Is it possible to sell a second-hand car in France without speaking French?
The complex paperwork for these transactions may be difficult to do on your own
There are many ways to sell second-hand vehicles in France, but but this can be difficult if you do not speak French
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Reader Question: I want to sell my second-hand car and buy a new one, but I am not comfortable speaking French. What are my options? Does a site similar to Autotrader in the UK exist?
The process for selling your second-hand car in France is similar to elsewhere. However, doing it entirely in English may be difficult.
It will be even more challenging if you have a right-hand drive car, although it is still possible to sell these in France.
Read more: Is it possible to sell a second-hand right-hand drive car in France?
There are many websites that specialise in second-hand cars, including largus.fr, lacentrale.fr and capcar.fr.
While none of them offer English as a language option, you could try translating them in your web browser and using Google translate to write in French.
This is by no means a perfect solution, but it could solve your problem.
Another idea, if you live in an area with many English-speakers, is to advertise through social media pages, such as ‘Facebook Marketplace’.
You can make your post entirely in English, and ask people to respond likewise.
Read more: How safe are purchases on French classified websites?
You can also try to sell your car via word of mouth, however depending on where your car is parked you need permission to place a ‘for sale’ sign on it.
Read more: Are there rules for putting a ‘for sale’ sign on car on French street?
However, the complex paperwork for these transactions must be done privately and entirely in French.
A friend who is fluent in French, or alternatively a translator, could help with this.
Plan ahead before visiting a dealership
To avoid doing the lion’s share of French paperwork for selling a second-hand car, you can take it to a garage or dealership.
You can read about how to do this in more detail below.
Read more: Selling a used car in France - explained
It would be wise to consult a price comparison website (such as L’Argus) to check the market value of your car before going to a dealership.
If you are concerned about being taken advantage of due to your limited French, bring someone who is fluent in French to translate for you, or even an interpreter (for around €100 an hour) if your car is worth the extra expense.
Note that dealerships and garages will purchase your car at a low price to make up for them doing the paperwork and organising onward sale.
