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Once you realize that it's useless to fight them - the Greek authorities, I mean - then you get peace of mind by just adapting. As far as my car is concerned, I decided that I might as well forget about being Danish, even a European Citizen. I would just adapt to a system that carries the motto: Who cares about legislation? Because the cost I would have to pay by fighting them would be much more than just letting them steal my money for the registration of the car, and I don't talk about cost in terms of money or expenses, but in health.
So, do they want to steal my money? WHO CARES, I'll just have to work harder to be able to comply with all their requirements.
From the moment I decided to give in, everything went smoothly. A couple of weeks ago I went to the customs office in Heraklion and managed to get all the paperwork done by the customs agent who doesn't speak one word of English. Sometimes he would call upon somebody else whom he would know capable of speaking the English language in order for them to explain to me what he wanted. And after a couple of hours, with a total check of my car to copy all the numbers on the engine, the chassis, the number plates, he got my phone number and told me that he would call whenever it was time to pay.
So, yesterday I got a phonecall - obviously in Greek - and I sort of "guessed" that it was Mr. Customs Agent telling me to come and pay. I told him "Oxi simera, avrio, endaxi?" and he said endaxi, then he passed the phone to somebody else to tell me how much I should pay. 1,150 Euro, all included.
And today I went to Heraklion to pay the customs duties on MY car as if I had just imported it from some other country. He kept me waiting for almost an hour to receive the money, but I had brought a book and I was in no hurry. Then when I had paid he gave me one set of papers for the K.T.E.O. - where I should get my car checked - and one set for me to keep. And that was it. Well, except that they took away one of my Italian number plates, maybe as a souvenir.
Well, I thought that I might as well try my luck (16th of March has been my lucky day for a lifetime!) and went directly to the K.T.E.O. outside Heraklion, maybe I could get an appointment within not too long. What efficiency! I arrrived and presented the documents at 12.30 to an English-speaking lady and at 13.00 hrs I had the papers to prove that my car was OK and that the emissions test was fine too. Paid 44 for the revision and 10 for the emissions test. When I asked about the number plates I was told that I would have to go and get those in Mires, at the Mecanologic Office, or something like that. I'll see to that one of these days, I guess I will have to make a market research first as for the most convenient insurance company.
See how easy it is when you don't pretend justice to be done?
I wonder if I will get my money back WHEN Greece will loose the court proceedings against them at the European Court? I was supposed to pay something like 300 Euro to get Greek license plates according to European laws concerning the free movement of EU citizens within the member states. But if I ever get a refund, I shall probably be able to buy myself a cup of coffee with that, seeing how prices keep getting up and up.
Who cares? I'm in Crete. And there's no tax on the sunshine. So far.
So, do they want to steal my money? WHO CARES, I'll just have to work harder to be able to comply with all their requirements.
From the moment I decided to give in, everything went smoothly. A couple of weeks ago I went to the customs office in Heraklion and managed to get all the paperwork done by the customs agent who doesn't speak one word of English. Sometimes he would call upon somebody else whom he would know capable of speaking the English language in order for them to explain to me what he wanted. And after a couple of hours, with a total check of my car to copy all the numbers on the engine, the chassis, the number plates, he got my phone number and told me that he would call whenever it was time to pay.
So, yesterday I got a phonecall - obviously in Greek - and I sort of "guessed" that it was Mr. Customs Agent telling me to come and pay. I told him "Oxi simera, avrio, endaxi?" and he said endaxi, then he passed the phone to somebody else to tell me how much I should pay. 1,150 Euro, all included.
And today I went to Heraklion to pay the customs duties on MY car as if I had just imported it from some other country. He kept me waiting for almost an hour to receive the money, but I had brought a book and I was in no hurry. Then when I had paid he gave me one set of papers for the K.T.E.O. - where I should get my car checked - and one set for me to keep. And that was it. Well, except that they took away one of my Italian number plates, maybe as a souvenir.
Well, I thought that I might as well try my luck (16th of March has been my lucky day for a lifetime!) and went directly to the K.T.E.O. outside Heraklion, maybe I could get an appointment within not too long. What efficiency! I arrrived and presented the documents at 12.30 to an English-speaking lady and at 13.00 hrs I had the papers to prove that my car was OK and that the emissions test was fine too. Paid 44 for the revision and 10 for the emissions test. When I asked about the number plates I was told that I would have to go and get those in Mires, at the Mecanologic Office, or something like that. I'll see to that one of these days, I guess I will have to make a market research first as for the most convenient insurance company.
See how easy it is when you don't pretend justice to be done?
I wonder if I will get my money back WHEN Greece will loose the court proceedings against them at the European Court? I was supposed to pay something like 300 Euro to get Greek license plates according to European laws concerning the free movement of EU citizens within the member states. But if I ever get a refund, I shall probably be able to buy myself a cup of coffee with that, seeing how prices keep getting up and up.
Who cares? I'm in Crete. And there's no tax on the sunshine. So far.
