The RIV continues to change the VAFUS lists without regard to consumers. BMW, MB, Volvo are all off the list. Members on this website and on Edmunds forums are extremely disatisfied. Many want action. The matter is getting worse week afer week - so CWB is prepared to assist at putting together a team of volunteers to go after the RIV/TC. We will have to apply pressure like we’ve never done before. If you have courage, determination and like teamwork please join the team. Send an email to Bob or Serge
CWB RIV Polls results . PDF (note small rounding errors)
January 20th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
[…] survey@myview.com wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThe RIV continues to change the VAFUS lists without regard to consumers. BMW, MB, Volvo are all off the list. Members on this website and on Edmunds forums are extremely disatisfied. Many want action. The matter is getting worse week … […]
January 21st, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Thanks for your efforts. Too bad I don’t have much time to devote this cause.
January 21st, 2008 at 3:30 pm
I recently offered to purchase a vehicle from a family member living in United States. The car is a 2008 BMW 335i that I enjoyed driving while visiting the U.S. late last month. I thought that importing this car would be relatively straightforward. Especially considering that our government has publicly stated repeatedly that Canadian pricing should be in line with that available in the United States.
To import this vehicle I have learned the following from speaking to RIV (a government controlled agency) and BMW Canada. Needless to say I am completely shocked and dismayed at what we as Canadian’s are being subjected to by both our government and BWM Canada.
First, I have been told that I must contact my closest CANADIAN BMW dealer prior to bringing the car into Canada. This dealer, for a princely sum of $350 will provide a letter of admissibility. I understand this letter is nothing more that a form letter for which I may have to wait up to 45 days to receive. Why does our government force us to contact a Canadian dealer who I did not purchase the car from and for what possible reason? Why can’t an American dealer provide the letter? Why not provide an updated RIV list that determines eligibility for all models? Why am I also paying CDN Tire to determine if the vehicle qualifies? Why does BMW charge an exhorbitant fee? Why does any consumer have to pay a retailer to find out if there is outstanding warranty work to be completed? How dangerous is that!
It gets better. Once the car arrives in Canada I will again have to contact a Canadian BMW dealer to have it (the vehicle is one month old) physically inspected. The closest Canadian dealer to me is an eight hour drive – each way. Oh yes, the fee for this inspection, $500 PLUS the cost of modifications required to turn on the daytime running lights. Up until November 2007, the modification cost was negligible and the BMW inspection not required. Recently and coinciding with the rise of the Canadian dollar, BMW Canada suddenly determined that to turn on the day time lights requires complete replacement of all interior gauges (try to figure that one out.) The cost, $1,700 plus $210 for programming. Total fee to BMW Canada to import a 2008 car - $3,000.00. For this outrageous amount the only thing that has occurred is that the day time running lights have been turned on. Something I understand is a two minute programming procedure or a $25 kit from Canadian Tire.
To add insult to injury, the RIV agent also told me from what they have heard you can expect to stand at the back of the line when dealing with BMW Canada. No kidding! They are killing themselves laughing. How humiliating for the rest of us. (The $3,000 is bad enough but I hate being laughed at.)
There is no defensible reason why these rules are in place except to force Canadian consumers to purchase cars at a significant premium (in some cases) from Canadian dealers. These rules are developed by Canadian car dealers and supported and enforced by our government through a government controlled agency. If we as Canadian’s want to purchase a car in the United States then we can expect to pay a Canadian dealer an amount that exceeds what the dealer would have made selling the car to us in the first place. Who is making the rules, Canadian dealers - or our government and on whose behalf? Why does our government not only condone but literally enforce these rules while at the same time standing on a pulpit telling us that they demand and support fair pricing.
BMW Canada is certainly not absolved of responsibility in this mess. They should be embarrassed. Have they not learned anything from the historical behaviour of the North American car manufactures? These dinosaurs showed the same arrogance and disdain for the consumer beginning many years ago and look at where they are now!
Times have changed. Consumer’s are no longer guppies who will blindly accept this kind of abuse. Both our government and BMW Canada better wake up – and quickly. One is going to loose the next election while the other is quickly loosing customers for life.
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:13 am
I think each person who wants to or plans to buy a vehicle should write to their MP. A standard letter, including a petition prepared by CWB is necessary. I got two MPS to write to me in the last list of 10 or so that i sent it to. I guess elections is a platform where they can tell what they will do for us. A standard questioner to your Mp and key MPs where free trade, etc including the key ministries are required. If a format can be prepared by CWB, than many can write by just filling in the blanks. Unless there is a monthly to quarterly reminder to the people in power, we will be spinning wheels as individually we can express our experiences and feelings but cannot act. So if the good CWB folks draft up, petitons for various causes, one by one and email the members to send the emails, it should not be difficult to use the format or reformat an email sent to them by the kind folks at CWB. What is the role of the RIV if free trade does not exist. What is the position of Transport Canada that has allowed importation for the last 30 plus years ?
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:13 am
i can’t believe that BMW Canada is charging 1700 dollars for a new cluster!!! thats highway robbery!!!!! In the summer of 07 I imported a BMW m3 2003, went to the dealer and they plugged it into there computer put it on canada mode and on came the drl’s and the mi switched over to km. this honestly insane. and there margin’s are crazy!!! i have friends that work for large dealerships and i know what goes on behind the scenes.
January 27th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
I thought I’d pass this note I received on January 25, 2008
from David Emerson, the Minister of International Trade,
to a note I sent on December 17, 2007. I have enclosed my December 17
note for reference.
I am continually amazed how government officials react to
this topic. Nowhere in my note do I mention NAFTA, yet that’s
what David Emerson chooses to hide behind in his response.
Read his response, and then ask yourself: Do you think they
intend to do anything about the inequities we have all seen and experienced?
DECEMBER 17, 2007 NOTE
I am sending a follow up note to the one below regarding my concerns regarding the proposed amendment on the importation of vehicles from the US.
Since I sent my previous note on December 4, 2007, I have observed several items I find very disturbing. In addition to the attempts to frustrate or discourage the purchase of vehicles from the US by Canadians by General Motors, for example, a number of manufacturers have undertaken similar tactics.
For example:
Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. has announced there will be no warranty coverage for vehicles imported from the United States, regardless of the importation date.
Toyota Motor sales USA has implemented punitive measure to its US dealers if they are “caught” selling to Canadians.
Subaru of America, Inc., despite acknowledging it’s dealer agreements do not prohibit selling to Canadians, have also implemented punitive measures with it’s US dealers, including withholding incentive payments, and other dealer sales volume bonuses.
Honda US is refusing to issue compliance letters to Canadians to further their efforts to frustrate Canadians attempts to save thousands of dollars by buying vehicles in the US.
Notwithstanding that RIV information states that all GM vehicles built after September 1, 2007 are inadmissible, I am aware of a GM vehicle, bought in the US by a Canadian, that has the same vehicle immobilizer as those vehicles built for the Canadian market. This vehicle clearly would be an admissible vehicle, but current rules prevent it from being registered. This vehicle is in limbo pending a favorable ruling on the proposed amendment announced on November 30, 2007.
GM dealers in the US are prohibited by their franchise agreements from selling to Canadians.
Several manufacturers (GM, BMW) are charging up to $500 for a compliance letter. These letters typically have been issued for free.
The presence of this information clearly indicates that the motivation for manufacturers to frustrate cross border purchases by Canadians is to try and protect the Canadian market and their continued price gouging of Canadian consumers. If Canadian vehicle prices were similar, there would be no need for these steps. In this regard, any legislation (or amendments) regarding vehicle immobilizers and the related admissibility lists must be handled in a manner to remove the ability for the manufacturers to prevent the import of vehicles that do or can be modified to meet Canadian standards.
There are some positives. Vehicle prices in Canada are starting to drop, although most of this activity is in the form of “incentives” with the retail price being unaffected, at least for the time being. It is my expectation that should the manufacturers be allowed to implement their wishes and effectively close the door to Canadians purchasing cheaper vehicles in the US, vehicle prices in Canada will continue to remain dramatically higher.
As elected representatives of Canadians, I implore you to consider the actions mentioned above, and ensure the proposed amendments prevent the ability for manufacturers to continue to gouge Canadians for vehicle prices.
This is an opportunity to take positive steps in this regard and earn the respect of the voting public.
Thank you again for the opportunity to provide input on this
matter.
JANUARY 25, 2008 RESPONSE
The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has forwarded to me a copy of your correspondence of December 17, 2007, in which you express concerns with respect to the cross-border sale of cars between the United States and Canada.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is an agreement between the governments of Canada, the United States and Mexico to eliminate barriers to trade and facilitate cross-border movements of goods and services between their territories. In the case of automobile trade between NAFTA countries, all tariffs on North American-made vehicles have been eliminated. The primary goal in negotiating NAFTA was to provide a business environment in which investment and commerce would help secure long-term economic growth in the three countries. NAFTA establishes a predictable, rules-based framework governing trade between the three countries.
It is, however, up to private entrepreneurs to design business strategies and make commercial decisions such as pricing and warranty policies, subject to the competition laws of each country. In this context, private commercial relationships are outside the scope of NAFTA.
I would like to thank you for taking the time to outline your views and I invite you to find more information on trade matters at the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada website (http://www.international.gc.ca).
Sincerely,
The Honourable David L. Emerson, P.C., M.P.
Minister of International Trade and
Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics
c.c.: The Honourable Maxime Bernier, P.C., M.P.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Thank you C. McClelland for submitting the response from The Honourable David L. Emerson.
I did not previously understand how NAFTA relates to these matters. The response makes
sense to me and I believe what he writes is important:
“. . . commercial decisions . . . subject to the competition laws of each country.”
In Canada we have The Competition Act. See very first paragraph defining “Purpose of Act”.
The Competition Bureau has a good website.