Jan 06
RIV Poll!
- CWB members and Supporters please respond to our poll.
- Recently the RIV and Transport Canada have been sending out survey and poll requests to certain Canadians that have used their services. Serge and I suspect that they are doing this to help justify their existance and they seem to target only those that have sucessfully imported a vehicle.
- CWB wants to really get down to the nitty gritty. We all know this organization need to be retro-fitted. Someone needs to be accountable for all the aggravation they have caused. We can not let Mr. Cannon think he has a well managed organization. We need to conduct our own poll and forward this information directly to the decision makers.
- Note: you will need to register yourself on the CWB Forum prior to voting.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
I think that the Riv should give prior authorization through a form 1 number before the importation. They can ask the specs, VIN number, whatever and give authorization as of the day the importer requests, even before he buys or takes delivery of the car, so that their changing list shall not affect any one genuine in purchasing a vehicle. The clearance letter for new cars should not be necessary, if they are built to US standards. If they don’t import the car the Riv fee is for their to keep, which is reasonable.
Clearance letters for used cars is understandable if they have recalls, but this is usually available through internet, or manufacturer sources. It is the duty of the manufacturer to ensure that world wide their cars are safe to use. If i bought a laptop or a camera, Sony or Cannon would have their warranty honored world wide. what is so unique about a transport mechanism, a car.
The transport Canada standards must only be applied, if they encourage the Free Trade Agreement with the US. True safety on the rods can be encouraged with newer cars, better brakes and safeties included in them. Transport Canada should aim at improving the overall total safety of the road than just pushing for small improvements such as the immobilizer. Transport Canada should not be able to retroactively do anything. A law or regulation should have a grandfathering period for the public. No one buys a car very often every few years. Be realistic to the times of a over taxed economy. Why id Canada called a progressive country ?
RIV and transport Canada should not believe in the honour system with the manufacturers. Why are taxes being paid?
Every reader should put his point across, may be small or big. Them we will have synergistic effect. The folks at Transpt Canada have gone through government interviews to get jobs. The are smart people, Tell them your thought’s. They will love to hear you opinion and this will open their think tank to make their jobs easier. Believe me they have done a lot in the past several years which has benefited Canadians. Let us thank them for their on going efforts and openness to hear. Let Transport CCanada have a web site link where people can woe their problems before they become too difficult or costly for the man on the stresst to handle financially or through the legislative channels that he may not be aware of.
Folks write your comments. Remenber itis because of the fols at his website that many of us have our cars registered. I every morning thank them of helping me to register my vehicle. May GOD bless cars without borders, Transport Canada and the folks at RIV.
January 6th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
RIV says on each page of its list -
“TRANSPORT CANADA OR THE REGISTRAR OF IMPORTED VEHICLES CANNOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS LIST. THE INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.”
so who is the authority for accuracy , Transport Canada or the RIV. Should the minister’s office have to be contacted for a simplified procedure ?
January 7th, 2008 at 12:50 am
Robert,
I agree with you that we should get our own poll going.
January 7th, 2008 at 1:10 am
I sent in a reply to the Poll after dealing with both RIV and Transport Canada.
On a scale of 0 to 10 with 10 being the highest, I gave them both a 0.
I know, many people will say that they didn’t really deserve a zero and I agree, however, it was the lowest mark I could give.
January 7th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Three years ago I imported a BMW…Both RIV and BMW They get an 10 0n 10 (TEN ) The whole process took less than 21 days….No Complications.
Recently BMW,RIV,and Transport Canada all get a BIG FAT 0 (ZERO..ZERO ZERO)on the survey…..Took 2 months to get a Recall letter and tons of Fried Balony from all of them!!…..JUST TO DISCOURAGE US IMPORTS>…Now to discourage you even more the Gouvernment won’t guarantee the accuracy of the information on their instructions…Can’t trust the gouvernment….who can we trust!
January 8th, 2008 at 8:10 am
I also imported my personal vehicle from the US about two years ago, and would have given RIV and TC a ten out of ten. The process was easy — exactly as advertised.
I doubt that I would give them 10 out of 10 now. I believe the reason for their failings must be due to the fact that the number of imports have increased AND the manufacturers perceive that they are losing money as a result of this. Of course, they are not losing money — most of these sales weren’t theirs to be had anyway — not at the inflated prices they want to charge us in Canada.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I imported two cars last year and still have two more to import, one of which may be rejected. I will give them zero on all cases if asked!!! Both RIV and Transport Canada have wasted my time and money.
January 8th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
RIV is Livingston Border Brokers and they are good at what they do. In my experience they were helpful, correct, and timely when I imported my vehicle. On the other hand, CBSA on the phone told me in no uncertain terms that I would be subject to duty even if my car was assembled in the US if the parts came from Japan. So when I was doing the price calculations, there was a big “if”. The fact is that the place of assembly is what counts - how else could they do it? So RIV gets a 10 from me though the fee seems steep.
January 8th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
I have tried several times to get clarity on what needs to
be included in a purchase agreement to satisfy the immobilizer
issue on getting a vehicle across the border. I have also asked
for clarity on the recall letter provision that “In some cases, we will also accept a printout from an authorized American dealer.
I have yet to obtain a straight answer. It feels like I’m talking
to a politician who doesn’t wish to be forced to take a stand on an issue.
Totally unacceptable service in my opinion. RIV needs a shake up
in a big way.
It’s time this all changed. They have cost me thousands of dollars
in potential vehicle savings when the Canadian dollar exchange
rate was more favorable, and now they can’t seem to decipher their
own revised rules.
I like the idea that RIV should give prior authorization through
a form 1 number before the importation. This removes the
uncertainty we are all concerned about, and would make their jobs
easier, too.
After all, aren’t we paying them to assist in importing, not help
frustrate it? Sure doesn’t seem that way.
Thanks to all for your comments.
January 8th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Hello Robert,
i am not sure how to register a response to the RIV experience poll. I have looked, however I am not finding the link into it. I want to record that I am very dissatisfied and upset with my experiences with RIV. Thank you for all the wonderful work that you are doing.
January 9th, 2008 at 8:20 am
It’s crazy. When a car’s web site says it has an immobilizer; when the owner’s manual says it has an immobilizer; when the key even looks as if it has a chip … all of these things, and we still need to provide additional proof. What do the RIV and TC think is going on … they think the manufacturers of the cars are lying in every single piece of media material that they provide for their vehicles? If they do think this is the case, then why do TC and RIV believe them when they say that a vehicle is inadmissible?
Don’t you find the logic surrounding all of this to be warped, and totally flawed. It seems to me that we’ve bred an entire generation of people who do not know how to exercise common sense. It’s very very sad.
January 9th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
the deeper you dig into these issues, the more it stinks. There needs to be a public inquiry into all of this.
January 9th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
RIV sucks big time. -10 out of 10.
January 9th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I just read in the RIV poll that 8% were satisfied with the performance of RIV.
I didn’t realize until now that Canadian car dealers and manufacturers were also voting.
January 10th, 2008 at 11:05 am
In all fairness to Transport Canada and RIV I would like to make
reference to the following facts:
In my dealings with their personnel, they were able to give me a definite maybe on some of the issues part of the time.
However, I quickly learned not to depend on this as some of these non-decisions were Borderline.
All ended well as I was finally able to get my car licensed
despite their intervention and assistance.
The trio of car manufacturers, Transport Canada and RIV are not in Harmony. I would say that all three are completely Flat.