Accepting payment from Car Sale in France

Thanks Mark - I do understand.I just wondered if you’d read the previous posts about bank transfers and the fact they can be recalled under certain circumstances.

Read them all. Can’t find one that mentions that they can be recalled though. There is one from you advising to ask for a bankers draft…

Mark - keep reading - you’ll get there ! :slight_smile:

You mean the bit you posted referring to SEPAs? They are not bank drafts.

Mark I also know what a SEPA payment is - this is getting a bit dreary now - let me help you out…you said:

Well - James raised the issue that maybe they weren’t - due to the fact they can be recalled. I confirmed this by referring to the SEPA ‘rulebook’. Electronic payments can indeed be recalled under certain circumstances.

Ah, yes, now I know what you were referring to. Still much safer than a bank draft. I just could not work out what your comment “Too funny” referred to, fraudulent bank drafts or SEPAs. Forged bank drafts have been known to be paid into an account then removed up to a year later. Not funny at all if you have already spent the money on something else.
I think that of all the methods to be paid (apart from hard cash) electronic transfer is still the safest.

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Whoops!!! I appear to have put the cat in with the pigeons judging by some of the responses.
JAMES… Can I ask you to elaborate and show what is the best way for me to receive my money when I sell the vehicle.
I am a little confused by the ifs and buts of the money system here in France, nothing to do with the fact I am approaching 80 years, but it appears all banking transactions are subject to reversal at huge cost to one of the parties concerned.
At the present time it seems the only safe way to receive payment is by cash, and as it amounts to several K’s, this is illegal.
I truly thought that electronic transfer could not be reversed, if so then the whole banking system is in trouble surely

My advice is bankers draft taken to the bank in the presence of the purchaser.

But @anon90504988 has said differently and he’s a pro in this industry so I would follow his advice.

Cash is not allowed unless is under a grand.

It may well be “illegal” to accept cash, any you probably couldn’t put it in the bank, but you could live on it for a while. Who, unless you neighbour is a tax man, gives a damn if you took cash. Depends if the buyer will pay cash though.

I agree! The state don’t want us prols handling cash though, they can’t control/monitor/tax that.

@james, you advice is also quite sound. The problem I had was that the draft was sent by post. It still needs time to clear like a normal cheque so unless you go to the issuing bank a forged draft can still be paid in. Issuing banks do not help matters - I rang the branch named & asked if the cheque number was one of theirs. They were not permitted to tell me! I could understand if I was asking for personal details.

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As always, our views are formed based on experience!

I’ve been given 2 bankers drafts for 2 separate car sales in the past. Both were drawn on Credit Agricole Sud Méditerranée and a verification phone number and code was provided to me. The phone number is readily available on CA websites and the operator simply verified the authenticity of the draft and provided me with a payment guarantee reference. Pretty efficient and no probs at all.

That said - I still prefer making and receiving electronic payments !! :slight_smile:

We did a bank transfer having paid a deposit of a few hundred euros to secure the car. The transfer took a few days as it was weekend and then Monday but eventually we were able to pick up the car off a private seller

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Did the same as others a couple of years ago viz went to the bank and asked and was given a bank cheque which I gave to the seller and took the car. No problems or need to take the seller to the bank with you.

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So… Jay Bee…

Did you speak with your Bank… ???

an Update would be useful…:wink:

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