French banks

[wmw]

We have held a CA Britline account since 2004 and it has been useful having an English speaking bank.

However, we are now looking to change banks and wonder whether anyone can give us any advice which Bank to go for.

We would prefer to still have access to a bank with English speaking facilities (although not essential).

We are based in Creuse (23).

 

[NormanH]

One of the advantages (some might say the only) advantage of CA is that has branches in many places where others don't.

The Creuse is pretty rural; wouldn't it be best to open an account with La Banque Postale which has the same sort of ubiquitous service?

[John Brown]

We use CA Centre France and find them really good. Mind you, I do 99% of my banking on the internet.

Their English speaking help-line is good but you do have to wait a while to speak to someone

Funny how you first pick which bank to use.

CA were the only bank, when we first arrived in France willing to change a couple of 500 Euro notes into lower denominations

So we opened an account !

Welcome to Creuse

John

[sid]

Out of interest (because we have a Britline account too) what has prompted you to change?

 

[wmw]

Certainly an option...thanks for your thoughts!

[wmw]

CA Centre could well be an option.

It's always handy to have an English speaking option although, like you, most of our banking is done online these days.

 Enjoying Creuse......we were in Gers before this.

Thanks

Wendy

[idun]

Personally I wouldn't touch the ca with a bargepole, such were my dealings with them.

I would go round local banks to see who is most helpful, as was said, it is funny how we chose these places.

I would not make a choice by their level of english. French banks can 'mess up' all too easily and all in french, so speaking english would never have been the reason I chose a bank.

[sid]

Britline is not just an English-speaking bank but it's also an online and telephone bank, so it has no branches as such. That's 2 advantages for some people, especially if your French isn't good or you live some distance from a town.

This has been discussed before and it comes down to personal preference. To say there were "dealings" without being specific doesn't really give a balanced view. It could be a local branch problem, or a personal interface thing.

It's correct that you can find one particualr branch helpful when you go to sign up, but there's absolutely no guarantee that the same person will be there 6 months later; banks have a policy of shifting staff around.

I've managed for 9 years without needing to visit a branch, just as I never visit my UK branch now.

I'm irritated by the apparent inability to allow me to set up virements online, but otherwise the service has been satisfactory.

 

 

 

[idun]

Remember sid that I was in France for many many years when there was no internet banking or telephone banking for that matter and it was down to getting good service with local branches and all in french.

My dealings with the CA  were via an assoc when I was treasurer and I used several local branches as the branch where we actually banked with was some distance away, the original treasurer worked there, I think. I didn't have proper service from any of their branches, far worse than the very mediocre banks I was using at the time. Every time I went in it was a fiasco, they couldn't add up or actually count money properly and as a former bank clerk, I did not appreciate their attitude or inefficiency. Last time I went in, I needed to draw cash out for our assoc, the treasurer unavailable and me being president then I went instead. They gave me a card to get the money out of the machine, in notes, which was as much use as a chocolate fireguard to us, as we needed change for a braderie we were organising. But they wouldn't let me have any.  For a little assoc, we were very good at fund raising and had a very big bank balance. And yet, for us good customers, they would not accommodate us in any way what so ever.

I have telephone and internet banking with my current main french bank. Is it good? efficient? not really, what I do have is a conseillere at my branch who tries and is as helpful as her employers let her be, and with french banking I cannot / dare not hope for more.

[John Brown]

 As you point out it is all about front line service and unfortunately staff move around or leave.

That's why I made the point in my post that I do 99% of my banking on-line.

I've been with Santander in the UK since it was Abbey National in 1968 but would change in a flash if I could ( no UK address now )

Last fiasco was I sent up a direct debit and their fraud section completely locked me out of my account for over 3 weeks because they didn't like something.

No reason was ever given, no appology made !

So CA seem good by comparison ( so far )

[idun]

Would that my internet banking in France was 'good'. But it isn't and when it isn't and I have real problems, my conseilliere does her best, and gets numbers for me to call and they do not help.Even she calls. So I call her again and then we decide I should fax her and she does what I should be able to do, only it takes far longer.

Good front line service, priceless, as far as I am concerned.