw:

[ajs]

Just a thought. Is it possible for the person you bought it from to make the request to his dealer. Obviously, if it is going to cost him $500.00 as well it is a no gainer.

If this is a standardized BMW policy in both the US and Canada its sum effect is to add $500.00 to the purchase price of the bike. If the US owner can get the letter and not have to pay the $500.00 maybe it can be a non-issue for both seller and buyer. Especially for future sales.

[itspossible]

Thanks everyone, a couple of creative ideas here. I'm currently working on trying to get a letter from the U.S. dealer, I'll give that a few days. Having the prior owner get the letter is a good idea as well. Never considered having a Canadian dealer do it but I'm sure they have orders from head office.

I know BMW Canada has my recalls logged as completed, they asked for my VIN number and were able to pull the service records up and verify the work had been done.

If all fails I think I'll do some editorial letters to newspapers and forums such as this one to let BMW know their customers are unhappy, not sure how effective this would be but if they were to be made aware before I started they may budge.

Thanks for the input, hoping to get a bit of riding in yet this season.

Ron

[brantvol16]

the recall clearance letter should come from BMW US in NJ. The contact is Customer service and the process is dead-nuts easy. Send them an email with bike details and they send you back the recall clearnce letter. Then forward the email to RIV. BMW NJ sends the letter as an attachment so it has letterhead etc.

A letter from a US dealer will not be good enough but the process is painless.

I did this 2x in the last 12 months - the last time in May. If you do a search on this topic, you may find the NJ email address. If not, send me a PM.

Geoff

[itspossible]

Geoff,

Unfortunately the rules changed in June of this year, I called BMW U.S. and they said they could no longer do this, that I had to get the paper from BMW Canada.
This seems to be a coordinated move by BMW head office and there are no exceptions to the rule according to the manager of BMW Canada Customer Service.

I'm not ready to cough up $500 for a piece of paperyet.

Ron

[mrmagoo]

I just brought a bike back in July. Even before I went down and got it I had the US dealership print me a vehicle history report which I sent To RIV and all was fine. Sounds Like BMW Canada is trying to protect their market

[HammerStar]

I'm not sure which wiz-bang Vice President at BMW Canada came up with this plan, but it certainly does nothing to endear me to the brand, or for that matter make me feel good about supporting my local dealer.....

They are simply trying to, and I quote from their Customer Service rep, "protect their market". This would be better guaranteed by equalizing cross-border prices based on current exchange rates. Keep those complaints flowing in, fellow Canadians.

I imported a bike long before this plan came into effect and had top notch support from BMWNA in Montvale. They now refuse to provide any help in the process as instructed by BMW Canada. I have been searching for a late model GS to import for several months now and there may be a way around the $500 charge for now. As the RIV site states a computer printout from a US Dealer (must be a US Dealer) showing VIN and recall status will be accepted in lieu of the letter from the manufacturer. Try to complete this as soon as possible, the person I spoke to at the RIV said BMW has been trying to convince them that the dealer printout should not be accepted. Good luck in avoiding the fee, I am pretty sure that Toyota lost a class action suit against them several years ago in the US for similar protectionist activities when the cross border flow of vehicles was in the opposite direction due to the then current exchange rates. Maybe someone in Canada can spearhead a similar class action suit against BMW Canada..... something to do with North American Free Trade..........

Steve Collier
'05 KLT

[Daman858]

And do you guys know what all this fuss is about? Well, the only recall on this bike is a little rubber "o" ring in the quick disconnect on the gas tank. It is smaller than your Canadian dime!

I gave Ron a receipt from Bob's BMW in Maryland showing that the "o" ring had been replaced under warranty.

I can't understand why they won't accept that receipt.

[itspossible]

hey Dave,

You did everything by the book, all receipts etc, this is strictly BMW and Canadian ploitics.
Bob's BMW sent me a letter today clearing the recall and I submitted it, we'll see how that goes. I'd rather be riding!

Regards

Ron

[itspossible]

Bob's BMW sent me their record of work done to resolve recalls on this bike and RIV Canada agreed that was sufficient and issued me my papers yesterday. Earlier that day BMW Canada called and said they had made arrangements for a Canadian dealer 500 miles away (who had never seen the bike) to issue me the required paper, for the $500 fee. I told them I would consider my options.

Thanks go to Bob's BMW customer Service in Maryland.

I'll be writing to BMW Canada about this problem and their lack of respect for customers who purchase their product.

Ron

[Newf]

I am glad you got around paying that money. I hope this issue goes away cause with our strong dollar this cross border buying is getting more business unless the prices start to equal out.

[wkclark]

I bought out of Florida in May/June '07 and Daytona BMW could not have been any more cooperative. Not where I bought the bike by the way.
Just called the service manager there, gave him the VIN and within minutes he had the stamped (dealer stamp) printout showing no recalls on my fax machine. RIV Canada thought it was fine.
This is an issue for Car/Truck/Motorcycle manufacturers nationwide and won't go away as long as the dollar stays at this level vs the USD.
Enjoy the ride .... as soon as they get Bush Whacker out of the White House the US$ will be heading back up ... and gold and the C$ down.

[DarkMeister]

This is SO preposterous, boggles the mind. Transport Canada is going to have to intervene one way or another. It is their requirement, but farmed out/contracted out to RIV. If one mf'r started charging, all could follow suit.
Grrrrr....!

[traderbri]

I bought an '06 LT from BMW of Daytona and imported it last year. BMW USA Customer Service provided the recall letter within hours of my request. I saved about $6000 on the purchase price compared to what BMW Toronto wanted to charge me. I don't understand why there is such a big price difference. Either BMW Germany charges Canada more, or BMW Canada likes to pad their margins. In either case, Canadian consumers are getting ripped off. Although BMW Canada may be trying to discourage us with this $500 fee for the recall letter, it is still far less expensive to import the bike than to buy in Canada. At least they haven't screwed us on the international warranty - yet!

[Dreamer]

Recently, I imported a 2003 K1200LT into Canada and did so without incident. I can not stress this enough...DO YOUR HOMEWORK. I purchased my bike through Ebay from Max BMW Motorcycles in NH. These guys were great and RIV did accept my recall clearance letter prepared by MAX BMW. To satisfy RIV requirements the recall clearance letter must come from either BMW in the country of export or an authorized BMW dealer in the country of export.

The letter must be signed by an authorized company official and dated. The letter must contain the BMW Logo, VIN number of the bike and a statement that there are no open recalls against the bike. That's it... thats all. Having a vehicle history print out is also required and can be produced by the authorized BMW dealer. There should be no additional charge for this as most dealerships add some kind of an administration cost to the purchase.

I post this as my official protest against Canadian importers and distributers who are not passing on the saving of an increased CDN dollar. Most likely to keep the additional profits for them selves. In Canada a fully optioned 2007 LT can set you back over $30,000 (OUCH)

The salesman I was working the deal through with did tell me about 1 client who forked over $500 US dollars to BMW for such a letter. I was not prepared to do that and with a little research and a few phone calls I did not have to. You will go through some hurdles to import the bike into Canada but you can handle it and once you get it home and ride it, all the grief you experienced just fades away. Last point; Canada Customs will get you for an additional 6% duty as the bike was not manufactured in the US but trust me your still way ahead. If you need more information PM me..Good Luck

[HammerStar]

Interesting posting regarding import duty, and I presume that you paid this duty at the time of border crossing......

All motorcycles regardless of the country of origin for manufacture are exempt of duty. Make sure that the 6% you mentioned is not just the GST which is normally collected at the border. If they have in fact charged a 6.1% duty which is applicable to motor vehicles (meaning four or more wheels) then the Customs Inspector has coded your motorcycle incorrectly and you will have to file a protest for re-assessment.

Steve Collier
'05 KLT

[gstevenson]

Interesting posting regarding import duty, and I presume that you paid this duty at the time of border crossing......

All motorcycles regardless of the country of origin for manufacture are exempt of duty. Make sure that the 6% you mentioned is not just the GST which is normally collected at the border. If they have in fact charged a 6.1% duty which is applicable to motor vehicles (meaning four or more wheels) then the Customs Inspector has coded your motorcycle incorrectly and you will have to file a protest for re-assessment.

Steve Collier
'05 KLT

I can confirm that I imported an LT in June 2007 and paid 6% GST. Plus a small (approx. $200) fee for RIV. I wasn't sure if there would be an additional duty or not, but the Customs agent confirmed that motorcycles are exempt.

Gord Stevenson

[bored_ward]

Its out and out extortion. Imported an LT last year with attached free letter from BMW USA no problem. As mentioned this is new policy since June 07 . My brother imported RT last month using a US dealer VIN history printout with covering fax letterhead. When crossing the boarder we elected to take the Import form directly to RIV offices in Toronto instead of having it mailed (they say takes two weeks but unless you call try two years...just kidding NOT!) together with the dealer printout fax. We thought it was worth a shot knowing the $500 new policy. They accepted it and gave form 2 on spot once we paid fees. Same day went to Canadian Tire with form 2 to have inspection and certification. We were plated and on the road same day. No 6.1% duty. Be creative...cut and paste

[DarkMeister]

This is getting better by the day! Just got a request for recall letter BEFORE they issue the letter telling me what I need for an inspection. I called them and asked since when?? "Oh, for a long, long time!" said the snotty young woman. So I went to the RIV website and lo and behold - "NEW" notice: recall letter needed FIRST, then the rest of the dance. I know they are swamped these days and must be hiring like mad, but this chickie's 'long time' doesn't go back to January, when this new requirement was not in place. That's the last time I brought an LT in.
Looks like RIV is also on board to "help the economy" here and stop/obstruct us bad people buying vehicles abroad...

[DarkMeister]

It gets better. My (very helpful) seller (a senior board member here) stopped by Max BMW in Troy and got a service printout showing "NO RECALLS". Now, this is like a service order, employee's name, yada-yada, all on letterhead and all. Well guess what: NOT acceptable to RIV. "Vehicle history report" they say, or go to BMW. I asked them to email me....ten days after faxing them the above, nothing...so I called RIV. "Oh that - that wasn't accepted". Well thanks for letting me know - as the clock ticks to comply or export the bike.
Called Beemer Canada and yes, 500 beans plus taxes, but there is a catch: must bring the bike to a dealership. It's winter, you say? And you live 200 clicks from nearest dealership? Bummer, said Beemer. Too bad so sad.
Amazing. I think for those buying abroad best bet is to get the seller to request a "Vehicle History Report", in their name and no mention of selling. Otherwise, troubles galore.
Heck I don't care about 500 bucks, still a steal for the bike. But the hassle of having to present the bike to a dealership? Priceless.... And RIV? Wow.

[itspossible]

I eventually did get my paperwork accepted by RIV but refused to pay BMW until I exhausted all other channels. Although most of my bikes maintenance was done at a dealer the receipts meant nothing. I had the dealer fax me a history, which included a statement regarding no open recalls, it was not on BMW letterhead but it was accepted by RIV.

BMW did say I could get their letter of approval for $500 without visiting the dealer since I live 500 mile from the dealer, I just said thanks but no thanks.

Took me 3 weeks to get the paperwork even though I had documentation at purchase time of the bike. Still worth the $6000 I saved.

Good luck.

Ron