Mar 14
Volvo provides info on US Admissibility.
It looks like Volvo Canada is making it easy for Canadians to buy a Car in the U.S. A while back when we reviewed the procedure with the Customer Service folks they were reluctant to put anything in writing to us. Now they have an online “request letter of Admissibility” along with other questions and answers.
Q: I want to import a Volvo from the US. What forms do I need to obtain from Volvo?
A: You will require the following four items from Volvo before filling out the required forms to obtain a Certificate of Compliance from the Canadian Government’s Registrar of Imported Vehicles:
- Recall clearance letter to be issued by Volvo Cars of North America
- A Letter of Admissibility to be issued by Volvo Cars of Canada Corp.
- Proof of safety and mechanical inspection and required modifications from an authorized Volvo retailer in Canada
- A Safety Inspection Compliance Letter to be issued by Volvo Cars of Canada Corp.
Has anyone followed these procedures? Do they work? Please let us know.
March 14th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I am really confused. This information from Volvo contains the
following Q and A:
Q: Transport Canada requires that I ask Volvo Canada if a Volvo
vehicle is admissible. I trust the government. Why should I trust
Volvo?
A: In certain instances, Transport Canada has delegated the
responsibility to certain manufacturers the role of informing the
public which US vehicles are admissible into Canada based on
Transport Canada’s established standards. The government vehicle
standards have not and will not be changed by Volvo Canada.
In certain cases? I thought Transport Canada has “delegated” the
task of determining eligibility to ALL manufacturers. And I was
not aware that the manufactures were determining admissibility
based on “established standards”. What are those standards? Are
companies like BMW and MB following them??? Also, one last
question, is a letter of admissibility required for every new
car?
March 14th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Just finished importing a new 2008 XC90. Things appear to be in quite a state of chaos and are changing daily from what we can tell. Standard procedure would have you following RIV processes. The Volvo North America Recall Clearance Letter and Volvo Canada Admissibility letters are easily obtained though they apparently can only snail mail these. Just need the VIN to get the letters issued.
With these plus the Form 1 and the blank From 2 in hand we marched to Canadian Tire for our Federal Inspection. They scoffed at the idea of the Volvo Canada Compliance letter. The XC90 comes with the Daytime Running lights appropriate tethers, dual measure instrument cluster and CMVSS Immobilization. We waited <3 hours at Canadian Tire. Got our stamped Form 2 and raced to the Registry. Now just awaiting our formal sticker in the mail. Just talked to RIV today and apparently their one-and-only sticker making machine is broken - undoubtedly from massive overuse!
At the end of the day we saved in excess of $20,000. (off comparable MSRP’s) We also had the vehicle shipped and imported for us as our scheduled didn’t allow us the 2-3 days to do the drive back. If you have the time you can save an extra $2000 depending on the location - we’re in AB importing from WA. WARNING: Be careful about the supposedly “required” Safety Compliance Letter - We eventually didn’t need one - we had booked an appointment with our local stealer (I mean dealer) who informed us that this 2.5 hour inspection would cost $1950. Hmm… that’s $760 / hr for this inspection - must be some talented specialized inspector to charge that much! We called around and found a dealer in Lower Mainland who was charging only Volvo Canada Approved shop rates totaling $270. Apparently now they banded together and have agreed on $1800 as a reasonable charge. Hmm isn’t that called “collusion” and “Price fixing” to the lawyers?
March 14th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Thanks for the insight.
Why did you not need the safety compliance letter?
Can you provide me with the dealer in the lower mainland?
Thanks in advance
March 15th, 2008 at 9:44 am
They Make the new rules everyday!!….but also try and discourage people from importing….The wait has to take time and they have pretend they are swamped with recall letters…….PLEASE ..IT TAKES 5 MINUTES TO CHECK IF THERE ARE RECALLS OR NOT!!!DON’T BULLSHIT THE CANADIANS
March 20th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
bb4buzz,
So what’s the word on the Safety Compliance Letter - did you not need it in the end?
I’m in SK and was looking to import an XC70, and was also told by our local stealer/dealer that needed their inspection except they quoted me $2500!!!! I flat out asked why it cost them $2500 to do what Canadain Tire could do for around $100. He basically admitted that they are trying to deter people from buying from the States, exact words were “we need to pay for our overhead somehow” - nice business practice. What to buy Volvo but reconsidering now - PLEASE help!
March 20th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
I would chose another dealer. I called one in Montreal back when I was getting a quote and If I can recall they quoted me $250 or a couple of hours labor at most for an xc90 with all AWD, metric on the dash and not requiring any upgrades.
It would appear the boys out west are getting together to screw you folks. Buy something else. Toyota or Lexus
I also hear of somene that just went to Canadian tire and explained the situation to someone at the RIV that was reasonable and they got their form 2.
To save all that money the bas###ds really want to make you work.
Good luck, let us know how it turns out… and start writing your MP about what appears to be colusion on the part of Volvo Canada and Transport Canada to stop Canadians from Buying in the US.
don’t forget to sign our petition.
Thanks
March 22nd, 2008 at 4:23 pm
There were absolutely no mod’s required on our ‘08 XC90.
Last we heard from other purchasers in BC is that the LM dealers have since agreed to charge $1800 and the $270 option (volvo canada Approved shop rates) is now gone. I’m not a lawyer but something comes to mind that this practice of agreeing on a price is… what do they call it… oh yea, ILLEGAL!!
I also think that Volvo Canada is complicit in this as well, happy to turn a blind eye as it serves as a valuable form of Hush Money for the dealers who would otherwise complain bitterly to Volvo Canada/NA about their inability to be competitive. I understand their difficulty and sympathize with the dealers circumstances but not to the tune of $40,000 of pre-tax dollars.
However, I am utterly amazed at the absurdly short-sighted nature of these car dealers! If a local dealer (Valentine Volvo in Calgary’s case) can’t make money off customers on the initial purchase - then they are happy to screw them over on this exorbitant inspection ($760/hr). Now that sounds like a dealer whom I want to trust with my ongoing service doesn’t it! (insert obvious cynical look here!) I’m not even a customer yet and the are HAPPY to gouge me. They openly admitted the rate and time it takes to perform it. Such arrogance.
Dealer repair shops are dubious enough as it is, how am I to trust them further when they treat me like that? Such is the state of a monopoly. Are you listening Volvo Canada?
They just don’t get it - imagine how refreshing if your local dealer actually said:
“Hey I understand your predicament, give me a shot to give you the best possible price, and if I can’t get close then rest assured I’ll be HAPPY to diligently and responsibly perform the regular service and maintenance on your vehicle on an ongoing basis regardless!”
Hmm that would be a mature, responsible and ethical thing to do. Imagine what kind of loyalty that would get you from your customers! Perhaps once this mess stabilizes I’d come back and buy a new car from them. But now?
Makes me think “Volvo for Life” that’s the slogan isn’t it? - obviously only refers to their reputation for safety. Can’t refer to customer loyalty.
Why isn’t any dealer on the blog and standing up for their actions? Cowards!
March 25th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
How did you obtain a blank Form 2?? I just imported a XC70 and I am dreading the
treatment I know I will receive at Valentine Volvo. I would love to try and skip the
$1950 test. Which Canadain Tire did you go to in Calgary? My XC70 has AWD, metric
on the dash and daytime running lights.
March 26th, 2008 at 1:31 am
How can the British Columbia Volvo Dealerships justify the cost for the safety compliance inspection?
Charging $1895.00 plus tax is criminal for a 2.5hr inspection (I was told payment is due up front).
In the Vancouver area four dealerships are charging $1895.00 while one dealership refuses to conduct safety compliance inspections.
Why the huge increase from February of this year; it’s impossible to justify such an increase in cost.
We should only have to take our vehicle to Canadian Tire, as was done last year.
Where is the free trade? Such a monopoly must be stopped.
March 31st, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Ucanimport Publications Vancouver BC (google) puts out a 40 page How To Import document that says that CTC can do the inspection to get the Letter of Compliance and the Letter of Admissibility is free from Volvo for which Volvo said today they do not charge.
March 31st, 2008 at 4:40 pm
If so that is great news, has anyone done this, if so let us know the details.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
I just spent 30 minutes with a Lower Mainland Volvo dealer after getting a quote of $1895 for this inspection. Interestingly I asked for the service dept, got passed through to service until I told them that I was looking for a Safety Inspection for a US import. I was then transferred to a another person that I later found out was the General Sales Manager. At any rate - he tried rather unsuccessfully to defend the rate but couldn’t back it up with anything other than some general statements like they needed special tools and special training to do the inspection. I asked him to provide a list of tools or training that was required specifically to do the inspection (that they wouldn’t otherwise already have) and he just danced around it and could not provide anything to me. He also tried to tell me that a US v70 was totally different car than a Canadian v70. I told him that was udder cow poop, that I was a mechanical engineer that had studied car manufacturing and sure there would be some differences but that they were not totally different cars. What’s interesting is that after the 30 minutes were up and I started joking around with him I told him that I thought this was gouge and that off the record the $1895 was nothing more than an artificial barrier to importing vehicles - and he agreed with me and said he had wished they would just let the market take care of the pricing.
Anyway it appears to still be $1900 and up in BC for the “safety inspection” (nudge-nudge-wink-wink) in order to get the Compliance Letter from Volvo Canada. Don Docksteader still refuses to do them and they told me to save my time calling around the other dealers in the LM because apparently they are all owned by Jimmy Pattison so the prices weren’t likely to be any different. This is so brutal!
April 12th, 2008 at 2:05 am
has anyone found a way around these criminal fees. Are there any active law suits against them?
April 15th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Katherine, have you received the form 2 yet, if not I will
tell you how to get it. This $2,000 inspection fee is not
Volvo Canada thing, its the individual dealership fee. I
was told by Valentine Volvo that its comes from Volvo
Canada. That is B.S. The inspection by the way I imagine
takes no more than 20 minutes. Its a joke!