No, not the fact its an update but far more importantly, three weeks ago we finally collected the Car!
I had never imagined it would be such a long drawn out and very frustrating process, it all started very smoothly, the first weekend we were residents of Providence we had chosen the vehicle we wanted. Now I have to be honest, I preferred the Ford Edge, given though that Laura will be the predominant driver during the week, the casting vote was hers, the Escape became the chosen vehicle.
Unfortunately, when you move to the US of A from the UK, your credit history does not travel with you, combine this with a lack of social security number, the latter takes at least two weeks after you apply, something you can only do after you have been in the country for two weeks....
in some ways i felt sorry for the car salesman (not often you hear that statement), when we walked in he had a deal in about 2 hours, well its good to haggle... On day 2 he called to inform we couldn't buy the car over four years as my work permit is only initially for three and it was feasible that we could just abandon the car and finance agreement, unlikely but I can almost so there point, actually I can't but I digress. So instead we decided to lease the car, which we thought again, would be a sensible solution, given we did't want to pay $29K in cash. This then required an additional trip back to the showroom to complete another set of forms, oh and yet more additional paperwork from us to confirm our details, salary, inside leg measurement et, etc.. We are now 7 days into the process if your keeping count at home.
Three days later we receive confirmation that the application has been successful, so another trip to the showroom, sign yet more paperwork and pay the deposit
Yep, just like me your now thinking we should be all there, entering from left stage the Rhode Island DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles), with whom we have to register the car. By this stage I had applied for my Social Security number, indeed a copy of the application was required by Ford Finance, for the DMV though this was not sufficient, oh no. Despite having a copy of my passport, work permit, lease agreement, Social Security Application, Bank Statement, vehicle documents etc, the RI DMV would only be happy if I could provide a denial of right to work in the USA.
Yep your read correctly, the DMV as I could not produce a SS number, would let me license a car if I can prove I do not have the right to work in the country!!! So after yet another trip to the Social Security office, four in total by this stage, they provided me with the denial of right letter, of course this was on a Friday so we then had to wait for the DMV to open on the Monday before we could finally register and then collect our car, some 20 days after we had originally chosen it that Sunday morning.
Mind you I do miss my friends at the car rental company, we who were almost wiling me to walk in each time with good news. I'm also expecting to be seen on missing in America soon, reported missing by the security guards at the Social Security office!
as you may have guessed the car is below....on a recent trip to the zoo.
I had never imagined it would be such a long drawn out and very frustrating process, it all started very smoothly, the first weekend we were residents of Providence we had chosen the vehicle we wanted. Now I have to be honest, I preferred the Ford Edge, given though that Laura will be the predominant driver during the week, the casting vote was hers, the Escape became the chosen vehicle.
Unfortunately, when you move to the US of A from the UK, your credit history does not travel with you, combine this with a lack of social security number, the latter takes at least two weeks after you apply, something you can only do after you have been in the country for two weeks....
in some ways i felt sorry for the car salesman (not often you hear that statement), when we walked in he had a deal in about 2 hours, well its good to haggle... On day 2 he called to inform we couldn't buy the car over four years as my work permit is only initially for three and it was feasible that we could just abandon the car and finance agreement, unlikely but I can almost so there point, actually I can't but I digress. So instead we decided to lease the car, which we thought again, would be a sensible solution, given we did't want to pay $29K in cash. This then required an additional trip back to the showroom to complete another set of forms, oh and yet more additional paperwork from us to confirm our details, salary, inside leg measurement et, etc.. We are now 7 days into the process if your keeping count at home.
Three days later we receive confirmation that the application has been successful, so another trip to the showroom, sign yet more paperwork and pay the deposit
Yep, just like me your now thinking we should be all there, entering from left stage the Rhode Island DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles), with whom we have to register the car. By this stage I had applied for my Social Security number, indeed a copy of the application was required by Ford Finance, for the DMV though this was not sufficient, oh no. Despite having a copy of my passport, work permit, lease agreement, Social Security Application, Bank Statement, vehicle documents etc, the RI DMV would only be happy if I could provide a denial of right to work in the USA.
Yep your read correctly, the DMV as I could not produce a SS number, would let me license a car if I can prove I do not have the right to work in the country!!! So after yet another trip to the Social Security office, four in total by this stage, they provided me with the denial of right letter, of course this was on a Friday so we then had to wait for the DMV to open on the Monday before we could finally register and then collect our car, some 20 days after we had originally chosen it that Sunday morning.
Mind you I do miss my friends at the car rental company, we who were almost wiling me to walk in each time with good news. I'm also expecting to be seen on missing in America soon, reported missing by the security guards at the Social Security office!
as you may have guessed the car is below....on a recent trip to the zoo.
