Look in the newspaper for adds on used cars. Realize that there aren’t many adds in the paper and abandon this method.
Go to craigslist.org/costarica and search for the car you want. Hopefully you will find one that is owned by someone who speaks English because this makes communication somewhat easier.
Go to crautos.com and search some more. There is a slight chance of finding someone who speaks English here, but your best bet is to use craigslist if you need to find an English speaker.
When you find a car you want to buy, give the owner a call. Don’t even try to figure out where they are located! Instead set up a meeting somewhere known to both parties. The Multi Plaza (mall) in Escazu is a good choice. Go to the designated meeting place at the designated meeting time. Bring a book or some other form of entertainment. Be prepared to wait an average of a half hour longer than expected for the other party to show up (google “Tico time” for an explanation of why this might be).
Repeat steps 2-4 as many times as needed. This is likely to take much longer than you are used to… be prepared. There are various car models sold here that are not available in the US, and some that are sold in the US are not available (or common) here. I would recommend getting something with four wheel drive and a goodly amount of clearance.
Once you find the car you want to purchase, get the license plate number. Find an attorney that you want to work with. It is best to ask someone you know and trust who they would recommend. Make sure the attorney speaks English really well. Call the attorney and have him look up the license plate number. This is very important because there may be outstanding judgements on the vehicle that will need to be paid. If they are not paid before you purchase the vehicle, you will be responsible for paying them! This is kind of like having a lean placed on a home in the US. Judgements are not really against the driver in CR, they are against the car! So, if you get a speeding ticket it gets entered and tracked by the car’s license plate. Historically this was done because the government did not have a reliable way of tracking people, but they could track cars. The attorney can also tell you the name of the current owner. This is important, because this is the person who must sign over ownership to you.
If you need to get a cashier’s check to pay the owner, plan on spending 1 or 2 hours at the bank. Go to the bank. Find the place that has bankers sitting behind desks. Take a number and have a seat. Wait patiently while time seems to slow down and nearly stop as the bankers help the 20 or so people in front of you in line. Once you get to see the banker ask for a “cheque de gerencia.” Be prepared to pay $34.50 for the privilege of getting this check made.
Now with funds in hand, head off to the attorney’s office at the appointed time to meet the seller to do the paper work. Once there, be prepared to wait an additional 10 to 30 minutes for the other party to show up. Once the party does show up, find out that they do not have the required original documentation for the car and arrange to meet them again the next day.
The next day meet the seller at the lawyer’s office. Bring your passports or at least copies (it’s a good idea to keep the originals somewhere safe). Visit with everyone for a while, sign a document that is only intelligible to other Spanish speaking lawyers. Hand over the check to the seller. Now pay the cost of doing the paperwork and transferring ownership over to you (which could be around $1,000).
