Sending household items to Costa Rica from USA

Piano could prove to have problems with the humidity.
Boxes are not accepted on the airplanes. Usually the 2nd+ suitcases are more than $25 each but check with the airline and also ask if there is an embargo for extra luggage at the time of your flight.

We use Michael Baird for small shipments.  It is shipped via his Miami address and we pick things up at his residence in Escazu.

Best bet is to stay away from shipping anything to Costa Rica "as the import taxes are insane".  You'll have to hire a broker to help you etc.  Many containers that arrive in Limon are rejected by the person who was waiting for it, as the import taxes were higher than the value of the merchandise inside the container.

You can use boxes on American Air. The limit is 5 checked per person, find rates by calling them. Size is important, and weight or you are charged over size rate but a good way to ship something you love. Bring it with you is cheaper than shipping by a mover or commercial.  The speakers, if they are old Bose, sell them on Craig's list and buy the new smaller single one and bring it. I use one all the time, light weight. If you upgrade to business class, you get more pounds and more free bags too. The price difference is very small. If you want more info contact me. [email protected]

I shipped two barrels from NYC to San Jose and it was a disaster. Mostly books and household items, school supplies for the kids and my husband's amp and studio equipment. The shipping company used a SJ-based company that charged me over $400 to just transport the two barrels from Limon to a warehouse near my home. I then had to hire a broker who removed EVERY single item from the barrels and itemized each one for import tax (even a small bag of fridge magnets). In the end I paid over $1000 for items that were all used and sentimental. It was a huge headache that took about 3 months to resolve. I suggest bring as much as possible with you in suitcases. Pay for the extra baggage ($50-75/depending on the airline) but you have everything when you arrive. That was my only regret in the moving process to CR.

SanRamon,

I have also used Michael with shippingcr.com. many, times.  We ship almost once a month and have never had any problems at all.  Michael charges $4.50 per pound with a $30 minimum or you can ship via pallet for $650 per pallet.  Pallets can be stacked/packed 7' high.  There are no additional import taxes, no brokers, etc., etc.. (As usual with Edwards comments, he talks quite negative and has no idea what he's talking about.)  It's a flat rate and you will get everything that you ship.  As Terry stated, you simply ship to their Miami address and then pick up your packages, etc. in Escazu.  You can also pay a bit more and have it delivered to your door.  You can ship anything you want with the exception of illegal items of course.

His info.:
Michael Baird
[email protected]
506 7241-8772

So, you're finally making the BIG move?

- Dave

I should have added what Dave said to my comment.  Michael's price was the full price (whatever he quotes you) there has never been any duty or custom's fee added upon arrival.  We had been using Aerocasillas but have switched.
Thanks Dave!

Hello Indisunflower - Importing anything into Costa Rica can be an absolute disaster, financially and mentally.  You must have an itemized list with the shipment "and nothing can be new".  I guess there are some people who have some degree of luck, but for the most part "trying to bring your life with you from North America" is not a great idea "as you experienced".  Some people leave their container full of merchandise at the docks in Limon, when they discover how much the import duties are.  In some cases the taxes are higher than what the merchandise is worth.

I have a question for Dave too. Michael ships new also, right, at that price? Or just used.

Indisunflower;
We brought a 40' container down and at least 60% of it was brand new.  An experienced shipper will tell you what the right way is to pack and ship.  We used Barry Wilson and he made sure that we knew the rules and procedures.  Not one box was damaged, not one box was opened, and not one item was missing.  There are five families in our community that have had the same experience.  All of us are very pleased with our decisions and Barry!  He gave us a price up front and guaranteed it.  Everyone knew exactly what the TOTAL cost was before they packed their container.  We also brought down a Yamaha rhino and there were zero surprises there.

Maezing, Michael definitely ships new items as that is all that we have used him for since arriving here.  I would use the email that Dave provided and let Michael give you a direct quote.  We have found him to be very pleasant.

maezing wrote:

You can use boxes on American Air. The limit is 5 checked per person, find rates by calling them. Size is important, and weight or you are charged over size rate but a good way to ship something you love. Bring it with you is cheaper than shipping by a mover or commercial.  The speakers, if they are old Bose, sell them on Craig's list and buy the new smaller single one and bring it. I use one all the time, light weight. If you upgrade to business class, you get more pounds and more free bags too. The price difference is very small. If you want more info contact me. [email protected]

Thank you. I'm somewhat of an audiophile and the one Bose won't do it for me. However I could sell the big ones and get a Set of smaller Boses. Not a bad idea.
The more I think about it I may just use a set of Bose computer speakers and run everything through my computer. Bose makes a great sounding set of computer speakers. Then we can run netflix etc through the computer and play dvd's, files, and cd's through the computer as well.

The idea of using the airline sounds like the way to go.

The only good prices I've found for shipping so far are to ship out of FL but I'd have to ship from CA TO FL first which then adds too much cost to the whole thing. Shipping is very very high here in the USA now due to cost of gas. Whether post office or fedex or private shipping services the price is outrageous. Only USPS "media mail" is "affordable". If I could find a service similar to Michael's through CA then that might well work but so far I have not found anyone doing it through CA.

indisunflower wrote:

I shipped two barrels from NYC to San Jose and it was a disaster. Mostly books and household items, school supplies for the kids and my husband's amp and studio equipment. The shipping company used a SJ-based company that charged me over $400 to just transport the two barrels from Limon to a warehouse near my home. I then had to hire a broker who removed EVERY single item from the barrels and itemized each one for import tax (even a small bag of fridge magnets). In the end I paid over $1000 for items that were all used and sentimental. It was a huge headache that took about 3 months to resolve. I suggest bring as much as possible with you in suitcases. Pay for the extra baggage ($50-75/depending on the airline) but you have everything when you arrive. That was my only regret in the moving process to CR.

Thanks much for the info. I suppose this might have been avoided (?) had you used a different shipper though. I have heard success stories shipping out of Miami but then again we can't afford to ship TO Miami so this is not an option for us.

ExpatDave wrote:

SanRamon,

I have also used Michael with shippingcr.com. many, times.  We ship almost once a month and have never had any problems at all.  Michael charges $4.50 per pound with a $30 minimum or you can ship via pallet for $650 per pallet.  Pallets can be stacked/packed 7' high.  There are no additional import taxes, no brokers, etc., etc.. (As usual with Edwards comments, he talks quite negative and has no idea what he's talking about.)  It's a flat rate and you will get everything that you ship.  As Terry stated, you simply ship to their Miami address and then pick up your packages, etc. in Escazu.  You can also pay a bit more and have it delivered to your door.  You can ship anything you want with the exception of illegal items of course.

His info.:
Michael Baird
[email protected]
506 7241-8772

So, you're finally making the BIG move?

- Dave

Yes, finally making the Big Move!
You can see my other comments on why we won't use shipping out of Miami for our household items though I would if we lived closer to Miami.

Have been planning this move for years but now that it's upon me I'm finding it very stressful, figuring out exactly how to do things like get a decent 4x4 car, get household items there, etc etc. "The devil is in the details"!

So far I have almost decided for sure to just take whatever we can through the airline and buy a used car there. Of course neither of these solutions are ideal but we have budget limitations!

TerrynViv wrote:

Indisunflower;
We brought a 40' container down and at least 60% of it was brand new.  An experienced shipper will tell you what the right way is to pack and ship.  We used Barry Wilson and he made sure that we knew the rules and procedures.  Not one box was damaged, not one box was opened, and not one item was missing.  There are five families in our community that have had the same experience.  All of us are very pleased with our decisions and Barry!  He gave us a price up front and guaranteed it.  Everyone knew exactly what the TOTAL cost was before they packed their container.  We also brought down a Yamaha rhino and there were zero surprises there.

What is a Yamaha rhino?
How much is a 40' container and the packing and shipping total? Just curious. We would not use a 40' as we don't have that much stuff nor will our small home hold that much stuff, LOL. (However, is there a smaller container available or can yo generally find 1-2 others to share a container? If you prefer not to answer re cost that's fine, or you can answer via pm if you want.)

A Yamaha Rhino is an ATV.  This took up just over 1/3 of the container.  The price of the container depends on two things, contents and location of origin.  As far as I know there are two sizes, 20' and 40'.  You have to give your shipper this information before you can get an exact quote.  I tried very hard to get a "guestimate" and they finally came up with the figure of $15,000 from Central, Alberta, Canada.  This is a total figure and includes all duties, tariffs, and customs fees.  Our container had to go from Red Deer to Calgary via truck then to Vancouver by train, and then on to Costa Rica.  Our cost came out slightly higher mostly due to the duty / tariff on the Rhino.  You can most certainly share a container, we have two families here that have done this.  One is responsible for loading the container from their home and then the next time you see the contents is when the people that deliver the contents are putting the boxes in the room that you designate.  Your job is to stand at the door and inventory the arriving contents.  We had a super experience with nothing touched or broken.  Sat around and had a few cervesas with the delivering crew.

This woman has helped many of us to buy cars etc. "without getting Gringo pricing".
She has her own mechanic check out used cars.  Andy and Fran used this woman's services also.

This is the link....  http://yourcostaricacontact.com/

http://yourcostaricacontact.com/

Terry n Viv and Edward - thanks much for the info and tips!

Edward1958 wrote:

http://yourcostaricacontact.com/

Thanks for the link. This seems pretty legit and I have never argued that Costa Rica is NOT one of the most expensive countries in Latin America to live!
It is said to be fourth most expensive according to this article.

From said article:
"However, the author claims that although these countries are expensive, some have high wages, low levels of corruption, stable democracies, which makes them ideal places to live." I know Costa RIca does have corruption but then, well, let's not even get me started on USA corruption. [It's worse, just more hidden away...]

As someone else I know recently pointed out, retiring in Costa Rica is not about "the cheapest place to retire", it's about the "best place to retire". I wouldn't even say "the best", I'd say "the best for the money". But also among the best.

I think if most of us who live there or want to live there didn't feel that way, we wouldn't be here in this forum!

(Unless some are just here to bad mouth it because they had a bad experience... And there is some legitimacy to warning people that it's not paradise and they may not like it here. I always say "it's not for everyone".)

I always do warn people to go there first for a few months or more, live in a HOUSE, not a hotel, and see what it's really like to LIVE there as opposed to being on vacation there.
And if you do plan to live there,

LEARN THE LANGUAGE and BE PREPARED TO PRACTICE PATIENCE AND GOOD HUMOR!

This is Andy Brown's final statement as he left Costa Rica.  If you call Andy and Fran liars "you've got a problem".

“From what I have seen, almost half the people that move here wind up going back home inside of the first 12-18 months, because Costa Rica has not met their expectations,” Andy Browne said.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/may/30/re … d-reality/

Almost half ain't 80%.

When boat that is not sea worthy sinks, does it matter if 5 or 8 people drown?
The boat should not have gone out to sea.  Stop splitting hairs in an attempt to hide the dangers that people face when relocating to Costa Rica.

COPY AND PASTE PRIVATE MESSAGE

Hello Edward 1958,

When my wife and I first moved to Costa Rica, we did everything we could do to justify our move, to the point of even withholding information about life here from our relatives back in Buffalo.  We boasted about all the good things, and deliberately neglected to say anything about our negative experiences, like our computer being stolen.  What woke us up is when our best friends in Lewiston advised us that they too wanted to retire in Costa Rica.  Only then did we realize that our withholding information about what we really experience down here was wrong, how could I lure our best friends to retire here without fully educating them? 

We realize now that we got caught up in trying to justify our moving here, and we were not being totally honest with ourselves or our relatives.  Like you, we love Costa Rica in it's entirety, but there are some very negative situations down here which should not be hidden from anyone who is planning to retire here, we now realize that.  If you ever come down to Golfito for new appliances be sure to contact us, we can get together and  talk about how wonderful it is to live here.  You can email us directly at

Gary Green

maezing wrote:

I have a question for Dave too. Michael ships new also, right, at that price? Or just used.

I've only shipped new but the price is the same no matter what you ship - new, old, stinky, greasy....  $4.50 per pound or $650. for a pallet and yes he does ship many full containers as well.  I've been using him for five years and have had NO problems whatsoever.  The price is a set price.  There are no additional fees/taxes, etc.

Now you guys get me worried.  We have had a moving company picking up our stuff from Montréal, Qué. Canada.  We have almost 34' of a 40' container full of furniture, mostly used articles...about a 3 bdr house worth of furniture.  The container had made it to Limon last week, but as far as we know, has not been cleared from custom yet.  Intermov sgcr is the company that is taking care of it at this end. (Has any one ever delt with them ?) I was under the impression that used furniture is not taxed here but to be careful if you have "double" item such as computer, than, these items were taxable.  I also read one person (on another blog) that was taxed 800.00$ for a full load of mostly new items.....I am quite confused and I am hoping that I will not be overcharged !

You are definitely charged duty and customs on used items.  Even though 60% of our container was new items they were repackaged to pass as used and we paid thousands of dollars.  Most of the reputable shippers quote a final price for a container.  Did yours not?

This is some charges that we know of :
Customs Bonded Warehouse (storage at the port terminal)
§  Steamship line service:
§  THCD (Terminal Handling Charge):
§  Handling:
+ import duties*

You were charged thousands of $$$$$$
Ouch......are we talking over or under 5 000.00$ ?
But you had a vehicle of some sort right ?   Those are highly taxable right ?  ......help me here !!!!   Will I have to send my husband back to work ? !!!!

Yes, our Rhino itself was a few thousand.  I cannot break the rest down for you as our shipper's quote and final price includes all of what you list in your post above.  He comes up with that figure based on what I gave him for contents on our manifest.  The Rhino was a last minute addition so that is why I know the figure for it.  Best of luck!

Cupacoffee just posted this today, I bet this negative information about Costa Rica really burns TerryNs rear end.. LOL

Exaggerated sales pitches mean disappointment

By the Retire Now in Cost Rica news staff

This may sound elitist, but Costa Rica is not for the financially marginal any more.

Time was when a U.S. or Canadian expat could live decently on $600 month. That used to be the threshold for persons seeking permanent residency as pensionado. That fee was fixed about the time a taxi ride cost less than 50 U.S. cents per kilometer.

The 2009 immigration law reflected the reality of higher prices by establishing  a threshold for pensionado income of at least $1,000 a month. Those without a verifiable pension might seek to become rentistas if they could show $2,500 a month from outside income.

Even International living, a company that markets seminars for foreigners here is reflecting that new reality. In promoting the next seminar in glowing terms, the company admits in an email that living here in a reasonable way will cost $2,000 to $3,000 a month.[/large][/b]

Those who came here as expats to stretch retirement income are the first to complain about rising prices. They find themselves living an involuntary frugal existence. That might mean a mostly vegetarian diet while living in a $400-a-month Costa Rican-style home without certain benefits like hot water. Public transportation is the norm.

Although his type of lifestyle might be healthy, it is the involuntary nature that grates on many who came here with misconceptions.

As one expat business owner said: Costa Rica is not for the poor any more. He seeks tenants for his apartments who can pay the $1,200 monthly rental.

Costa Ricans are feeling the pinch, too, despite a low inflation index. Part of the problem is a socialistic governmental scheme that has racked up massive debt.

Some expats try to save money by living outside the rules. They shun  immigration requirements and become illegal or what are known as perpetual tourists. They might live far from the metro area and try to minimize outside contacts to avoid being spotted by immigration police. This seems to be a kind of self-imposed detention.

The belief among expats here is that many would-be retirees return to their home country or go elsewhere after six months in Costa Rica.  The problem appears to be unrealistic expectations.

International Living stokes these expectations to find customers for its overseas seminars. The company says in one promotional email:

"All legal residents join the public Caja system and pay out a small fee each month based on their income. That covers all of their treatments and prescription costs — even surgeries."

What the company fails to mention is that the small fee might be as much as $400 a month and that there may be a five-year wait for surgery. The Caja's Hospital México in San José is now involved in a scandal because the chief cardiologist there went public to say that more than 100 patients awaiting catheter surgery have died while on a lengthy waiting list.

A week ago  the public Hospital San Juan de Dios began shifting bed-ridden patients to a local clinic because officials forgot to plan that a remodeling of the orthopedic wing would temporarily eliminate 40 beds.

Another expat complains that his elderly Costa Rican mother-in-law broke her hip, and that she languished in a hospital for two weeks waiting surgery.

There are many great reasons to live in Costa Rica, but creating unrealistic expectations for financial gain has a negative impact

— June 8. 2015

Some expats try to save money by living outside the rules. They shun  immigration requirements and become illegal or what are known as perpetual tourists.            Since when is it illegal to be a tourist.

The perpetual tourist situation in Costa Rica is nothing compared to the illegal Mexican immigration in the US.  As long as these perpetual tourists are paying for their own health care (and are not being given social assistance), then they are a benefit to Costa Rica as they are spending money here.  Things will not get better for expats in Costa Rica, as the mission to discover ways to suck more dollars out of expats is ongoing, as the country continues to suffer financially.  The number of older American's that have been leaving Costa Rica is huge, if not because of the high cost of survival here, but also because they are entitled to free health care back in the states "due to their age".

Barquero Enterprises is the best way to ship stuff. Not cheap, but reliable and fast.

Thanks for the info. I'll check them out.

This is a message to all of you that are tired of paying "gringo price" for shiping goods from US  to CR,do yourself a favor call Mario Barquero Enterprises 908 522 4560 they pickup in N.C.,FLA,NJ

Talked to Michael Baird nice guy and prices seem good. shippingcr.com

Just received another load from Barquero. Nothing broken, no problems, whatsoever.