Driven Crazy!

Driven Crazy!

Ta Da! Our Clio!

We moved to France over two years ago, and on our ToDo list for the first month was "buy a car"... Well, with so many other things on our plate, it was easy to put off. Then, we were a little surprised by the differences in the way it's done here.

At first, we thought we'd get a used car - then we found out that (1) cars really hold their value here, and (2) new cars are very affordable! There was also that looming concern about just how to buy a used car - lots of hoops, apparently...

So, we're getting a new car. But which one? I really, *really* wanted a small car, and Rick agreed that this wasn't such a safety issue in France (whew!). So, we kept our search to a 5-door citadine (that is, a small hatchback with 4 doors). But then we came up against another wall - you don't just walk into a dealer and test-drive, or even necessarily see, a car. So how do you know if you'll fit? How do you know if you'll like how it drives? We checked reviews, and narrowed it to three brands. Then, we happened to rent a Peugeot, and I never got comfortable with the gearing - so that moved off the list. We had rented a Renault Clio a few years ago, and liked it, so that was a strong contender. But the list-topper was the Toyota Aygo - fantastic mileage, and worth trying.

Now, what about options? At first, we thought that all we really needed was heating and air conditioning. Then, when my parents visited, we rented a car and drove all over. That convinced us that we also needed a GPS, and some system to help in backing up without hitting something! These were part of a reasonable package on the Aygo a while ago, but the price seemed to jump suddenly - just as we were set to go look :-\.
Instead, we checked a broker site, and decided on a Clio. Even though we wouldn't be able to see it, we decided that our several-years-old experience, combined with the mandated 2-week period for changing your mind, made it worth the risk. This return-or-replace concept was also new to us. You buy a car, and you have this grace period within which time you can return or exchange the car (less licensing fees, and I'm sure, a few other gotchas).

Wednesday, we had an appointment, and our fantastic neighbors gave us a ride to the broker - we thought we were all set, and the only outstanding, but very minor, question was the color... But, no! I had completely misunderstood the significance of "Exclusif LOA" - What I thought was that the car we wanted was one of the few that was also available for a lease. What it actually meant was that the car was *only* available via a lease. :-\

Well, a too-quick-for-comfort search of the inventory showed us an identical car, but for ~$1k more than we expected. It was still less than the actual total of the lease option, and *still* less than our alternate car, so... we signed.

But we didn't just sign, pay, and drive off! That isn't how it works here. Instead, we:
- showed our IDs and driver's licenses (copies taken)
- had a mad scramble, ultimately unsuccessful, for a justificatif de domicile, amid incredulous looks and whispers of "whaaaat?!?" finally ending in an agreement that we would email one ASAP, and meanwhile signing 2 versions of the sale form (I still don't know why).
- paid the various fees, about $1k, by credit card (our US card wasn't usable for this)
- made an appointment to return in a week to pick up the car
- left with a folder full of documents, including the bank information to transfer the rest of the cost of the car.

Then (!), over the next few days:
- Wednesday, emailed the justificatif de domicile (internet bill, and 2 phone bills, just to cover everything), and then received the OK from our agent that he was proceeding.
- Thursday, waited through a bank holiday :-\
- Friday, went to the bank in person to arrange payment. The estimated timeframe to complete was 24-48 hours, but we got a notification from our car broker after only 5 hours! And that included a lunch break!
- Friday, started the car insurance process (actually, we had set this in motion some time ago, so this was filling in some blanks specific to the car)
- Saturday and Sunday, no news, but we investigated and ordered a GPS, which should be delivered Wednesday! Although, not in time to use it driving home...
- Monday, our car insurance sent a quote by email, and we sent back our approval. They needed our "bon de commande" (car order form), RIB (bank account info); they already had our driver's licenses. Our car broker also sent us our temporary license plate number. Our confidence is growing that we'll have the car on Wednesday. I bought a sunscreen for the windshield...
- Tuesday afternoon, the car insurance company sent a contract (with a nice 8% discount for paying yearly); we e-signed it, and then emailed a copy to the broker (just before closing time!). Our Carte Verte (certificate of car insurance) will be mailed. And! Our GPS arrived! I spent the usual frustrating minutes setting it up and getting used to how it works.
- Wednesday, we called to make sure all was OK, then our neighbors drove us to go get our car! We got the tour, then drove back to Sète for (1) gas! and then (2) lunch! We had a leisurely lunch at a beach restaurant, then came home and parked in the garage 🙂

Something to know - Documents we have to have in the car while driving:
- Driver's License
- ID (driver's licenses don't count as ID in France)
- Carte Verte (certificate of car insurance)
- Carte Grise (car registration)

Still to do:
- in about a month, we'll have our permanent plates; we'll have to have them put on, and notify our car insurance of the number. No appointment at the garage is necessary; we just show up. We can pick up the owners manual in French then too (the one in the car is in a language I don't recognize!)
- our carte grise (car registration documents) will arrive after some time; this stays in the car
- order an environment sticker, letting us drive in the bigger cities
- buy a beach parking permit, available to Sétois for 10€/mo during the summer (maybe; our friends showed us the free beach parking, so...)
- drive, drive, drive! Till I'm driven crazy :-)