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Table of Contents for This Page Nous regrettons que cette page n'existe toujours qu'en anglais. N'hésitez pas à nous téléphoner ou écrire pour obtenir plus d'informations.    Checking a Tenancy Agreement    Car Import and Registration    Re-registering a car already on French plates    Selling a Car in France    Home Insurance    Car Insurance    Health care and Medical Insurance    Income Tax    Child Benefits    Telephone & Internet    Consumer disputes    General Help Lavande, le parfum de Provence

Common Notes for All Services Time In general, where an hourly rate is indicated, we keep an account of time spent and attach it to your invoice. All time spent on your affairs is counted, whether it is for phone calls with you or others, answering e-mails, travelling, working on your file, researching etc.  Communication costs We do not charge for communication and other minor costs like postage, phone calls etc.  Fees, taxes and any other expenses payable to third parties such as for example translators, other service providers and public administration are not included except if expressly stated.  Travel If you ask us to travel to accompany you or do your formalities for you on site, then travel costs will be charged: 0.30 € per km excl. VAT; 0.3588 € per km incl. VAT; plus road tolls and parking fees at cost. Also add 55 € per hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT for travelling time. Cost It is our policy to be completely transparent with cost and show you our prices online. We do not require any minimum purchase. A client is a client to us; whether large or small, and each one can expect a courteous quality service. Customer service policy We listen to our clients and aim to improve quality when experience shows that something can be done better. If we realise that we've goofed, we try to suggest you some form of compensation, even before you complain. If you are definitely not satisfied with the service you have received, then you can invoke our satisfaction guarantee that provides a complete refund for the part of the service you were not pleased with. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for full details.

Before you sign a French tenancy agreement (contrat de bail), you may want to know if someone is trying to take advantage of you or if it is by the book. Many landlords in France try to avoid paying for maintaining their property; some try to let unfurnished as furnished so they can prevent you from giving notice; others take advantage of foreigners who don't know the rules, etc. We read and check your tenancy agreement before you sign it and point out if something is illegal or if you are signing away rights that you shouldn't sign away.

Cost:
Fixed fee: 50 € excl. VAT; 59.80 € incl. VAT.
A la carte: 55 € an hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT.

The European Union has made many things easier when moving across borders, but that does not mean that importing a car from another EU country is as easy as buying it in France. Car models introduced after 1996 are equipped with a certificate of conformity that makes things easier. Older cars need more work. The is VAT to be paid for new cars and a VAT certificate to obtain for used cars. A roadworthiness test must be carried out if the car being imported is older than 4 years. Etc. Note that we only provide this service for cars and 2-wheel vehicles (not vans or lorries or other types of vehicles) that were originally manufactured for and sold in a Member State of the EEA and that have not been modified, except for manufacturer's options. This service includes completing the required paperwork to obtain the registration document and to advise you where to go and what to do until the licence plates are on the car. It does not include accompanying you. We will provide you with full instructions including addresses, opening hours, which service to ask for, and short written descriptions in French to show to office personnel.

Cost: 
Fixed fee: 300 € excl. VAT; 358.80 € incl. VAT.
A la carte: 55 € an hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT.
For both Fixed fee and A la carte, if you want us to accompany you or do the formalities on site for you, then add to the above the cost of travel (see travel above) plus 55 € per hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT for time spent with formalities on-site.

If you buy a used car in France or simply change your address, then you have to change the car registration document (carte grise). If the new department is not the same as where the car is presently registered, then the registration number will change, and new licence plates must be fitted. Legislation is planned to abolish the change of registration in the near future. In any case, you will still need to fill in a form and present the correct documents to obtain a new registration document. This service includes completing the required paperwork to obtain the registration document and to advise you where to go and what to do until the licence plates are on the car. It does not include accompanying you. We will provide you with full instructions including addresses, opening hours, which service to ask for, and short written descriptions in French to show to office personnel.

Cost: 
Fixed fee: 100 € excl. VAT; 119.60 € incl. VAT.
A la carte: 55 € an hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT.
For both Fixed fee and A la carte, if you want us to accompany you or do the formalities on site for you, then add to the above the cost of travel (see travel above) plus 55 € per hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT for time spent with formalities on-site.

If you are leaving France, you may for one reason or another not want to bring your French-registered car with you. Or perhaps you remain in France but simply want to change your car. In either case, you may not find the available choices attractive. Most dealers only buy a used car if you are buying another car. You could sell your car yourself, but if you don't speak French and you have never sold a car in France, then you may find it difficult. If you are leaving France, then you won't be around to sell it.

Skovgaard Europe can help you sell your car for you. In practice, you sign a mandate that authorises us to sell the car in your name. The buyer will pay you directly, and you pay us a fee for the service. You also pay for the advertising and other direct costs. How long time it takes to sell a car varies with the type of car and the time of year. It's difficult to sell a convertable in December, for example. Such a car could take 6 months or more to sell, unless it's during spring. Japanese cars are less popular in France than French makes and could therefore take long time to sell. A typical family car of a French make could find a buyer in less than a week. The French Argus valuation makes it possible to determine very precisely what a car is worth, considering its exact age and mileage. Note, however, that you are unlikely to recover the full proportional value of options, because buyers are unwilling to pay their manually calculated value. Contrary to that, the various "pack" options often make it a distinct model of car that has its own valuation. Therefore, buying a "pack" model that includes a list of options gives a better resale value than buying a standard model and adding the same options one by one, even if you end up paying the same amount from new.

We advertise the car is agreed, we shine it up, we demonstrate it to potential buyers, and we finalise the paperwork. We need to be allowed by you and the insurer to drive the car a few miles every 2 weeks or so to avoid rust building up on discs etc., and to let a potential buyer try it. The car remains under your responsibility, and you should keep it insured until sold. We engage ourselves to take the anti-fraud measures recommended in car magazines and other places and not to engage in negotiations with suspect buyers. The car must be in roadworthy condition. You must inform us about all defects and problems and if the car has been involved in accidents, has been used for special purposes like driving school, taxi, emergency service etc.

Cost: 
Commission: 4% incl. VAT of the actual sale price. Minimum commission: 400 € incl. VAT This does not include getting the car insured, in case it is not already insured.
A la carte: 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT.
For both Commission and A la carte, it is presumed that you bring the car to us. If you want us to collect the car, then please request a quote to take into account the travel expenses and the time needed.

Landlords in France systematically require proof that your liability as a tenant is insured. That insurance is usually part of home contents insurances. We get the insurance policy done and we send the certificate to the landlord. Because of the fairly low cost of home contents insurance, we do not shop around but we suggest a company with which we have good experience.

Cost: 
Fixed fee: 125 € excl. VAT; 149.50 € incl. VAT.
A la carte: 55 € an hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT.

You are legally obliged to have at least a third-party insurance if you have a car. Even though you can easily find a list of insurers, you may not speak French very well, you probably don't know which insurance companies are best adapted to your needs, and you may not be aware of the differences in the covers proposed. It is very important to declare all requested details correctly, or you could find yourself without cover at an accident, if they discover that you had omitted information. We are used to negotiating with insurers and we know what questions to ask. We have even obtained a commercial reduction for a driver who had driving experience from a company car but nothing to prove it.

Cost: 
Fixed fee: 300 € excl. VAT; 358.80 € incl. VAT.
A la carte: 55 € an hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT.

The general principles of medical cover in France, and particularly the situation of CMU for expats, are explained on this page and in the Daily Telegraph article Mind the Gap in French Healthcare by Finn Skovgaard.

If you are employed in France, you will normally be registered for public health care by your employer. However, if a foreign employer has posted you to France to work temporarily, you may have to register yourself. We can help you with that. If you don't work but come to France to enjoy life, you may have to take out a private medical insurance or buy into the public system. We advise you about what is best for you.

In cases where you live off your savings but have no or little income, you may be entitled to free health care (CMU).

Should you need a private medical insurance, we can set that up too. We are authorised to sell ASFE's insurances, which are adapted to expats in France or Frenchmen abroad. These insurances are designed to give you the cover that the French public system would have given you, combined with a complementary insurance. Most other medical insurances do not refund your ongoing medical expenses and preventive care, but only care after a new medical condition has been detected. And they are usually more expensive. We therefore find that the ASFE insurance is good value for money.

We can also help you find another insurer, if you don't want ASFE.

Cost:
ASFE insurance: Because we receive a commission on these insurances, we do not charge you for any work connected with setting the insurance up and managing it throughout its life.

Basic public health care (CMU de base): 
Fixed fee: 150 € excl. VAT; 179.40 € incl. VAT.
A la carte: 55 € an hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT.

Complementary public health care (CMU complémentaire): 
Fixed fee: 150 € excl. VAT; 179.40 € incl. VAT.
A la carte: 55 € an hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT.

Other insurers: A la carte: 55 € an hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT. You can pay by the hour as we go along, or you can request a quote in advance.

You must file a tax return every year in March for the previous calendar year. The first year, you must do this at your own initiative, because the tax computers do not yet know about you. There are penalties for filing late. We work together with a French accounting company, ACM in Nice, that can advise you about international tax and also provide a service in English. We are pleased to have received very positive client feedback about ACM. If your tax return is very simple, we can fill in the forms for you. For more complicated matters, we can ask the necessary advice from our accountant and then fill in the forms, using his guidelines. This is a bit less expensive than letting the accountant do the form filling as well, but that is of course possible.

We can also make an estimated calculation of the income tax you must pay.

ACM can also do your business accounting and help with real estate.

Cost:  
For our services: 55 € an hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT.
You can pay by the hour as we go along, or you can request a quote in advance.
For accountant services: After agreement case by case.

Anyone with a child who lives in France qualifies potentially for child benefits. There are a range of benefits available, some of which depend on your income, and some of which depend only on your situation, but not your income.

A family with two small children automatically qualify for a monthly payment, whatever their income.

A parent who stays home to take care of a child less than 3 years old and who do not work during that time can get a monthly payment to compensate for the lack of earnings if there is at least one more child.

You will be paying for these benefits through your payslip, so do not hesitate to apply for those benefits for which you are entitled.

We can help you understand which benefits you can get.

Cost: 55 € an hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT.
You can pay by the hour as we go along, or you can request a quote in advance.

Telephone and Internet is usually one of the first things you need when arriving in France. In these e-times, you are virtually handicapped if you are cut off from the outside world. If clients cannot contact you, you lose money.

We get you wired up with the providers that are best adapted to your needs for quality, services and price. We are in contact with a key person in France Telecom's national consumer service in Paris. More than once, he has helped getting things done when local personnel has mismanaged a client's connections.

But France Telecom is not necessarily the best choice any more. The phone and Internet market is a jungle today. We have the experience to guide you and make you bypass the jungle.

We are authorised retailers for IC Telecom, which offers low-cost telephone calls. Because we are paid a commission on sales, we do not charge you for signing you up with that company. If you wish to use another company, our standard rates apply for doing the work. But IC Telecom may not be the right choice for you either. If it isn't, we won't recommend it.

Cost:
Fixed fee:

• High-speed Internet with VoIP telephony package, with or without TV over the Internet; no France Telecom line needed; only possible if you are in a 'degrouped' geographical area: 120 € excl. VAT; 143.52 € incl. VAT.
• Standard France Telecom analogue phone line: 80 € excl. VAT; 95.68 € incl. VAT.
• For each additional line at the same installation: 10 € excl. VAT; 11.96 € incl. VAT.
• Basic Internet without telephony or TV; a France Telecom phone line required: 80 € excl. VAT; 95.68 € incl. VAT. Special offer: If you order Orange Internet at the same time as opening a France Telecom phone line, our Internet fee is only 40 € excl. VAT or 47.84 € incl. VAT, because we can order it all in one go.
• Standard France Telecom ISDN installation with 2 channels and 3 numbers: 150 € excl. VAT; 179.40 € incl. VAT.

A la carte: 55 € an hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT.
You can pay by the hour as we go along, or you can request a quote in advance.

If you buy something and you're not satisfied, you complain. But how do you do that if you don't speak French and you don't know the French consumer law? Let us give you some real examples. 

A client who had rented a house wanted it painted in her preferred colours. The owner said he knew a couple of reliable painters, and she told them to go ahead. One evening, she called us, quite upset, having realised that the price was 4900 €, where she had thought it would cost only a few hundred euros. It turned out that she had not really asked for a quote before letting the painters start. On the other hand, there was work enough for two painters for a week. Finally, the painters she had found were really more into fine decoration than just painting, and the rates are not the same. We agreed with the client that we would go out on the spot to talk to the painters on site. We got the price down to 3900 € by simply talking the matter through with them. Less our fees, the client saved 800 €. You can even save money by using a relocation company!

Another client who had bought a new Renault Espace kept having technical problems with the car. It added to the problems that a Renault dealer had badly fitted an accessory that made the car's entire electrical system go up in smoke. Literally. The client had to stop on the motorway because of smoke in the cabin. The same dealer had also sold him a ski support that was so close to the road that it scratched against the road surface. Despite that, they refused to take it back, insisting that it was approved for that car. By writing to Renault headquarters in Paris, we got them to accept a refund, and we also negotiated a nice discount on a tyre from the dealer to compensate for the trouble.

We have experience with a large number of consumer disputes, and that experience is available to you at the end of your phone line.

Cost: 55 € an hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT.
You can pay by the hour as we go along, or you can request a quote in advance.

This is the place for everything that has not been mentioned above. Each person has different needs, and it's impossible to standardise everything.

Cost: 55 € an hour excl. VAT; 65.78 € an hour incl. VAT.
You can pay by the hour as we go along, or you can request a quote in advance.

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