The purchase of a new car is generally done from a dealership, which offers cars of a specific brand. The dealer serves as an advisor during the purchase. It is with him that you choose not only the car model, but also its options, according to your needs, your budget and your desires.
It is also possible to buy a new car from an auto agent . This professional offers various cars resulting from negotiations with suppliers who may be abroad.
Rates are generally attractive compared to dealerships, but there is no trade-in offer for your old vehicle or the opportunity to test drive the car before purchase. The manufacturer’s warranty begins on the date of first registration of the car , you may have lost part of it if you go through an agent.
Once you have chosen your new car , the steps are relatively simple because it is the professional, dealer or agent, who takes care of it most of the time. He gives you an invoice including the selling price including VAT of the car and the date of delivery of the vehicle. Payment is made either by bank transfer or bank check.
You have one month to register a new car. Most of the time, the registration process is done directly by the professional who sells you the vehicle. Otherwise, you will have to make a request via the teleservice of the National Agency for Secured Titles ( ANTS ).
While waiting for the receipt of your new buy a car gray card , you will obtain a temporary certificate allowing you to circulate.
As a buyer, you do not have to present any papers when selling a car, unless there is a trade-in of your old car. You just have to worry about your means of payment and check that all the documents that must be given to you are indeed given.
In particular, make sure you get the car’s maintenance book, and if possible, the invoices attesting to its last repairs. For a second-hand vehicle, consider the old gray card , the transfer code and the technical inspection , which you will need to register the car in your name.
How to buy a used car?
A new car suffers a significant discount in its first year, during which it loses 20 to 25% of its original value. This is why it is financially attractive to buy a used car . This purchase can be made from a professional or from an individual.
Car dealers and agents can indeed also sell used vehicles. At the dealerships, you will also have the possibility of buying a demonstration car: these are the vehicles intended for testing by customers.
They have the advantage of sometimes costing several thousand euros less than a truly new car, while sometimes only having a few tens of kilometers on the clock .
As with a new car, you have one month to make a new gray card in your name. In case of purchase from a professional, this one can take care of the steps for you. Otherwise, you must apply for a gray card from the ANTS.
For this you will need proof of address less than 6 months old, the old car registration document , proof of the technical inspection and the transfer code given by the seller.
How to buy a used car from an individual?
It is also possible to buy a used car from an individual rather than a professional. This can naturally be more risky and it is therefore advisable to be well informed about the market in order to buy the car at its fair value, to find out about the history of the vehicle (invoices, maintenance booklet, etc.) and above all to check its condition.
A technical control report of less than 6 months.
After the purchase, you will have to take care of the car registration process yourself or go through a professional (garage, dealer, service provider, etc.). You have one month to change ownership . You will need the old registration document for the vehicle as well as the technical inspection report , which is mandatory, and the transfer code.
Give it up for parts or destruction .
If you change car, you can benefit from a trade-in : the dealership where you buy your new car takes back the old one. The sale is thus easy, fast and secure, and you benefit from a premium for the purchase of a new car, but the trade-in is done at a price lower than that of the market.
On the other hand, you are not subject to the obligation of technical control when selling a car to a professional. The sale of the vehicle to a car professional (dealership, garage, etc.) is even one of the rare exceptions allowing a car to be sold without a technical inspection .
To benefit from a more attractive purchase price or simply because you do not intend to buy a car from a dealership after the sale, you can sell your car to a private individual. And if it is a non-driving car, you still have the option of selling it for parts or giving it up for destruction.
Proof of technical inspection less than 6 months old : this is mandatory unless the vehicle is less than 4 years old, if the buyer is a car professional, or if the vehicle is not subject to technical inspection obligations ( car collection , car without license , etc.).
Also try to give your buyer the maintenance book for the vehicle, and if he asks for it, the old invoices attesting to his visits to the garage.
How to sell your car to an individual?
In France, two thirds of car sales are made between individuals , mainly for the financial advantages that this represents for both the buyer and the seller.
On the day of the sale of the car, give these papers to the buyer as well as the gray card , crossed out and bearing the mention “Cédé/vendu le (date)” with your signature, and the vehicle maintenance log. After the sale, declare it on the ANTS website and remember to cancel your car insurance .
How to sell a car for parts?
Since 2009, a non-driving car can no longer be sold to an individual , even for parts. You must sell your car to an automotive professional. The mention “Non-driving vehicle” has also been removed from the gray card .
If the car is no longer running, you have no choice: it is an End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) and you must therefore give it to an ELV centre , or scrapyard . However, this is not a sale, but an assignment. The VHU center will recover the parts that can be recycled and recycle your car.
