So, following the experience of other inmates here, I sold my bike to another US citizen in Ecuador. We completed the transaction amiably, had the bike looked over and ridden by a mechanic, etc. I went to the Aduana to explaing and show them the bill of sale / contract that we had written up by a lawyer, in Spanish. They said, "We don't care what you do, but you have to leave Ecuador with that bike before your 90 days is up." I tried to explain that I just wanted to cancel the TVIP and the new owner is arriving to initiate a new one. They wouldn't hear of it. Should I just leave on a jet plane? Anything else I can do to make it right? Has anyone else sold a bike abroad, but were unable to cancel the TVIP?
This is exactly what the TVIP is supposed to prevent. Since the vehicle was sold in Ecuador, you now owe the Ecuadorean government the import taxes plus any other taxes that may relate to the sale. What did you think the purpose of the TVIP was ?
You need to do exactly what the aduana told you. If you leave Ecuador without cancelling your tvip you will cause the new owner problems
One way to view it is that the transaction, sales, communication, titling and funds transfer all happened in the US. However, the bike currently resides in Ecuador. One thing that I found through this is that Ecuador, like Chile, recently adopted rules denying used vehicles to be imported at all. With the amount of other people doing this in Chile and other countries, it seemed easy and direct to do this. Even if the new owner only gets 90 days at a time, it should be transparent to the Aduana.
I think your only hope of "making it right" is to go to the border of Ecuador and another country with the new owner, check the bike out, and cancel the permit. The new owner can then re-enter Ecuador and get a new TVIP, if the aduana at the border will recognize your change of owner paperwork. I am assuming the new owner has the title in your name, so he would be taking some risk that he wouldn't be let back in. Travelers I met in South America who sold their bikes, just took the cash, got on a plane, and went home. That seems to work, as long as you don't plan to go back to the country where you sold the bike, and you don't mind the trouble the new owner will have. Of course, he should have known that himself. If you go back, there is a chance you will be presented with a bill for the import taxes on the bike, which in Ecuador were about 100%, in 2006. A new KLR cost about 11,000 USD, at that time in Ecuador. It's all about governments getting their taxes. If foreigners could bring vehicles into the country and sell them, they wouldn't get their 100% import duty. Hence, the TVIP system is a courtesy extended to tourists to encourage tourism. If it gets abused by too many, it will go away, or the Carnet system will be brought back, hampering all of us who want to travel overland by private vehicle.
Yeah, I understand the impuestos and the TVIP. With so many people on the HUBB and here doing the "Transact in the US, take over the bike in country" method, I figured that it was really as straightforward as all of these posts say. Unfortunately, the new owner is also in the US and not here. So, we were doing a proxy drop-off method. The idea being that I cancel the TVIP and he comes down an initiates a new one in a week. He has the signed title, keys and everything. We've been working on this for a month or so. Hopefully he will be able to use it.
Try just going to a border and cancelling the tvip. If I remember correctly you don't even need the bike, I don't think they check it. Then new owner can go to a border with bike and get a tvip. They don't know if you are coming or going until you tell them.
That's a really good idea. Unfortunately, I am now out in el campo near Quito with no transportation. Wish I could just cancel at an inland aduana. But, I can see why they don't do it that way. Plus, all of the aduana that I recall check to see that you checked out with Migracion first. I don't want to check myself out of the country, just the bike.
Just check yourself out and check back in again five minutes later. I've done that a few times. I checked in and out as I had to go back for something.
Answer to all: Regardless if you sell the bike in a foreign country, you must CLOSE the TITV anyway. It is like to enter to a country and never leave.You get suspicious!! The right way to do it is going to a primary zone (any place of export for Custom like port yard, or airport ) and do the paperwork for export. Then at the same time, the new owner get he bike back , as a buyer or new tourist in that particular country. Listen, procedures must be executed according with the law. Never assume things and then get in trouble. You are in a foreign country, not in your country which work which basically work in the same way. Yopu cannot sell a bike and leave in a foreign country, because your are against the law. You get in the list and probably banned in that country in the future. A lot people goes with that kind of attitude of doing what they please. Don't do it, Countries have laws like in your own house.
Chile as other countries does not allow to import used motorbikes, except at Free zones regions. This is not new , not recently as you said. Yes, you get 90 days at a time but always you can extend the permit up to 180 days total, and a little more time giving with some excuses such, hospital , mechanical failures etc…, but always before your permit expire.
Sounds like you both failed to finish your research. You need to leave the country--or at least appear to leave the country--with the bike. After that, he can then go wherever he wants (or can stomach) with his new paperwork. Plenty of people have posted about the need for this step, on this forum and others. Whether it makes sense or not is of no interest to anyone. You can come up with the most elaborate justifications ever dreamed of but one or both of you are still stuck, because the law says you need to export the bike to clear the temporary import permit on which you entered. Alternatives which exist in the real world (as opposed to the world you think really ought to exist) include: you bail on the new owner, wishing him luck with his new bike; the new owner tries his best with real or forged paperwork at the nearest border; you quit complaining about how inconvenient and senseless everything is and head for the border yourself to clear the TVIP, then do whatever is necessary to deliver an unencumbered bike to the new owner. Whatever you choose, you'll do better to enlist the services of--or at least solicit advice from--someone with local experience. Anyplace where tens of thousands of dollars is at stake, there'll be less expensive ways to accomplish whatever needs doing. You'll find riders, shops, and clubs listed here or on Horizons Unlimited. Hope that's helpful. Mark
I dont understand why folks dont read up and do their homework for buying and selling a foreign owned/plates vehicle in Latin Ameria! Its is not easy, cheap, or usually legal, without major taxes/duties and paperwork. You may have failed to correctly IMPORT the Vehicle legally, you also may have just screwed over the person you sold it to, as they cant get it out of the country either, or, even register/title it legally.