Oboulez Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 In the next few weeks we will be moving pernamently to what was previously our holiday property. My UK occupational commutation and pension will be paid into a UK bank. My partner has had a CA Morbihan account for a few years in her name (not exactly a trouble free experience), however I need to open one, and I see that CA Normandie have a 'Britline' account which is English speaking. Has anybody any experience of this or other suggestions? My initial thoughts are that it might be prudent to have an English speaking bank given that I intend making some fair sized investments in France in the next year and I would hate anything to be "lost in translation". CA seems to be a regionalised mutual, so as such appears that each departement has it's own mutual quite unconnected with the others. Given I will be living in Morbihan, intending on investing further south, but having an account in Normandie - is CA Britline a sensible option? Also, can anybody give me an early heads up on the tax implications or other such grief re what we are about to embark upon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Yes, it is a sensible option. My situation is nearly the same as yours. We live in Maine et Loire (49), but have a CA Britline account. This was due to the English speaking aspect. I have never had any complaints and forme, they have provided a great, friendly, trouble free service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oboulez Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share Posted May 30, 2011 Thanks Stan. I sent an email to CA Britline last week with some questions regarding how CA in general & CA Britline in particular was structured. I got a call back from somebody from CA Vendee suggesting I sign up with them. It all seemed genuine & fairly straightforward, however being the hard nosed cynic I am I do not want to chuck all my eggs into something which seems 'too good' without doing a bit of homework first, and this forum has proved extremely useful in the past as a knowledge and experience sharing source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I'm very pleased with Britline. We opened another account here too but have never been as pleased with the other bank as with them. And when I was in hospital for months my o/h could talk to them (he speaks average French but isn't really confident with the complicated stuff, especially over the phone) and sort out the finances which are usually my department.[:)] They are courteous and helpful and I've had good service from their insurance arm too (in settling a claim.)On the downside, they want vast amounts of paperwork and documentation to open an account. Far more than the francophone divisions of the bank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 We've had a CA Britline account for nine years and we're in the Dordogne. We have had no problems whatsoever and on the few occasions we've had to phone them we got through to someone to talk to quite quickly. We are only here in the summer months though. There may be implications that I don't know about if you're here full time.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyA Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I agree with all the above. We have had excellent service from them in the seven years since we opened the account. We live near Caen and have sometimes gone in in person and they have always been very professional and helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f1steveuk Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Have to agree with all above, CA Britline has singlehandedly kept my faith in banks alive! We get one or two calls a year, just to see how things are, they've been very very helpful and have genuinely bent over backwards to get things done, sometimes to silly deadlines, the only downside is going into the local CA, they don't seem to like interacting with Britline, it's like a different company! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinabee Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Have a look at this guide to taxation in Francehttp://www.french-property.com/guides/france/finance-taxation/taxation/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
confused of chalus Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 We are with CA Centre Ouest and have found they have taken enormous trouble to accommodate us - the local branch where we have our account has one quite good English speaker and she takes a lot of trouble to translate into English if we look at all confused. When we were setting up car insurance they sent a specialist (she was an English girl with French mother) and she guided us through. There's always an English speaker at head office in Limoges and if we were to need them, they would come out to our local branch.We find it reassuring to have our bank on our doorstep, to have the manager shake our hand as he passes, even though we do most money management on line and get our cash out of the machine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 The Britline covers the whole of France, even though it is based in Normandy.The staff at Britline are very good and are the reason that I stay with Credit Agricole. They have helped me save a lot of money, getting the right accounts etc.My children also phone Britline for help. They are emerging adults and although bilingual, are not that confident of talking to French bank managers about their finances. All the staff are very patient with them and very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oboulez Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Thanks very much indeed everybody for your contributions. You have assisted me greatly, and will be opening a Britline account.Regards Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolty Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I am intrigued to know how you all manage to pay money into a CA Britline account? They are now all 'regionalised' and CA Britline is now nothing to do with any other CA branch. You can ONLY deal with them.When I first opened my account in 2002, I could withdraw euros via any french cashpoint from my UK account and immediately deposit the cash in my french CA Account, via my local CA branch. Sometime in 2005 (I think) I withdrew money via the CA cashpoint from my UK account and went into the local bank to pay it into my CA French account (Dept17). They would not accept the cash credit to my account, as the account was 'now not in their region' "But I have standing orders to meet on my account" I said "Tough" (or french equivalent) said bank clerk. I said "so how do I now credit my CA Britline account if I can no longer do it locally?" Famous shrug. How charming!Bottom line. I was unable to pay cash into my local CA to meet standing orders due and the buggers bounced all four. Charged me in excess of 200 euros for the privelege and said I could not have a french bank account for the next 5 years .Naturally, I immediately closed my CA Britline account. I now bank with Credit Mutuel, with (to date) no such problems. So bonne chance to you wirh CA Britline, if you are not in Caen, you will find the account is useless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Bolty, it covers the whole of Normandy now, not just Caen.To pay in cash you need to use a Mandate Cash from the Post Office. It is certainly very slow compared with paying direct into a branch but it does work. But yes, you are right - it is one of the snags. As I'm 5ks from the Normandy border it's not an issue for me since I only have to drive a few k's to find a branch with a machine which takes deposits. http://www.britline.com/how-to/credit-funds-to-your-britline-account.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyboop Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Bolty, just go into your local CA(withdraw cash from english account at machine) then ask to do a versement d'place (sp) take with you your cheque book (for the RIB) and passport, no probs, I did this only 3 weeks ago.Just follow Cooperlola's link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I use Britline, if you want to pay cheques in just send them by post.Transferring money from UK just write CA a cheque - no probs.Best way to get an account is to get your UK bank to write them a letter of recommendation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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