whats our best option?
Jul 15th 2004, 6:51 pm
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: from uk but now living in Naples Florida!
Posts: 99
whats our best option?
Had a guy ring us from International Autosource last night with regards to buying a car before we get to Florida in October...It looks like our insurance will be quite expensive there as dont think our clean driving records with full no claims bonus into account......Not sure whether to get the car ordered or whether to arrive in Florida, hire a car for 1/2weeks, do our FL test, look around for a good deal on a car then shop for insurance..
The guy from International Autosource is going to ring us back next Tuesday from USA... want to try and make a decision before then..
The guy from International Autosource is going to ring us back next Tuesday from USA... want to try and make a decision before then..
Jul 15th 2004, 10:33 pm
#2
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Why the rush?
The 05's will be here soon and no doubt discounts for 04's will be rife.
Having a US license did not seem to make much difference for me but then my wife ifs a USC.
The 05's will be here soon and no doubt discounts for 04's will be rife.
Having a US license did not seem to make much difference for me but then my wife ifs a USC.
Jul 16th 2004, 7:07 am
#3
Rock Goddess
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 1,429
I was going to go with Autosource until I found out how much the insurance was going to be with a UK license....I was quoted in the region of $6000 a year! I decided to cancel the new car and hire one until I got a US license. I was still completely ripped off, and with proper insurance ended up paying about $1000 a month with Dollar.co.uk but I could take my test in the hire car and shop around for a good deal on a new car. Once I got a US license I was able to get reasonable insurance to the tune of about $300 a month. At least I know next time I'll get a better deal.
Autosource agents are required to give you an insurance reference regardless of whether you take it, but they have to give you recommended numbers to call. All of them gave ridiculous quotes. However, I wouldn't even bother trying until you have US license. Either way, you're going to get ripped off one way or another, so you might as well get ripped off for a couple of months on a hire car than on a 12 months insurance contract.
Autosource agents are required to give you an insurance reference regardless of whether you take it, but they have to give you recommended numbers to call. All of them gave ridiculous quotes. However, I wouldn't even bother trying until you have US license. Either way, you're going to get ripped off one way or another, so you might as well get ripped off for a couple of months on a hire car than on a 12 months insurance contract.
Jul 16th 2004, 1:51 pm
#4
Yorkshire/London/Miami
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Miami, Florida
Posts: 86
I agree with Rockgurl, the initial time here is a bit of a rip off anyway.
I live in Miami and drive a new Audi TT 3.2 Coupe that i bought through International Autosource. It is insured through progressive. I now have a US licence, when i bought and insured it I did not. It costs me $2000 for 6 months coverage - and please do not think it is because it is a fast car, when i got quotes it was only slightly (like $200) cheaper to insure something smaller and slower like a VW Beetle. When I look at renewal quotes they are not much cheaper, even though I have the driving history (!) and a license etc.
Would i use Interntational Autosource again - not sure. Was a bit messy, but most things here are a bit messy and on that scale it was OK. The deal on the car was better than I could have got buying direct from a dealer. I just felt that i needed to chase them a little too much. Also, 3 months in and it still does not show on my credit report and since that was the whole point of buying it like that ah.......
I might just lease next time.....
Good luck
I live in Miami and drive a new Audi TT 3.2 Coupe that i bought through International Autosource. It is insured through progressive. I now have a US licence, when i bought and insured it I did not. It costs me $2000 for 6 months coverage - and please do not think it is because it is a fast car, when i got quotes it was only slightly (like $200) cheaper to insure something smaller and slower like a VW Beetle. When I look at renewal quotes they are not much cheaper, even though I have the driving history (!) and a license etc.
Would i use Interntational Autosource again - not sure. Was a bit messy, but most things here are a bit messy and on that scale it was OK. The deal on the car was better than I could have got buying direct from a dealer. I just felt that i needed to chase them a little too much. Also, 3 months in and it still does not show on my credit report and since that was the whole point of buying it like that ah.......
I might just lease next time.....
Good luck
Aug 11th 2004, 11:34 am
#5
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 13
Re: whats our best option?
I may be a bit late on this but I whole heartedly appretiate everything autosource has done for me. Pricing, Insurance, credit etc.
Aug 11th 2004, 3:13 pm
#6
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 920
Re: whats our best option?
We used international autosource and it was the best thing we did. After we arrived in the US we met many Europeans who had had terrible problems trying to get cars and insurance without putting thousands upfront, in cash or having their company help them out! We didn't have these options open to us. Even house insurance was a problem for some.
I am sure that it makes a difference state to state and we were in NJ where the insurance premiums are very high anyway, but we compared it to neighbours who were american (and had lived in america all their lives) and we weren't paying a huge amount more than them and their cars were older and not as fast so we were very pleased with the deals we got. We also went for American cars and got one at a very good lease price that when hubby picked it up from a local garage he asked if they could have done a better deal (we had to have a NJ license to pick the cars up so it made no different on the license side of things) and he was well impressed with the deal we got (it was a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP). The other one (Ford contour 2.5 sports) we bought with 0.9% interest which meant that within six months of payments (which you do in dollars to an american credit company) we were able to apply for an american credit card.
It may have cost us more going through international autosource than if we had tried to do it ourselves, but it saved us a lot of hassle and gave us a great credit rating very quickly. A British family who had arrived 3 months before us (the husband was actually american due to his mother but was born and grew up in the UK) after a year was still finding they couldn't get a credit card. Their parents loaned them the money for one car and the other was one they picked up for a few hundred $$. The only insurance company that would touch them was the same one that IA put us in touch with and they were paying the same amount we were!
I know some people that have had hassle with them, but if you aren't satisfied you don't have to take the cars and you get a full refund. If you aren't sure you want to use them why don't you order your cars through them having them arrive a week or two after you arrive in the US, shop around when you arrive and see if you can get a better deal and if you do, don't accept the cars from international autosource.
I am sure that it makes a difference state to state and we were in NJ where the insurance premiums are very high anyway, but we compared it to neighbours who were american (and had lived in america all their lives) and we weren't paying a huge amount more than them and their cars were older and not as fast so we were very pleased with the deals we got. We also went for American cars and got one at a very good lease price that when hubby picked it up from a local garage he asked if they could have done a better deal (we had to have a NJ license to pick the cars up so it made no different on the license side of things) and he was well impressed with the deal we got (it was a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP). The other one (Ford contour 2.5 sports) we bought with 0.9% interest which meant that within six months of payments (which you do in dollars to an american credit company) we were able to apply for an american credit card.
It may have cost us more going through international autosource than if we had tried to do it ourselves, but it saved us a lot of hassle and gave us a great credit rating very quickly. A British family who had arrived 3 months before us (the husband was actually american due to his mother but was born and grew up in the UK) after a year was still finding they couldn't get a credit card. Their parents loaned them the money for one car and the other was one they picked up for a few hundred $$. The only insurance company that would touch them was the same one that IA put us in touch with and they were paying the same amount we were!
I know some people that have had hassle with them, but if you aren't satisfied you don't have to take the cars and you get a full refund. If you aren't sure you want to use them why don't you order your cars through them having them arrive a week or two after you arrive in the US, shop around when you arrive and see if you can get a better deal and if you do, don't accept the cars from international autosource.
Aug 11th 2004, 4:53 pm
#7
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Dahn Sarf
Posts: 287
Re: whats our best option?
Originally Posted by Ben
We used international autosource and it was the best thing we did. After we arrived in the US we met many Europeans who had had terrible problems trying to get cars and insurance without putting thousands upfront, in cash or having their company help them out! We didn't have these options open to us. Even house insurance was a problem for some.
I am sure that it makes a difference state to state and we were in NJ where the insurance premiums are very high anyway, but we compared it to neighbours who were american (and had lived in america all their lives) and we weren't paying a huge amount more than them and their cars were older and not as fast so we were very pleased with the deals we got. We also went for American cars and got one at a very good lease price that when hubby picked it up from a local garage he asked if they could have done a better deal (we had to have a NJ license to pick the cars up so it made no different on the license side of things) and he was well impressed with the deal we got (it was a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP). The other one (Ford contour 2.5 sports) we bought with 0.9% interest which meant that within six months of payments (which you do in dollars to an american credit company) we were able to apply for an american credit card.
It may have cost us more going through international autosource than if we had tried to do it ourselves, but it saved us a lot of hassle and gave us a great credit rating very quickly. A British family who had arrived 3 months before us (the husband was actually american due to his mother but was born and grew up in the UK) after a year was still finding they couldn't get a credit card. Their parents loaned them the money for one car and the other was one they picked up for a few hundred $$. The only insurance company that would touch them was the same one that IA put us in touch with and they were paying the same amount we were!
I know some people that have had hassle with them, but if you aren't satisfied you don't have to take the cars and you get a full refund. If you aren't sure you want to use them why don't you order your cars through them having them arrive a week or two after you arrive in the US, shop around when you arrive and see if you can get a better deal and if you do, don't accept the cars from international autosource.
I am sure that it makes a difference state to state and we were in NJ where the insurance premiums are very high anyway, but we compared it to neighbours who were american (and had lived in america all their lives) and we weren't paying a huge amount more than them and their cars were older and not as fast so we were very pleased with the deals we got. We also went for American cars and got one at a very good lease price that when hubby picked it up from a local garage he asked if they could have done a better deal (we had to have a NJ license to pick the cars up so it made no different on the license side of things) and he was well impressed with the deal we got (it was a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP). The other one (Ford contour 2.5 sports) we bought with 0.9% interest which meant that within six months of payments (which you do in dollars to an american credit company) we were able to apply for an american credit card.
It may have cost us more going through international autosource than if we had tried to do it ourselves, but it saved us a lot of hassle and gave us a great credit rating very quickly. A British family who had arrived 3 months before us (the husband was actually american due to his mother but was born and grew up in the UK) after a year was still finding they couldn't get a credit card. Their parents loaned them the money for one car and the other was one they picked up for a few hundred $$. The only insurance company that would touch them was the same one that IA put us in touch with and they were paying the same amount we were!
I know some people that have had hassle with them, but if you aren't satisfied you don't have to take the cars and you get a full refund. If you aren't sure you want to use them why don't you order your cars through them having them arrive a week or two after you arrive in the US, shop around when you arrive and see if you can get a better deal and if you do, don't accept the cars from international autosource.
I bought a van from them before I left the UK, due to be delivered to Charlotte, NC, May21st, three weeks after we got there. It wasn't a bad deal, and we took it cos it would give us a foothold in the credit arena.
Because of my work, we had to move permanently from NC to WA (just 2500 miles or so) at the beginning of June. Despite my calls to them during the previous couple of weeks (and them being aware from the offset that the delivery address might change), IA delivered the van to NC a couple of days after we left for WA.
After some negotiation , they agree to take most of the cost for shipping it from NC to WA. That's when the fun started....
As we didn't have a van I had to rent a car, and after four weeks it started to get a bit pricey - but still no sign of the van. Eventually they admitted that it had gone on a truck and then promptly vanished, and they were trying to find out where it was. Every time I rang, they gave me a firm date when it was to arrive (always in a couple of days) and they missed these deadlines eight or nine times.
After another a couple of weeks they rang to tell me they'd located the van - in Nevada!! - and it would be in WA in a couple of days.
Yes, another two weeks later they called to say it had arrived in WA - ah, there's a bit of a problem, it got scratched in transit and it'll take another few days to put it right. In the end it took nearly ten weeks from leaving NC until we got the van last Monday.
To be fair to IA, they did agree (reluctantly) to pay for the 9 week long car rental, and agreed to give us back our share of the shipping costs and administration charges, but it still messed us around a whole lot. Having said that, I haven't got the money yet, and I have a feeling that they'll drag the whole thing out - if they don't try to wriggle out of it completely....
If you're prepared to get some hassle, but don't mind cos of the credit thing, go with them. But don't get insurance with them, you can get it a lot cheaper elsewhere (even with a UK licence) if you just take the time to shop around....
Aug 11th 2004, 6:52 pm
#8
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 920
Re: whats our best option?
It is always good to get both sides of a company, Big Vern, totally agree. But the insurance part has nothing to do with license. We could get insurance with a UK license, we just couldn't get a car with one, therefore the insurance becomes a waste of time without a car! But again, this could be a state by state issue, I don't know. And for NJ we couldn't get insurance of any kind (including house insurance) without putting the money up front in one lump sum and when insurance runs at $4,000 a year that is a lot to put down on the table in one go, especially when we had no expenses paid by my husband's company - it was all coming out of our pocket. Insurance in NJ is very expensive for everyone.
One thing I can say, however, is generally Americans can't handle things when you want to change something! It confuses the heck out of them. So remember, if you ever decide to do this again, make the 2,500 mile journey yourself - it would save a lot of hassle
One thing I can say, however, is generally Americans can't handle things when you want to change something! It confuses the heck out of them. So remember, if you ever decide to do this again, make the 2,500 mile journey yourself - it would save a lot of hassle
