My parents old merc has bitten the dust and they need another vehicle to tie them over for 6 months until some monies are released to enable them to purchase an upmarket something or other. Until then cashflow is limited.
They live in France and the cost of second hand cars out there appears to be horrendous. I can get a much better deal (05 32k Grand Scenic for £4k) for them over here and take it to them and collect it when they've finished with it. I'd then sell it to get my money back.
We are aware that they have to get the headlights changed over etc. but they're used to french registered right hand drive cars so having a UK car in France is not as issue.
How would I buy this though?
Would I keep the V5 in my name?
Would I 'sell' it to them therefore adding additional owners to the V5?
What about tax and insurance? If they came over for a visit and it's UK registered but without UK tax & insurance it will fire up the anpr's.
It would be insured in France by them but I'd have to get it down to SW France. Parents are in their 70's.
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You could buy it in their name, and sell it in their name with an appropriate agreement.
You need UK tax even if in France; why not insure it through the UK too?
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Thanks Mapmaker.
UK insurance companies normally allow only 30 days abroad so that could push up the price horribly. Also they haven't been insured in this country for 14 years.
Steve
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Sounds to me like it would be simpler to lend them the money, buy enough car locally to get them through the next six months, and then take a view as to whether they actually needed a more expensive car at the end of the period.
The cost of driving it out, flying back, flying out and driving it back could be as much as £500, I'd guess, plus time.
?5,000 ought to get them something, surely?
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Surely any saving in France would be wiped out come resale time in the UK?
Used car prices may be 'horrendous' in France, but depreciation is horrendous in the UK, particularly for cars with a less than conventional history.
Might be better to simply lend parents £4k to ease their cashflow problems.
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I do agree it would be much simpler to just lend them the money but they have done their research and have come back with 10 yr old cars costing about £4k! I would prefer them to have a modern reliable car. For £4k I could get them a very good low mileage 3 yr old car.
I have noticed on nearly all second hand stuff in France that the french seem to want nearly new money for their old things - I'm surprised anything gets sold.
The cost of getting it over there is not an issue. We intend to go out there anyway so a drive out & fly back is not too much more than a flight both ways (SW France).
I'm not too concerned about UK depreciation because I would have purchased the car at such a good rate anyway. .
I guess I'll just have to export it to France. They can then insure it and I'll swallow the added previous owners (+3?) when it's imported back.
Thanks for input.
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Also the exchange rate is crippling right now. £4000 would only give about 5000 Euros (how do you do the Euro sign Oldnotbold?)
Steve
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(Alt Gr) with 4 key
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pmh
Edited by pmh on 27/06/2008 at 19:14
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I don't see why you need three added owners. Buy it in their name, and sell it in their name.
I wonder whether you will not struggle to find a French ins co to cover a UK car, taxed and MOTed in Britain. I don't know though.
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Hi Enoughalready,
I've got a French-registered 3-yr old Fiat Panda parked up in SW France which I don't need any more. (House move). I absolutely agree that French used car prices are ridiculously high. I'm prepared to flog the Panda cheaply to dispose of it. Chances are you'd re-sell it for the same price as I'm asking in 6 months from now. Delivery costs are lower too since the car is already in France. Interested?!
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I might be interested either now or later. Can you email me any details - see profile for email address, ( but indicate here that you have sent email, as I suffer spam problems).
pmh
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Mapmaker,
I figure the +3 owners because If I put the V5 in their name I would have to supply my address. I can't keep it logged to my address because they would not show up on UK insurance databases when they drive over and get nabbed as they'd only have french insurance on a UK registered car. I'd have to sell it to them and then buy it back.
Nickdm, I'll fathom a way to contact you though I'd have to convince my Dad into not having an auto box :)
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as they'd only have french insurance on a UK registered car.
That's going to be the biggest problem. Much like trying to get UK insurance on a French registered car.
If prices are so high over there, re-register it in France and sell it over there when done.
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ANPR doesn't flag foreign - registered vehicles - only works on UK data. If they were insured in France , they'd be covered .
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Hi pmh - just sent you an email.
Enoughalready - my Hotmail address is in my profile, if you want to contact me.
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Nick - reply sent - using my personal email.
pmh
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I have just returned from 2 years working in Switzerland.
I took my UK car with me - for upto 12 months I did not have to register it over there, nor did I have to change the headlights. It was easy to get Swiss inusrance to cover the UK registerd car (but equally, my UK insurere was willing to cover me for 6 months as well).
After 12 months, I had the lights changed, took it through the Swiss MOT equivalent, and had it registered and insured over there.
Upon return to the UK, it was just a question of getting the lights changed, passing the MOT, finding someone willing to insure on the chassis number (which was probably the most difficult part of the whole thing), and re-registering it (even got the original reg number back). Proof of no claims whilst in Switzerland is not easy to come by (they do not seem to take accident histroy into account for their insurance).
Overall it was not too difficult, and seemed much cheaper than taking a loss on selling the UK car, buying and selling anotehr in Switzerland, and buying anotehr UK car when I returned.
Rick
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