Car In the U.S., having a car seems to be essential. Outside the City of Chicago public transportation almost does not exist. Only a train (Metra), which operates approximately every half hour during rush hour, connects the suburbs around Fermilab with Chicago downtown. Public transportation from the train stations to Fermilab does not exist. In order to get around on-site Fermilab there is a taxi-service during office hours that takes people to the various buildings, some of which are located a couple miles (approximately three kilometers) apart. Whether you may consider walking or biking to work will depend not only on your personal preferences but also on where you live. In any case, you will probably want to buy a car if you stay at Fermilab for a longer period of time, renting being too expensive. VIII.  Car     1.  Buying a car          a)  Sources          b)  Dealing with salespersons          c)  How to make a decision     2.  Title and registration          a)  Title          b)  Registration     3.  Vehicle emission test     4.  Auto insurance          a)  Insurance rates          b)  G.F. Mann Agency
1.	Buying a car For most people, both foreigners and citizens, buying a car is a big issue. Not only does it mean spending a lot of money, it will most likely be spent on something we do not quite understand. Thus, the majority of people buy a car without knowing if the purchase was a bargain. Shopping around and comparing prices is probably the key to getting a good deal for you money. No matter whether you plan on buying a used or a new car, spend some time considering factors that will help you determine your needs: how will you use the vehicle how long do you plan to keep it size, style, features, and appearance you prefer budget or financing options for the purchase operation, maintenance, and repair costs.
	a)   Sources If you are looking for a new car, you won't have any problems finding new car dealers for almost every brand name in the Fermilab area. The Better Business Bureau (a consumer protecting organization) may have a reliability report on the dealer you consider. Call the Better Business Bureau in Peoria at (309)688-3741 or check their website at www.peoria.bbb.org/results.html. A car dealer can also be an excellent source for finding a quality used vehicle. Most car dealers will buy a customer's old car when selling a new car. They often end up selling used cars of a different brand. Some used car dealers offer used cars only, mostly in the lower price range. Lots of them are located in the area surrounding Fermilab. Check newspapers or the Yellow Pages for their location. So-called superstores sell used cars at fixed prices so that no haggling is necessary. Rental agencies also sell their rental cars on a regular basis. Their cars usually are nine to twelve months old, but may have gone through a large variety of people that have driven them. In addition, you find numerous advertisements from private sellers and car dealers in the classified sections of the Chicago Tribune and local newspapers, such as The Kane County Chronicle, the Naperville Sun, Beacon News or the Warrenville Post. The largest classified section is usually published in the weekend or Sunday edition. Another very good source to find a used car is, of course, FermiNews (published every two weeks) and the bulletin board on the west side of the 1st floor of Wilson Hall. Many people at Fermilab have been in the same situation as you are. Upon returning to their home country they try to sell their cars. Whether you buy from a dealer or from a private person depends not only on your preferences, but also on the financing option you have. Whereas private owners usually only accept cash or money orders, a car dealer will probably make you an offer to finance the purchase. The Argonne Credit Union and other banks that offer auto loans may provide even better financing conditions. Before finalizing your purchase ask the owner for the car's maintenance and repair record and, if available, the original purchase documents. Also carefully check the title and the person's ID to make sure that the person selling the car is the legal owner!
	b)   Dealing with salespersons Shopping at car dealers, you will experience very soon what everybody dislikes the most about buying a car. Salespersons will approach you from all directions and won't stop talking to you until you say yes to everything they offer. Be aware!!! A car salesperson is certainly not your friend, even though they greet you with shaking hands ask for your name and what you do, where you are from and why you are here. To stand up against this attitude is difficult, especially if you just arrived in the U.S. and are still having problems expressing yourself in a foreign language. Any salesperson's only goal is to sell you a car. The more cars a salesperson can sell per month, the more he or she will earn. Statistics show that buyers who leave the dealership without agreeing to something will not return. Thus, the salesperson will encourage you to make a decision on your first visit. He or she will tell you that the price offered will be good only for that day. Don't be surprised, if the salesperson will never give you an exact answer to your question what the car you are looking at is going to cost. They will almost always tell you, that he or she has to check with the manager. After a few minutes they will return and come up with a price. This price will almost always be a lot higher than the limit you might have told him or her before. To be in a better situation negotiating the price, you should prepare yourself - see section c) below "How to make a decision". If you feel the salesperson is too pushy or is trying to sell something you do not want, you should ask to speak to the sales manager or just leave. After you agree to a sale price, you will be offered so-called aftersale items, such as warranty coverage, credit insurance, chemical protectants, and alarm systems. You should think about what type of warranty and other extras you need before you go to a dealer so that you are able to reject such offers and make clear what you want and what you don't want.
	c)   How to make a decision It is crucial to find out what the used car model you plan on buying is supposed to cost before you even start shopping around. Websites, such as www.edmunds.com and www.kbb.com, as well as used car books, such as the N.A.D.A. (National Automotive Dealers Association) Official Used Car Guide, help you determine the resale value of a particular car. You can find the books in almost every public library. Argonne Credit Union in the basement of Wilson Hall also provides a copy of the N.A.D.A. Guide. All you need to know is the make and the model, year, mileage and special equipment. The more information on the car you have, the more accurate the price can be appraised, and comparing prices of similar makes and models can give you an idea of which seller offers the best deals. You can use these numbers to negotiate a price with a salesperson. If he or she asks for a price too high, you can say that you have checked Edmund's Car Prices and that the car is worth less. To avoid depending on a salesperson, you should inform yourself about the price range the seller may ask for. You should also familiarize yourself with English terms used concerning cars in general. Reading some literature on cars will help. Before purchasing a car you should check the car's body (because of the large amounts of salt that are used in winter to clear the roads rust is a problem of many old cars), tires, battery, doors, windows, trunk lid, tailpipe, shock absorbers, fluids, mechanical parts, interior and odometer. Do not buy a car if you are not allowed to test drive it! If possible, have a mechanic inspect the car by taking the car to a reliable repair shop (ask colleagues for a referral) and ask for an examination. The money you have to pay for this service (usually between $20 and $50) is well- invested and will save you money down the road. If the mechanic suggests to repair certain parts, ask for a written estimate of the repair costs and use this estimate to lower your offer for this car. Don't hesitate to reject a car based on the results of a mechanical inspection. Instead, you should be glad that you found out about the poor condition of the car in advance. The websites listed above offer a so-called "lemon check". Using the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), which can be found on the dashboard in the lower right side looking from outside or inside the driver's door, the car's history can be checked. Of course, only major issues like flood damage or odometer fraud will come up. Back to top
2.	Title and Registration Every car operated on public roads in Illinois must be registered and have a title. If you buy a car from a dealer, he must send all the necessary documents to apply for a new title and registration in your name to the Secretary of State's office within 20 days from the day of purchase. If you buy from a private person, you have five days to make the application yourself. Note: The procedure might be a little different and more documents will have to be submitted if you buy a car outside of Illinois and want to register it here in Illinois. Please check chapter twelve of the Rules of the Road or the website www.sos.state.il.us/publications/rr/chap12.html
	a)   Title It is mandatory that the title of the car contains the name of the actual owner! If you buy a car from a private seller, make sure that the person selling the car is actually the owner by checking not only the title but also a picture ID!!! Once you have made the deal and bought the car, you will receive the title belonging to the car in the seller's name with the former owner's signature on the back. To apply for a title in your name, you have to go to the driver's license facility (see addresses in chapter VI.) and fill out the application form VSD-190. The following information will be asked: Name and address of the new owner (you) Odometer reading (mileage) as it appears on the vehicle odometer Vehicle description (year, make, model, vehicle identification number, body type, date of purchase and whether new or used) Names and addresses of any lien holders in the order of their priority, if you took a loan in order to finance the purchase In addition you have to submit proof of ownership acceptable to the Illinois Secretary of State's office which is the signed off title or, if the title is being held by a lien holder, a copy of the title and of the loan agreement. The fee is $65 for the title and registration. The new title in your name will be sent to you or the lien holder by mail. Purchasing a vehicle, you must pay a sales tax. If the purchase price is less than $15,000, the tax is based on the model year of the vehicle. If the price is $15,000 or more, the tax is based on the selling price. At the driver's license facility, you must submit the tax form RUT-50 and pay the Illinois Department of Revenue as you apply for title and registration.
	b)   Registration When applying for the new car title you are automatically applying for proper license plates at the same time. The registration fee is $78 for a regular vehicle and regular Illinois license plates. Vanity plates (with the Cardinal on it) are available for additional $94. License plates will be issued and mailed to you together with a registration sticker that you must put on the rear plate. The registration is valid for one year and expires at the end of the month printed on the sticker. To be able to operate your new car until you receive the license plates, a temporary registration card will be issued. This orange card must be placed in the lower left hand corner of the back window. You can also legally operate the vehicle if a copy of the completed, signed and verified title and registration application submitted to the Secretary of State's office is placed in the lower right corner of the front windshield. License plates must be renewed every year. Prior to the expiration date, the Vehicle Services Department will mail out a registration renewal application which you can either return with a check by mail to receive a new sticker by mail or take to a drivers license facility to apply for renewal in person and receive the sticker right away. Together with the license plates you will also receive a registration card that must be kept in the car. In Illinois, you are also required to have proof of car insurance in your car at all times (see below 4.). Back to top
3.	Vehicle Emission Test Once a year, every car needs to be inspected by an emission test facility. You will receive a written notice by mail with a deadline that leaves you approximately two months of time to get the test done. One test facility is located at the train station in Naperville just west of Route 59. You will find other facilities on the back of the notice. The Emission Test is free and takes only fifteen minutes or so. Back to top
4.	Auto Insurance The law requires that every car operated in Illinois is covered by liability insurance. This type of insurance covers the property damage and/or injuries you may cause in an accident. Depending on your insurance policy, your insurance may also pay if the accident was caused by a member of your family living with you or a person using your vehicle with your permission. In addition to the liability insurance, several other coverages are available, such as Personal Injury Protection (covering medical expenses resulting from an accident for you and others riding in your car), Collision (covering repairs of damage to your car caused by an accident regardless of the responsibility), Comprehensive Physical Damage (pays for damages to your car resulting from theft, fire, hail, or vandalism), or Uninsured Motorist (covering costs related to injuries or property damage to you or your family members and guests in your car caused by an uninsured, underinsured, or hit-and-run driver). An auto policy may include all different types listed above. In Illinois, only the Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability are mandatory, with limits of $20,000 to any one person for bodily injury, $40,000 total and $15,000 total for property injury. Be aware that these limits are very low and may not be enough to fully cover the actual damages caused by an accident. You are not allowed to operate a car without proper insurance. Thus, before driving your new car home from the seller or the dealer, you must have insurance coverage! To arrange coverage, simply call the insurance company you chose and provide them with the required information on your identity and the car itself. They can fax you a temporary insurance card that you must keep in your car along with the registration card.
	a)   Insurance Rates The best advice concerning auto insurance is again to shop around. Prices for the identical amount of coverage for the same car can vary significantly from company to company. To be able to compare prices, make sure that you ask for the same coverage. You should try to get at least three different quotes. You can find phone numbers for car insurance companies in the yellow pages or ask the Illinois Department of Insurance, phone (312)814-2427, for suggestions about companies and agents to contact. Also, try AAA, the Chicago Motor Club, which offers not only the membership based motor club benefits but also insurance. Their phone number is 1-800-677-0777, and their website is www.aaa.com. Another option is to check the financial ratings of insurance companies with one of the major ratings services, such as www.standardpoor.com, where you can get free information on the claims-paying ability ratings of companies. It is an advantage if you have an Illinois driver's license before you buy auto insurance. You will get much better rates. If you do not have one when buying car insurance, ask if you can submit proof of an Illinois license within a few weeks and still get the rate based on an Illinois license. Several other factors, summarized as your risk-related profile, will determine the price for the coverage you are looking for. The most important insurance rating factors are your driving record, your age, sex, marital status, your location and, of course, the type and condition of your vehicle. While you cannot control your age and have no choice concerning your location, the driving- record factor is probably the most challenging for people from foreign countries. Drivers with good driving records and no claims or violations in the past years pay less. Since you do not have a history of driving in the United States, you will not get this advantage. You can try to negotiate a discount based on a letter from your auto insurance in your home country, stating that you did not have any claims while you were insured with them. Another very costly factor can be the type of your vehicle. If checking the price for a used car in one of the guide books mentioned above, also look for the theft rate. This may seem silly to you because you might think that no one is going to steal your car, but the theft rate will influence the price for insurance. Comparing different models of the same year you will find that the insurance rates differ a lot, only because one model is a favorite target for thieves and the other is not. Usually, insurance companies offer discounts for a whole list of reasons. If you insure all vehicles in your household by the same company for example, you can be sure to get a discounted rate. Cars equipped with safety devices, such as air bags, automatic seat belts and anti-lock brakes, or anti-theft devices are less expensive to insure. You should also consider buying your auto and homeowners/renters policies from the same company. Most insurance companies offer different deductibles, the amount of money you pay before the insurance company fulfills a claim. The lower the deductible, the higher the rate you must pay. Thus, you should choose the highest deductible you can afford. Examples of insurance rates are very hard to give. As a rough estimate, you should expect costs around approximately $500 per year up to $1000 to get coverage for one car.
	b)   G.F. Mann Agency The insurance Agency G.F. Mann has a special arrangement with Fermilab to provide all kinds of policies for Fermilab employees. This agency might be able to help finding an affordable coverage for you, even if you are not an employee. In some cases, the agency is able to arrange good rates based on the fact that they insure a lot of people from foreign countries without a driving history. In other cases, G.F. Mann may not be able to sell a policy at all. You should check with them to see, if they can help and offer you competitive rates. Contact Paula Cashin, Benefits Manger, at x4361 or G.F. Mann Agency Attn.: Judd Mann Phone: 1-800-323-0818 Keep in mind that quotes from an insurance agent are only an estimate of what the insurance will cost. They are not legally binding. Back to top