# Importing car



## cmajewsk

I am shipping my car from the US, since selling it would have cost me way more than buying one in the UAE. I am supposed to obtain my visa in a few weeks, but the car is due to arrive in a week. So I cannot get a drivers license yet. Plus I will not have plates for the car. Any ideas on how I can legally get the car from the port in Jebel Ali to Abu Dhabi?

Many thanks...


----------



## 4drsupra

curous to know how much did it cot you to import your car from the US and how are things going now?


----------



## cmajewsk

*Not a good idea*



4drsupra said:


> curous to know how much did it cot you to import your car from the US and how are things going now?


Wow, where do I begin? Let me start off by saying I do not recommend doing this. It has been a total nightmare from the start. 

First acquiring the correct documentation from the bank was crazy. I happened to have the original title, which saved me when going to the port of Baltimore - the bank did not give it to me, they only provided copies which doesn't mean a thing at the port. They want originals! Of course if you own the car outright this may bot be an issue.

Getting the car on the boat was a huge hassle. No one there helps you at all - there are tons of truckers almost running into you constantly, and yelling at you...depending on your port departure YMMV.

Once you get the car on the boat it's a waiting game. We were finally called, and went to the port in Jebel Ali - where we had the vehicle shipped. After a few hours there - they then tell us to go to the shippers office north of Dubai and pay, and have the paperwork stamped. Oh, but the office is closed, try again tomorrow. 

We go again, this time straight to the shipper's office in Dubai. The paperwork was not there. Had to come back the next day. 

Came back the net day, but the "telex release" was not done. Had to come back again. All the while my agent in LA, is no help at all. CFR Line Rikens - do not ship with them! They don't help, and they don't care. Once they get your money, you are simply forgotten about, and left out in the cold. The actually shipper Hoegh, was even more incompetent, if that is even possible...

On the fourth day, we went up, and this time they released the car, but only with a 1,000 dhs. deposit as the paperwork was not stamped with an imprint of the original bill of lading. So we have to go back to north of Dubai, from Abu Dhabi, to have this done to get our deposit back.

What should've cost $1,600 for shipping, plus some port and import fees, has now ballooned to over $5,000 which includes missed days at work, fuel costs, taxi rides (parking fees for the car, since we were not allowed to pick it up it sat at the port), international cell phone charges to call LA...

Once again, if you do ship your car - do not use CFR Line Rikens or Hoegh.


----------



## 4drsupra

^^^holy crap...that is quite the experience...the only reason i really want my car shipped if at all possible with less hassle is because it is highly modified and I put a lot of work into it but if it is that bad forget it i might as well leave the car in toronto and just buy a new one there...she will be missed though...


----------



## dchou1107

Thanks for the info, now for sure I will not ship my car from LA.


----------



## cmajewsk

dchou1107 said:


> Thanks for the info, now for sure I will not ship my car from LA.


Take it for what it's worth - 1 experience. Did my car get to where they said they would ship it? Yes. In the time they said they would take? Yes. Was there any damage? No. Was it a pain to get my car? Yes! The shipping process was a pain overall, but I would just be careful in what company you use. Look around, get some referrals, research. But I would definitely say *DO NOT USE Rinkens or Hoegh.* *STAY AWAY FROM RINKENS and HOEGH.*


----------



## dchou1107

I am starting to have second thoughts again and would consider shipping my car from LA. Did you have to retrofit your car's cooling and AC system? I heard that is necessary. Any information will be helpful for me as I am transitioning to abu from so.cal with my family. Thanks


----------



## Jynxgirl

Search on the dubai thread. Canuck, who is/was in abu dhabi but may have moved to dubai, not sure, shipped his car. He put up a pretty thorough thread. Wasnt that big of a hassle for him.


----------



## dchou1107

cmajewsk said:


> Take it for what it's worth - 1 experience. Did my car get to where they said they would ship it? Yes. In the time they said they would take? Yes. Was there any damage? No. Was it a pain to get my car? Yes! The shipping process was a pain overall, but I would just be careful in what company you use. Look around, get some referrals, research. But I would definitely say *DO NOT USE Rinkens or Hoegh.* *STAY AWAY FROM RINKENS and HOEGH.*



Did you use an agent in Dubai to assist or did you clear customs by yourself?


----------



## mgb

4drsupra said:


> ^^^holy crap...that is quite the experience...the only reason i really want my car shipped if at all possible with less hassle is because it is highly modified and I put a lot of work into it but if it is that bad forget it i might as well leave the car in toronto and just buy a new one there...she will be missed though...


Hi, I don't know if you have done this yet, but you have to watch with modifications, many will not pass the test you need done on it before registration.

And for anyone thinking about importing a pick up truck, don't even think about it. The only way you can get a pick up truck registered in AD emirate (and possibly some others, though Dubai is ok), is to be a company, or transfer ownership to a local you trust and have them registered.

There are so many inexpensive cars here which are built to cope with the heat, japanese ones in particular with gulf specs are great, same day parts availability, hold their value and are easy to sell when you leave.


----------

