Scam? Fraud? Please help

soweird101 wrote:

Hello,

I have a family member planning to move to Costa Rica, and I am convinced that he is caught up in a scam or fraud.  He was told that a new law in 2018 states that cars that are 20 years or older imported from USA to Costa Rica will have higher taxes.  I cannot find information about this new law anywhere.

He had been in contact with Daniel Chambers, who also goes by Dan Stevens.  Through research I found out this is a major scam.  My friend is still not convinced and is working with someone to transfer his car.  I am really worried this man is a scam too.  They are asking for his EIN number to transfer the car.  Any help, please!

Hola Soweird, (Sorry but you chose the name  )

Welcome to Expat.com!

A few things, yes, the percentage paid on older cars is higher than that of new cars.  The idea behind this in theory is to help protect the environment.  To discourage the use of older cars that pollute with higher emissions.

Does someone else have the website that shows the import taxes on cars?   I used to have it but now can't find it.

As to the importer, if he goes by two different names, with that alone I'd run the other way as fast as I could.  Why would someone need an alias???   

Many people have used Michael with shippingcr.com.  I know him personally and he can be trusted.  He will provide the fee for everything up front - shipping, import taxes, Marchamo, Retive and delivered to your door.

- Expat Dave
Expat.com Team Member

Discussions have been going on for years, trying to deny the importation of vehicles over 10 years, but as far as I know this rule has not been announced.

Present information

Here  is the link with full information.

Costa Rica Importing a Car How Much are the Taxes
September 09, 2009

Importing a Car to Costa Rica – How much are the Import taxes


Basic info:
If you want to import a car into Costa Rica you will have to pay import taxes to the Costa Rican government.

The amount of import taxes that will be charged depend on several factors which the Customs Department will apply. The first determination is the age of the vehicle that is being imported.

If the vehicle is new or less than 3 years old then the tax percentage will be 52.29% of the value of the vehicle.

If the vehicle is 4 to 5 years old then the tax percentage goes up to 63.91%

If the vehicle is 6 years or older then the tax percentage increases again to 79.03%

There you go, great post. Which is only one reason Panama is a very good option. Their immigration policies and customs fees for newbies are 1000% different, they want us, and 7 of my circle switched and took em up on it. I love CR except for this kind of nonsense.

Dan Stevens, wow a blast from the past. Now Chambers, before Willis and a few others, but never seems to shed the Dan. A Canadian resident of CR, about 50-60 years old, short.

Well known in the SJ Gringo Gulch, scam artist who survives CR scrutiny seemingly because he cooperates, much to the chagrin of certain gringos he hooks up with for biz who then get deported or imprisoned. Let's see, there was the Cuban cigar scam about 15 years ago in the gulch, had armed guys from NY and CR actively lookin for him until he coughed up; the well publicized frame of his website co-owner Cuba Dave who went to jail for two years that made int'l news;  the deportation of a guy who owned a gulch stripper bar that then became his; on and on. Last I heard about him was 5? years ago he was working at the Costa Rica Star, an internet "newspaper" but then more like a British tabloid with non-sense stories, gets picked up on occasion by Google News algorithms, not sure about the quality content now.

Surprised he's still alive.