I was all set to lease a car to avoid the 17% (vat)when it occured to me that this deal is only available to Americans and others not living within the European union. Since the license plates on these cars are of a distinct and unique color, as opposed to European plates, I feel I would stand out as an American in Europe open to terrorism. <BR>In the past, people that leased only had to deal with the increased chance of break-in due to these plates, but now our safety is at stake. I feel the rule set up by Europe regarding these unique plates should be changed in view of September 11 and our State department should include this matter in their travel alerts.

Are you saying that there are special leases for non-Europeans with specially marked license plates? What kind of "deal" is it you're talking about?

are, <BR>Yes if you lease a car for 17 days or more you don't pay the 17%VAT tax. But because it is a lease car, France has a rule that the cars' plates must be distinct from regular owned cars. Don't ask me why.

Bill, get a grip. I feel that the European parliament and regulatory authorities have more pressing matters than saving you the VAT and protecting you from standing out because of your license plate colour. <BR> <BR>Could you just pay the tax and consider that added insurance against the threat of terrorism? Or could you continue to do as you planned, but acknowledge that the tax savings makes you just slightly more exposed?

to xx <BR>I think bill has a valid point, I don't think he's talking about the VAT, but instead that those Americans who lease are overly exposed. The news has stated that terroists will be tarketing Americans overseas. I think you missed the point.

I think he is talking about the VAT to some degree as he said that was the reason he was doing it. Anyway, I don't know these plates, but they don't mark Americans, just that leasor is from nonEU country, which could be Afghanistan.

No, Phil, I did not miss the point. Pay the tax and have the same plates as everyone else (although it would be a rental car, or don't and have "distinctive" plates. I doubt anyone would notice the difference, unless of course he was a thief looking for foreigners. What else is there to consider?

My trip to Europe will be for 6 weeks, 5 1/2 of which I planned to lease a car. <BR>So it is a bigger deal than you think. We're not talking a mere extra 100 bucks, but much more. And I am very much concerned about the unique plates. <BR>p.s. I'm sure that the vast majority of these leases in Europe are American.

You know, there are Europeans who lease their cars. I can't imagine that their license plates would be different, too. Assuming that only leased cars have different plates, regardless who drives them, I would think that there are more Europeans leasing cars than American tourists.

While understanding your concerns, I have to believe it would be easier for someone to target people based on their clothing, accent, shoes, payment methods, residence, etc. rather than looking at license plates of a particular color.

We leased a car from Auto France for two months a couple of years ago on the Peugeot plan Bill is talking about. But our French license plate looked like all the others, (at lease on relatively new cars -- we assumed that the color had been changed along with addition of the Euro Union circle of stars symbol that had been added). Either everybody else we saw in France was also driving a lease car, or I was unable to detect anything different about our plate. Or is this something that has changed since 1999?

Patrick, <BR>I called Auto France and they told me that the plates on their and all lease cars are different than regular plates. <BR>She told me that is due to Customs in order to verify leases with no vat versus rentals with vat. <BR>She also mentioned that the percentage of leases by Americans is only about 10% and that most of them are from South America and Australia. This should help put Bill's mind at ease.