Arty

Hi Everyone, Thanks Quillan it worked! I am on Wanadoo / Orange here in France and AOL in UK. I usually go onto AOL here in France via AOL redirect. I was able to to access Nationwide site uptil Tueday night this week, then nothing from Weds morn onwards. I rang Nationwide in Swindon today, they claimed not to know about the problem at first, the guy went away and had a chat with someone in tech dept. When he came back he said they had a few calls since Weds morn, so they now know about it, I hope it can be fixed!  Regards Art

Hi you could try Tim & Rebecca in St Jean de parcol, it may be too big a job for them, but they may know someone 0468741299. Art from Belviane (Aude)

Hiya, My wood supplier is on the D117  run by a nice lady! I have a small wood burner that fits in a fire place. I took a sample size with me and she not only cut it all to the right size, but she turned up on the correct day in the morning as promised and I didnt need to remind her! I think I ordered in June/July and took delivery in the September. Her number is 0468205514, cant remember her name.  But it got me thinking, when I bought my place near Quillan I got a bunker full of coal. Does anyone know where I can buy coal from? I have not run out yet, but I would need to top up for the winter after next. Many thanks

Hi Sunday Driver, C.A took an age to do an internal investigation, they refused to hand over CCTV footage of the day and time I was in the branch. I could prove the time I was in the branch as I had the withdrawal slip from the cash machine I withdrew the cash from (which was across the road). Also because it was likely I enclosed the blue slip still attached to the white slip along with the cash by mistake, I felt I didnt have enough evidence and I didnt want even more stress trying to get the police to understand the whole situation. I bought my french house to chill out, I was fed up with all the stress it was causing me. A solicitor friend said the cost of recovery would be greater than the 500E, he advised me to forget it and get on with relaxing. The outcome of the internal investigation was they could not trace the money! What a surprise! I think whoever opened the envelope found both slips, smiled and enjoyed a good christmas with my 500E cash.

Hi, The Quillan branch nicked 500E out of my account in Dec 2004 that why I moved to another bank, the full story is on here. It was after they introduced the new (silly) automated paying in system. I have no trust in them at all!

Hi I am going that way 24th May where abouts did you see the ticket offices being built, I will have a look.

Hi, I have used both, I would just like to say thank you to both companies for bringing down the price and in breaking the monopoly of the large companies and their tiered rates depending how long you wanted to be away for! Its a taxi ride, same cost to carry you for a day trip or a two week annual vacation. More power to their elbow's and I look forward to Speedferries getting their 2nd & 3rd boat. Long may they continue to sail. Art  

Hi Folks, anyone know where I can buy coal in 11 or 66?

Hi, I am looking for a B&B after LeMans (20th June) I have spare day and want to tour around between LeMans & Boulogne. Does anyone have or know of a good place to rest on this route?

Hi, Well done, I bought 2 yrs ago in June, its was the best thing I've done in years. I got to know the area by using my friends house as a base for ski trips for about 3 yrs. I always imagined buying on the coast, but having spent some time inland with the views, mountains, fresh air and the people I began to love the area. I used the same agent they used, Jeremy Campbell and he found a peach of a house. Where abouts have you bought? I am in Belviane close to Quillan, at present I go to the house about 6 times a year. The long term plan is to move down full time, but thats a few years away yet. Have fun Art

Mappy! brilliant, many thanks

I would have recommended CA, but I suggest you read my woes in the article "lost cash deposit at CA auto bank" which is in this finance section. I have lost confidence in the branch because they cant be trusted with cash! I am looking for another bank.

Thank you for your replies, with some useful tips which I will use, I hate this sort of thing but its the principle. I and my girlfriend know what happened, so I am determined to not let them get away with it. A solicitor friend said the cost of recovery would be much greater than the amount lost, but if I let them get away with something so obvious it will only encourage the bad apple who I believe is to blame. It goes without saying I will be looking for another bank, even though the English speaking Britline is handy and the website works. I cant stay with a bank I dont trust, all banking is based on trust. I single out Rachel at Britline for praise for all her help in this matter, she kept me informed and sent me a written version of all the steps they took upto the point the regional office took over and then said no to refund. What the regional office is not looking into is who opened the envelopes on or around the 23rd Dec, if I left the flimsy blue client copy attached to the white top copy then whoever open the envelopes would know I would have a problem proving the deposit. All very sad, maybe the dont like the brits moving into their area? Hope not I love my region and I have mixed well with my french community and I have made many french friends  

I thought I would post an update, yesterday I got a telephone from Britline telling me that a letter was on its way to me to say after all CA's internal investigations CA regret that they will not be refunding me the lost 500 Euros This is despite a number of conversations to the contary, saying they where likely to find in my favour and credit my account. CA will not confirm how many people are present when the cash envelopes are opened. In the UK most banks have two people present to avoid temptation. CA dont keep cctv tapes for very long (even though I asked for these shortly after the problem was discovered) I can prove the time of deposit down to a 5 min time slot, I took the cash out of a hole in the wall machine across the road which gave me a timed receipt, I then walked the 100 metres to my CA branch (witnessed by my girlfriend) filled in the envelope and popped it in the box inside the branch with a member of staff watching. I know he was watching as he suggested I enclose a copy of a RIB along with the other paperwork! (Why? because they have had problems I wonder?) CA's newly introduced system has failed and they expect me to pick up the tab - wrong. I now have to consider my next move. Should I send a  letter to the CEO or visit the police? I bought my french house to chill out in away from my hectic work life in the UK. Has anyone else had any problems with these machine since my original posting? On the positive side l had a good couple of weeks recently, some skiing etc, got back last sunday to UK.    

Dear Teamedup, It may be that CA are falling into line with money laundering rules. In the UK some of the banks went a bit OTT last year with the new rules. It was one of the many reasons I left Barclays after many years. Even though I had been a customer for 20yrs, 12 of those at the same branch, I had to start to show photo driving licence and have its long number recorded on the debit card slip, even when paying a Barclaycard bill in my branch of Barclays using my Barclays debit card! The money laundering rules concentrate on cash transactions, these envelopes are for cash only (pas de cheque) so maybe thats why ID is required. The other two options for ID are carte de sejour & CNI whatever that is? Let me know what they say to you in CA.  I got one the envelopes out to check the other forms of ID, I have just noticed the printed on the right are the instructions: A detacher avant d'inserer le feuillet dans la pochette. My translator software translates this to:To detach before inserting the leaflet into the sleeve. Thats fine on the top white copy your supposed to put in with the cash, but its also on the blue copy that your supposed to keep! How misleading is that?