Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ippy]

Pretend you are talking to a very stupid child here.

I live in gwangju. I want a new car. I just passed my test. I dont have a clue whats going on

Now im looking at stuff from SK Encar and they seem alright, im fairly sure i can get stuff cheaper, but meh, its only money and it serves me right for not speaking korean or leaving the weigook bubble.

But they also offer insurance, and the price i keep seeing is "1mill won". But the price i keep seeing here is around 400,000won.

Bit of a difference.

So i guess theres a few questions:

relating to encar: Can i buy the car and literally drive out the door with it, or is there some kind of bureaucratic process involved that means i have to wait a few days or weeks to get it? (i asked several times the people at encar, im still waiting on an answer).

relating to insurance: I read that you have a 15 day period of coverage when you buy a used car. This would mean i wouldnt feel compelled to buy insurance from encars expensive agents. Is this true? And if it is, which fully comp insurance costs 400,000? I obviously want it.

relating to the car of my dreams: (Yes, modest cheap scottish practical dreams): where can i find me an EF sonata 2000+ at around 1mill? I dont know why but that car just looks so comfy and makes my bum tingle at the idea of sitting on it for extended periods of time

Encar has a really nice one fro 1500, but for some odd reason its for disabled license holders only. Looks the same as all the other ef sonatas (no modifications making it dangerous to drive for me), but who am i to judge? Shame, beige or no beige id have been all over it.

[ticktocktocktick]

When I passed my test and bought a car, I was still 25, so I had to pay w900,000 for insurance. I only had that car for a few months, but from what I understand, it comes down a lot once you turn 26. Also, if you're a PS teacher, there is an insurance company that offers cheaper insurance. I don't have the name or link handy, but ask your c/t, they'll probably know.

[ippy]

whee! getting on a bit has its advantages (35).

I'll ask, but i have a coteacher that barely speaks english, and another one that knows nothing because she was airdropped in due to the previous coteach being sent to re-education camp at the boe for being a bit psycho

[betrock]

When I bought my car I had to wait a few days to pick it up...not sure if it is the same at Encar. I got insurance while waiting from EduCar for 400k because it was the cheapest and a colleague told me it had good service. The disabled license plate likely means that the car is LPG. They look the same as normal cars, just use LPG.

[ippy]

whats lpg and does that mean all cars that are lpg are the same (ie. I cant drive them)? Theres two more on the site in the ballpark, but both are LPG.

[Who's Your Daddy?]

I bought a used car at a lot. Here's what happened:

1) Gave him the money.
2) Salesman and I went to a mechanic (salesman's choice of place, I didn't know what was going on). He fixed a few things; charged the car salesman. I believe this was the certification.
3) I called an insurance company rep from his office. But I already has his number from a friend. Gave him my details, and paid with credit card, he faxed an temporary insurance form to the car dealer.
4) We took the car to the DMV. The dealer used some agent there. The agent took my ARC to the window, and registered the car in my name. I paid about 150,000 won I think to register and prepay the "car tax" for the next 6 months. The DMV gave us some plates, we went outside and put them on the car. Maybe I paid for plates.

======
Oh, here's something I'd recommend, but you might disagree.

If your car is old, comprehensive insurance isn't worth it. It won't be stolen, and the value of your car is low. For my car basic insurance was 500K first time, 1000 for comprehensive. If your car is only worth 4K is it worth it? Basic insurance covers damage you do to another's car or another person. So if you drive into a wall you're SOL. If someone drives into you, that's their fault. Repair costs are pretty cheap here.

Oh, and on LPG cars. My understanding is you don't have to be handicapped to purchase used (only new LPG cars). Drove an LPG rental, pretty cheap on gas(?), but slow to accelerate.

[ippy]

ah thanks dude. i thought i had to get fully comp because some dude somewhere on the net talked about "special insurance" that you need as a foreigner to cover any claim from the other person if you cant prove you arent liable. So as i say, you are talking to a child here. Im a 35 year old man-boy who just learned to drive 2 weeks ago and before that moment had not one second of thought on cars or car stuff.

[ippy]

Oh, i found out the lpg thing is because the korean government subsidizes the fuel. So only people with special permits (taxi drivers for example) can use it

[OculisOrbis]

EduCar is the company that provides the lowest rates. The name suggests it's for teachers, but anyone can get it.

http://www.educar.co.kr/

It's all korean and you'll likely need a korean to make the call to set it up.
I also recommend purchasing more than the legal minimum. It doesnt cover much and it's not much more to get better coverage.

[Jane]

Some car insurance tips:
Car insurance companies do offer different levels of service, and price is a good measure to determine what level of service you will receive in the event of an accident.

I have Samsung car insurance (a more expensive insurance in Korea), and when an ajumma drove into my car, they sent a rep to the accident site who arrived within 10 minutes. He acted on my behalf, which was instrumental since my Korean isn't good enough to deal with insurance companies, screaming ajummas who evidently have trouble seeing other cars around them, etc.

If you pay for a crappier service, chances are they won't send someone out to take pictures, assess fault, etc., and you'll be left to fend for yourself.

Also, before you start driving, get familiar with the insurance process here (when you make a claim on someone else's insurance, the other insurance company will give you a number which is used to obtain car repairs, hospitalization and so forth), the settlement process, and how they assess fault here in Korea (completely illogical at times).

[Jane]

[superNET]

[Jane]

[superNET]

[jvalmer]

So what's the logic restricting LPG cars?