EU certificate of conformity

[Will]

I don't think it's a matter of  'getting past the préfecture with a UK V5C'.

The préfectures basically require evidence of conformity. That can be a manufacturer's certificate, or for older vehicles a manufacturer's letter, or for non-standard or non-European vehicles an attestation from DREAL. When the UK registration certificate carries the type approval number, that number by itself should provide the evidence of conformity, and that is why some préfectures, like Pixietoadstool's, accept it. Arguably, all should, but as we know, not all apply the rules in the same way.

Similarly, evidence of type approval on the registration document should be acceptable to CT stations, but as we know, many now want separate certificates.

[Iceni]

Chris, unless the sun shines from your orifice don't bother with DRIRE in Cahors for their version of a C of C. Similarly unless you are a fiend of Ernie's the Prefecture in Cahors will demand a real C of C not the number taken from your V5.

In case you hadn't noticed, the application of national laws in France varies on where you are and who you are ask. Welcome.

John

[AnOther]

Nowt to do with being a friend of mine or not and I can only report that which I know to be so which is that someone I know very well got 2 vehicles registered in Cahors just with the V5C's and no C of C's.

I'm just about to buy another car myself, - originally bought and registered in Germany, spent the last 10 years in Portugal, and currently in UK on UK plates! - and I'll definitely be quizzing him how he got past the pre-check at Cahors before being allowed into the inner sanctum because that's where I would expect it to fail.

[Iceni]

Oh Ernie, do pay attention, I didn't write "friend".

As things turned out the extra cost of re-registering was only a stamp to UK - Fiat supplied the C of C FoC. I suspect that a difference in personnel was the reason for not accepting the V5 but such is life.

John

[Polly]

Calm down boys!

The Préfecture in the Lot is no different to any other. The replies and the help you get depend on who is on the guichet when it's your turn, how they are feeling today, whether you can communicate in French with a sense of humour/whether they can speak English, whether you can present any semblance of the right paperwork or if not whether you can argue your way out of it.

Neither the Lot Préfecture, nor the Drire (or whatever they are called these days, it's been in the same building for donkey's years), would recently correct a simple spelling mistake on the CG normale of a classic car already registered in France (in the Lot), nor would they correct an important error: 2 seater when it's clearly 4. Yet a Préfecture 'up north' simply corrected similar details on another car (same make) upon the owner producing copies of sales brochures for the car.

It's life, don't let it get you down.

The costs of a CG? Just another tax. You can check out the re-registration cost for the car in advance, and if you don't like it don't buy it, or if it's already your UK car go and sell it back in Blighty and buy summat else.

[AnOther]

[quote user="Polly"]Calm down boys!

The Préfecture in the Lot is no different to any other. The replies and the help you get depend on who is on the guichet when it's your turn, how they are feeling today, whether you can communicate in French with a sense of humour/whether they can speak English, whether you can present any semblance of the right paperwork or if not whether you can argue your way out of it.[/quote]I don't think that is at all in question !

Who's not calm [:)]

[Keni]

Just to finish off our situation, so to speak. We went to DRIRE in Limoges, were given a form to fill in and told to go get a CT. Went to our local bloke, who said non! No CofC, even with the piece of paper from DRIRE, no CT. So we were told about a place in Chalus, we went, no problems. Got CT!!!!! then went back to DRIRE, and even though it was afternoon, and they close at 12 for 'visitors', they kindly sorted out all we were required to bring, stamped everything, took our legal stuuf and gave us another stamped piece of paper, we paid the 67.38 euros and were told to go to Prefecture in around 10 days to pick up the Certificate d'Immatriculation. So, we made it!!!

There is life it seems.

[Keni]

You're not gonna believe this!!! We went to the Prefecture today to get our Certificate d'Immatriculation to be told that they have lost the dossier within the last week - our Original V5C, our CT, in fact everything! they acknowledge they had it on the 26th October, but by today it all has disappeared!!! So we can't get a French number plate and we ain't British any more - they say they will phone Monday and if it turns up will courrier the paperward back to us ! Yeh right! Take the paperwork, don't send it is the moral.

[Chancer]

After piece manquant, dossier perdu is the second cornerstone of French beurocracy.

[elamessa]

Sorry to hear of your dilema.

Did you photocopy any of the paperwork before hand? The reason I ask is that when we used the DREAL (DRIRE) they asked us to photocopy everything twice, keep a copy for ourselves and send one copy and the original to them, that way at least we have a copy in case of situations like yours.

[Keni]

Oh yes, I photocopied everything - I have been reading this site for a while and sussed that one out.

But today, they phoned, appologised and said it was their fault, they have found the dossier, it's being processed - we had left them a blank cheque(!) and it will be courriered to us within the next few days!

Then they sent a letter with a questionnaire, asking how good we felt their service was! That little piece of paper helped the woodburner no end.

[PaulT]

[quote user="Keni"]Then they sent a letter with a questionnaire, asking how good we felt their service was! That little piece of paper helped the woodburner no end.[/quote]

To a good organisation the negative comments are the most useful - they know what changes they have to make.

Paul

[AnOther]

Nice theory but the cynic in me can't help thinking that positive comments will be saved and treasured, perhaps to go toward some sort of annual departmental accolade, whilst most negative ones will go straight into the bin [blink]

 

[Iceni]

[quote user="PaulT"]

To a good organisation the negative comments are the most useful

[/quote]

But only if the complainers provide contact details - without those it is v difficult to remove them from the database.

John

[FiercelyFuzzy]

Hi All

Has anyone had any experience with the kind of detail needed on the original sales invoice to get the Certificate of Acquisition / Quittus Fiscal?

We have the 5 year old sales invoice for our 03 Citroen Picasso but it just states the sum we paid and the car details.  No break down of the VAT.

Many Thanks

Paul

[Araucaria]

All I had was a piece of plain paper with a typed-on address saying Mr X had sold the car to me, on the date which was shown on the V5 as the date I acquired it, and the price I paid. Obviously nothing about VAT. The lady at the tax office was very happy to get the pad of blank forms out and fill in the quitus fiscal just on the basis of that and the V5. Mind you the car was visibly very old (pre-VAT in fact), but what they are after is people trying to import new cars tax free, and five years ago should be old enough.

Of course different officials may do different things. Good luck!

[AnOther]

The criteria for possibly being liable to TVA in France is if the car is less than 6 months old or has less than 6000km on it so for a 5 year old what you paid for it is utterly irrelevant !

[FiercelyFuzzy]

Ok, thanks alot for that.  Much appreciated.

I guess I'm just getting a bit worked up before my first foray into French bureaucracy!

FF

[AnOther]

We've all been there [:)]

Bonne courage !