Barter

Maybe we got an apologetic phone call, & satisfactory outcome, in the end because, after having had the '...doesn't apply to you...' email response to our email, we sent our next reply in an envelope through the post addressed "F.A.O Mr Curt Stavis."  Whether or not he actually saw it I don't know, but it got a result!

Just had a call from SpeedFerries apologising for the confusion & confirming the extra free return crossing, to use within the next 12 months; the unused 29th March ticket 'parked' for use asap.  That's better!  Pilot - have you had any joy?

[quote user="Pilot"] Interesting! Not having received the e-mail promised "within 2 weeks" I phoned today - needed to rebook the cancelled crossings which I did. Then I asked about the compensation crossing. The operator knew nothing about free compensation tickets and suggested I write to customer services, which I have just done by e-mail. Like Barter, my original ticket was the November 2-for-1 freebie, but when I booked to use it I did point out that my intention had been to use it during the revised dry dock period. "No problem, the validity is extended to May 31," they said. Now, my e-mail cancelling the March 29th crossing did specifically say "As you have been negatively influenced by the dry docking period for the second time", so perhaps that's it. But seeing as I did not get the e-mail promised within 2 weeks perhaps they have back tracked. I'll await with interest a reply to the message I sent them this afternoon.  [/quote] Pilot - hope you get a reply from them, sooner or later!  I'm still waiting; I'll let you know what happens. Our 'negatively influenced...second time...' situation was presumably because they first changed the time of our crossing on 29th March, before then cancelling it altogether.  I suppose we must have been unusual in that our 29th March crossing was inbound; most peple affected were, I think, due to sail from Dover.

We were in SW France when we got the same message (....negatively influenced..second time .... & .... 3 options....). Luckily we got it just before we were due to make the journey north to Boulogne & we were able to make alternative arrangements for our crossing.  Once home we replied to the email as requested, asking for clarification of our options, & eventually, after a wait of nearly three weeks, received an email copied as follows: Dear .........  Thank you for your email We apologise for the inconvienience caused on the 29.03.2007.  Your ticket has  been put on hold for use within one year.  Unfortunately the other options do  not apply to you as your ticket is a free ticket. Kind regards SpeedFerries OK; it was the November 2-for-1 freebie, but we still had the inconvenience and expense caused by the cancellation, & they did send us the email promising a free flex ticket & choice of other options.  Had they not made the original offers the offer above might have been (barely) acceptable, but we find it amazing that they should now try to renege on their word.  What do you think?  Is anyone else in the same boat?  We have written back but heard nothing more yet - has anyone had any change out of them? 

Resurrected this thread to report that - shock but def. not horror - our points weren't wiped out in December at all! Friends to whom we sent the card late last year used the points at Auch but the Boulogne ones were, we thought, wasted. Imagine our surprise then, when last week I presented my card & was asked if I wanted to pay with it - the 45€ accumulated in November was still there! Can't guarantee it'd happen again at the end of this year though; I'll play safe & spend it all before we go. Pete & Barbara - pleased as Punch & Judy!

We've just got back from a short half-term break in northern France, courtesy of the December free ferry offer, and it was completely free...... only booked a few days before we went; they gave us the date/time we requested outwards,  & the return crossing allocated was a sailing later than we'd asked for, but fine. So no problems taking advantage of the offer so long as you keep to the T & C's; obviously amendments, or booking on the phone rather than via the email address given on the December booking, will give rise to the £10 charge, but otherwise FREE!

Thanks Alexis - how awful; almost as gruesome as the pregnant woman murder in the states.  

You're right, Dick, it's not been reported here in the UK as far as I know, so - although I dread to ask - what has been going on???

The 'pilgrimage flights' from Manchester are from a firm called Mancunia, which has fairly recently revamped its seat-only deals as 'Pyrénées Direct; booking via the following website:- http://www.pyreneesdirect.com However they fly into Tarbes/Lourdes; summer season only I think. Some charter flight 'seat-only's can sometimes be booked in winter from firms doing skiing packages. For Pau arrivals we in the North West need to travel to Stansted, although if Blackpool's handy I gather you can fly to Stansted from there! As far as I know BA (& others like KLM) only do indirect flights to Toulouse. So it's British Midland for MAN-TLS; & isn't it BE from Birmingham? Sorry - Christmas is coming too quickly - not got time to check out all the above! All the best, Barbara

Copied from the www.speedferries.com website:- Christmas Present For SpeedFerries customers booking in December 2004 2 for 1 Get a free return ticket (car+6) along with your first SuperTicket™ booking made in December 2004. The free ticket will be valid for travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays any time in 2005, except for July and August. Seems a good deal to me - hope it's useful to you too, Barbara  

North Cheshire I'm afraid, but I've just arranged to sent it to some friends who are over there now but returning via Boulogne late November - it has to be used in the store where credited I gather, so they've got a Boulogne spend & one in Auch. Thanks again & sorry about the girls' presents! Barbara.

Well, looks like we're stuffed, from their web-site:- Les " Tickets E.LECLERC " en question ? Ils sont crédités automatiquement sur votre carte, utilisables dès le lendemain de leur émission et cumulables jusqu'au 31 décembre de l'année en cours (sauf les tickets acquis en décembre qui sont utilisables l'année suivante).

What a kind offer, thanks very much Opas, you're a star! I don't think my French is up to direct communication; I'll try to find an answer via their web-site, but if you could enquire I'd be most grateful. Otherwise anyone going to Boulogne - could use 45€ if it's otherwise going to expire! Barbara.

Aagghh - we're drowning in whisky!

Hey, c'mon, back to basics for a bit - please tell me my 45 €uros won't vapourise at the end of December? Or any suggestions as to what I could do about it if so! Ta, Barbara.

PLEASE don't tell me the balance has to be redeemed in December - we called at the LeClerc in Boulogne on our way back to the UK a week or so ago; went in with 3.24€ on our card, redeemed this against our purchases but still came out with 45€ credit obtained! (mainly thanks to a brilliant whisky offer) It just says on the till receipt that this is valid against our next purchases in that store - no time limit. We'll not be back there until next Spring - will the 45€ been wiped out at the end of the year? Aggh - & I don't even like whisky! (But Pete loves it) Barbara

This link takes you to a useful table of all the cheap hotel chains:- http://www.eurapart.com/budget.html From there you can access their websites. Hope it helps, Barbara.

That's interesting - that they bought it at the end of the initial lease period. Do you know whether they re-negotiated the lease with the management company, or did they keep it for private use, or for letting out themselves?

Hi, Not quite the preservation method you're looking for, but we've poached them in coffee (with some alcohol in there too!) & frozen them; an unlikely combo but universally acclaimed when tasted! Also made loads of fig jam. Pete & Barbara.

Hi, I think it's likely to be St Denis - the patron saint of France, who was put to death on "The Martyr's Hill" - Montmartre.(c. 250AD?) The crowd was amazed to see Denis's corpse pick up the head & carry it under his arm to the site where now stands the cathedral of St. Denis. Feast day; 9th Oct. Barbara.

Hi, We are here in the UK but a 3rd party in France is expecting some money from us urgently, but doesn't want a cheque sending. Can anyone tell us whether it is possible to arrange a transfer of funds from our La Poste account, online? We regularly transfer money between our La Poste savings & current accounts, but we cannot see any means to transfer to a 3rd party, like the facility we have on our UK on-line accounts. But our financial French isn't up to much & maybe we're missing the right link to click on the Videoposte website? Obviously we can do a wire transfer from our UK bank but that incurs all the handling fees & currency conversion costs. So, just hoping someone knows how we'd do it, & can give us the info. fairly soon, otherwise we'll have to do it in sterling! Many thanks, Pete & Barbara (UK & 32)

I've not been able to access Moneybookers website at all, having been trying repeatedly over the last few days. Despite the reported delays in uploading/withdrawing funds, I still wanted to transfer some money! Is anyone else having this problem? Has anyone yet come across a good alternative for smallish amounts? With thanks for any info., Barbara.

Hi, Our terraced house (maison secondaire) has an attached property, not occupied, which is in a terrible state of repair. To make matters worse, it is uphill of ours. We are concerned that its condition can only adversely affect ours; if it doesn't already it soon will! Damp, rot, &/or "wildlife" spring to mind, let alone collapse - the chimney stack is already at an alarming angle! Does anyone know if there is a French equivalent of the UK compulsory repair order (whatever its officially called) whereby the owners can be required to make it safe & sound? We know that the owners are in a nearby village; we could contact them &/or ask at the Mairie, but 1st. we would like to know whether we have a leg to stand on, & what French terms to use. Hope someone can help us with the law & the language, many thanks, Pete & Barbara (32)

Try http://www.tradermade.com/rt_charts1.asp & select your currencies from the top left drop-down box. Hope this is of use, Barbara.