I recently had my American 7 seater homologised. When I picked it up I was told it had gone through with no problems. When the paperwork arrived it has been classed as a 4 seater. Anybody know how to put a claim in against a company for non fulfilment of contract?
what does the company say about this ???
They will not correspond.
I don’t even understand what that is or entails…
why is that significant?
seek the services of a lawyer (avocat)?
It’s to do with getting it to confirm with EU requirements, so able to get a CoC.
Not sure why one couldn’t just ask the company to correct the mistake? Not sure what contract they are not fulfilling.
The standard first step in France is to write a letter making a formal complaint for X, and sent it registered post LRAR.
It is rare that you can complain elsewhere until you have done that step.
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Could just be a simple error of putting the wrong number in a box. Write as above LRAR and ask them to confirm the error has been made. Every day I have less and less confidence in computers and people who feed them with the amount of errors that seem to crop up leaving us to sort their mess out whilst all the time denying they have done anything wrong.
@Ron
and when you write to them … use the word/number… each time, so they cannot misread/misunderstand this time…
It might be due to something else altogether, but go this “easy” route first of all.
Can you just phone?
Before writing them I would just phone as there seems to be a culture of not admitting errors in officialdom here, phoning would give them the chance to fix informally ?
Thanks,
It isn’t a mistake, DREAL has confirmed that but appear reluctant to explain why the alteration has been made. They keep referring me back to the agent.
The agent has refused to communicate with me from when I first picked up this problem.
It means that I cannot use the vehicle, as intended, when we have a family of 4 visiting.
On top of that, my main concern is what happens at the next CT, when the carte gris says 4 seats and the vehicle has 7.
I will write to them again but this time with registered post.
Regards Ron
Presumably you just want the problem fixed without delay rather than prosecute the company.
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Can you go and see the agent, taking the vehicle with you, in person?
Be ever so humble, you are the English person who does not understand French homologation, develop that ever so humbly to “could there have been a computer error?”
Ahem be careful.
If by homologation you mean “type approval” for the American 7-seater be very careful.
It’s just possible the vehicle is not supposed to get type approval at all. It’s possible someone in the agent company has done their best for you, so to speak, even if it was accidental.
I would be looking out for hints for this to be the case, whilst doing the blundering unknowledgeable Englishman just in case. I would absolutely not confront them, just have a conversation face to face and watch for the signals as to what is going on.
Keep “grateful” unless all friendly personal quiet conversations with you the innocent idiot completely go to pot. Or you may get more (or much less or much later or with much more struggle) than you bargained for.
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there was a post recently, about someone getting a camper through the system…
the camper had 6 seats (I think) but only 2 were “approved”
oops… 4 seats weren’t able to be used on the roads
hoping it’s not something like that… hoping they misread a number…
yes, one typo misreading the engine number could have retrieved the wrong type of vehicle. Easily done. Or, someone was struggling with the computer system (many aren’t friendly) and took the closest thing they could find.
I’d be doing some quiet, private research to see if a type approval exists for that vehicle with 7 seats. There may only be an existing type approval for a version with 4. And you do not want to be funding a new type approval for a version with 7 even if it can be done. So go gently and don’t kick the dog.
If you get stuck you could google our much-missed contributor Mark Rimmer and ask for a quote for him to take a look into it - it’s his profession and he knows this stuff like the back of his hand. But perhaps better to at least try to do your own research first while not antagonising the existing agent as there is no point in accelerating any bad news until you’ve prepared for it.
Let us know how you go? It’s a really interesting one.
If you are on facebook (or know someone who is) there is a group called REGISTERING VEHICLES IN FRANCE run by a guy called Mark Rimmer who know his way around CoC stuff. Don’t know if you can find his business outside FB - he lives in 16210 BAZAC
If I recall correctly, Mark Rimmer did suggest there might well be problems with this vehicle, when Ron discussed it on the forum last year…
oh dear… fingers crossed…
Correct, but failing that some refund would help as it was quite a costly process.
Oh yes! Which hints that maybe Karen’s suggestion that the best you can get is 4 seats might be right.
Good luck
Typo perhaps - 7 is just above 4 on the numbers keypad.
I imported a Landrover 110 “utility”. When constructed it was a basis for fitting out by it’s first purchaser, the Irish army. They fitted bench seats down each side, so 7-9 seats.
The carte Gris says 3 seats (the 3 in the front)!
I have been meaning to go back to Landrover France who provided the paperwork to get clarification.