Importing from France (1 Viewer)

[BreweryDave]

now, before you tell me what I already know, I know about Germany !
I also know the import process in the uk ! I also know about insurance on the vin plate! I also know you aren't supposed to drive a foreign reg vehicle in the uk.
Right, that's that over with !!!
What I don't know is about France. I have searched the forum and google but am not finding any answers.

I am finding more suitable vehicles for me in France at the moment ( and cheaper than Germany!) but have no clue how their system works if I want to buy and bring back to the uk.
Not planning this right now, waiting till after spring as I don't want to return to the uk yet!

So, 2 things I want to know....( it will be a used vehicle a few years old)

How does it work re registration, if at all, were I to buy from a French dealer to return to the uk? They don't seem to have export plates like Germany.

Are they ( French dealers) likely to be willing to px my uk reg but lhd motorhome, as the Germans are?

Anyone with any experience????

 

[Mr B]

Easy....
Apart from getting to the port.
Our selling dealer drove it to Zebrugge, insured it when we got to Hull on the Vin plate no. Drove home.... Reregistered... happy days

 

[rosalan]

Without digging too deep, the following company seem willing to sort out all paperwork on purchases but not too keen on buying your van, so it seems.
I wonder where they get their vans from to sell?

http://www.vacancesloisirs.fr/vl-accueil.phtml

5. How to sell my used vehicle?
In any case, you will withdraw more from your vehicle by selling it yourself than by selling it to a professional. A customer area will soon be available.

HOLIDAYS AND LOISIRS is also able to offer you covers, for this please make an appointment with Vacances et Loisirs.

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[BreweryDave]

OK, I have found a van to buy in France and all being well hope to drive up from Spain later this week to complete the deal! However, the dealer ( near Paris) can't deliver it to Calais. So, the sticking point is the insurance to get back to the UK as they don't have export plates, it will be on the French plates.
I will insure on the vin with Safeguard, and when I spoke to them a couple of months ago, I'm sure they said it would be covered ( not sure if FC or 3rd party) as soon as you collect from the foreign dealer! Cant call them today as they're shut, have to wait till tomorrow, but on the off chance, does anyone actually know that they will provide cover from the dealership to the tunnel in France??? ( I know I can call them tomorrow, just wondered if anyone knew, save me hanging!!!)

 

[Tigertom]

Because I had to I insure on a VIN I eventually went with ‘advance insurance’ , bloody expensive but dropped the premium by £150 when I hesitated.
I’m still not entirely sure if was insured doing the 300 miles
back to Calais ( but what could possibly have gone wrong) !

 

[Lenny HB]

OK, I have found a van to buy in France and all being well hope to drive up from Spain later this week to complete the deal! However, the dealer ( near Paris) can't deliver it to Calais. So, the sticking point is the insurance to get back to the UK as they don't have export plates, it will be on the French plates.
I will insure on the vin with Safeguard, and when I spoke to them a couple of months ago, I'm sure they said it would be covered ( not sure if FC or 3rd party) as soon as you collect from the foreign dealer! Cant call them today as they're shut, have to wait till tomorrow, but on the off chance, does anyone actually know that they will provide cover from the dealership to the tunnel in France??? ( I know I can call them tomorrow, just wondered if anyone knew, save me hanging!!!)

Safeguard will only provide cover from the foreign port which is better than most other insurers as they only provide cover once on UK soil. As for driving the a French Registered van in the UK that would be illegal but if the dealer has done his job and and sent on the documents stating it will be exported it won't be registered so as far as I can see it will be legal to drive it home from Dover. To be 100% legal you should drive it home without plates but far less chance of being stopped with French plates on.
Have you looked at the possibilty of getting it transported, I know someone who got a van transported door to door from Southern Germany a couple of years ago for £1500, I think they were delivering 2 vans to the UK at the time so for one could be quite a bit dearer.
Also can't remember who they are but I think there is a Dutch company that will do full insurance for around €1000 for 30 days.
You say the French dealer won't deliver it to Calais, have you asked him if he would do it if you paid him for doing it.

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[BreweryDave]

Thanks @Lenny HB I'm not worried about being in the uk on French plates, ( it's a used van, not new) after all it will only be to the MOT then get parked up. Stretched the budget too much to pay for a transporter!!! Have mentioned to the dealer about that, but maybe lost in translation a bit, will see next week! At the moment though, it's only gonna happen if I can be insured ( on any basis) for the few hundred miles to Calais!!! ( and I'm sure they said before that they would!!!) Find out tomorrow I guess!

 

[tacr2man]

Driving with french plates on what will by then not be a french reg vehicle is the same as having no plates displayed so leaving on doesnt make it any worse I still have a US plate on rear of mine
it becomes a decoration

 

[BreweryDave]

I guarantee no UK plod would know the rules!!!! Anyway, if stopped I'd just say Bonjour
As long as I am insured, happy to wing the rest of it for the short time and distance it will be! So the whole deal is currently hanging on whether safeguard will cover me from Paris to calais

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[Silver-Fox]

Can you not insure it in France using the dealer as your home address for say a week.
Once on UK soil insure on the vin plate number.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Believe it or not the fine for not displaying a number plate in the UK is less than displaying an illegal plate

 

[Silver-Fox]

I guarantee no UK plod would know the rules!!!!

One or two sharp traffic officers might but general plod very doubtful.

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[ludo]

Thanks @Lenny HB I'm not worried about being in the uk on French plates, ( it's a used van, not new) after all it will only be to the MOT then get parked up. Stretched the budget too much to pay for a transporter!!! Have mentioned to the dealer about that, but maybe lost in translation a bit, will see next week! At the moment though, it's only gonna happen if I can be insured ( on any basis) for the few hundred miles to Calais!!! ( and I'm sure they said before that they would!!!) Find out tomorrow I guess!

Scenic insurance, part of the Swinton group will insure you on the vin number from the dealership in France all the way to your destination in the UK. We used them about 3 years ago. The premium was £370 FC for 12 months but we cancelled when we got home so it cost very little. Underwriers were AXA. If we wanted to stay with them we had to have the vehicle registered in the UK within 30 days of taking the insurance out, or they would cancel it.. By the way, the German export plates are only legal in Germany, no good in France/Belgium/UK.

 

[gus-lopez]

Believe it or not the fine for not displaying a number plate in the UK is less than displaying an illegal plate

Correct + it is also non endorsable so no points either & 7 days to correct even if stopped & ticketed.

 

[BreweryDave]

Thanks @ludo they will be my first call tomorrow!
That's given me hope to keep this deal alive

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[Lenny HB]

Believe it or not the fine for not displaying a number plate in the UK is less than displaying an illegal plate

It is legal to drive from the port to home & drive to a test centre without plates.

 

[Lenny HB]

By the way, the German export plates are only legal in Germany, no good in France/Belgium/UK.

Nope covers you for all EU contries.

 

[Robert Clark]

By the way, the German export plates are only legal in Germany, no good in France/Belgium/UK.

You may be mistaken
http://germanexportplates.com/

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[Robert Clark]

@BreweryDave

Maybe it would be easier to import a used van from Germany, as German export plates give third party insurance from the dealer?

 

[BreweryDave]

@BreweryDave

Maybe it would be easier to import a used van from Germany, as German export plates give third party insurance from the dealer?

It would if I could find what I want!
But have in France!

 

[Robert Clark]

It would if I could find what I want!
But have in France!

I think you’ll struggle to find a company to insure from the dealer.

Maybe you need to find a French resident Funster who can insure the van and drive it to the port for you

Or maybe a French vehicle recovery/ transport company ?

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[BreweryDave]

I guess I'll find out tomorrow when they reopen!!!

 

[nomadic]

Two you could ask re driving fC to the port are?...
N F U ...and....Insure and Go.
Hope all works out well for you.

 

[Mr B]

When we imported our Rapido, we got the dealer to take the van to Zebrugge, then on the ferry to Hull. Then insured it on the vin for the 35 miles Home. Ended up stopping with them (AIB) and have been with them for 3 years with no problems

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[Wombles]

When ringing around recently for insurance to import a PVC we found that LV Insurance (08002028460) would insure fully comp. on VIN from the dealer in Germany back to UK for 30 days & the other one was NFU Louth branch () but only 14 days cover.

 

[gus-lopez]

@BreweryDave

Maybe it would be easier to import a used van from Germany, as German export plates give third party insurance from the dealer?

When I was looking to import a vehicle here from Germany my understanding was that the insurance is obtained at the same time you apply for the plates at the traffic department. So the dealer would only be supplying insurance from where the plates were obtained ?

 

[Wombles]

In case it's of use to anyone - just checked our notes ref. hunting around for insurance & detailed below:
Safeguard when we enquired in October then when checked again in November have changed their policy & now only cover on VIN from Calais port to a garage (professional not home) in UK where it would have to stay until registered! Only 14 day cover too so probably not long enough to get it registered. Did double check this as know others had used them before.
Comfort would only insure once UK registered.
Caravanguard were offering only from UK port on VIN to a "professional converter" or "motorhome dealership" until registered for maximum of 30 days!
NFU have different policies depending on branch - central number only offered 7 days comp. insurance on VIN from Germany whereas Louth offered 14 days. They were very thorough but long phone calls.
This was all based on importing a new PVC so worth checking if different for a used motorhome & still worth calling to check on current status of insurers policies as understand they do change. All including LV Insurance required the PVC/motorhome to be prebooked into a UK garage for any modifications & VCA inspection.

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[Robert Clark]

When I was looking to import a vehicle here from Germany my understanding was that the insurance is obtained at the same time you apply for the plates at the traffic department. So the dealer would only be supplying insurance from where the plates were obtained ?

That’s quite correct
The export plates allow you to drive the van from the German dealer to anywhere else - think cover is from a few days upto 30. However cover is only third party, so you do take a risk driving the distance to the UK port, at which time the UK insurance takes over

 

[BreweryDave]

Get back on subject you lot !!!! I'm importing from France, which is near Germany but apparently is a different country

 

[filopastry]

If the underwriters were axa then maybe go directly to an axa agent and ask

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