Credit Agricole - any good

[Mlonghurst]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has any opinions on using CA for banking. During our fact finding visits (pre move voyage of discovery)there seemed to be a CA Bank or Cash Dispenser just about everywhere. It was also very easy to get cash quickly using a UK issued VISA Card. We are looking at Charente or Limousin area when we eventualy move over full time later this year.

Also, is it possible to set up a French Bank Account before actually buying a French property (i.e. when renting long term)?

Regards, Mike L

[Val_2]

Been with them for 15 years now and always good service. We also bank with three others here and again, all good service every time so upto you,but if it is the nearest local bank usually a very good idea in case you do problems and they get to know you better.

[SaligoBay]

>Also, is it possible to set
>up a French Bank Account
>before actually buying a French
>property (i.e. when renting long
>term)?

Mais bien sur! There are millions of French people who have bank accounts but who don't have a snowball's chance of ever owning their own property.

[Jc]

Credit Agricole is not a bank but a federation of small banks-some just a single branch.This is why there are frequently different interpretations of the way you pay money in or take it out.I have used Credit Lyonnaise for sixteen years now with no problems.

[Leschenauds]

Had an account with them for just over three years now and they have always been helpful and friendly. Far removed from the attitude we encountered with Natwest. Maybe because with Natwest we were one of the smaller accounts with whom they were really not bothered but with CA we are a slightly larger fish.

[Jackie]

LAST EDITED ON 15-Aug-04 AT 08:28 PM (BST)

When we first came to France we used CA Britline for everything but now use La Poste as a bank for both current and savings accounts. As long as you don't pay more than about 600 Euros French income tax you can get a tax free high interest account, one each, at La Poste. We still have an account at CA but only use this for money transfers from the UK as they are faster than La Poste. We use La Poste instant debit cards and have cut up the CA cards and returned them as the CA charges were more than La Poste charges. Transfers from CA to La Poste are done by CA cheque and incur no charges to us. We have no complaint against CA and have found it useful to have English speaking people on the end of the telephone when chasing delayed transfers. Their on-line facility is good as is La Poste when it works! There is always a Post Office nearby wherever you are in Mainland France and the larger ones in towns all seem to have 24 hour cash machines. Other than the slow clearing of cheques we are very happy with La Poste...........John in 79

[Andyphilpott]

I have had an account with CA for 4 years now - opened 6 months before I bought my property and it helped that I was introduced (and accompanied) by an existing customer of the branch who was also able to help with translation when it got too technical for my French.

The only problem I have had is their propensity to make charges for everything they can.

Unlike UK Banks, CA will introduce a new service and assume that you want it unless you opt out. Then they charge for it and it is not easy to get them to refund. Case in point is their on line service (which is good) where they introduced a souped up version giving access to services which I will never use. All the papers indicated that the service would remain gratuit, but lo and behold a fee of Euros 3 per month started. Not much I know, but it is the principle. Stroppy letter later and the fees were cancelled and refunded.

I have always found CA helpful if a bit archaic compared to UK Banks. Local knowledge does, I think, help the relationship.

I dislike having to pay for a debit card which could, like UK bank cards, last for a couple of years or so, but which they renew annually to get their fee and then expect you to collect it from the branch. However that is the only charge I now pay, and they charge half price for the second card in my wife's name.

Andy

[Andy W]

I have just completed the purchase of a house in La Faurie (05). I have my bank account, mortgage, and property insurance with CA as it was extremely easy to set up and my French is not currently up to shopping around. CA Britline, with English speaking employees, were most helpful and responded to any queries efficiently and comprehensively. The money transfers from UK to France and from the bank to the Notaire all went without a hitch. They do, however, appear to be quite pricey and I'll be looking around once my language skills have developed a bit! They allow accounts to be opened without having a property in France, you have to provide proof of recent visits - travel documents, credit card bills etc etc.

[Dsf]

We've had excellent service from CA in Lorignac, Dept 17.

They set up the account in less than an hour and we only dropped in on the off-chance. 

My wife and I speak little French and it is non-technical, mostly limited to shopping and restaurants

The manager visited our house and set up building and contents insurance the next day, and he undercut AXA by a large amount for the same cover.

Whilst at the house he even phoned EDF and the water company, got the utilities connected and set up direct debit payments for us - all over a cup of coffee !!

Although that manager has moved on the new manager is just as helpful.  And so are the rest of the staff.

On the basis of the service we have received from CA in Lorignac, I recommend them to all.

[Redcap]

We are using them, we opened our account prior to finding the house, I have to say you'd think I was applying for the job of President of France the amount of forms and references etc we had to complete!  Apart from that, so far they have been very good.  We took our house insurance through them having had a quote of over £300 from HIFX, I think we paid about £156 inc contents for 5 piece house.  I shall reserve my judgement until we are resident full time very soon!

 

Regards,

 

Bob

[Tourangelle]

I was with CA for about year in Tours, and I closed my account with them as I was moving and it was no longer the most practical bank.  Closing the account was a complete farce. They just didn't do it, even though I had signed all the papers and as there was a monthly charge on the account they had me down as over drawn, because obviously I had had the balance transfered.  I wrote and telephoned several times, and obviously had the papers saying that I had closed the account. In the end they sent me a letter saying the account was going to be closed because I was not paying the charges!!  I'm now with the Societe Generale, and I wouldn't particularly recommend them either, and plan to change...

[Jirac18]

[quote]In answer to your headline question - no! They are a pain to say the least, but once you are tied in it is difficult to get out. Here in the Gers they are also estate agents!!! Martyn`[/quote]

I have always found them okay over the past three years or so. In what way are they a pain in the **** and how are you tied in making it difficult to drop them?

[Mpprh]

Hi

My experience is that CA is a local savings bank : it is not a national bank.

I have a CA account, but don't use it. I've had it 20+ years.

It may well have changed, but I've had these experiences :

1)Tried to pay in a cheque in Calais, but not accepted because my account was in Central France

2)Had a special savings account guaranteeing a low rate mortgage (started 1980). Tried to use the mortgage with CA (in Belgium) around 1991 and told : Not possible - that is CA France.

3)Needed to transfer money into CA to buy a house in France. Told each transfer would cost FF500 (Euro 75). I needed 4 transfers - so stopped using them.

Read the small print before using CA ?

Peter

[Mutts]

I'm in the process of opening a Britline account with CA - sent the numerous documents, signed, certified, registered, stamped via super-express registered next day I-should-think-so-to delivery costing over £8 on 23rd August. As we need our account open very soon to get the requested property insurance and cheque book to pay various bills on property contract completion I phoned them today - that's exactly two weeks - to hurry them up. After a 10 minute telephone interview, they explained that details and a contract will be sent - should get this by Friday - must send back signed contract and then and only then,  they'll send a cheque book. Details will arrive too late to make a transfer to clear into the account to pay for insurance and cheque book will arrive too late to be of use for our visit when we sign the final contracts. Purchase of the property will not be from that account, but purchase of various other items using cheques had already been arranged.

The numerous chargeable services they offered were turned down and I'm actively seeking alternative insurance and alternative banking.

I estimate over 4-weeks needed to have a fully operational account.

Linda

[Will]

The advantage of CA's Britline seems to be that it enables people who do not live in France to have access to the French banking system via an English-speaking service. The various disadvantages mean that you will be much better off with a 'normal' French bank account if you have a house in France and visit reasonably often.

We've never had a Britline account, but know several people who have. There used to be a helpful chap running the service who would personally try to sort out problems and hurry things along when necessary, now he has moved on service seem to have deteriorated.

It has been said before on these forums, but standard of banking in France depend far more on individual branches than the actual bank. We have a CA account in a small town, which works fine. But as for a bigger CA branch nearer home - I refuse to set foot in there for many reasons.

Most of the comments about and criticisms levelled at Credit Agricole apply equally to most other French banks.