Insure a car before I've bought it ?

[chessie]

Oh dear - here's a conundrum for you all.

I'm in the process, hopefully, of buying a second-hand car being sold privately.

The seller lives locally.

The car is RHD, has been reg in France for at least last 10 years, and has a current CT.

It is being proposed that the seller and I meet up at the local garage where the car has been regularly maintained.  The garage is one of those linked into the new computer system for the ANTS change of ownership/carte gris etc.

The seller plans to transfer the car ownership to me, at the garage.

But I'm then expected to turn up with all the docs necessary, so that the car can then be registered in my name, with all fees paid - AND with new insurance covering the car from the moment the change of ownership is registered on ANTS via the garage.

This is planned to take place in THREE DAYS TIME.........gulp

I'm getting a bit confused.  

How can I insure a car I do not yet own ?

Can the sale of the car, and registration of new owner take place, in sequence, in half-an-hour ?

I'm insured to drive our two cars, but as an add-on driver (policies in OH's name - see previous post of mine about this problem !!).

Presumably I'll need to contact our insurance brokers to get cover, one way or another, to drive this car away once the keys have been handed to me by the present owner (ie the morning of the transaction).

Is that possible ?

Or am I, as it feels, in a Catch 22 ?

Also confused as to what I'll need to bring in the way of docs - can anyone be kind enough to give definite, clear list of all the bumpf necessary (checked on website but can't work out if garage is regarded as 3rd party or not) - and that's making me even more confused.

My head hurts - can anyone please help me ?

Thanks - Chessie

[mint]

I have bought a secondhand car from a garage and a brand new car on line.  Both times, it was easy to arrange insurance for the day of purchase by contacting our insurance company and the company can tell you straightaway the cost, validity, cover, etc.

Best to do this straightaway so that it's in place for the day.

As to paperwork, I am not so sure of that but I imagine that it would be the usual pièce d'identité, justificatif domicile, insurance docs and, of course, the wherewithal for payment as agreed?[:)]

[EuroTrash]

As Mint says, it's not a problem. Every time a car changes hands, the new owner has to insure it before they buy it/drive it. So it's something insurers deal with all the time.

The usual procedure is: they will want a copy of the carte grise with the seller's name on it along with your own details, they will then give you an insurance sticker valid probably for one month, then in order to give you a sticker for the rest of the year they will want a copy of the cg in your name after you have done the change of ownership.

You definitely need the insurance in place before the sale takes place, because (a) it's illegal to own an uninsured car, even for one day, and (b) if you try to insure a car that you already own that currently has no insurance on it, they can refuse.

[BritinBretagne]

When I’ve insured a vehicle before having the Carte Grise in my name my insurance company has always given me one month’s cover and a one month vignette for the windscreen pointing out that I need to bring the CG in my name in before the full year’s cover is provided. They do it all the time.

The one time that, because of a registration problem the CG in my name hadn’t arrived within a month, they gave me another month’s cover.

[EuroTrash]

Actually it just occurred to me that my insurers now have a notice in their window saying that they will do the carte grise changeover, and I believe it says they don't make a charge for this service to their customers. Probably a lot of insurers do that these days. I haven't changed cars recently so never used it, but it sounds like a good service to take advantage of.

[chessie]

Thanks for all the advice - very interesting.

I was still panicking though;  seemed to me like a Catch 22 when I need the owner's carte gris to insure the car, but I won't get sight of it until the owner has done his necessary part of the paper-work, then I'm handed one copy to complete everything I need to as new owner.

It was 'how to have the carte grise details' to give to insurance company before I got my little hands on the CG which was baffling to me.

Couldn't understand it;  but last 2 posters have clarified matters.  

Do have quote from our insurance brokers for cover (they have already had info about car, make, model, year of original reg, year of reg in France, value etc) - so presumably this is all the basic info they would need to provide me with cover for 1 month, during which time I can then hand them copy of former owner's CG.

That was the bit I couldn't get my head around.

Very useful info as well that some insurance brokers(?) - or companies - are now able to do this CG transfer - now that has to be useful - and thanks for sharing that info.

Think I'll get there in the end - fingers crossed for me - and thanks for advice.

As always, there are 'people who know' and willing to help - which is lovely.

Merci - Chessie

[EuroTrash]

Have you asked the owner for a copy of the CG so that you can sort the insurance out? It would be surprising if they refused to give you a copy. I have only ever bought 2 cars in France, one privately and one from a dealer, and in both cases they were perfectly willing to give me a photocopy of the carte grise so that I could get insurance. The dealer photocopied it and the private seller scanned and emailed it. Anyone who is familiar with how things work will understand because they have will have had to do the same thing themselves.

[chessie]

Just quick update for those who were so helpful about this question of mine.

Was able to have scanned copies of all docs e-mailed to me, except the little square that sits on the windscreen.

E-mailed all docs to our insurance broker.

Then asked the seller to e-mail me scanned image of windowscreen doc - which I received and e-mailed on to brokers.

Result - am now covered - for the next two months - and in the meantime need to let brokers see copies of driving licences etc etc.

But I was covered from the day BEFORE I bought the car;  the date I'd given to brokers was the date transaction should have taken place - but was delayed by 24 hours.

Only one problem - and this affects us married women.

At the garage, linked into the new ANTS system where we were completing the official french 'cessation of ownership' and 'new owner' docs -

along comes the requests for proof of ID -

OK passport;

and proof of address - utility bill  - now how many married women receive electricity, telephone, internet, water, tax d'hab - IN THEIR OWN NAMES - ONLY addressed to themselves ....

I still don't get this.  For some strange reason the only bill that is addressed to me is the electricity bill - no idea how that happened - but has worked in my favour this time.

And the other BIG problem - which nearly caused transaction to halt -

again for MARRIED WOMEN -

PROOF of NAME at birth.....Not married name, not any other name - but AT BIRTH.

Which is where the French driving licence saved the day - as that one document shows my maiden name.

But oh my - did cause a slight panic.

Anyway, all sorted, done and dusted.

I am now the happy owner of a classic (aka old) Convertible car  -  (Here Comes Summer, almost June, the sun is bright...- remember anyone ? - dates me but what the ----),

and is owned by me, and insured in my name.

Finally.........whoopeeee

Chessie

[BritinBretagne]

Well done. It’s great when you actually get to the end and it’s all worked out OK.