CARNET IS GOOD?! please read

dear friends. going travel with motorbike is not easy. other clearing the immigration (for human), we have to clear the custom (for equipment). riding the bike into a foreign country we need a Carnet de Passages en Douane (CPD). it is like a passport for the bike to ensure that we would not import the bike into the country for trade. it also ensure if got any fine summon in the country, with the Carnet de Passages en Douane (CPD), the issuing autority can pay on my behalf.

wah... so good ah? the issuing autority pay fine for me.....

chinese saying: where got free lunch to eat?!!!

i quote from a website:

the Carnet allows travellers to temporarily import their vehicles without having to leave a cash deposit at the border. It is, in essence, an international guarantee for payment of customs duties and taxes to a government should the vehicle not be re-exported from that country. Persons who temporarily import their vehicles into countries where the Carnet is required must agree to obey the laws and regulation of that country and particularly the conditions of temporary importation.
The Carnet contains relevant information about the vehicle – make, model, colour, engine capacity, seating capacity, registration number, owner and value.
In order to obtain a Carnet, the owner of a vehicle is required to provide a security based on the age and market value of the vehicle. Generally three types of security are acceptable from motoring organisations:
Cash bond;
Banker's letter of indemnity;
insurance policy.

simplify:

1) without carnet, i cannot ride my bike to enter some countries

2) to get a carnet in singapore, u must look for Automobile Association of Singapore (AA)

3) to get a carnet in singapore, u must:

3a)Join AA as a member. i join them as a member for 3 years and cost me about hundred odd dollars$$$. they have alot of activities, services and products for CARS. motorbikes are neglected as a member.

3b)Pay SGD$107.00 to get a letter from AA and go to the bank.

3c) i have to look for a bank to deposit SGD$10000.00 with them as required by AA as a banker's guarantee, ask the bank to write a letter to AA that i have put a $10000.00 in the bank and i have to pay an admin fee of $400-$600 for that letter to be handed to AA as a guarantee. So that they can debit $$$ off from that $10k in case i kana summon or export my bike for sale in XXX country.




the letter says:

AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPOR
336 River Valley Road
#03-00 AA Centre
Singapore 238366

Dear Sirs

BANKER’S GUARANTEE NO. ________________ FOR S$_____________

In consideration of the application for the Carnet De Passages En Douane we, of

at the request by hereby unconditionally and irrevocably guarantee payment to you up to a maximum aggregate sum of Singapore Dollars .

We will on demand in writing, without proof or condition, pay to you a sum not exceeding Singapore Dollars .

Our liability under this Guarantee is limited to a maximum aggregate sum of Singapore Dollars .

This Guarantee shall not be affected by any change in your constitution or the constitution of

You may not assign your rights under this Guarantee without our prior written consent.

This Guarantee is not assignable and not transferable.

This Guarantee shall remain in full force and effect from until (hereinafter called the “Date of Expiry”) and is conditional upon all claims being made and received by us on or before the Date of Expiry.

After the aforesaid Date of Expiry our liability hereunder shall automatically cease and be discharged and your rights hereunder shall be extinguished and this Guarantee shall be null and void notwithstanding that this Guarantee is not returned to us for cancellation save and except for claims in writing received by us on or before the Date of expiry. We shall have no liability hereunder in respect of any claim under this Guarantee which has not been received by us on or before the Date of Expiry.

A person who is not a party to this Guarantee has no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 53B to enforce any term of this Guarantee.

This Guarantee shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Singapore.

Dated this _____ day of _____

Yours faithfully
For and on behalf of




___________________ ___________________
Authorised Signatory Authorised Signatory

end of letter

it has been more than a month that i become a middle man between AA and my bank.

bank ask: use AA or bank format?

i call AA, (60-80% of the time not at the desk) AA reply: got no format. use bank's format

i call bank, (lucky got direct line but also sometime not at desk): use your format.

....after some 3-6 working days.... bank reply: this format can or not?

the bank is quite good. ask me for confirmation bcoz if AA dont accept the letter from bank and want to admend, it will cost a few hundred dollars.

....then i gota go home, forward the email to AA, wait for their reply....

.... after calling the incharge in AA for next few days... (not at desk and the secretary answer, tell u the incharge will call u back)...... wait and wait for reply... few days passed!

then aa say can use their format... which they say they got no format earlier?!?!

then ask this can or not ask that can or not..

will get back to u... will check for you...

AA quoted me that the carnet takes about 28 working days to process when i wanted to apply during june 2007. they are very good and advice me to do when my trip is nearer... which i start applying in november 07. until now i dont get anything..... and im leaving singapore in 8 day's time. 24 dec half day, 25 dec holiday, 29 dec = saturaday = half day, 30 dec = sunday, 31st dec = half day, 1st Jan = holiday. im left with 5 working days only! the bank also quoted me 5 working days but now haven get anyting!!

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my $24000.00 bike was stolen with equipment. (lost)

i bought another 9 years old bike for $7500.00 and spend $4000.00 on modify and repair. (expenses due to lost of bike)

total lost SGD$35500.00 before the trip starts!!!!!!

AA impost a $10000.00 fund to be set aside as a gurantee for my bike.

total: SGD$45500.00.

WHAT THE HELL WORLD IS THIS?!?!?!?!?

all my hard earn money gone!! but im still going for this trip!!!!

lost of bike and AA drained about 70-80% of my fund.

everynight i tried to sleep early.. about 11pm but i would wake up at 3am... too much things to think in my head.....

i sent out 70 sponsorship letters to 20 odd listed big companies and 10 odd superbrand company in singapore but only 3 replied: im sorry that ......but we wish you best of your journey.

these are the companies i sent to:

DBS
HSBC
UOB
OCBC
Temasek holdings
singtel
starhub
Mobile one
super coffeemix
Creative Technology Limited
SIA
HYFLUX LTD
Nera Telecommunications Ltd
SINGAPORE POST LIMITED
BREADTALK GROUP LIMITED
Dennis wee Group
Seng Choon Farm Pte Ltd
Tiger airways
Singapore Petroleum Company Limited
Stamford Tyres Corporation Limited
AP Oil International Limited
Apollo Enterprises Limited
Ascott Residence Trust Management Limited
Asia Pacific Breweries Limited
Banyan Tree Holdings Limited
CK Tang Limited
Eu Yan Sang International Ltd
Fraser and Neave Limited
Haw Par Corporation Limited (formerly: Haw Par Brothers International Ltd)
Jurong Cement Limited
Qian Hu Corporation Limited
Yeo Hiap Seng Limited
YHI International Limited

maybe there isnt enough time for me to get the sponsor to reply.

maybe there isnt enough good reason for them to sponsor me.

i am just a HDB grown up normal singaporean that want to achive a dream in my life, making singapore a city of possiblities.

i shall wait to get my carnet before i leave.... hopefully the bank and AA can work more efficiently and i can leave on 31 dec 2007.

many people tell me: So much trouble, so many hurdle, before the trip, god has hinted u not to go.

i was puzzled and i replied: god is testing my capability. luckily the bike was stolen locally, not when i was in brazilian jungle or iranian desert.

LADIES AND GENTLEMENT, THE TRIP WILL STILL BE ON!!!