Jeez...The Flintstones are more up-to-date...Free

[YCCMB]

French

logic, eh? Can you beat it. Just got my mobile bill from Free. I owe

them a massive 2€. When I set up my account, they took my credit card as

payment, and since then they've happily been debiting me monthly with

the 2€. So, this month I have a new credit card and when the bill

arrived it reminded me to update the details. I can't. I can give them a

RIB (Yeah, right, like I'm going to do THAT) but I can't update my

credit card details. The website just doesn't allow for that. So I

phoned them. Apparently, all I can do is wait till they send me a

reminder, telling me it's overdue, at which point I can THEN give them

my new card details. But not before. Oh no, not even on the phone.

Moronic. Even better, they said they'd send me an SMS when my bill is

overdue. But as I don't need my French phone in England I haven't paid

for overseas use, so I'll never see the SMS. BUT, they would let me pay

€10 so I CAN receive calls on my French mobile in the UK. You couldn't

make it up.

[Chancer]

I found that the service agents on the phone whilst really helpfull and "unFrench" were actually quite limited in what the system would allow them to do despite their best intentions, I had a similar situation, I had to pay them 2 centimes, trouble was for whatever reason my banks system would not allow a transaction so small using my debit card.

From memory I think I did let them have my RIB as they just debit the monies now each month, although as I have the "free" Free €2 abonnement I rarely go over and have paid less than €5 in a year, this 2cts was something the first month, that I had to pay myself, the person assured me that they would not cust of my line for 2cts, the exact words she used (except in English), within 4 hours my mobile ceased to function, cant quite recall how we overcame the problem but it was with their help and the next person was equally helpfull, I hesitate to use the word "unFrench" again but thats the best description, UK levels of customer service and in general behind that a very unfrench company but I do find that some of the things they do arent thought through completely, that said they are very reactive and quick to market.

If you wont let them have an RIB, and I do understand your reluctance, then do you have to manually pay your abonnement and any call charges yourself each month?

[YCCMB]

Nope, up to now they've simply debited my UK credit card and it's all worked swimmingly. If you try to edit your account details on your espace client, though, then the only option is to give them a RIB, you can't update your credit card details. And I'm very fussy about who I give a RIB to: it's like giving them a sawn-off shotgun and a face mask.

[YCCMB]

Nope, up to now they've simply debited my UK credit card and it's all worked swimmingly. If you try to edit your account details on your espace client, though, then the only option is to give them a RIB, you can't update your credit card details. And I'm very fussy about who I give a RIB to: it's like giving them a sawn-off shotgun and a face mask.

Trouble is, without wanting to sound big-headed, she clearly thought I was French, so I don't think she could grasp the concept that I wouldn't want to use my French mobile in the UK, nor that I don't really use my French bank account for much if I can avoid it.

[NormanH]

I have a similar situation with SFR whose accounting is even worse (I have both and can compare).

They can't get their act together with my bank to take the amount directly from my account, but they won't let me pay the bill by card, because it shows up on their system that I pay by direct debit.

Each month I have to wait until the payment doesn't go through as it never does, and then I get an accusing call saying that I am in arrears at which point I am then allowed to pay by card

To be fair to Free I have never had the slightest problem with them.

[Patf]

Norman - your experience with SFR (whatever that is) - I have the same silly situation with Orange.

And these companies are supposed to be experts in internet technology [8-)]

[Hoddy]

Orange. Some of you may remember that when we got here in April we had letters threatening us with the bailiffs for non-payment of our bills even though they had our livebox and an RIB. They insisted they did not and yet since we got here, retrieved the livebox and starting generating a bill, the cost has been taken from our account without us having to make a new RIB.

As Patf says - these people are supposed to be the experts.

Hoddy

[YCCMB]

Why is banking, paying and generally doing anything with one's own money so difficult in France? OK, OK, I know the British banking system got us into an awful mess, but is the French banking system any healthier or more secure? It's got to the stage where we keep the bare minimum in a French account, because getting it out again or using it seems to be like trying to rob them. Only robbing them might be simpler. Last time (when we still had one) our French credit card came up for renewal, it was sent to the UK whilst we were in France. Our Telepeage account was suspended within 24 hours because the credit card had expired and we couldn't give them the new details as the card wasn't available. They cancelled so quickly, yet when I phoned them to reactivate the account they said it would take five working days.

[NormanH]

I think it is the accounting departments of the Internet/telephone companies which create the problems rather than the technical one.

I have been with Free, SFR, and Orange at different times, and the quality of service has been fine from all three as far as things such as the  download speed or the fact that there is no limit (as yet) on the quantity received. I can watch TV in HD on both my Free and SFR lines for example.

This ties in with Betty's point about money, and Chancer has previously posted about such things as the limitations on how much of your own money a French bank lets you spend.

On the other hand I was with Abbey National and they just closed my accounts, keeping the balance because they judged I wasn't using them. I had no notice of this, nor did they refund the paltry amounts owed to me.

[YCCMB]

That's funny, Norman. The law in the UK is quite clear.

[url]http://www.bba.org.uk/media/article/understanding-and-locating-dormant-accounts[/url]

[url]http://www.mylostaccount.org.uk/[/url]

Unlike my unused funds in Societe General, which I lost when I had to rush home from France as my father was dying, and I've been unable to get back since 1977.

[NormanH]

Thanks Betty I had no idea that those sites existed.

I will follow up:)

It is most of all a nuisance as I would have liked to keep an account open for the rare occasion when I receive or have to pay sterling cheques, such as a tax refund they were unable to send to a French account despite all the electronic communications that exist nowadays.

[YCCMB]

My pleasure. Your desire to keep a UK account is actually one of the reasons stated for people having accounts yet losing touch with the bank. If you have some/most/all of the details, it should be reasonably straightforward, although a bit time-consuming, to get your money back...plus interest, if interest was supposed to have been paid.

[Quillan]

Funny enough I have just finished an hour long phone call with ERDF and the mentality is the same.

We are on our third meter. Our meter does not register electricity used on a red day (we are on TEMPO) which is the most expensive electricity you can buy, around 10 cents per unit when it is a red day. They want to come and change my meter again so I have explained we are on the third meter, the problem is the same and that we have also had a French approved electrician present, at my expense, when the technician visited and they agreed there is no problem in my house.

The lady could not find any information on the previous two meter changes, only the last one. Every time they change a meter their system has to close the electricity account and open another, nothing actually ties the meter to the house address other than the account number. Fortunately I have all my dates and bills so I was able to tell her the previous account numbers which have the fault calls logged against them and the meter associated with that account. She then said "Ah so this is the third meter then?", great only 30 minutes and now she understands.

You may think, free electricity, I will have some of that, why did you tell them. Well I was worried because in the UK when we had a problem once they estimated the bill and we had to pay. This problem is in it's third year (well it will be in December) and of course I was worried I would end up with a massive bill for thousands of Euros. Good news, in France they can only charge you on the units burnt as per the meter so as mine is still at 000000 I won't be charged for the red days.

What I find is so total outstanding is the mentality. The meter does not count, the meter is therefore faulty. Nobody checks and thinks, three meters, perhaps there is another problem somewhere else. I even suggested that they place a device in the substation to see if it picks up a red day because I am sure the problem is the 'tone' not getting to my house but that is "very difficult to do because the technician will have to visit two times in two days and he is very busy plus he only comes to your area on Thursdays.". Honestly it is so daft you couldn't make it up. Still I am in the clear and my house positively glows with heat on red days during the winter.

[Quillan]

[quote user="You can call me Betty"]My pleasure. Your desire to keep a UK account is actually one of the reasons stated for people having accounts yet losing touch with the bank. If you have some/most/all of the details, it should be reasonably straightforward, although a bit time-consuming, to get your money back...plus interest, if interest was supposed to have been paid.
[/quote]

There was something on UK TV about Abbey Nat this year. Seems when it was taken over by the Spanish bank who's name I can't spell all the 'dormant' accounts were 'lost'. Some people had real money, like a couple of grand, in some of these accounts. They even had 'pass books' with the amounts in them but the new owners would not accept them as proof as they could have taken the money out without using their 'pass book' which you could do if you had ID and a bill with your address on.

[idun]

I have come to the conclusion that call centre workers in general, don't listen to anything that is being said to them. What is 'obvious' to me goes completely over their heads.

Not just France, I called the HSBC a couple of days ago, ended up in an indian call centre and they told me a load of rubbish. Said that what I was being told was right and they had checked, true they had asked me to hold and the system was XYandZ. So I wrote a scathing email which had only just gone off when I had a call, also from India, saying that they were the HSBC asking 'me' for security details. I had not asked for a call back and asked who this person was, and it was cold calling they said that they could not say anything until 'I' had passed security questions. I told them to give me a reference and I would ring them.

This has happened twice now with the same thing, cold calls saying they are my bank and then they have the cheek to ask me for security questions and how do I know who is calling. As it happens I was misinformed and that the 'rubbish' information given, was incorrect.

I had too many problems with phone companies in France. One Saturday the letter threatening me with a hussier arrived at 11.30. Post Office shut at 11 and the phone company offices were shut and I simply stood and screamed and screamed and screamed as loudly as I could. And for once I understood why men often 'hit' things, I was a hair's breath from hitting the wall, only I knew I don't know how to punch and would probably have hurt my self.

[Chancer]

Dont try it, it hurts even when you know how to punch [:(]

[NormanH]

I also have a current problem with the EDF.

For complicated reasons which will no doubt become clear in future posts I have decided to open up my options by taking a small rented flat in a village some way away, not a million miles from chez Quillan. [:)]

I did all the usual things,including asking the EDF to add the address as a  second contract,  and fortunately have an 'Etat des lieux' which details the meter reading.

On the first facture they state that the reading for Heures Pleines is 0, when in fact it is 14700 [:-))]

This doesn't change anything for the initial bill, but obviously the second one would be 14700 units too many.

I phoned up to explain with the name of the last tenant so they could check, but no. I have to write with a photo copy of the Etat des lieux.

You would think that they would have the records for the meter somewhere along with the details of the last tenant!

Again it is the accounts department. When there have been power failures I have always found them very efficient.

At least the woman on the phone understood the situation and had a good laugh at my expense...

[Pommier]

We're with SFR for phone and internet, and since we had the line installed at our new house on 25th February, the service has been on and off several times a day. I've lost count of the number of technicians visits let alone phone calls "It's a very big problem" they say, but we know it's the line so I can't understand why it's insoluble! On the bright side, the last time I was phoned by SFR they said they'll refund everything I've paid since February (I'll wait and see with that!)

[Lehaut]

The UK is not much better. Bought an UK Orange SIM card for my UK phone for a visit to the UK in May. Tried to create an online account but Orange did not recognise the phone number, despite them sending me texts to that phone number here in France. Numerous calls to help lines reveals its an ongoing problem and is beyond their ability to solve! Gave my credit card details to the Orange help line to get phone credit. Never arrived. Tried the Orange helpers on Facebook, same story. Credit card never debited (thank goodness). Orange solution was to ring 950 on my card to add credit. Cannot do that from France as insufficient credit on phone! Yet they continue to sell the cards.

[idun]

And apparently the Orange PDG is doing a really great job and him currently being interviewed by a juge d'instruction* should not affect his position, him doing such a great job and all[Www].

Well I still cannot unblock my french Orange phone and I have done everything on that link to Orange France. I have called them and I have literally tried everything I can. So is Orange being well run????? I know what my answer is!

* Affaire Tapie