# Buying a car from a dealer



## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

I am buying my first vehicle in Mexico. I sold my old car in Texas and since I'll be permanente in a few weeks I'll need a Mexican car going forward.

I found a "seminuevo" Toyota RAV4 that I like at a Nissan dealership and paid $1000 to "apartarla". They said that as soon as I transfer the balance to their account I can pick it up the following day.

Is that the norm? Should I be concerned about sending a substantial sum to a dealership and then waiting 24 hours to pick it up? I mean, it's a Nissan dealership and it is absolutely huge and I have a hard time believing that they are scam artists but I figure that I will avail myself of any knowledge you folks have to make sure I am not doing something boneheaded.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

I haven't done this myself. Did you get some paperwork from the dealer in exchange for your $1000 that shows the agreed price and the VIN of the vehicle you bought? 

Did you verify that the VIN on the paperwork is actually the VIN on the vehicle you think you're buying?


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

>>Did you get some paperwork from the dealer in exchange for your $1000 that shows the agreed price and the VIN of the vehicle you bought? 
Yes

>>Did you verify that the VIN on the paperwork is actually the VIN on the vehicle you think you're buying?
No, I didn't check.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

In the Spring of 2016 we bought a new car from a dealership in Mexico City. It really wasn't that big a dealership - in 5 years we have only seen a handful of our make.

We signed a contract on day 1 and sent a bank transfer for 10% at that time.
A week later we wired another 70%.
When the car arrived a month after that we paid the remaining 20%. 
At each point we received a confirmation from the dealership's accounting dept.

The salesman was really very personable/helpful. He slapped dealer plates on the car and drove it to our house 1.5 hours away so we could register the car in our state as a new vehicle. It was then we realized the car did not have the NAV system we had ordered and within a couple days the dealership wired us the cost of the NAV system. When we went in for our annual service this spring - the salesman came into the office (on a Saturday) to meet with us and make sure our visit went smoothly.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

My advice would be to make sure that the form you use to transfer the money (with the dealer's CLAVE on it) has the VIN somewhere on it, so that the receipt you get from the bank shows you transferred a certain amount for a certain VIN. Then the dealer can't switch cars on you, and has to either give you the agreed car or your money back or do a major disappearing act.

If something smells fishy and/or you're really worried you can go back and verify the VIN before you pay.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

you have to have a receipt showing all the details.. vin number purchase of car date and all the details. Once I took someone to court but because the receipt did nit have all the details it was useless, I was told by the lawyer that I could have transfered the money for something else.. also in that state and in those days e-mail were not accepted in court ...


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

Good grief - I am not normally an overly trusting individual - but if I were to pull up to a car dealership - anywhere - that had a sizable inventory - my first assumption would not be that they were trying to rip me off. If you have doubts - I'm sure you could contact PROFECO and see if they have had any complaints.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

horseshoe846 said:


> Good grief - I am not normally an overly trusting individual - but if I were to pull up to a car dealership - anywhere - that had a sizable inventory - my first assumption would not be that they were trying to rip me off. If you have doubts - I'm sure you could contact PROFECO and see if they have had any complaints.


That was how I was looking at it, but my wife is the one who is worried and she's born and raised chilanaga and this is a CDMX dealership so I have to investigate.

The dealership is huge and cars were flying off the lot while I was there. It's a Nissan dealership and I find it hard to believe that Nissan would allow it's dealerships to rip off customers. But, I'm doing due diligence to make sure all is on the up and up mostly to make her feel OK.

PROFECO is a good idea.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

We have purchased from two Nissan dealerships, in Guadalajara. In both cases, it was very efficient and the service was excellent. The cars were delivered right on schedule; a used one picked up at the dealership, and the new one delivered to our home, an hour away, once they completed the registration process for us.

By the way, you may need your Residente Permanente visa card, CURP, RFC and proof of address to complete the registration in some states in Mexico.


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## Perrier (Dec 18, 2016)

circle110 said:


> I am buying my first vehicle in Mexico. I sold my old car in Texas and since I'll be permanente in a few weeks I'll need a Mexican car going forward.
> 
> I found a "seminuevo" Toyota RAV4 that I like at a Nissan dealership and paid $1000 to "apartarla". They said that as soon as I transfer the balance to their account I can pick it up the following day.
> 
> Is that the norm? Should I be concerned about sending a substantial sum to a dealership and then waiting 24 hours to pick it up? I mean, it's a Nissan dealership and it is absolutely huge and I have a hard time believing that they are scam artists but I figure that I will avail myself of any knowledge you folks have to make sure I am not doing something boneheaded.


I bought a car from a Toyota dealer in PV. The money was transferred via wire to their bank. Everything went according to plan. I would trust them as this is the way they do business. I got a RAV4 too but bought it new. So far so good.


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## WintheWin (Jul 15, 2015)

Standard practice, before anything was signed, our dealership asked us to do a transfer to their account. We did so, before the transfer, we had to tell the bank we were buying a car, or else we'd be stuck with the % withdrawal tax, which is retarded.

With receipt in hand, we had all the paperwork from the dealership, and just waited for our vehicle to arrive.

I recommend you let the dealership do the registering paperwork, here in Baja,it's exactly the same expense... if you do it, or if you let the dealership do it, you're not saving any money by doing it yourself. There might've been a modest 100-200 peso markup, but if that saves me from going to mexican DMV, I am fine with it.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

WintheWin said:


> Standard practice, before anything was signed, our dealership asked us to do a transfer to their account. We did so, before the transfer, we had to tell the bank we were buying a car, or else we'd be stuck with the % withdrawal tax, which is retarded.
> 
> With receipt in hand, we had all the paperwork from the dealership, and just waited for our vehicle to arrive.
> 
> I recommend you let the dealership do the registering paperwork, here in Baja,it's exactly the same expense... if you do it, or if you let the dealership do it, you're not saving any money by doing it yourself. There might've been a modest 100-200 peso markup, but if that saves me from going to mexican DMV, I am fine with it.


A "% withdrawl tax" ? I've never heard of such a tax. How does that work ? I've never told any Mexican bank how I was spending my money. NOW - on a couple of occasions our US brokerage has asked for what purpose we were wiring money from the US to Mexico ...

Regarding the car registration in Mexico - can a dealership in CDMX register a car for a client in Queretaro state ?


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## WintheWin (Jul 15, 2015)

horseshoe846 said:


> A "% withdrawl tax" ? I've never heard of such a tax. How does that work ? I've never told any Mexican bank how I was spending my money. NOW - on a couple of occasions our US brokerage has asked for what purpose we were wiring money from the US to Mexico ...
> 
> Regarding the car registration in Mexico - can a dealership in CDMX register a car for a client in Queretaro state ?


I figure it has something to do with the Ley del Impuesto de los Depositos en Efectivo,
It might've been a tax they wanted to put when we were depositing the money then, and not when we were withdrawing. I remember it was one of those transactions.

But whatever penalty was waved, because we were purchasing a vehicle and that purchase accounted for the tax for said purchase.

Something along those lines is what the bank explained to us.

About titling in different states, I don't know, here in baja we have "placas nacionales" that just say... Mexico, or Fronterizo plates, which are only usable in the border and tourist areas.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

WintheWin said:


> I figure it has something to do with the Ley del Impuesto de los Depositos en Efectivo,
> It might've been a tax they wanted to put when we were depositing the money then, and not when we were withdrawing. I remember it was one of those transactions.
> 
> But whatever penalty was waved, because we were purchasing a vehicle and that purchase accounted for the tax for said purchase.
> ...


I believe there is a 'tax' on efectivo 'deposits' above a certain threshold (not wired transactions). Could that be what you have in mind ?

I don't even think that such a tax is applied to check deposits - simply cash.


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

i bought a VW from the dealer and paid 70% down followed by three payments. All without interest. I bank transferred the 70% from my Mexican bank to their account at the same bank. The bank gave me a receipt. I took that receipt to the dealer and three hours later I had the car. The wait was for the final prep, I believe.


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## WintheWin (Jul 15, 2015)

horseshoe846 said:


> I believe there is a 'tax' on efectivo 'deposits' above a certain threshold (not wired transactions). Could that be what you have in mind ?
> 
> I don't even think that such a tax is applied to check deposits - simply cash.


We had the money in cash, and deposited into the bank's accounts, maybe thats why it was generating a tax?


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

We are going to register the car in CDMX because we have an apartment here and stay in it when we visit the in-laws, which is frequently. Having CDMX plates will allow us a bit less of the "Hoy No Circula" restrictions when we are here and shouldn't be a problem in Queretaro as I see a sizable percentage of cars there with CDMX plates.


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

horseshoe846 said:


> I believe there is a 'tax' on efectivo 'deposits' above a certain threshold (not wired transactions). Could that be what you have in mind ?
> 
> I don't even think that such a tax is applied to check deposits - simply cash.


There was a tax a number of years ago. There is no tax today on cash deposits.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

joaquinx said:


> There was a tax a number of years ago. There is no tax today on cash deposits.


On sizable cash deposits ? (I thought the threshold was 10,000 pesos).

edit : no - it is 15,000 pesos.

http://www.sat.gob.mx/fichas_tematicas/reforma_fiscal/Paginas/informacion_ide.aspx

http://www.sat.gob.mx/informacion_fiscal/depositos_efectivo/Paginas/default.aspx


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

RVGRINGO said:


> We have purchased from two Nissan dealerships, in Guadalajara. In both cases, it was very efficient and the service was excellent. The cars were delivered right on schedule; a used one picked up at the dealership, and the new one delivered to our home, an hour away, once they completed the registration process for us.


So you transferred the money electronically to the dealer's account prior to receiving the vehicle?



RVGRINGO said:


> By the way, you may need your Residente Permanente visa card, CURP, RFC and proof of address to complete the registration in some states in Mexico.


They are OK with my passport, driver's license and proof of address. I am still waiting on my residente permanente and it could easily be a month before I have it in hand.


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

horseshoe846 said:


> On sizable cash deposits ? (I thought the threshold was 10,000 pesos).
> 
> edit : no - it is 15,000 pesos.
> 
> ...


My reading says that after January 1, 2014, the tax has be rescinded.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

Since the dealership is in CDMX and that is the address you are using - perhaps you can get them to obtain a new inspection sticker for the car. That would give you a 'little' more certainty about the vehicle's condition - and save you the hassle of waiting in line. Just a thought.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

horseshoe846 said:


> Since the dealership is in CDMX and that is the address you are using - perhaps you can get them to obtain a new inspection sticker for the car. That would give you a 'little' more certainty about the vehicle's condition - and save you the hassle of waiting in line. Just a thought.


Not a bad idea to save hassle. The car comes with a one year parts and labor guarantee so that helps calm fears of a lemon somewhat.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

I actually had my US bank lift the daily limit on my debit card for a few hours, then used the card to make the purchase. You would have to make prior arrangements and get the dealership to agree to that method. Of course, the card fee might increase your cost if the dealership would not absorb it; a negotiable detail.


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