Wibblywobbly

The final chapter. My immobilier in Chateaubriant returned from a holiday in the States this week. We get on very well, so I dropped her an email telling her the saga so far. She simply picked up the phone, rang the bank, and they transferred the money. They claimed that they did not who I was, which was of course complete hogwash, they had more proof of my identity than you can shake a stick at. The exchange rate changes have probably cost me a couple of thousand in sterling, and I am not happy about that. If/when the MP or MEP get back to me, I will still ask them to look at what is going on in France, this 'hanging on to the money' is not right, and if it is costing customers large sums of money then something needs to be done. There is no reason why the bank cannot verify an identity, and complete the transfer in 1 day. It is not rocket science. May I take this opportunity to thank Idun for his assistance on this forum, it something that I appreciate more than words can say. Regards Rob G

The current situation. Emailed my Euro MP last week. No response. Emailed my local MP last week. No response. Emailed [email protected] which is the only email address that I can find for the Caisse D'Epargne Head Office. Returned as undeliverable three times. Does anyone know the correct email address for the head office? Rob G

Thanks for the info, but trust me, they have had umpteen perfectly clear emails, acknowledged them, stated that all the documentation is in order, and had proof of the source of the funds. I have also faxed them the instruction, and sent the original by post. Despite me doing everything that they have requested within minutes of me getting an email, they have simply asked another question. In response to the question on day 1 "What do I need to do to transfer xxx,xxx euro's to HIFX?' they could have quite simply listed the requirements. Whatever they were, I would have done them. They didn't do that, they simply asked me for something else, and keep doing it, then when I provided it, asked me for something else. When they ran out of things to ask for, they said that a decision would be made at a meeting on 12th, following which they did nothing, and told me nothing, and still didn't make the transfer or tell me that they were not going to, or why...and still haven't. I have spoken with HIFX today, and they have sent confirmation to CD'E confirming that I have an account with them, and confirmation of their FSA credentials. Still no response from CD'E. They have simply gone silent. I will try the link that you gave, thanks for that, much appreciated. Rob G

I have now sent copies of all communications to my Euro MP, highlighting not only my plight, but also advising him that this practice is being implemented by French banks nationally. I should perhaps mention that I was employed in the UK banking industry for many years, I have designed Europe wide banking platforms from the ground up, and well versed in FSA regs, money laundering legislation, and that I am fully aware that all requests for transfers should be processed the day that they are received. Cross border transfers should be a simple process, European banking legislation exists to allow this. The French banks are operating a virtual cartel of obstruction that has no grounds in law. It is obstruction, pure and simple. All that Caisse D'Epargne had to do on day 1 was confirm my identity, that the source of the funds was legitimate, and accept the instruction, then transfer the funds, the fact that they have not is beyond belief. Rob G

And the latest update is, the Bank mediation contact simply emailed back to say that they were not qualified to handle the case, and gave me a postal address to write to. Using this will take over a week, they did not give me an email address. Despite saying that they would make a decision at a meeting Tuesday, they didn't. They simply emailed HIFX asking for a 'certificate', without stating what sort of certificate they wanted. They also emailed someone who is on maternity leave, so that has gone into a black hole. I have all but given up any hope of ever being able to get my money, they have effectively allowed it to be paid into my account and refused to transfer it to HIFX, refused to accept an email request, refused to accept a fax, and refused to accept the original posted signed copy of the fax. They will not respond to any questions requesting their requirements in order to transfer the money. I am now completely at a dead end, with no way of doing anything about it. Even if what they are doing is illegal, it will cost me a small fortune in legal fees to get the money, which means I may simply have to abandon the whole process, and forget it was ever mine. Such is life. Rob G

The money has been there for over a month, I have the statements, plus the bank has confirmed it is there. They know that my spoken French is not good enough to undertake a telephone conversation, and refuse to take a call from a French speaking intermediary. Rob G

Well, the fax went Sunday, it is now Monday evening and no response. I have sent an email containing th full dialogue and history of my dealings with Caisse D'Epargne to [email protected] and copied it to the Customer Services contact at the bank. I will have to wait till tomorrow to see if this elicits anything at all. Rob G

Thanks for that info Idun, I have now sent them a signed fax, complete with all details, and will await their response. I will post the results on here. Rob G

[quote user="idun"]Firstly is this money in your french bank yet? My french neighbour's sister waited months to get her money from the sale of her house as the notaires hung on to it.  She had not told them that she wanted it immediately and they made it clear that they were entitled to hold it. Our money from the sale of our house took a full week to get into our account which I was extremely unimpressed with, as I had been clear that we wanted it immediately. Also I would doubt that you would be able to do it on the web anyway if it was over 3000€ which I have been told is now a web limit for transfers in many french banks. So if the money is in your account what I would do is start again. I would fax the bank with a signed letter telling them that you want your money transferring. Make sure that you have  all the details on this letter.  HIFX's contract should have all the details on it. So, HIFX's bank's name and address, their SWIFT / IBAN to pay HIFX  and your customer account number with them. And the amount in words and figures, I always do that so that there is no confusion, even though on my transfer forms it does not request it. The reason I say 'fax' is that my french bank does not like emails for transfers and like to see a signature. If you can wait a few days then send them a signed letter confirming the fax and a fax. IF they refuse to let you have your money, then I would tell them that I was going to porte plainte against the bank, and I would, I would call the local gendarmerie if they had not acted within a couple of days.   [/quote] They have had all of these details from day 1, plus my scanned signature on documents, plus the originals sent in the post. The big problem is that they will not respond to my question of 'what do I need to do'. eg : Pouvez vous confirmer : Est-ce qu'il est maintenant possible de compléter(d'achever) le transfert à HIFX ? Ou, Si je visite la banque(rive), puis-je compléter(achever) le transfert ? Response: Concernant votre demande de virement, la décision sera prise par le comité de direction mardi 12 Juillet. As to what this is all about is anyone's guess? If they asked for a fax, I would happily send them one. Rob G

I am guessing that the exchange rate would be nothing like as good as HIFX offer, plus I have no idea whether there would be any other hidden fees. The reason I haven't tried alternative routes is that they keep giving me the impression that if I respond to the latest request for information then the transfer will go ahead, but each time I satisfy their request, they ask another question. They won't even respond to simple questions such as 'what do I need to do to ensure that this transfer can proceed'. There has to be a way out of this nightmare, but I haven't a clue what it is. Rob G

Did you get any luck with your transfer? I sold a property that completed 6 June, I returned to the UK 4 April, having first paid a visit to my bank to confirm that there would be no problem with the transfer of the fund to the UK. Then the nightmare started. There was no email address on the bank website, so I asked my immobiler to get one, and after a week I get an email from the bank. What did I want? I told them that I wanted funds transferred to my UK bank via HIFX, thinking that this would be simple, I gave them all of the details. I am then asked for: A copy of my passport. Utility bills. Evidence of Employment. Evidence of State Benefits. Copies of payslips. I also gave them the Immobilier and Notaire contact details. I send all of this. Two reminders for a reply and I am sent a form to sign confirming that I have no income??? This was signed, scanned and sent back, the original went in the post. More reminders for a reply. No response. I even asked a French speaking friend (an immobilier 200 yards from the branch) to give them a call and find out what the problem was. They refused to talk to her as they do not have an account with them? I then send another email asking if the transfer can now go ahead, or do I need to drive down there and do this personally? I get an email not answering the question, but telling me that the matter has been referred to the 'Executive Committee', who will make a decision on 12 July? It doesn't even tell me what they are going to decide...??? This is my worst nightmare. I have no idea how to transfer the money electronically on the website, I can't see anything that will allow me to do that, it's Caisse D'Epargne, so if it is possible and anyone knows how to do it, could they point me in the right direction, I would be eternally grateful. Rob G

Littlejenny you are a star. I will see if I can track her down. I have to say that when I was looking for a property prior to buying this one, she spent almost an entire day taking me around the area and showing me properties. She knew I was looking for complete wrecks....and boy did she find some. Thanks again, I love forums. : ) Rob G

But what about sellers, why do they ignore those too? If I contact an estate agent in the UK they will be hammering on the door for my business within hours? I am not criticising the French way of conducting business, I am simply curious as to why anyone who runs a business does not want all the business that they can get. It costs nothing to respond to an email, and they can do it at a time that suits them, but they don't bother and that amazes me. Email is part of every business anywhere else, and usually a company will have a service standard of a reply within 24 hours. At the end of the day, if I was selling a house and the immobilier did not reply to my emails, my first thought would be, well if they are not replying to mine, how many potential buyers are they going to ignore if I place my property with them? It's a good test of any business that I contact. It tests their service standards and filters out the badly run ones so that I can avoid them.

I understand the email thing, a friend who runs a business down here tells me that the most effective form of communication from a marketing perspective is ye olde fax. Although I have created websites for him, I have also had to create a fax template so that he can let people know that his business exists. What I find amusing is that the French put their email address on their websites, but when you use it, they ignore it? I guess that I will have to take a drive around the agents next week, I was just trying to save myself some legwork as I need  a ballpark valuation on my place for insurance purposes. Rob G

I am looking for an English speaking agent in the Chateaubriant area, I know when I was looking 9 years ago there was an English girl that worked for one who showed me around 5 properties, but I cannot remember who she worked for. Are there any recommendations from the panel? Emails to various offices seem to go unanswered? Rob G

Baz is absolutely correct, in the event of a claim the insurance company may ask for evidence of departure and return. Eg Ferry Tickets. They may also check with the ferry company to check that you were on board. This is fraud and not only may they not pay out, they may take legal action. People seem to think that there is some wacky world of insurance whereby as long as you get a piece of paper saying 'I am insured' then all is well. It's not. If the piece of paper was obtained by giving false information then the contract is null and void. It really is that simple. Every time you ring your insurance company they will ask you 'Have there been any other changes that may affect your policy'. This means 'any' other changes that 'may' affect your policy, not just the bits of information that the customer decides 'might' affect the policy, or the bits of information that won't affect the premium. The bottom line is that underwriters assess risk on the basis of a myriad of data. There are some very complex algorithms that are used to calculate premiums, some of which would appear obvious, others are not. Any information that is provided affects the risk, but not all information affects the premium. All factors are taken into account, and it is not unusual for a change on one policy to affect the premium, whilst the same change on another would not. By providing misleading information the underwriters are not able to assess the applicable risk, and the incorrect premium is calculated. I can also assure you that if you are on the phone providing information then every call is recorded and instantly accessible. If there is someone in the background prompting the caller with responses to questions, and those prompts can be heard, then they are also recorded. This often happens when a parent is insuring their childs car in their name (regardless of whose name the vehicle is insured in), and the parent doesn't know all of the details regarding what should be their own car. Not only will the advisor seek to obtain honest answers, they will also note their suspicions on the system. Over time the calls and the notes build up a picture, and the insurers will without warning either cancel the policy or refuse to renew it. An insurer does not need to justify why they have cancelled a policy, they can do so at any time without stating why. This is done more often than most people realise. Insurance companies do not operate in isolation, they are linked, and in the event of suspected fraud they work together to unravel the truth. There are many tools at their disposal, and they use them. The perpetrator(s) of the fraud do not realise this until they attempt to claim. Take my advice, be 100% honest, and if you are in any doubt about anything at all then ring your insurance company and establish what you are insured for. Why avoid paying £100 for something when the repercussions of not being insured could land you with a court case and personal liability of several million pounds due to a fatal road traffic accident. Insurance is cheap when you consider the alternative.

First of all I have worked in the motor insurance industry in the UK, so this information is accurate. If the vehicle is UK registered then it is UK insured. The policy applies to the policy holder not the vehicle. A policy holder can amend their policy. Eg Change of vehicle, reg no, location, etc etc. To insure a vehicle under a UK policy the policy holder must have a financial interest in the UK, this usually means a house. The reason being that in the event of a dodgy claim the underwriters need to know that they can trace you. If any details provided by the policy holder are incorrect, or if any changes occur during the policy year and the insurers are not advised, then the insurers are quite within their rights to void any claims, or cancel the policy. This includes speeding tickets, or any other road traffic offences that are recorded on your licence. In the event of a claim when details arise of which they were not aware, they will apply those changes on a backdated basis and calculate the charges that would have arisen over the period. So if you do not tell them about your speeding tickets and have any increased premiums included in the current years premium, you may be in for a nasty shock in the event of a claim in 5 years time. Endorsements may only stay on your licence for 3 years, but insurance companies may apply a 5 year rule. The same goes for moving house, change of postcode etc etc. I have known cases where back payments of thousands of pounds have been required before they will settle a claim. As an aside, do not ever insure a child's car in your name, with them as a named driver when in reality it is their car. It is called Fronted Risk. They are very clever at establishing who the main driver of the vehicle is, and in the event of a claim they will do so. If they have so much as a suspicion that this is the situation they will not hesitate to cancel all family policies, at which point anyone in the family will have serious problems getting car insurance ever again. If your vehicle is insured in the UK opt for automated renewal. I have known of cases where someone has spent the best part of the year in France driving around in a £30k car, not realising that the renewal notice was sent to their UK address and never renewed. They have been totally uninsured. The consequences are too frightening to think about. Their is a widespread illusion that if you have Comprehensive cover then 'you can drive any other vehicle with the owners permission' with 3rd party cover. This statement is misleading to many. What it actually refers to is when you are a passenger in a car and the insured driver is unable to drive. It is for emergency use only. It is not free named driver insurance. Named drivers have exactly the same cover as the policy holder. Ok, now for the 'green card'. Forget the term 'green card' insurance completely. If you have a UK registered car, and you are a UK resident, and your policy is taken out through a UK insurance company then the following applies: Comprehensive policies. By default the comprehensive cover applies to the United Kingdom only. Extension of that cover into the countries listed as 'European' by the underwriters depends on who you are insured with. The list of countries is standard, France is on that list, and is in Zone 1. Eg Not a dodgy high risk country to drive in. Depending on your insurance company your extension of cover for France (though this will include the other countries as well), will depend entirely on their policy terms. There is no universal rule. If you have comprehensive cover, you automatically get the minimum legal cover for any country that you are travelling in. This may be loosely interpreted as 3rd party cover. You do need to tell your insurers that you are travelling abroad, your date of departure and your date of return. They need to know the risk that they are insuring. You also need to tell them whether you are towing anything. Some companies will extend your Comp cover for 3 days for free. Some companies will extend your cover for 30-90 days for free. Some companies will extend your cover to for a 'maximum' 30-90 days in the policy year for an additional fee. Some companies will extend your cover for a full year and include it in your policy premium. The small print will usually make it clear that this does not mean that you can leave the country for 12 months and remain insured. There are no hard and fast rules, if you are unsure then ring them and ask them. Double check the answer (politely), as the turnover of staff in call centres is high, and the training is very intense with a very steep learning curve. You have no way of telling if the person you are talking to is on their first day, or their 30th day. There are also some temp workers who couldn't give a monkeys what they tell you. Your only recourse is to be very specific about what you ask and to provide accurate responses to all questions. If you have been given incorrect information on that basis and the worst happens, then all calls are recorded. It takes seconds for a manager to listen to all calls related to your policy, and they discover that you were given misleading information, the insurer will stand by the policy. Do not 'demand to speak to a manager' unless you have a complaint. If the advisor is unsure about something they have contacts within the office that they can refer to, plus an arsenal of information on their pc. Finding fine details in the small print of some obscure document (there are hundreds) may take them several minutes, so be patient. I hope that clarifies a few things, but in all eventualities, if you have any doubts about your specific policy and what is covered, and when, just pick up the phone and ask them. Its free advice, they are there to help you and to ensure that you, the policy holder, are insured with the level of cover that you require. The worst times to call are 8-10am, and 4-6pm. The best time is 30 minutes before they shut the lines each day. Rob G

Try France-Excavatuers, they supply exactly what you are looking for...apart from the washing machine!

Just spoke to Triumph Customer Services. Work that needs to be done? Change the headlights. French tune on the fuel injection to reduce the power to 106bhp. Clocks will switch to kph, so they are ok. That's it. Seems simple enough, I can get the French tune done here anytime for almost 'free', and a set of used light units should be available somewhere if I search hard enough. I should even be able to hook my HID low beam unit back up afterwards.

Perhaps the term 'reputable Triumph mechanic' has a different meaning in France. If the work is done in the UK, and certified on Triumph headed paper, by a Triumph approved mechanic, with a French translation if required, and including the part numbers, is that acceptable to gain the required certification? Or does it have to be done in France by an unknown French mechanic who may, or may not, scribble on bits of paper. [:P] It has to be said that according to local legend, a proportion of native French riders de-restrict their bikes anyway? [8-|] I will contact the gentleman at Triumph France when the need arises, or have a word with the UK office, and see what I can find out. Regards Rob G

Would I get charged the 115 euro's if I had the work done in the UK? I have access to a very reputable Triumph mechanic who will do the conversion over here for a lot less than dealer rates. Cheers Rob G

You are a star, thanks a million! Rob G

Thanks for the info, very much appreciated. I am puzzled by the kph/mph speedo issue though, as the Tiger comes with a digital speedo that can be switched between kph/mph and the other functions that can be switched between metric/imperial/u.s. imperial? I am assuming that identical displays are fitted for all markets. The 100bhp restriction is a pain though, not that I am a speed freak nowadays, but I just don't like the idea of an engine running at less than optimal operating efficiency. Maybe I will have to ride it around until autumn and then decide what to do. I will make enquiries about how the power is restricted, I know someone in the trade that is 'very knowledgeable' about all things Triumph. Again, many thanks, Rob G

Hi all Can anyone tell me where I obtain a CoC for a Tiger 1050, is it via the dealer, or direct from Triumph? The next thing is, as it is a full power (but totally unmodified, apart from a dip beam HID unit) UK spec bike, is there anything that I have to change on the bike if I decided to import it? And lastly, how long can I keep a vehicle in France before I have to register it there? I want to keep everything legal but timescales seem to work against me. I want to let out my UK house and move to France to complete the renovations on my house there. The minimum letting period will be 6 months, which means that even if I wanted to move back in under 6 months I won't be able to as I have nowhere to live! The plan is to get the French place complete and if everything works out, move over permanently, but until I have been here for that initial 6 months I won't know if that is going to be a reality. Cheers Rob G

You could try France-Excavateurs, they are just outside of Chateaubriant, hire and sell excavators and spares, and they are English owned. They deliver all over France and unlike the French owned comapanies they operate out of hours and provide an 'English' level of service...which might be why they are so popular!