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HELP! Charge for Compliance Letter??!?

8K views 20 replies 9 participants last post by  lamrith 
#1 ·
I just called in to GM to check on the status of my compliance letter. Customer Care this time transfered me to another "department" This person asked if I had been emailed a letter for compliance form and paid the fee? HE said compliance letters cost $101.75CAD and could be done in a couple hours? I have never had anyone in my previous phone calls ever mention payment nor it being a same day process?

Can anyone enlighten me on the truth here? Last week I was told 72hr turn around and mail only, now being told same day, but is a fee.?
 
#2 ·
Follow up.

This morning I had called the US customer care phone number since I am here in the US. They had no record of my call last week, which set off alarms to me. Then they referred me to http://www.vintagevehicleservices.com which seems more than a bit odd seeing as I need a GM compliance letter from the MFG for customs clearance. Vintage charges $101.75 That sounded odd to me to have the MFG send me to a separate company to get a MFG compliance letter? How the heck does that work?

So I called the Canadian number which turns out is who I had called last week. They of course had all my information, even showed it in compliance being looked at. I verified my information, had them lock my Cell # as only phone number on the account, and begged for the letter to be emailed when ready. Great customer service person once again, verified again there is no charge or outside company involved and that customer care was the correct phone number.

What I find really odd is the GM USA sends me away and to a outside company based in Canada to get a compliance letter, while GM Canada handles it all in house? And USA / Canada systems are not linked in any way? I honestly have been very impressed with the Canadian side of this entire transaction so far. The salesperson was great, no games and now the MFG customer service people in Canada are also being great...
 
#5 ·
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/canadian.htm. read this. The whole thing seemsvshady to me. Have you paid for. The car and have clear title. I bought cars in Europe and shipped them here and the only fed issue ivevrun into are emissions related ie even though car is ok in Europe does it meet epa standards in us. The manufacturer has to certify it does.can't imagine a recall needing a certificate.I'd contact your congressman and get their advice help. You may be the subject of a scam
 
#6 ·
Yeah, seems odd to me to, I have to wonder if some of the GM USA Customer care folks manning the phones do not have a clue as to what is needed? I was pretty clear with them I need a compliance letter to clear customs and both of them provided me the phone number for this vintage place. The 1st person did not tell me it was an outside company either. I found that out after I got the email from the person at Vintage that I spoke with.

As mentioned the GM Canada customer care people knew exactly what I needed and did not send me to an outside company.

I have had one of the customer care people here on the forum contact me via PM and they know exactly what is needed and are contacting the canadian side to see if they can help push/pull the letter thru for me as well.

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Torched - I am not paying for a compliance letter. Per my dealer and the importer this is an item that GM should provide for me and GM Canada says there is no charge for this service if requested by the vehicle owner and the vehicle is for personal use. The only title if any I have may be a Canadian one, though the car was sold specifically for export to the US, I do not believe Canada does titles like we do in the US, it is just a registration?

My dealer has been great and pointed me to GM Canada which is not asking for any $ for the letter. My mistake is that I did not realize that I had contacted GM Canada on Friday. So then I called GM USA by mistake this morning to check on status, that is when everything went sideways and GM USA pointed me to this outside company for some reason?

The reason it is held on this recall is likely because it has to do with the Fuel pump which directly relates to both Safety and EPA requirements.
 
#8 ·
GM Canada came thru with flying colors. I just got me compliance letter emailed to me by them and now sent off to my importer.

I also need to say thank you to Katie O, she is one of the Cadillac Cust Svc people that monitor this sight. She also stepped up and helped make sure all the correct information was sent to the Canadian Compliance team to get this expedited for me.

After talking with a Canadian GM Customer Service Rep, it sounds like prior to Jan 1 they DID use that outside company for compliance letters up in Canada, but now they are all done in-house...

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I appreciate you warning and looking out for me. I bought this car from the GM Dealer in BC, not some corner used car mart, so the deal is legitimate, I would not have bought it if it was not from the GM/Caddy dealer.

Yes they have a title as it were, but Title and registration are essentially the same thing up there, they are not separate documents like I have here in Washington.

When the vehicle is delivered it will have the Canadian registration as well as all the customs clearance documentation, Bill of Sale from the dealer (I already have a copy myself) stamped and approved that it passed thru customs. I just take that and an emissions test report to my DMV and I walk out with my plates and registration from WA. After I bend over and pay WA Use tax.. Title is mailed to me afterwards.
 
#10 ·
It is not thru yet, so far a simple compliance letter will not clear it thru Customs. They are requiring this recall to be specifically addressed, even though it is not an actual current recall, it is a future one and there is not fix currently possible.

But the Canadian Compliance team is actively working on it and seeing what can be done.

Anyone wanting to import a sts-v or cts-v be warned this will come up and plan ahead! I will keep everyone updated as to the final resolution.
 
#12 ·
I am not gonna claim I am not crawling out of my skin right now, I want my car BBAAAADDD. Specially knowing it is only 2.5hrs north of me sitting..

But everyone involved is being helpful and working for me (besides Customs & Border Patrol that is)

If I had realized and put it together that the recall could be an issue I would have done this legwork on the front side or maybe not gone after the car. If not for the recall it would have been delivered to my driveway yesterday.
 
#17 ·
Sorry for reviving this old thread, but I was wondering if any of you had ever dealt with either GM or Vintage Vehicle Services ?
I am being asked for both a Letter of Compliance and a Statement of Origin for my car. I was referred to V.V.S. by GM US Customer Service, and they wanted something like ~115$ for the Letter of Compliance, but flat out refused for the Statement of Origin.

Finding V.V.S.'s representative reaction quite odd, I decided to search a bit online and found this thread... I contacted GM Canada Customer Service as someone mentioned above, asking for both the Statement of Origin and the Letter of Compliance. They emailed me back a day later asking me why I needed these, and 2 days later I received the Letter of Compliance however no Statement of Origin...?

I'm not quite sure why GM and it's VVS affiliate seem to be reacting oddly in regards to these documents ???
 
#18 ·
I did not ned a certificate of origin for my import. All that Customs was worried about for me was the outstanding recall. The Letter of compliance with my name and address on it supplied by GM Canada finally got that taken care of though.

Vintage Vehicles charges, GM Canada does not, GM Canada are great folks and helped me as much as they could.

Who is asking for statement of Origin?
 
#19 ·
The DMV, they want a "Statement of Origin" as well as a letter of compliance and letter from my CO. The last two were not a problem, but apparently the statement of origin is something unheard of. The dealership swears they've never heard of such a thing, yet the DMV wants it. Not too sure what to do now :(
 
#20 · (Edited)
Similar to a birth certificate, the manufacturers statement of Origin (MSO) IS ONLY ISSUED when a vehicle is new and MUST BE surrendered by the Selling dealer when titling the vehicle to the first owner or the vehicle owner if buying in one state and titling in another. This document contains descriptions about the vehicle, including the manufacturer, the year, model, model name, weight, identification number, and other identifying features.

When filing for the original title for a vehicle, the MSO must be included in the paperwork. If the vehicle is later sold, a title is required and must be properly transferred to the new owner to comply with state law and avoid ownership disputes down the road.
 
#21 ·
^^ once the 1st state/Country creates a title for the vehicle, then there no longer is a MSO to be had, and MSO is the originating title for the vehicle, as soon as it is turned in to the 1st legality to get the car titled and registered it no longer exists? Maybe try a different DMV branch if you can, maybe the one you tried just has no clue?? The registration from Canada should be your statement of origin, if I remember correctly, Canada does not issue titles, the registration IS the title..?
 
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