Car buying in ACT

As promised in my last post, more questions... :-)

Now that we've arrived, we are looking to buy a car. Here's the questions we have so far...

1) According to this, we don't need to get a new licence to drive, as we are on temp visas (457). However, do we need to have a drivers licence to buy, or to register, our newly bought used car?

2) Anyone have any advice/experience/tips when it comes to financing? Background - we are in temp accommodation until our container arrives in July. Job starts in two weeks time, so no payslips yet. Anyone in similar circumstances have any trouble (one tip I've seen elsewhere is term of loan won't exceed length of stay)

3) Any recommendations on where to buy a used car from in ACT (or where not to)

Cheers

Mike

Temporary visas don't need to get ACT licences. You won't need one for buying the car but insuring it might be a whole other ballgame - shop around. We always had a good deal from NRMA and you should probably get roadside assist from them too. No idea about finance, I've never financed anything. Where to buy/not .... There are streets of used cars in Fyshwick, Belconnen and Woden - there are also auctions (Pickles) but you'd have to be a bit canny about buying at auction. I'd check out the Canberra Times (is Friday still car day, I can't remember) and probably head off to Fyshwick unless you want something new (demos are often good value) choose the manufacturer you fancy.

http://www.carsales.com.au/

For private cars, you can check http://www.revscheck.com.au/ to ensure it's not been written off.

We bought a car for about $5000 initially, a nail but it lasted a few months and then we part exd it when settled.

Don't be afraid of vehicles with mileages that would make you wince in the UK. Canberra cars trundle about slowly with little braking and accelerating, Toyota's can do 300,000 km easily. Some will rarely have been driven above 55mph because the drivers think they will suffocate (and that's almost not a joke).

Groupon.com.au do Canberra car services. http://www.groupon.com.au/deals/canberra/5a-mechanical-repairs/719889043

Just book, print off and take the voucher.

Registering is a funny thing, you can go in to Dickson's Canberra Connect and register the vehicle and pay some cash inc compulsory 3rd party liability insurance, then top up online with your own insurance on top. Have a look online for the process of purchasing.

If you are purchasing a 2nd hand vehicle then it’s useful to get a REVS Check or PPSR Check to ensure that the vehicle you purchase doesn’t currently have any money owing against it, or hasn’t been previously written off and repaired or stolen. It’s worth spending the money for the peace of mind it offers. If you are looking for a REVS Check for a VIN number or Chassis number, give VINNER REVS Check a try, reports are only $9.90 which is far cheaper than the other site listed. It's completely optimised for mobile and supports PayPal along with credit card payments (including Amex) via a secure Australia payment gateway. For those older cars that are pre-1989 you can request a chassis reports here, and if you are planning on buying a boat you can also perform a HIN check if needed. VIN reports also cover all other vehicles (including trailers, caravans, 4x4, trucks etc) for any other types of vehicles you are considering for your trip.

[disclaimer: I'm the owner/developer of the site so please support the small guys, and happy to answer any VIN related questions.]