Buying a Car Intlauto
 

Judging by the posts on this forum buying a car in USA can be a nightmare. So I am suspicious.
I have an offer from AutoSource (http://www.intlauto.com/) which is confusing
Payment options
Option 1 $329 PER MONTH (+ TAX) FOR 36 MONTH LEASE OR
Option 2 $385 PER MONTH (+ TAX) FOR 24 MONTH LEASE WITH $2,700 DOWN AND 12,000 ANNUAL MILES**.
Option 1 will cost $11844 for 3 years and Option 2 will cost $11940 This means it is cheaper to lease for 3 years than 2 years What is the catch?
What else should I watch out for ?

Re: Buying a Car Intlauto
 

Hi,

Not sure if this helps but.

We have 2 cars, one we got from International Autosource which was arranged prior to arrival and one we sourced ourselves here once we were settled.

Overall I have been very pleased with the service from IA. here's my take on it.

As a newbie I found it almost impossible to get any form of credit for a large purchase such as a car without paying big penalties... big deposit, crappy % rate. The IA rates were better than anything I could have gotten for the same type of car had I gone direct to the dealers here. Once here I did comparison shopping just to check, and its not much, but I did save using IA. However once you have been established in the US and have built up a credit rating, and are no longer a newbie, this rapidly changes and you can go for the 'to those with good credit' type 0% no money down deals you see advertised. I assume this is probably why IA are trying to incentives you to go for a 3 year contract, to keep your business. Interestingly the IA deal in itself will help build your credit ;-)

However I can honestly say that in the current climate if I could do it again I would not go for a new car. There are so many great bargains here now on nearly new cars and dealers will pretty much do anything to make a sale.

IA PRO's
Easy and reassuring to have arranged in advance
Great deals through IA on long term rental vehicles for the first few weeks to get you in-situ if your IA car is not available
Easier to get credit through IA as they look at your UK history than through a US dealer who does not.

IA CONS's
Lack of vehicle choice (only limited manufacturers and models)
Basic 'euro' spec cars (big extra costs for typical US luxuries)
Dealer network is limited to big cities (which can meen a a big trek to collect your car)
Rates and $ are good for newbies, but not so hot for established ex-pats

Hope that helps, good luck

Sir Denis

Re: Buying a Car Intlauto
 

i would very much agree with sir D. We did similar and have one car via IntAutosource and 1 bought locally a few months in.

If I were doing it again I would buy secondhand.

Re: Buying a Car Intlauto
 

The only big fans of leasing on this forum have been auto salesmen. The mileage limits can be low (your annual mileage will probably be higher here) and they expect the car to come back in perfect condition. The contracts are not in your favor. Buy a used vehicle with minimal insurance and build up your credit and insurance history if you want to save $$$.

Re: Buying a Car Intlauto
 

We used Intl autosource to finance/purchase a car last year. We were between a rock and a hard place with no credit history in order to get credit, no cash to purchase privately, but needed a car.. so we went with them. We also realised it was a good way to start building our credit history.

My number one tip is to make sure you know that the build quality of the vehicle you are considering is the same as one you may have driven previously (ie UK and US build quality is not always the same - Ford Focus case in point).

Intl autosource, as has been said before, only has access to certain makes and models and added extras for vehicles. Make sure you are getting one you want, and not compromising... dont forget you are leasing / financing a vehicle you have not seen before, let alone test driven!

Also bear in mind that you need to provide them with proof that you have at least applied for your SSN if you dont already have it, before they will relase the vehicle to you.

I was not impressed with their quality of service, mixed messages, inability to explain the requirements for registering / taxing the vehicle, or provide a full cost breakdown including local sales tax. And then we were only permitted to collect the vehicle 2 weeks after they had said we would be able to - due to their incompetence. They also required personal references from people based in the US for us before they would give us the credit. Hubby's collegues were happy to do so provided we did not give out thier home contact details, but their work ones. Intl Autosource were not happy with this and said this was a federal requirement to get finance.. they were lying. we called their bluff and they backed off.

We also had an added complication in that the vehicle was going to be for my use (hubby didnt drive, and therefore had no licence), but I wasnt working so credit could not be secured in my name. So we had to do a joint application and hope that the dealer we were collecting the vehicle from would be OK with the fact that only I was able to produce a licence (albeit a UK one) Fortunately he was.

The dealer did not give me great customer service when picking up the vehicle - although I can understand that since he got no comission for the sale, so what incentive did he have?!

I do not like my vehicle, by it gets me form A to B, and I am stuck with it until we have paid off the loan. I would not recommend using them to anyonw, unless they are in the same position as we were with the need, but no money!

Can you tell I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder??;)

Re: Buying a Car Intlauto
 

We purchased from IA and didn't lease. The price they quoted was 20% below the sticker price and way below the dealer invoice price. I take it to the local Jeep dealer for servicing and they were astonished when they asked what I paid for it. They openly admitted it was $3500 below the best they could have done. IA went out of their way to be helpful and explain everything, in fact the manufacturer had a cash back offer start after we placed the order and we got that as well.

Depending on where you are 12000 miles a year isn't a lot, especially if you drive to work each day. Penalty miles on a lease can get expensive quite quick.

Re: Buying a Car Intlauto
 

They were pretty good with us - no complaints on how we were treated JUST wouldnt use them again as mentioned above.

Re: Buying a Car Intlauto
 

Hi All thank you for your useful comments

Re: Buying a Car Intlauto
 

buying a car complicated? Go to a dealer, bring your passport, buy it and take care of the insurance within 30 days. Depending on what state you buy the car in it's very easy, especially in states like Florida and Texas, the insurance companies do not have a "us drivers license" requirement at all, but charge you around 15% more if you dont. Easy and can be done in about 15 minutes...