mint Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Thanks to the encouragement of Forum folk, instead of dumping my damaged car, I am buying a new car bumper from the UK and am now looking for recommendations for a good courier to bring it over.Has anyone any experience of using a courier service? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 [quote user="sweet 17"]Thanks to the encouragement of Forum folk, instead of dumping my damaged car, I am buying a new car bumper from the UK and am now looking for recommendations for a good courier to bring it over.Has anyone any experience of using a courier service?[/quote]Sweet, you weren't REALLY going to dump a car just because of a damaged bumper were you ????Thats as bad as selling because the ash tray is full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cendrillon Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Sorry Sweet 17 I would offer but I don't think it will fit in the overhead locker[Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Teapot transport is comming over in a few weeks, don't know if it will fit in but I could get it to Poitiers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 20, 2009 Author Share Posted August 20, 2009 Oh, Teapot, you are always so very kind and helpful. I will investigate further and might well take you up on your generous offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Sweets I have forgotten what make and model your car is, only I could measure one up in a carpark or dealers to see if it can fit in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 20, 2009 Author Share Posted August 20, 2009 Teapot, I'm having to buy the bumper from somewhere, not sure yet where.Anyway, the bumper, I am reliably told by a MAN (so the info must be right) is as follows:1600 long0.600 wide0.500 high5kg weightDon't be too concerned, Teapot, I don't really expect you to carry such a large item. I will find the bumper and get it shipped. It's not as simple to get the bumper as you'd think. Most of the "spares" sites seem only to deal with UK customers and even many of the courrier services want you to be at the address you're shipping from............crazy or what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Sweet why not mend the existing bumper or believe it or not there are scrap yards in France where you can buy a secondhand one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Regrettably due to political pressure by the French motor industry it is illegal to sell pattern parts of car bodywork including bumpers, even for imported vehicles.They claim they are safety critical parts despite crash tests showing no measurable difference, as a consequence the retail price of these parts are astronomical in France and the insurance companies are battling against this, we are all paying for this through our premiums and many repairable cars (like damaged bumpers) are being unnecessarily written off as uneconomic repair.Anyway, and more to the point for Sweet17 the upshot of this is that just over the border in Belgium there is a thriving industry of motor factors etc selling pattern parts to French motorists who make the journey from all 6 corners of L'hexagone, there are also many competitive body repair shops alongside to fit the wings bumpers etc bought.Given the difficulties that you are finding you might find it better to look over the border, can the car be driven? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 21, 2009 Author Share Posted August 21, 2009 Can't be driven, JR, because I have done something to the system that contains the fluid for the power assisted steering.I can drive it about 5 miles before all the hydraulic fluid leaks away and the wheel is too stiff to turn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Start practicing your bras de fer!Oh and pump up the front tyres ridiculously high and then it will only be like driving a Morris Oxford/tractor/fork lift truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Not if it is a DS - Nothing is as dead as a DS with no hydralics ( ? Gavin Lyall - Midnight Plus One )Suspect somebody needs a roof rack or the extra engine mount on a 747 which allows them to fly replacement engine round the World. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 21, 2009 Author Share Posted August 21, 2009 Believe it or not, my UK number plate (before I re-registered the car in France) was 747.........[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 24, 2009 Author Share Posted August 24, 2009 This is a sort of "look at what a clever girl I am" post!No, NOT clever to have argued with a door that was obviously not going to move and causing thousands of euros worth of damage to the door not to mention awful damage to my poor car...............But, sufficiently in possession of my senses to have rung the head office of Hyundai in the UK, got the number of their biggest dealer in London, got a price for the bumper, got a price for the courrier and then rung a Hyundai Concessionaire in my departement to find that it will be worthwhile buying it in France.Not only that, after I protested about having to drive over an hour to the garage to pay for the bumper, they now tell me I could send them a cheque and they'd get the bumper in for me and send it to the nearest garage to my home. It's still over an hour's drive but I could take a picnic, the OH, the dog (if it's not too hot) and still get my bumper............er..........I know, it's called a "pare choc" en français! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 And I just made enough space too, unbolted the back seat left side forced the pasenger to travel in the back all the way behind the driver, moved the front seat forward. Actaully that's a lie [;-)]Well done Sweets, Hyundai a go go soon as Mme Poivre would probably say [Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cendrillon Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 [quote user="teapot"]And I just made enough space too, unbolted the back seat left side forced the pasenger to travel in the back all the way behind the driver, moved the front seat forward. Actaully that's a lie [;-)]Well done Sweets, Hyundai a go go soon as Mme Poivre would probably say [Www] [/quote]Well done Sweet 17[:)]Tea pot, don't you have one of those ski slots in your car, wouldn't that have been an easier option?[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 24, 2009 Author Share Posted August 24, 2009 Oh, Teapot and Cendrillon, you have no idea how thrilled I was to have rung up the French garage. It wasn't just sourcing the bumper, it felt like another piece of the jigsaw of living in France has fallen into place.Only a few months ago, I would have driven to a Hyundai garage just to ask about the pare-chocs, not being confident enough to ask about it on the phone.Today, I not only rang the main concessionaire, I got the relevant phone number from him, rang the other garage and even gave him the part number (10 numbers including a "95" quatre vingt quinze) in French, was understood and got the name and address to send the cheque to. Life can't get better than this...............yipppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cendrillon Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Sweet 17 that is real progress, your language skills must have come on in leaps and bounds. Well done that girl![:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 24, 2009 Author Share Posted August 24, 2009 Merci [:$] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Well done Sweet 17, I know the feeling very well and it is a sweet one if you will forgive me!Mind you I still prefer to drive and have my conversations face to face especially as there is usually some negotiation to be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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