Quillan Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 There are a couple of guys who advertise that they buy RHD cars from people in France who don't have the time to take their cars back to the UK. I have approached one and believe he is the same guy who was mentioned a year or two back on the forum, just mentioned and no comment either way was made.Well he wants to buy my car and says he will give me a HSBC Euro cheque drawn on a UK bank (HSBC I assume). Does anybody want to pass comment about a HSBC Euro cheque like is it OK and will I have problems with my French bank trying to pay it in.Does anybody know or has anybody dealt with this chap (Owl Trading). If its not good news you better PM me or just say something like wouldn't use him, I wouldn't like to get anyone in to trouble with the old 'naming and shaming' if you know what I mean.Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 Chris,PM sent for obvious reasons (sorry folks) nothing really directly associated with Owl I may add. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 Q - although it is a Euro cheque it is drawn on a bank in a foreign country and will therefore take time to clear and undoubtedly attract charges from yr own bank. (But LF members with experience in this area will be better placed to advise)FWIW I would not accept a personal cheque for a car sale from someone I don't know.Good luck anywayJohnnot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpprh Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 HiI worked for a respected UK company exporting cars all over the world.The concept of bankers draft is well understood worldwide. Try and get a bankers draft rather than a cheque.There may still be delays, but you will get your money in the end.Don't accept Nigerian bank drafts !Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 Why would a French business operate with a bank account in London ?Johnnot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arty Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 Chris, Did he kick the tyre's? and call you John all the time, always a give away. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WebProQuo<P>NDC<P><P><a target=_blank href="http:www.WebProQuo.com" target=_blank>http:www.WebProQuo.com<A><P><P><a target=_blank href="http:www.finddotcoms.com" target=_blank>http:www.FindDotComs.com<A><P><P> <P> Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 For what it's worth I've used Owl Trading and had absolutely no problem - I took a cheque and it cleared without any bother. UK Euro cheques are typically taken without any bother but expect about 20 Euros fee to process.Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Why bank in London, at a guess they reimport cars to UK and would be stuffed for bank charges and large collection delays if the had a French bank account. This was they get the added advantage of the cash until your bank actually gets the cheque to London. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enajackson Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 Hi there Have just joined Living France Forum and read your article about selling a RHD car. Could you let me have the details of the people you mentioned please as we have bought a new French car but still have our UK car to get rid of. Thanks Ena Jackson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted February 5, 2005 Author Share Posted February 5, 2005 [quote]Hi there Have just joined Living France Forum and read your article about selling a RHD car. Could you let me have the details of the people you mentioned please as we have bought a new French car...[/quote]You can find them in any of the English newspapers printed here in France (French News for example). Don't forget the car has to be younger than 4 years old.One thing I would say is that they will only pay by cheque drawn on a UK bank account but in Euro's and there is no negotiation on this. They give you the cheque and take the car, not a way I would do business in the UK which is why I did not use them.I actually took my car back which is a long trip for me (12hrs to the French ports) and it cost me around 300€ to get there and back. My reward for doing this was an increase of just over 25% on the price these people offered and that was selling to the first dealer I came across when I got off the ferry.So the questions you have to ask yourself are.:Do I mind loosing around half the value of the car because I don't want to go back to the UK and sell it privately.Do I mind loosing 25% of the value against selling it to a UK dealer.Do I mind receiving a UK Euro Cheque which could bounce and let them take my car.If you can take the 'hit' on price and don't mind the cheque thing then go ahead. I have to say that my enquiries made here as to the honesty of this chap bought no negative feedback either in this post or via personal PM or email. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enajackson Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 [quote]You can find them in any of the English newspapers printed here in France (French News for example). Don't forget the car has to be younger than 4 years old. One thing I would say is that they will o...[/quote]Thanks for the advice, I think we will get someone to come over from the UK and take the car back or maybe advertise it for sale here ourselves.Ena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig McGinty Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 HiI featured Owl Trading, and Mike Boden, in an interview on my site please see:http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/thisfrenchlife/2004/02/repat_advice_fo.htmlHope this helps.RegardsCraig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike b Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 We've read with interest the various messages about our business Owl Trading and the purchase of RHD cars here in France and we'd like to offer a response to the various points of interest.We have been operating this business for several years and can provide sellers with any number of references from satisfied sellers.We bank in the UK because we are a UK VAT registered business, albeit with facilities here in France.We have never 'bounced' a cheque for anyone. As far as we are aware, the issue of a cheque here in France carries criminal implications if insufficient funds are available, irrespective of the bank where the funds are drawn. Apart from not wishing to 'do time' in a French jail, we are keen to preserve our good name and continue to grow our business.Banking charges for UK euro cheques vary by bank but are usually around the 16 to 20 euro mark.We offer sellers a concrete price, with no risk or expense to themselves. If it is unacceptable or we attempt to reduce it on collection of the vehicle the seller can simply shut the door and it has cost them nothing. They certainly will not have driven hundreds of miles for a disappointment!We bear a real risk too. We agree a deal based upon the seller's description then arrange collection and payout. When we arrive to collect a vehicle we will have already invested time and money in transportation.As we haven't seen the vehicle until we arrive to collect it, bank drafts are impractical.The prices we offer are obviously normally lower (though some sellers have told us on occasion that ours was a better price than they had been offered) than a seller might achieve if he/she returned the car to the UK and was willing to invest time and effort in selling the vehicle there. Our price reflects the costs of transportation - fuel; tolls; ferry charges; return travel; overnight accomodation; wages etc - plus a margin (modest!) for ourselves. (In all of our years of doing business we have to say we've never managed to accomplish all of this, wages and margin excluded, for under 300 euros as one Forum member said he did!) Individual prices quoted reflect the desirability of the vehicle and its location in France.Hope this is helpful to anyone contemplating using our service. Just give us a call for more details on 0565 20 42 80 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 Hi Chris,Message in you PM.John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleur Posted February 6, 2005 Share Posted February 6, 2005 Sorry to digress a little but I have a query.We still have our Isle of Man plated car here in France. We were planning to take the car to the UK to sell it. We're changing to a french car in May - we got rather sidetracked buying a pool first instead of a car - although it is insured here and CT'd.Now out of the blue when we were parked outside a restaurant in the Charente, we were approached the French patron who wanted to buy our car! We told him it wasn't available until May and he said not a problem.As we haven't actually 'imported' it (as planning to change it fairly soon after arrival) maybe it would all be a bit messy for two French newbies to deal with and we'd be better off doing as planned?Has anyone any ideas what would be easiest? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 A post has been deleted from this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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