Should I ship my car & SUV from US or not?
Hello everbody,
I've got some of the answers by browsing through the threads of communication on this forum, however, not sure whether this type of question is ever discussed here before (i haven't come across one though)
I'm coming to Qatar in 1st or 2nd week of March from New York, US for a 1 year contract (good chances of renewal). As a package I'll be getting transportation allowance (which is what I asked for....don't know why), couple of questions:
1. I have a car and a SUV, is it worth having it shipped to Qatar because I really hate to sell them here and buy new/used in Qatar
2. Is it worth shipping all home electronics/items from here to Qatar or not? like plasma TV, DVD, computers (servers), laptops and other household items.
Any other do's and don'ts would be highly appreciated.
Regards,
Anil Chitale
Your Housing Cost is 50% of your SALARY...approx...
Who told you about TAX-FREE
thats the way that Qatar taxes....like it or not....there is no such thing as a free lunch)
Hope you recovered from your Heart-Attack....
You could keep the SUV & other digital items back home ...
But I would suggest that you bring the 42 or 40 inch TV (TV smaller than that is not worth bringing) & laptop which you could lug around your shoulders.
If the contract says renewal then most probably it will be ...But dont depend on it too much.
I have to disagree about the price of electronics here. Even the Qataris tell me they order their digital cameras through B&H photo. Just about all electronics are less expensive in the states. Problem is that the electricity here is 220volt 50hz. Some items, like computers are fine with that. Just plug them in or sometimes flip the switch and then plug them in. Other items take a converter. Converters are available here and I have several in use now. I think your decision to send or not send depends on who pays for your shipping and whether or not your company supplies you with "fully furnished" housing, and what does "fully furnished" include. If fully furnished and it includes a TV, then don't ship your plasma TV. They really don't like being moved and it may not make the trip. Bring the other stuff if you like.
The car could be a hassle. I wanted to ship mine over but was talked out of it. If your employer offers a transportation allowance, you can rent a small car here for $600 a month. New car prices are not cheap by any means, and if you are coming to save money you could easily end up spending it all instead of saving.
Housing is the big deal here. Rent prices are very high. Make sure you have your housing arrangements figured out before coming. Some people are dazzled by the high salaries paid here only to find out they loose money because of the high cost of living here. Do your homework.
Best of luck to you.
Alicat,
Thanks for your reply and I really appreciate it. Now that I know that the whole process of getting the car, I'd rather stay away from it.
Honestly I didn't know that the electronics stuff is less expensive in Qatar because last year when I was visiting Oman my friends sent me the list of electronics items (like PS, XBOX, Gamecube, DVD players etc....which can fit in the suit case) to bring to Oman and when I compared the prices in Oman it was pretty much same in digits but not in currency (I mean $ vs Omani Rial) for example, the multi-DVD Panasonic DVD player was $75 (back then) and the very same model in Oman OR 70 (almost 2 times expensive)
Thanks again
Regards,
Anil
There really is no point shipping anything here to be honest.
Shipping SUV will be a nightmare I think, time it takes, the clearance at customs here at the port is always plagued with problems. containers sitting on the dockside for ages. Insurance to arrange, car to register with traffic police - if they accept the car.
Best bet buy a new car or hire a car when you get here.
Electrical goods are really cheap here, really the amount you pay to ship you could buy new stuff here and sell it when you leave.
I know that this seems really negative, but really I would buy when you are here, generally that is what most people do here.