Tips for a Brit buying a (dull) second hand car in US
Discussion
My sister has got a job in the Conneticut, and will need to buy a car there.
Probably along the lines of a Jetta or something equally uninspiring I guess.
She will have a green card and a US residential address, and plans to be there 2 years. Will she have any problems buying and registering a car on her UK driving licence?
The only two things I know about buying cars in the US is that Craigslist is big listing site, and I believe a Carfax check tells if a car has been crashed or stolen.
What I dont know is the following:
Do cars have annual inspection like our MOT?
Would you expect to see a car serviced every year?
Are there any big name car supermarket type places that she can be reasonably sure she wont get ripped off at?
Probably along the lines of a Jetta or something equally uninspiring I guess.
She will have a green card and a US residential address, and plans to be there 2 years. Will she have any problems buying and registering a car on her UK driving licence?
The only two things I know about buying cars in the US is that Craigslist is big listing site, and I believe a Carfax check tells if a car has been crashed or stolen.
What I dont know is the following:
Do cars have annual inspection like our MOT?
Would you expect to see a car serviced every year?
Are there any big name car supermarket type places that she can be reasonably sure she wont get ripped off at?
She will have to take a driving test if she is resident in the state for more than 1 year.
CT has an emissions test requirement for vehicles that are more than 2 years old (and less than 20 years old).
Regular passenger cars have no other formal roadworthiness inspection requirement.
Look at Carmax.com - they have plenty of dull cars. She'll probably need to pay cash, as her credit rating will be zero when she arrives.
Green card is a document for permanent residents - it doesn't sound like that is what she is going to be. Her employer will have petitioned a visa for her and that could have some bearing on her ability to gain credit.
CT has an emissions test requirement for vehicles that are more than 2 years old (and less than 20 years old).
Regular passenger cars have no other formal roadworthiness inspection requirement.
Look at Carmax.com - they have plenty of dull cars. She'll probably need to pay cash, as her credit rating will be zero when she arrives.
Green card is a document for permanent residents - it doesn't sound like that is what she is going to be. Her employer will have petitioned a visa for her and that could have some bearing on her ability to gain credit.
You need either a US driving license or identity card to register a car in CT. UK driving license won't work.
Matt - the CT DMV states that once you establish residency you have 30 days to obtain a CT driving license. You can drive on a UK license for a year on a visitors visa. A work visa isn't a visitor visa so I don't think she can go that long.
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=805&q=244...
Matt - the CT DMV states that once you establish residency you have 30 days to obtain a CT driving license. You can drive on a UK license for a year on a visitors visa. A work visa isn't a visitor visa so I don't think she can go that long.
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=805&q=244...
Roo said:
h0b0 said:
Don't forget tax. You have to pay sales tax on a private sale at the time of registering the car. However, be sure to include the purchase on your tax returns.
Is that the same in all states?I assumed the sales tax was only payable if you bought from a dealer.
EK993 said:
You need either a US driving license or identity card to register a car in CT. UK driving license won't work.
Matt - the CT DMV states that once you establish residency you have 30 days to obtain a CT driving license. You can drive on a UK license for a year on a visitors visa. A work visa isn't a visitor visa so I don't think she can go that long.
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=805&q=244...
Thanks for the correction Eric - though I'm uncertain what constitutes a "Visitors visa" that has a duration of more than 6 months - a student F, I presume?Matt - the CT DMV states that once you establish residency you have 30 days to obtain a CT driving license. You can drive on a UK license for a year on a visitors visa. A work visa isn't a visitor visa so I don't think she can go that long.
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=805&q=244...
Roo said:
Is that the same in all states?
I assumed the sales tax was only payable if you bought from a dealer.
In FL sales tax is applicable to private sales. The seller must complete the sale price (and provide a receipt) on the transfer of title document. The new owner pays the tax when they re-register the vehicle with DMV.I assumed the sales tax was only payable if you bought from a dealer.
Obviously, it is possible to 'work the system' by colluding with the seller to enter a bogus sale price on the title document - but it is considered a felony to do so.
sato said:
My sister has got a job in the Conneticut, and will need to buy a car there.
Probably along the lines of a Jetta or something equally uninspiring I guess.
She will have a green card and a US residential address, and plans to be there 2 years. Will she have any problems buying and registering a car on her UK driving licence?
The only two things I know about buying cars in the US is that Craigslist is big listing site, and I believe a Carfax check tells if a car has been crashed or stolen.
What I dont know is the following:
Do cars have annual inspection like our MOT?
Would you expect to see a car serviced every year?
Are there any big name car supermarket type places that she can be reasonably sure she wont get ripped off at?
Some states have emission tests etc.. some have nothing. Where I live there is no test at all which is bonkers in my opinion.Probably along the lines of a Jetta or something equally uninspiring I guess.
She will have a green card and a US residential address, and plans to be there 2 years. Will she have any problems buying and registering a car on her UK driving licence?
The only two things I know about buying cars in the US is that Craigslist is big listing site, and I believe a Carfax check tells if a car has been crashed or stolen.
What I dont know is the following:
Do cars have annual inspection like our MOT?
Would you expect to see a car serviced every year?
Are there any big name car supermarket type places that she can be reasonably sure she wont get ripped off at?
If she goes to Carmax she needs to be aware that their reconditioning is not as comprehensive as that carried out at most main dealers and they give only a very short warranty. Unless she wants a real beater I'd look at franchised dealers first as their cars will probably be certified and they'll always haggle. If she decides she wants to step up to a Volvo, Jag or Land Rover have her call me.
As has been mentioned most states will require her to have a local drivers license. She will also find that insurance generally costs more if you don't have that although her insurance will cost more anyway as she'll have no credit.
If she decides to buy privately if you email me the VIN I'll run a carfax for you.
We have done a bit more research now, and due the gap between a new car and a used one not being that great and her bank offering to mirror her UK credit rating in the US if she opens an account there with them, leasing something now appears to be one option. Sorry unrepentant, we a thinking more Fiesta than Range Rover!
How does handing a leased car back early in the US work? Can you just pay off the remainder of the term, or is it more complicated than that?
How does handing a leased car back early in the US work? Can you just pay off the remainder of the term, or is it more complicated than that?
Matt Harper said:
sato said:
her bank offering to mirror her UK credit rating in the US if she opens an account there with them,
Wow - that's a first! Which bank? There are thousands of recent ex-pats who will be relieved to hear that.sato said:
Matt Harper said:
sato said:
her bank offering to mirror her UK credit rating in the US if she opens an account there with them,
Wow - that's a first! Which bank? There are thousands of recent ex-pats who will be relieved to hear that.As an HSBC customer I'd be interested to know about this. They have pulled right back from the personal banking sector in the US. I use them purely to move money from the UK to the US.
sato said:
The car would nt be leased via HSBC. This is just what I have been told, and hasnt been arranged yet so dont get too carried away.
Well if ity's not being leased by them then their "mirroring" her credit rating would be irrelevant. Equifax, Transunion and Experian set the credit scores.The other thing to bear in mind when leasing is that "lease specials" are subsidised by the manufacturer and are generally bank dependent. Therefore a BMW lease special will be through BMW auto finance, GM through Ally, Land Rover through Chase etc.. You can't take that deal and lease it through another bank.
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