Letter from Credit Agricole

[Pat76]

Hello

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post my question, but here goes:

We live in England, but have had a bank account with Credit Agricole for 20 years. Today we received a letter from them asking us to send copies of our passports, copy of a utility bill, lots of personal information and our signatures. The letter look official, although it is all in black and white - usually the Credit Agricole logo is in colour , and the return address looks genuine. It just "feels" wrong. The letter says they are updating their system to better identify their customers on their database, as required by "Le Code Monetaire et Financier" . We are coming to France in July and will go into the bank then, but I just wanted to ask if anyone on the forum had received a similar letter.

Thanks

Pat

[Clair]

It sounds like a standard request. All banks have to verify account holders' identity, particularly if the account holder lives abroad.

It's all to do with preventing money laundering.

As you will be presenting your details in person, there's no risk involved.

In doubt, phone your bank and ask them (use the tel # shown on your statements rather than any number shown on the letter).

[merliauds]

We've received the same letter, and, like you, I am sceptical about sending it back. Unlike you, we've been living here for almost four years and have had a CA bank account for longer than that and this is the first time we've received such a request. I'm not going to send anything by post but will go into our local branch and check that this is authentic. As you  mentioned, the fact the letter is in black and white seems unsual. My inclination is to do nothing - our circumstances haven't changed so I can see no valid reason to send this information again.

Anyone else have any thoughts or opinions on this kind of letter??

[Bob T]

I have just had one today and I live here in France permanently. It seems genuine but asks too many questions for my liking.

[Kitty]

I would be nervous about sending this kind of stuff in the post.  You could telephone asking if they would wait until your next visit to France?

I've had similar periodic requests from Credit Lyonnais.

[CeeJay]

We had a similar letter posted to our Bristol address some months ago, now we are here in France I went to our local CA Branch and waved the letter around and all they wanted was copy of passports and utility bill, no problem.

[Maggie]

We also had the letter - I rung their HQ and they confirmed that it was genuine.

[lostinfrance]

Think you will find under the new exchange of information between countrys the banks have to do this by E.E.C. law.

   I have two in the last 6 months from U.K. banks and pension payers.

[Chancer]

I have also filled one out after verifying its veracity, I have been here over 3 years but still have a home in he UK.

I gave them what they wanted but made my protest felt by making the bank do the photocopies and refusing to let them photocopy my passport on the basis that it has not changed from the last time they did this, I also wrote on the form why I had done this.

Result: After 3 years of no banking problems (well by French standards[:)]) all my statements and letters go to my UK address now and try as I might I cannot get them to change this, more fool them I say as it coincided with me changing to free banking (no carte bleue) but they now insist on sending everything with international postage, except for junk mail that is, that still finds its way to my correct address[:'(].

The only problem I have now is that I find I did indeed use the Carte Bleue for checking my balance and have more need of it now that the statements are in the UK.

[cooperlola]

JR, can't you check your balance on line?  This used to cost, but doesn't now (that's with CA Normandie).

[lostinfrance]

But not the same all over France

                                               One bank it may be,but different rules in all France.

[Pat76]

Hello

Thanks to everyone who took the trouble to reply. I'm glad to know that others felt the same as me, I certainly won't be posting anything. We will sort it out in July, in person, in our branch.

Pat

[Chancer]

[quote user="cooperlola"]JR, can't you check your balance on line?  This used to cost, but doesn't now (that's with CA Normandie).[/quote]

I am with CL (La Somme) Cooperlola.

AFAIK everything costs there!

Twould be nice to be proved wrong though.

[Bob T]

[quote user="Pat76"]

Hello

Thanks to everyone who took the trouble to reply. I'm glad to know that others felt the same as me, I certainly won't be posting anything. We will sort it out in July, in person, in our branch.

Pat

[/quote]

I wish you luck Pat. I took ours into the branch today where the nice girl filled it all in for me. She then told me to put it in the pre-paid envelope and post it.

[Inca]

Visited our local C@A branch on our recent visit to France (May)  and supplied the relivent info which was entered  on to thier database by a member of staff.  No problem .

[woody234]

you have to pay for online banking here at credit agricole charente maritime

[Clair]

[quote user="woody234"]you have to pay for online banking here at credit agricole charente maritime[/quote]

Not according to their tariff page:

http://www.ca-cmds.fr/tarifs-particuliers-quotidien.html

[quote]2. La gestion du compte à distance (Tarifs hors coût de communication variable par opérateur)

Internet et téléphone mobile

Accès au service de consultation des comptes et de réalisation des virements internes/externes avec RIB en France

                                                                     Gratuit

[/quote]

[woody234]

well according to my bank statement I pay 50 cents every time I log on to internet banking

[Clair]

I used to pay that too but the service became FOC in Jan 08.

The quote above is from the CA Charente-Maritime Deux-Sèvres own website.

Have a word and get a refund if you have been charged this year...[:)]

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

Good heavens - what a fuss about not-a-lot ! Some of my UK banks, my accountant and forex company go through this confirmation of ID thing every now and then. It's irritating, pretty pointless but necessary if you want to lead a life in the 21st century.

If I remember rightly our letter from CA was pre-printed with the information we gave them when we opened the account a few years ago e.g profession etc., so it was hardly going to be a scam.

We just did what was asked and returned photocopies etc. to France from UK by post.

 

[sueyh]

Oh dear did you get out of bed on the wrong side this morning "Nearly Retired"?  There are some of us who like to discuss things and get some moral support on this forum.  There are so many scams going on and we're not all financial wizards.

Suey

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

OK Suey, maybe I was a bit too quick to the keyboard when I read the posts on this topic. It just seemed to me that quite a few people were getting more than a bit hot under the collar about a simple and what is now a very standard procedure that financial institutions undertake to pretend they are tackling money laundering. It's still going on - the banks just have to look as though they're doing something about it. Poor old Joe Public has to put up with all sorts of ever increasing inconvenience in the name of security while the crooks simply find new ways around it.

But of course, if in any doubt - certainly take care. The advice about calling the bank using the phone number on your old statement rather than taking it from the top of an unexpected letter was spot on.

Be assured I'm incredibly fussy about protecting my details. We have a shredder where everything with our names linked to an address gets gobbled up - even the envelopes that we get through the post. Old credit cards are cut into hundreds of pieces and whenever I've dumped an old computer (quite few by now) I've removed the hard disc, opened up the casing and physically destroyed the disc itself.

 

 

 

[Jacqui Too]

We have received one of these letters.

I have been able to fill it in fine and photocopy the relevant items they ask for.

My question is and I am probably being thick is : is the enclosed envelope prepaid or do I need to put stamps on it?

Edit: I will be sending it from UK

[AnOther]

An interesting question and not neccessarily being 'thick' at all.

I have occasionally in the past posted Freepost letters to destinations outside UK, Holland being one, but it those cases it did specifically say that no stamp was required.

If your CA letter or envelope does not say this then I think I would err on the side of caution and bite the bullet, it is only a stamp [blink]

[:D]

 

[Jacqui Too]

[quote user="ErnieY"]

An interesting question and not neccessarily being 'thick' at all.

I have occasionally in the past posted Freepost letters to destinations outside UK, Holland being one, but it those cases it did specifically say that no stamp was required.

If your CA letter or envelope does not say this then I think I would err on the side of caution and bite the bullet, it is only a stamp [blink]

[:D][/quote]

Thanks for the reply Ernie.

I have decided to wait 3 weeks till I am back in France and pop it in the post there.

Its over a squid here if I have to put stamps on for 2[Www]