Fugly

I understand that 'Castors' is an organisation that can help with DIY products, sourcing, pricing etc. Does anyone have a current phone number or address or e-mail for it? I can't even find it on the web - the search engines all think I want furniture castors!

I see you folks are having much the same conversation as my question 'Finance-bank accounts'. Hagar - you've certainly set a hare running with your information re your HSBC/CCF transactions. I too have investigated this, and was told by someone at HSBC, in 'telephone banking' a  - an electronic transfer would take several days and cost £20 b - the quaintly titled 'worldpay' system (mentioned by someone else here as well) would cost £9.00 and take AT LEAST a week. c - foreign transfers can't be done on the internet. You have to go into your branch and sign a form to authorize them! How bizarre is that? If it  wasn't so exasperating we'd be vastly entertained at the comedy value of it all.  I'm actually with First Direct, which is a subsidiary of HSBC, and in fact they would only charge me £10 to transfer funds to a CCF account, via net  or phone instructions, - less than the ' mother' company. ! Perhaps H. can tell us where his magical S.Wales branch is, or track down a name in the depths of the HSBC organisation that will authorize the fee-free net account?

Thank you all for the info which I am checking out. Hagar-the website was very useful, but I can't locate the 11 regional branches you mention. Do you know what or where they are? Do they have a different name? I shall be living in NE Creuse, and as far as I can see the nearest CCFs will be Limoges or Clermont-F. For me, Gueret, Chateauroux or Montlucon would be nearer. I have a Maestro card, and in England you can withdraw money from many other banks ATMs without charge. I have also withdrawn money from my English current account, in France, with the Maestro card, but paid a £1.75 fee for that. I would naturally look to open a French account where I'm not paying a fee to get at my own money (as would we all!). What are the charges like comparing writing cheques ,to using a debit card? Either with CCF - or anyone else's experiences?

What a shame  - I was thinking of going with La Poste, as, reading other people's comments elsewhere in the forum, it seems to emerge as one of the cheapest. The banks in the town I'm about to go and live in are Banque Populaire and CA. BP seems to be expensive and CA very fragmented, although frankly the whole system seems chaotic to me at the moment! What does CCF stand for, and where can it be found? I'm with HSBC in England and I understand CCF has links with it. It's not a bank I've noticed when I've been travelling round France. Does anyone know of any other French banks that have links with HSBC?

Can anyone advise how long it takes to be able to use a bank account in France, after opening it? ie - get the cheque book, sign cheques, draw money?

In the UK Moneyfacts magazine provides comprehensive details about every aspect of banks and banking. Does anyone know if France has an equivalent publication, so you can really get to grips with comparing the costs of current accounts, credit card usage etc?