Is a Certifcate of Conformity necessary?

[Mrs Trellis]

I had the letter ready to post, with the cheque for 170 euros for the COC to send to Citroen when a friend said he's read somewhere that you don't actually need the COC to register a UK car in France.  The informatiion required at the Prefecture is on the UK registration document.

As we don't need a Controle Technique yet and the COC will take at least 2 weeks to arrive, it would be quicker to do without the COC.  We will need one eventually for the Controle Technique but as we are a bit skint, it would help to put it off.

Can this be true?

By the way the info in the FAQs is a bit out of date re price, I think it was 130 euros 4 years ago. Also it states that more recent UK cars come with a COC.  Our 2 year old Berlingo did not!  I asked specifically and Bristol Street Motors told me to get it from the DVLA.  I knew that was rubbish.

 

 

[powerdesal]

In 2005 our Zafira came complete with a C of C in the manual.

[HoneySuckleDreams]

Technically, the newer V5 documents have the E number on them. However, I would bet that your prefecture will still demand a CofC when you apply for your CG. We have just gone through this and we got a shrug and "I need the CofC".

[AnOther]

I think suck it and see is about the only practical advice, nowt to be lost apart from a possibly wasted trip to the prefecture.

[woolybanana]

Put it this way, given the pressure being put on France by Mr Montebourg the Idiot, do you really think the local authorities are likly to let you off th slightest piece of paper.

[Rob Roy]

[quote user="HoneySuckleDreams"]Technically, the newer V5 documents have the E number on them. However, I would bet that your prefecture will still demand a CofC when you apply for your CG. We have just gone through this and we got a shrug and "I need the CofC".[/quote]

This is exactly what happened to us, even though I pointed out it was a Citroen made in France!

[Mrs Trellis]

Doesn't look too hopeful then!  Our last car was also Citroen and the local garage had no problem locating it in the system by VIN number.

Another garage told us that cars made for export might not be up to the quality standards of those made for France...  so they make it a pain to import them.

 

[woolybanana]

Or perhaps they are much better quality and importing them would be an eye-opener!

[HoneySuckleDreams]

[quote user="Mrs Trellis"]

Another garage told us that cars made for export might not be up to the quality standards of those made for France...  so they make it a pain to import them.

[/quote]

They do talk a lot of b$ll0x don't they! it's almost as funny as the electrician who told me lightbulbs bought in the UK are not compatible with the french electric system. However, they are only repeating what they have been told.

[SC]

[quote user="Mrs Trellis"]

Another garage told us that cars made for export might not be up to the quality standards of those made for France...  so they make it a pain to import them.

[/quote]

Well, the folk who assembled Peugeots in the UK thought that panels were carefully selected to give the worst possible fit [;-)]

French classic car enthusiasts know that French cars for the UK market were fitted as standard with various extras such as wooden dashboards and door cappings, not available to French buyers. Even with modern cars you don't see anything like the numbers of "poverty spec" cars in the UK as you do here.

Mind you, French brand cars have a terrible reliability reputation in the UK, but not French made cars like the Yaris which are all(?) built in France.

The xenophobic attitude of the garage you contacted extends further down than national boundaries; I've been providing a neighbour with internet adverts for a very specific second hand vehicle, but his main criteria seems to be that when he calls, the seller has a west France accent, others are considered untrustworthy!

Steve

[Keni]

2010 - I had a row with Peugeot UK along the lines of ' you pay us £100 and we'll give you a photcopy of a CofC'. My reply was that for that amount I want the ruddy original, and why did I need a CofC - are Peugeots imported into the Uk of a poorer quality than the French ones, this being the reason the CofC was needed? This conversation went on along those lines for a few minutes.

After much spluttering I was informed that the cars were not of a poorer quality and that a CofC wuold be required.....

So I went to DREAL in Limoges, and the V5C had under section k?  Type Approval an 'e' number, which the lady put into her computer and upon payment of 65 euros (or there abouts), I was told to go to the Prefecture in 2 weeks to collect my Carte Grise, which we did. So Fffffflllllaaaaarrrrrppppp![:P] Peugeot!

Not sure if the rules have changed since.

[AnOther]

I believe they have and that the DREAL route is no longer open [:(]

[Nick Trollope]

I have registered 2 Citroens (2003 & 2004) using the code in section K of the V5, at the Prefecture in St Brieuc.

No question as to the validity of the type approval number was even hinted at.

I don't understand why people don't just try it! As has been said, what will you waste? What will you gain?

[HoneySuckleDreams]

Nick:

We tried that in Tarbes a couple of months ago; and we were adamantly told that a CofC was required, and in french to boot. This is the same problem you see in a lot of french life, that most follow what they have been told to do; no deviation, no questions asked. There are very very few functionaries out there who can actually think for themselves. No matter how hard you try and explain the logic of their actions, you get the folded arms and shrug. It's incredibly frustrating but what can you do?

[AnOther]

A bit impractical in this instance I grant but next time register your car at a prefecture where they will accept the V5.

Perhaps we need a thread dedicated to listing which those are ?

Of course once you have the quittus fiscale, which you must get in person at your own departmental Hotel des Impots, then anybody can act as an agent to register a car for anybody else at any prefecture, a business opportunity for someone who lives near an obliging one [;-)]

[Rob Roy]

A nice idea AnOther but I can't see it working somehow. If they won't accept the information in Section K, and our Prefecture wouldn't even though I pointed out the car was built in France anyway (a 2004 Citreon), then I can see they'll tell you to go to your own Dept prefecture to re-register.

[Rob Roy]

[quote user="Nick Trollope"]I have registered 2 Citroens (2003 & 2004) using the code in section K of the V5, at the Prefecture in St Brieuc. No question as to the validity of the type approval number was even hinted at. I don't understand why people don't just try it! As has been said, what will you waste? What will you gain?[/quote]

You are obviously one of the lucky ones! I tried it (as stated above) and wasted most of an afternoon getting there, waiting and getting home again for 3 mins of being told 'Non' to all my reasonings[:@]

[dave21478]

I have tried it twice with UK vehicles with a type approval number on the V5 and was refused both times. They have the ability to do it, but the staff lack the motivation/inclination/common sense *delete as appropriate, to actually do something slightly outside of the normal procedures.

[Benjamin]

Try writing to the Prefecture? I always find that if someone has to commit a reply in writing they tend to make sure that what they are saying is correct. Saying no to someone is very easy since there's no record of what was actually said.

[redwood]

Sadly the whole exercise seems a muddle to put it mildly. A CoC is technically not necessary as any vehicle produced for sale within the EU has, for a long time, come with a "Type Approval". If you look carefully at all components (windows are the easiest) there is a "EU" mark. These replaced the old "BSA" and German "DIN" marks and are a common European standard. A CoC adds nothing to the Type Approval.

I have recently imported a Land Rover from Italy to the UK as I needed a LHD vehicle at a sensible price. Type approved etc but VOSA still ask for a CoC from Land Rover that addmitedly has more detail than the Type Approval but that is all. It simply seems one more layer of paperwork that costs more and slows things down. Several years ago I did a couple of personal imports (better exchange rate) from Germay to the UK; no mention of a CoC the type approval in the handbook was sufficient - so I too am at a loss to understand what ha changed. But if the authorities say you need one how much time do you want to spend arguing??

[AnOther]

The problem is recognised and hopefully things may become easier in not to distant future.

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/automotive/motor-vehicle-registration/index_en.htm

[Chancer]

[quote user="Benjamin"]Try writing to the Prefecture? I always find that if someone has to commit a reply in writing they tend to make sure that what they are saying is correct. Saying no to someone is very easy since there's no record of what was actually said.
[/quote]

That one made me laugh (not at you though) as in 8 years I have never ever had a reply to a letter or E-mail, I gave up the E-mails very early on, I still send letters, always by LRAR now and at what a cost but never ever a reply. So yes, saying no is easy when there is no record but not responding at all when there is a record (i.e. in writing) is the equivalent.

Why do I still send them you ask? Well in some situations and with carefull phrasing you can use the anticipated lack of a response to your advantage, plus you at least will have some record of your bon foi and the letter being recieved.

In fact these days it would inconvenience me if people responded to my letters.

I had a phone call from the contrôleuse at the hôtel des impôts recently, she is investigating/dealing with me on two issues, taxe d'habitation and impôts sur le revenue, she phoned me regarding the former, she had no choice and I know that she had already recieved my letter about the latter (I had the accusé de reception) yet she made no mention of it at all despite the letter asking her for a clear decision on a well defined question, I had been counting on her not responding and I wasnt dissapointed. 

[John Brown]

Chancer,

Merry Christmas btw

 From the point you are making about putting things in writing, am I right in thinking that if I include comments like " unless I hear from you to the contrary within X months I will assume that the statement in my letter...... is correct" will stand up if I am challenged at some future point, say after I go ahead and install a Pool

John

[Benjamin]

I think we're coming from the same direction Chancer. As a youngster I was deputy to someone who, when challenged in a meeting, would come out with something like "I suggest you look at my memo dated.........".

Never failed! They walked in to it every time. Taught me a lesson which I've remembered, and used, all my life. It's just a shame in France you have to always pay for the priveledge proving they received it.

 

[AnOther]

Isn't the trick to get around LRAR for them to say they had received only an empty envelope and the only way to be 100% certain was to fold the letter to make it into it's own envelope ?