Bank Charges

[donc]

At the moment I pay approx 90 euros a year for a cheque account with visa card and a further 2.5 euros per month for internet banking.I don't pay any other changes. Banque Laydernier Chamonix

As I am reviewing my budgets ,is this an excessive amount or about par for the course?

Cheers

[Clair]

It depends on what you need and what you get for it.

I only pay for my MasterCard, about €37 a year.

[Polremy]

i pay nothing for my current account, just 18 euros a year for a hole in the wall/debit card.

i have a credit card with my english nationwide account which costs me nothing. i use this all the time in france.

i think you should talk to your bank - they might reduce your charges if they are afraid of losing you.

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

Credit Agricole - Charente Maritime. €43.20 per year for a current account with a cheque book and a debit card. Internet service is free to set up and then 50c a time to use it. I've set up mine, but not used it yet.

[AnOther]

There seems to be no consistency with CA.

With CA Northern Midi Pyrenees we pay €5/mth for a current A/C with Cheque book and 2 debit cards and no charges for internet access.

[Clair]

[quote user="Nearly Retired"]Internet service is free to set up and then 50c a time to use it.[/quote]

You''re in for a nice surprise, as internet access has been free since 1st Jan 08 [:D].

See here for current tariff: http://www.ca-cmds.fr/tarifs-particuliers-quotidien.html#a3

[Clair]

[quote user="ErnieY"]There seems to be no consistency with CA.

With CA Northern Midi Pyrenees we pay €5/mth for a current A/C with Cheque book and 2 debit cards and no charges for internet access.

[/quote]

Ernie, it very much depends on what you sign up for. You appear to have a Compte Service Equilibre.

I have a simple compte-chèque.

See here for current tariffs: http://www.ca-nmp.fr/Vitrine/ObjCommun/Fic/NMP/Pdf/TarifsPart010508.pdf

[Chancer]

I was paying around €7-8 per month with CL until I did the same review and gave them back my unused debit card, I now pay nothing at al for "normal" bank services, not that CL is normal! They debited €37 for an annual card fee straight after I returned it to them, it took me 5 visits and finally having to read my lazy and rude "personal advisor" her tealeaves before she actually did return the money instead of just promising each time to do it.

To quote her "my €37 is unimportant, do I realise how many other customers she has as well?"

[Benjamin]

[quote user="J.Rs gone native"]

To quote her "my €37 is unimportant, do I realise how many other customers she has as well?"

[/quote]

And you're still a customer?????????????????

[osie]

From my experience, if you are lucky enough to get a bank manager who looks after you then all is well.

Otherwise, they are all a bunch of t*ss*** living in the Naploeanic era.

My suggestion would be to let them know how you expect to be treated and hope it sinks in... if not leave and go elsewhere.

and report them too.

I had a great guy with CA but then he moved on and now I have some idiot(average bank manager in France).

[mint]

CA has just charged me €9 for setting up a direct debit to Neuf, my new ISP provider.  So, it will take days before I see the saving from changing from FT!

Some you lose....... 

[Llantony]

As our income (tiny NI pension for me and modest teacher's one for OH) is paid into Nationwide, I use their card for shopping and withdrawing cash.  I resent having to pay CA just to get a card to withdraw my own money.

We have being paying a monthly charge to CA, assuming it was a bank charge.  We explained when we opened our foreigner's account that we only wanted it for a cheque book to pay bills: edf, tax, SAUR and house insurance.  I paid cash in when we were in France to cover these bills.

This year a French friend said the charge was a bit steep and went with me to ask.  It turns out this was insurance in case we lost our cheque book!  The woman at the bank was entirely unsympathetic and just said 'you should have asked'.  It did not occur to me to ask because: we had not requested insurance, had not been asked if we wanted it. (would have said 'no'), did not know such an insurance existed and didn't need it!  Feel conned.  French friend was horrifed, suggested attitude unhelpful, no response, so emerged into bank complaining loudly so all the customers could hear.I wrote to CA and after 2 weeks they replied saying they'd received my letter.

Trouble is, it's the only bank in the village.

 

[suein56]

[quote user="Llantony"]

Trouble is, it's the only bank in the village.

[/quote]

Does the village have a post office? If so, la Poste do a very good basic banking account at a cost of about 6 euros a year, free cheque book, free internet access with free transfers all over the place, can't remember about direct debits - will have to look it up, but if you need a bank card then you pay for it.

Sue

[allanb]

[quote user="donc"]At the moment I pay approx 90 euros a year for a cheque account with visa card and a further 2.5 euros per month for internet banking.I don't pay any other changes. Banque Laydernier Chamonix[/quote]That seems a lot.  At the Banque Postale I pay €46 a year which includes ordinary cheques and direct debits, monthly statements on paper, on-line banking including free transfers to any other account at the same bank, a limited authorized overdraft, and one Mastercard (immediate debit).  I pay another €17 a year for a second Mastercard on the same account.

I should mention that I believe the €46 is about to be increased.

 

[suein56]

[quote user="allanb"] ... on-line banking including free transfers to any other account at the same bank  [/quote]

... and to any other bank so long as the transfer is initiated and done online.

Sue

 

[allanb]

I just found out that my fears are justified : my €46 a year is going up to about €52.  This is for the package they call Adispo avec Alliatys.

However -

[quote user="spg"]...la Poste do a very good basic banking account at a cost of about 6 euros a year, free cheque book, free internet access with free transfers all over the place...[/quote]

I can't find this in the new tarif on their website - am I missing something good? 

[Juswundrin]

https://www.particuliers.labanquepostale.fr/index/argent/le_ccp.html

Actually €4.60/year, changing to €3/year from next month. That includes internet access, monthly statements and delivery of chequebooks (payment cards are extra, but optional).

[Chancer]

[quote user="Benjamin"][quote user="J.Rs gone native"]

To quote her "my €37 is unimportant, do I realise how many other customers she has as well?"

[/quote]

And you're still a customer?????????????????
[/quote]

Ah but I have the last laugh Benjamin, it now costs them lots of money to operate my "free" account.

Despite my statements etc being sent to my French address and it appearing on my cheque book they sent a letter to my UK address requesting copies of documents etc verifying my identity as many have recieved, the branch said that I must send it all off despite my protests so I made them do the photocopying and send them off.

Next thing that I knew was that the statements were now being sent the my UK address and I cannot get the bank to change this, they insist that I am an overseas customer and have no record of me living in France, my French address printed on the cheque book just confuses them further.

After many frustrating visits, promises that it would be dealt with etc I finally lost the will to continue and decided that if they wanted to pay the international postage (which from memory the stamps were over €1.50) every month for an account that I only now use to receive repayments from the CPAM, pay one DD to Free.fr (occasionally paying in money withdrawn from their ATM with my nationwide card to cover) and write maybe one cheque a year, then they are very welcome to do this and let their other customers pay for my now abuse of their non service. 

[Chancer]

To give an idea of the inefficiency of my branch, which I think is universal policy as opposed to the rude indifference which is an entrenched part of the Albertin mentality:

I recently went into the branch to ask for my balance (as my statements are in England!), there was a new girl being trained so she was doing everything by the book, actually the computer prompts. She requested a piece of identity (the computer apparently was not satisfied that her colleague had just greeted me by name) so I gave her my passport which she photocopied and filed, (they already had it on file) printed out a formulaire in duplicate, one copy for me to retain, the other I signed which they keep; only then was I verbally advised of my balance of €60.

So outside I went to withdraw some money from the ATM with my Nationwide card and went straight back in to pay it in, there had been no other customers during the minute that this took. I had to go through the same procedure again passport rephotocopied formulaires signed etc presumably as I had left the branch and re-entered.

At that stage I asked her if she could exchange some of the remaining banknotes from the ATM for a €50 one (to put in a birthday card) and jokingly asked if she needed my passport again, she laughed and then looked concerned as the computer said yes!, her colleague managed to show her how to use the second photocopy for my third request and she then printed out yet another formulaire for me to sign showing the denomination of the notes that I was exchanging and that of the €50 one she was giving out.

The above is gospel, I kid you not, someone somewhere (in fact all of you that pay between 50 to 90 Euros per year) is paying a heavy price for this sort of inefficiency and my "free" banking [:D]

[Benjamin]

I understand exactly what you mean J.R about playing them at their own game but evetually my inner belief that things can get done in both an efficient and pleasant manner kicks in and I can no longer find the will to live with this type of indifferent service.

I moved bank last year, and insurances as well, and am very pleased on the whole with the service I am now getting but I'd certainly be prepared to do the whole thing again if I felt it necessary.

[allanb]

[quote user="Juswundrin"]Actually €4.60/year, changing to €3/year from next month. That includes internet access, monthly statements and delivery of cheque books (payment cards are extra, but optional).[/quote]Well, my €52 includes a Mastercard, which your €3 doesn't.  Still, it's a good deal.  In fact you've made me take another look at what I get for the extra €15, and the answer is: not much (some limited insurance against theft or fraud).

This may save me €15 a year.  Thanks in advance.

[sueyh]

We bank with HSBC in Hesdin, Pas de Calais.  We withdraw money from Nationwide via ATM and pay the money in at the HSBC to cover bills/standing orders/direct debits etc.  However, recently we drove to St Pol sur Ternois branch as it was easier for us.  My husband went in with the cash to pay in and was asked to give the name of the manager of the branch at Hesdin, which he did not know.  The Manager from the Hesdin branch (who incidentally also manages the St Pol branch) then came out of an office and advised the teller that he did not know my husband.  Hubby was then asked to produce his passport.  He had the same problem when paying in money at Amiens HSBC.  Is this something to do with money laundering?

Suey