French equivalent of Registered letter

[minnie]

Anyone know what this is called. I know recorded is recommandee but what is registered letter called?

Thanks

[idun]

It is called recommande avec accuse de reception

[Simon-the-censored]

You can send them on-line if you like - here's the link:

https://lettreenligne.laposte.fr/lregp/accueil.action

Simon :-)

[allanb]

[quote user="idun"]It is called recommande avec accuse de reception[/quote]

I don't think that's quite right.  I think the French lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception is

equivalent to "recorded delivery" in the UK, where the letter (or

whatever it is) may not have any great value, but you get a signature to

prove delivery.

Isn't "registered mail" for valuable things

that you want to insure against loss for a stated amount?  If that's

right, there's a French postal service called Colissimo which lets you track the item until delivery, and which also lets you insure it.  That might be more like it.

[minnie]

I'm somewhat puzzled because the insurance company have asked us to send a registered letter to cancel our policy. I would have thought recommandee would have done...Thanks everyone for your contributions

[Quillan]

OK there are two types.:

Lettre Recommandée - Basic form and requires a signature on reception, you get a receipt from the post office when you post the letter. You can ask the post office if it been delivered but you have to wait about 14 days and you have to go there but at least you have proof you posted it. I think, but am not sure, that you can check for delivery on-line.

Lettre Recommandée avec Accusé Réception - This is the same as above except there is a card part of the form that is signed on reception and given back to the postman who puts it back in the postal system and it comes back to you so you have written proof it's arrived and signed for.

What you want is just the plain old Lettre Rcommandée, it's worked for me. If by the way you are changing insurance companies the new company will normally do all this for you. I am not too sure what the insurance is for but some insurances are compulsory, like cars, so if you do it yourself you either have to prove you have sold the car or that you have insured it with another company. Not too sure about houses, it might be the same especially if you have a loan on the house but I suspect others will know more than me. I normally let my new insurance company deal with it and so far (moved all my insurances three times in 10 years) I have not had a problem.

 

[minnie]

Thanks Quillan. It's actually health top-up. I'm giving the required 2 months notice and have not finally made up my mind on the new one - though I think it'll be Exclusive as they seem very competitive.

[Quillan]

Well if I were you I would look at http://www.devismutuelle.com which is a price comparison website rather like the UK insurance ones like "compare the market" etc. I don't know how good your French is but you can always get the Google plugin for your browser (just Google "Google Toolbar") which will give you translation on the 'fly' when looking at French websites. Personally I only stay with a company for two to three years then change. At the moment I am with Swiss life for my Mutual which gives me free glass's and 200% cover for 93 Euros for us both (we get a discount because of my heart condition and diabetes which gives me 100% state cover on some stuff so they don't have to pay for it). There are cheaper ones around but they don't offer so much cover.

The reason for moving around is quite often when you check on deals your own insurer is offering the same insurance as you have for less but they have this thing that you can't have it if your already a client. My French friends tell me that to beat the system you move around every couple of years and it's so much simpler now it's on the Internet.

Anyway good luck.

[idun]

You just ask at the post office about the value of the thing you are sending and they will tell you what you can 'insure' it up to.

I have no idea what registered post is if it is not recommandee avec accuse de reception, none what so ever.

GRRRRR I hate qwerty key boards GRRRRRR

[allanb]

[quote user="idun"]

I have no idea what registered post is if it is not recommandee avec accuse de reception, none what so ever.[/quote]

I'm not completely certain, but I'd still vote for colissimo.  If you don't think it is the equivalent of registered mail, what is it?

[Quillan]

Colissimo, well the first four letters give it away (Colis) which means parcel, Colissimo is for sending parcels and therefore can be insured to the value of the goods included. The first word in Lettre Recommandée gives us a clue as it means letter and therefore you don't insure the value. Both of these have two options when you send them and both give you a receipt for postage when you send them. One is just signed for on reception the other is still signed for but there is a card that is removed after signature and returned to the sender. Hope that clears things up.

[Jay]

[quote user="Quillan"]Colissimo, well the first four letters give it away (Colis) which means parcel, Colissimo is for sending parcels and therefore can be insured to the value of the goods included. The first word in Lettre Recommandée gives us a clue as it means letter and therefore you don't insure the value. Both of these have two options when you send them and both give you a receipt for postage when you send them. One is just signed for on reception the other is still signed for but there is a card that is removed after signature and returned to the sender. Hope that clears things up.[/quote]

A lettre recommandee is insured, there a 3 or 4 value bands starting at about 15€ and going up to about 450€. They will generally ask you in the post office the value of the item. It is the lettre recommandee that has a card (accuse de reception) which is sent back to the sender once it is delivered.

[Simon-the-censored]

I'm loosing the will to live reading this post! Get a grip and get the dictionary out guys!! It's not difficult......

See above for the link to send a registered / recorded delivery letter on-line.

Simon:-)

[Jay]

[quote user="Simon-come-lately"]..... Get a grip and get the dictionary out guys!! It's not difficult...... [/quote]

I don't understand your comment.

[allanb]

I think this is exactly the sort of question that can't be answered from a dictionary.  Colissimo is a trade name, and in any case, there may not be exact equivalents.

Going back to the original post, it would be interesting to know what the insurance company was really asking for when it used the word "registered".

I almost hate to mention it, but there's also a thing called Chronopost...

[Quillan]

They are canceling their Mutual and if it were me I would use the normal Lettre Recommandée as it has always worked for anything I have had to cancel in the past.

Just as a side issue our post office will only accept letters as Lettre Recommandée (as of about a year ago - you can get away with a CD/DVD in a paper case but not plastic) where as before you could put small items in, anything else has to go Colossimo.

[minnie]

Thanks everyone especially Quillan. I sent it yesterday by

Lettre Recommandée. I also e-mailed the company to say it's on it's way. Renewal was due 1 April.

Also thanks for the web link Quillan. Our French is good enough to see us through that.

[Gardengirl]

[quote user="Simon-come-lately"]I'm loosing the will to live reading this post! Get a grip and get the dictionary out guys!! It's not difficult...... See above for the link to send a registered / recorded delivery letter on-line. Simon:-)[/quote]

I don't know what dictionary you have, but mine's an enormous Oxford/Hachette, which only has 'lettre accusé' in it. I would definitely go for 'lettre recommandé avec accusé de reception'. I equate that with UK registered; just 'lettre accusé' I equate with recorded. At least with that the former you have proof delivered to your letterbox that it has been delivered.

Edit: I've just clicked on the 'torn paper' symbol, as it all turned out 'block quote'.

[idun]

Simon come lately, what do you expect on a board such as this.

No idea how we managed in 1981 when we arrived in France, but we did and a lot better than an awful lot of people these days seem to do, when all the answers are out there and phone calls are often free.

I never used to lose the will to live when I used to read these threads, BUT I would sometimes get annoyed and most of the time be simply gobsmacked and would keep my comments to myself most of the time, but not always and at this point I would do a smiley, but I can't.

[allanb]

I wish I understood the effect of the phrase "avis de réception".

According to La Poste, the service "lettre recommandée" (on its own, without any mention of "avis de réception")  provides une preuve de distribution signée par le destinataire ou son mandataire.

But -

... pour vous assurer que votre correspondant a bien reçu le courrier que vous lui avez envoyé, vous pouvez choisir l’option "Avis de réception". Cet avis de réception vous sera retourné par La Poste, signé par le destinataire ou son mandataire.

If there's a difference, it escapes me.

[Jay]

[quote user="allanb"]I wish I understood the effect of the phrase "avis de réception".

According to La Poste, the service "lettre recommandée" (on its own, without any mention of "avis de réception")  provides une preuve de distribution signée par le destinataire ou son mandataire.

But -

... pour vous assurer que votre correspondant a bien reçu le courrier que vous lui avez envoyé, vous pouvez choisir l’option "Avis de réception". Cet avis de réception vous sera retourné par La Poste, signé par le destinataire ou son mandataire.

If there's a difference, it escapes me.[/quote]

Seems quite obvious to me, the first option the letter is signed for and the second option "Avis de réception" you get a receipt with copy of the signature returned to you in the post. Used these lots of times, about 1€ extra for the avis de réception.