Procedure for buying/selling an
automobile and transferring/making payment

You = Buyer

You indicate your intention to buy the
car for an agreed upon amount.

Seller gives you a copy of the gray
card, (registration).

You use the information on this gray
card to get insurance, probably on the internet or by phone or both.

The insurance company sends you an
attestation of insurance dated the date you expect

to pick up the license plates and/or
car. If you're in a hurry you can go to their office to pick up the
attestation.

You go to the Service des Automobile et
Navigation in Carouge with the attestation of insurance. You wait in
a long line, (bring something to read). They give you the plates and
a gray card for the car in your name, (after you pay them of course).

You bring the plates to the car at an
agreed upon day and time.

You pay the seller the agreed upon
amount of money. He takes off his plates and transfers ownership of
the car to you probably with a receipt for the purchase. ….and
you're good to go.

This is just one method. The fact is
that some North African importer may just give you cash in hand at
your first meeting. Take the money, give him the car, (after you have
removed your plates), with the original gray card and receipt, and
you're probably off the hook for whatever happens to, or because of,
that car from that point on.

transferring/making payment:

You might not want to go to a meeting
with a fist full of money for obvious reasons.

I don't think money transfers are a
good idea. The buyer doesn't want to put money into the account of
the seller without having possession and proof of ownership of the
car.

As for the seller: he/she doesn't want
to accept payment in the form of some kind of document and usually
won't know a real money transfer confirmation from a fictitious one
especially on a Saturday or Sunday.

I think the only safe way to do it is
for the buyer and seller to go to the buyer's bank together and work
it out from there.

Other suggestions are welcome