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?

Dear Teamedup & Val, the reason I put my passport details on the form is when I was shown the procedure by an employee of CA on the first occasion following conversation from a real bank to the current silly system The guy showed me that I could not use the envelopes provided along side the paying in machine. Instead I had to use special envelopes that are kept in a drawer. These envelopes are called versement d'especes deplace on which is a space for ID purposes. He asked if I had my passport. I always carry it so that was used for ID. I wish the letter box (deposit taker) did give a receipt like a lot of UK banks do, at least then I would have conformation that at least something entered the great black hole! I rang Britline today for an update, although I have said on previous postings that they are being helpful. My call today prompted the lady to say "glad you rang, not heard from Quillan CA branch, I must chase them up" Nice they are taking such a pro-active approach eh? She asked if I was going to visit the branch on my next visit. Cant think why I would want to do you. I told her my trust has gone, the staff dont speak english,* and I just might be a little rude! I told her I would rather pay the £20 per time swift transfer fee and send a large sum to top up the account than risk loosing another 500E, she got my point * I know I should speak french, its getting better but not upto a full blown financial dispute. I am learning.  

Thanks Jon & Ron, I am still waiting for the outcome of the "reclamation" enquiry. I am returning to my house in france on the 5th Feb (ski time) I will search the house again, I have all the other blue slips, my concern is that if I cant find the missing one then I either left it attached to the white one you include with the cash or dropped it in the bank. If that happened whoever opened the envelope would know I had a problem when it comes to proving the deposit. I may have to consider talking to the police. While filling in one of these envelopes a members of staff looked over and said you should also enclose a photocopy of your RIB! If this is a requirement why not put that info on the envelope. My passport details where on each of these envelopes, maybe they dont like the english? Most of french people I have met in my area appear to welcome the english, maybe I was unlucky this time.  Will keep you posted

I used Moneycorp, very helpful guy called Ricky Nelson, good rates, 1st class service.I bought my place June 2003. Phone number was 0207 808 0500. I also agree with comments above above re nationwide. I use them for cash withdrawals I believe they are the only one that does'nt make a charge for withdrawing cash. Also the exchange rate has been best! Good luck, where are you buying? Art

Hi, fond memories of xmas 2003, my first at french house (bought June 2003) It snowed on 22nd and on 25th at 12:30 it was sunny and warm. I have great pic of bottle of champagne on table in front of open window, sun streaming in, foothills of the gorge de la Pierre Lys as a back drop and snow still clinging to the side of the trees, Perfect. Xmas 2004 was pretty good too, sunbathing on 4th Jan in the garden! Art

Well if I lived in my french house(Aude) full time I would love to help. However I am still working in UK and travelling back & forward about 6/7 times a year I do something similar in the uk for a team, keep in touch Art

Chris, Did he kick the tyre's? and call you John all the time, always a give away. Art

Hi, sorry to read your news, thats a much bigger problem. At the moment mine is possibly a clerical error. Today I have been asked by Britline to formally request they take it further, which I did by fax. This enables them to do a "reclamation". This means they will look into the possibility my cash has gone into another account. They have admitted that they once spelt my name wrong, which they later corrected (news to me). I also now see that Britline in Calvados has to go through a regional office in the south, who then get onto the branch. This is why cash paid in under this new system takes 2-3 days to be credited. I have to give credit to the young lady at Britline who is dealing with me, she is helpful. I know if this happened in the UK the banking ombudsman would deal with it for me. Fingers crossed for us both eh. Art 

Hi, Thanks. If this situation happened in the UK I would contact the banking ombudsman and they would look into it.But in france its a bit like the police checking out the police! a bit too in house for my liking. A solicitor friend has advised me that the cost of recovery could be greater that 500e lost. I work hard when I am in the UK and the whole point of the french house was to de-stress. I have all my other paying in blue slips, I fear the worst that I either left this one stuck to the back of the white slip you enclose with the money or dropped it. The daft thing is that the info appears on the outside of the envelope as well, because all sheets have carbon. One bank employee looked over once and said you should include a photocopy of your RIB! Thats a new one, the rib number is written by the client on the envelope. Even when I was first shown the procedure the bank employee didnt mention including a copy rib. I think the bank should check the contents and stamp the blue copy the client keeps and they should put the envelope in the box.   

Many thanks, the blue flimsy slip is lost at the moment. I will have to search my house when I return in Feb. I have all the others for previous transactions and one following the disputed event. I only hope I didnt leave it attached by accident to the slip that goes in with the money! That would be very unlike me to make such a mistake. You would think the bank could just check their balance for that day, or they day they got round to doing the work!. It would appear to take between 2-3 day under the new system to credit cash into your account.

Thanks that is a very good idea, I am back in UK at present. I plan to be back in France in early Feb I will take it further when I am there. I am waiting for Britline to complete their investigate at present.