Bayleaf_01

Hi Guys,
We have just setup our Inbound USA Travelguard policy in preparation for our arrival in just over 4 weeks. The 'counselor' called last night.
He has sent me details for mobile phones through KDDI - has anyone heard of this company???
I asked for details of iPhone 4S, but the KDDI contact has only sent Samsung S II (I have emailed back to ask for more choices in handsets). I have a Samsung SI here in UK, but would like to move over to iPhone as hate Samsung Kies software!
I realise the contract is going to cost a fortune (not the £30 for 2 handsets we pay here!), but can anyone recommend a carrier for Michigan???
Has anyone had problems getting contracts with carriers when they first arrived?
We are coming on L1 visa and will have letter from employer as to permanent contract and the like.
Thanks.

Weeze

http://theunlockr.com/2011/10/07/iph...sprint-vs-att/

You don't get many choices for the iPhone. Can't recommend for your area, but I'm sure someone will be along soon. You'll need a SSN for a contract. We held off until we had built up more of a credit history, purely because the man in the apple shop thought our chances of being approved were low at first.
I went for a cheaper virginmobile phone to start with and then upgraded to an iPhone 4gs with AT&T for around $90/month.

Karen68

I know of some people here who have got iPhones on contract when they arrived, but they has a SSN and they were required to pay a massive 'deposit' that they are supposed to get back after a year.

We are both on AT & T but that's mainly because my OH has a company supplied phone and that's the network they use. Works fine in this area but the coverage abroad and in other parts of the US can be patchy. I just went for a basic pay as you go phone as I'm at home most of the time and don't need mobile internet access!

Bob

Without credit history, chances are you'll need to put a deposit down and if that's less than $600 you're doing good but usually around the $100-250 range.

As for contracts, there isn't much choice, just two carriers and don't have a clue which would have best coverage in the area you'll be in.

You can unlock a phone and use a pay as you go sim card though, but it's a bit of a hassle and all depends on how much data you're likely to use.

Wibblypig

We didn't use Travelguard for our phones, although did for just about everything else

We got an Iphone 4S each on the day it came out last October (about 2-3 weeks after we arrived in the US) on a family contract through Verizon. We needed my husbands SSN and had to put down a $400 deposit for each phone which we get back after 12 months (as long as we haven't missed any payments).

HTH

Bayleaf_01

Thanks guys, looks like I might have to wait for my ideal phone for now

It's hard to believe how much contracts cost in contrast to the UK, guess I'm just going to have to get used to it!

Now on to cars ..... watch out for the next set of posts!!!

Wibblypig

Yup! I was paying £20 a month for an Iphone 4 back in the UK (12mth contract).... now we are paying about $120 for 2 iphones (would have been $80 each individually) but we do get a discount through my husbands work.... good job really!!! Have you checked your US work benefits to see if you get a discount?

We got our car through International Autosource via AIG/Travelguard

Bayleaf_01

I will get my husband to ask about discounts, not something I had thought about - thank you.

I am currently locked in discussion about cars, although through an accidental contact with the local Ford dealership I have found that dealing direct with Ford for a lease car is cheaper than Travelguard!! I am hoping the Travelguard pays for itself with the car insurance - that's tomorrows job!

captainsensible

Hi, Can you confirm what Visa type you have? Someone at Autosource told me that Ford only offers leases to expats with a L1 Visa and not an E2 - don't suppose you could confirm that could you?

Bayleaf_01

It's a L1 visa, found a very nice lady at a Ford dealership in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The monthly lease was cheaper without the 10% deposit Autosource were asking for, so when we suggested putting 10% down the price dropped even further!
Car insurance quote through AIG seems on a par with Geigo - so once cars are sorted I will look into that properly.

4 weeks to go - bit scared now!

captainsensible

Hmm, thats very interesting - was weighing up the Travelguard thing, but then I will be living with my USC wife when I get there, so apart from a car lease and insurance I am not sure what else I will need to get - and if they can be arranged as cheaply direct as they can through Travelguard/Autosource, then that seems to be a better way to go.

Still need to confirm whether they will lease to an E2 though, but thanks for your reply.

Bayleaf_01

Car rental was HALF PRICE through Travelguard if you need a car from day one like us!!! Not sure if Geigo prices will be valid or whether they will hike up prices as website doesn't have dropdown for immigration status. will see once we land.

Wibblypig

Wow that's good, Ford couldn't get near the offer through Travelguard! Make sure you get it all sorted with Ford before you arrive as we read of a lot of incidents where dealerships had offered good deals over the phone then once in the US the finance was turned down due to lack of credit history and once in the US International Autosource cannot help! That actually happened to a friend of mine too, just before Christmas

As for insurance get that in writing too, Geico quoted us over $2000 for 6 months car insurance!!!! Through Travelguard we paid around $400 for 6 months for a high spec Ford Escape with max coverage for Florida. We pay $248 a month for the car on lease over 27 months, if that helps. International Autosource originally quoted us for 24mths as that is what Ford were offering us at the time, but once we got here they had changed it to 27mths so IA sent us a cheque for almost $1000 as compensation!!! Very impressed with their service

I would be very wary putting down a large deposit for a lease car as more than likely you won't get it back at the end, we put the minimum deposit down, $1000 I think....

HTH and good luck with the move

Vicki

GeoffM

That's what they initially said to me but when I said I couldn't afford that they said just $1000 would do! They subsequently declined to offer the car due to the lack of a steady income, but that's another story.

Bayleaf_01

I take it back, Travelguard are coming through!

Given up on iPhone, but they are sorting out equivalent android handset.

With the cars, we pointed out to International AutoSource that we could get lease cars $100 a month cheaper direct from Ford and they not only matched the price, but beat it!
Two nice new lease cars sorted!!! One happy bunny (for now)