My Opinion of Customs & Payoffs

[sicpup71]

Took this Photo and two minutes later there was a problem with my Passport. They told me that someone with the same name had a canadian passport(eh????) on this flight......

that was you (A)

[sicpup71]

dub. post sorry

[PapiQueRico]

OK so $10 means they don't open your bags at customs. What are the items people bring to offset vacation costs? I met some guys who muled 50 cell phones last November. This is not what I'm looking to get involved with. That said, are there some small electronics or other items that are a profitable sell?

[Jimmydr]

Go for a vacation and sell nothing there.

[PapiQueRico]

Gotcha!

[Bug Boy]

Interesting thread. I've never noticed it before.

I have never had to deal w/ any real problems at customs at SDQ, but I do believe in standing your ground, even if it means playing dumb.

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My most memorable and perhaps terrifying experience in the DR was last November, on my first trip to Megacentro Mall in Zona Oriental (Santo Domingo.) I was driving up Sabana Ave. that night and I knew I had to eventually turn right (go east) to eventually hit San Vincente Paul Ave. I didn't want to be late for my date, so I pull into a Texaco station about 5 blocks north of the Las Americas y Sabana intersection to ask the gas station security guard for directions.

Well, he walks over to the car and and tells me that I'm heading in the right direction. I thank him and just when I'm beginning to pull off, he asks for 30 pesos. Well, in all the gas stations that I've been to in my life, I've never had someone ask me for a tip. However, I've never had a big ass security guard holding a sawed-off shotgun ask me for money either.

Well, I had two options: (1) I could either pay him 30 pesos (and hope that he didn't ask for more after I complied) or (2) I could play dumb and drive off.

I chose option 2 and that has made all the difference.


-Helpmann 8)

[Kevy]

I saw the signs too, but have never had any problems.

[Reel Deal]

I got busted bringing a new (inexpensive...$60 at Sam's Club) microwave in for a wedding gift. Customs guys pulled it aside, took it into their little office, and then told me to pay them RD$1597 to bring it in.

I called them thieves, and told the airport station manager to put it back on my plane, I wasn't going to bring it into the country.

The Custom guys looked befuddled. I found out later no one had ever done that to them. Usually a "violator" either pays or leaves the item with them in Customs, confiscated.

I took it back to the states.

I knew I was wrong bringing it in, but they never stopped me bringing stuff in before. I heard after the fact that Customs is cracking down on stuff. Next time I will wrap it in religious paper (as DT suggested I do in the first place; he "told me so" ops: ).

[Apos]

Took this Photo and two minutes later there was a problem with my Passport. They told me that someone with the same name had a canadian passport(eh????) on this flight......

oops that was me. i had to provide a new namwe for my fake passport and thought of you. i never imagined thaqt you used newhomet on your passport i even had a "yo quiero BBBJ" hat on :roll:

[continentalmike]

Most memorable exp in the DR in that respect.. being hold-up at avenida Venezuela in SDQ by the cops with big-assed guns that were not gonna let us go without paying them RD$ 500.. they just kept searching the car over and over again.. looking for drugs.. after the umpteenth time we just paid them.. they had all day (we didn't) and might eventually have planted some drugs..

Routine was simple after each rejection they just opened up the bags again and looked through the car again...

Another time when there were no armed cops we just drove off... but this time they were armed with big machine guns..