Hellopaul

I thought I saw a thread on here a week or two ago about the trials and tribulations involved for a new arrival in the US who wanted to buy a car - he/she didn't have the relevant ID / proof of address and stuff - but I can't find it! Was it a figment of my imagination?

Anyway, my wife (US citizen, lived in UK all her life) and I (UK citizen) will hopefully be arriving in South Carolina soon and will need to buy a car. I'm kinda hoping we can just show up at a dealer with some cash and drive away something fairly cheap. But, I'm guessing that's just a fantasy and the reality involves much form-filling and bureaucracy. So what are the chances of me and my wife stepping off a plane, into a rental car, then buying something within about a week? Slim?

Also, I do not know what the 'real' price is likely to be - I have looked at a few car ads online and the list of what is not included is as long as yer arm, including things like sales tax - can I avoid this if I buy a car in a state in which I do not live? Will the sales tax on a car be the same as sales tax on, say, a Krispy Kreme doughnut (probably 6% according to a quick web search)? (By the way, I totally share the rage expressed by a previous contributor about the ludicrous stupidity of not quoting prices including sales tax).

What is not included:

• Sales Tax
• Title
• License Fee
• Registration Fee
• Dealer Documentary Fee
• Finance Charges
• Emission Testing Fees
• Compliance Fees

Would the price listed be the price I pay to drive away if I bought the car privately (not from a dealer)? I'm probably more likely to use a dealer just because we'll need something pretty quickly - and I guess most dealers are pretty desperate at the moment.

Any suggestions would be most welcome. Or maybe someone remembers the whereabouts of that elusive car buying post?

Thanks!

fatbrit

Read, understand and act on the advise given at carbuyingtips.com. Ignore the awful layout and adverts to pay for the bandwidth.

chrisfromusa

You know you can also import your car for a year so when you move here you won't be totally without wheels you can keep a foreign car without modifying it for, I believe it is, one year maximum after which it has to be crushed or exported out of the country. So for me I would say that'll at least give you a year to locate a US car

Orangepants

You can buy a car very easily - I think it was the getting a driving licence that the fella was having a problem with. I bought a car for cash from a dealer in Fort Mill, SC and it was delivered 2 days later to Lake Wylie (I'll never buy a new car again).
I have a friend who works at the Ford dealership in Rock Hill who says business is pretty good or has been through Christmas onwards - not sure if that was because of the cash for clunkers deal though.. In SC you dont have to have yearly inspections, I believe you do in NC.
Dont know much more about cars - sorry.

Bob

No, you'd pay the sales tax when you take your car in state to register it unless you've owned it over a year.

Doing it privately, you'd still have those sales taxes, tags, registration, title and all the rest of it, you'd just have to sort it out yourself...but if you cash buy, you can always ask a private sale to say it was sold for less than you paid, you save tax, he has more cash in pocket that doesn't need to get declared.

Sales tax would depend on the state, but my way, it's regular sales tax...and don't forget if your town has a excise tax, it'll be a % of the value of the car each year at what they say the value is rather than the actual value...cheeky sods.

Brat1

It turns out the problem we thought we were having is more complex. We were told by a dealer that we couldn't buy a car in CT without a CT driving license. We were then told by the DMV that to sit your driving test - you have to supply your own vehicle - not a rental!!!

It doesn't seem to be the purchase of the car, but the insurance. 3 Insurance companies at the minute will not insure a car for us on an international driving license. So how the hell can we sit the test. We've already sat through an 8 hour class on safe driving which cost us both $125 each. They have suggested we borrow a car from a friend. Hard to do when you've just moved here and are still finding our feet.

Am I missing the flaming obvious. If someone could enlighten me that would be good. Don't know what the rules are for the state you're moving to Paul but worth checking or has your OH got an american driving license?

Brat1

Sorry, just read your post again and realise your wife has lived here all her life so she'll not have an american license. The brain is not functioning at the minute

fatbrit

Try a driving school if they won't let you use a rental.

Brat1

Unfortunately, it was the Western Connecticut driving school who told us a rental was no use. Or do you mean ask them for the loan of a vehicle to take the test - sorry if I sound a bit thick

fatbrit

My idea was to ask them if you can take the test in their vehicle.

BTW, I took my Arizona test in a rental.

Brat1

Hadn't thought of that so that might be an option. DMV and the school have both told us that a rental car is not an option. Can't quite see the difference between a rental car and a borrowed one but who am I to question

fatbrit

With the DMV, just do as they say. If the folk there weren't employed by the DMV, they'd be out murdering people or exposing themselves to picnicking families in the park. So we endure them for the public good.

Brat1

Oh you have so cheered me up this morning. Thought it was just me. I found them obnoxious and definitely not as friendly as everyone else I've come across since we moved here. Yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir springs to mind.

EricK

I have the answer to your problem!!

I too have just moved to CT and was facing the same dilema as you - no driving license, can't buy / register a car. Luckily I have a friend who moved here a couple of years ago and pointed me in the right direction...

You can obtain a non-drivers ID card from the DMV. This is valid ID for registering a vehicle with the DMV. You can drive on your UK / International license for 30 days in CT. Take your newly purchased car and sit the test!

I am going through the process now - both my friend and his wife did this exact thing when they arrived.

Link to DMV site giving details of the non-drivers ID card:
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=805&Q=244720

And a link giving details of accepted ID for registering a car - you can see the non drivers ID is listed.
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a...NavCtr=|#39432

Hope that helps !!

Bob

The Liquor license...for those who have lost their drivers license, usually anyway