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Your metier...


Ty Korrigan

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Hello, I want to ask a question...

If you run a gite and are registered to do such, what are you allowed to to engage in regarding other trades/commerce under this umbrella...?

I have yet again come up against some 'git' offering to garden for next to nothing...

This 'git' does not appear on the register of the supplied by the MSA and although he has a SIRET apparantly this is relation to Gites not either entretien espaces verts or paysagiste.

What is the situation then...?

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Even with cheque emploi it costs a fair bit an hour to employ a gardener, doesn't it? And for anyone who hasn't realised, some of us rale against work on the black, doesn't give registered people a sporting chance. And that could well be what they are doing if they aren't charging enough.

Have you thought about shopping them, if they are registered properly then they will have slight inconvenience of being checked up on. If they aren't registered, well serves them right.

good luck

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I would be VERY careful about "shopping" native French. It can turn into a severe nightmare. You may find that your own personal and business life becomes the subject of a thorough and intimate investigation (a kind of vendetta).

This has happened to a couple of English folk near us. They had recently set up a small Bio farm legitimately, and had one or two minor run-ins with local artisans. It has to be said that the husband has a particularly aggressive and vindictive attitude. He decided to try and get his own back, and he now has a major problem with pretty well everyone in the local town. The couple have been barred from all the local bars and restaurants, and cannot get ANY artisan to turn up for them. They have no local outlet for their produce, and have been "surveilled and audited" seceral times since.

Think about it before you do anything rash. Play consequences.

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I would be VERY careful about "shopping" native French. It can turn into a severe nightmare. You may find that your own personal and business life becomes the subject of a thorough and intimate investigation (a kind of vendetta).

This has happened to a couple of English folk near us. They had recently set up a small Bio farm legitimately, and had one or two minor run-ins with local artisans. It has to be said that the husband has a particularly aggressive and vindictive attitude. He decided to try and get his own back, and he now has a major problem with pretty well everyone in the local town. The couple have been barred from all the local bars and restaurants, and cannot get ANY artisan to turn up for them. They have no local outlet for their produce, and have been "surveilled and audited" seceral times since.

Think about it before you do anything rash. Play consequences.

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I personally believe that "shopping" other people is no way to live your life. You've set your stall out to work legitimately and all credit to you, I hope you succeed.  To start getting paranoid about the competition, registered or not and shopping them, looks a bit desperate in my view.  You ought to be able to rise above it.  Your skills and the confidence that you are running a proper business should be enough to get you all the work you want.
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I am registered with the Chambre de Metiers to run gites and on the paperwork it describes my business as "gites restauration". This wouldn't make it legitimate for me to go off doing odd jobs for other people or cutting their grass.

Having said that, this person you are talking about is paying social charges for his gites business so morally it probably isn't quite as bad as someone who isn't registered for anything and you might find it more difficult to get the authorities to show too much interest. As a gite owner, this person is attracting holidaymakers, and therefore prosperity, into his commune so even the maire may be happy to turn a blind eye to his other activities.

I believe that people working in trades other than those that they are registered is a fairly widespread and overlooked problem so I can understand your frustration.

What may be more to the point, is that this person almost certainly won't have insurance for carrying out such work. You might be able to point out to his clients that they could be heading for trouble if he were to have an accident whilst working in their gardens. With gardening being a fairly high risk affair this risk possibility isn't too remote and should not be ignored.

Good luck with your business Ty.
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What is all this don't shop someone as it could cause trouble lark? Like it would be better if TK's customers changed to this cheaper british bloke and left him struggling.

 

There are ways are doing these things and I don't see why anyone can't report anyone if they want. TK may not feel inclined to, but that is his choice and not something that I would tell him not to do just in case it caused problems.

 

Anyway good luck in resolving this.

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Hello, just having a late lunch...or 'three' time...

3 devis this morning and 100km later...

Yes...its the assurance issue that is the thing and also it undermines the true market value of the services offered if penniless or ex-pats or hard-up gite owners try to make end meet by offering to do anything that comes their way either on the black or out of metier.

Travaillers noir don't really bother me too much as there is no big money in this type of behavior and without the right investment anything other than the lightest of work is impossible.

My latest client has a house next to little lay-by that is frequently used by the Gendarmes as the location for a speed trap...

That could be awkward for any travailler noir working there...

 

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The previous response shows a lack of understanding about the protectionist french attitude towards trade...

I pay dearly for my 'niche' my right to practise as a professional my metier. I pay... I pay again then I pay some more...

No-one, French or British wants to lose business to some no good, down and out, ex-pat failure or other person who is robbing the state by not paying his social charges and assurances...

There are many, who, having sold up in the U.K, have bought a place with gites, gites not paying enough despite siphoning sterling payments to avoid tax then claim the RMI before working on the black...

These are SCUM as they rob society and give nothing back in return...

But this is a digression from the original subject...

I say this... If you don't have the assurances and are not registered to do so then simply don't! Thats it! I am not going to dob anyone before I have a chance to speak to them face to face.

With my pole pruner in hand of course...

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richard.w. IMHO any Brit that works in France without paying the correct contributions does not only themselves but other Brits in France, a disservice. (Leave alone possible risk to themselves)

I have had a similar situation here, a guy who did some work for me last week was complaining about immigrants not paying their tax & NI, undercutting his prices and taking work from him. He has a wife and child to support. What should he do ? Nothing ?
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[quote]Oh goodness me.. the late night tippler is back with his witty responses... lots of usefull stuff to learned from this one... prehaps his gites are empty...[/quote]

hi

         both gites are full , every one wants a new fosse , of to bed and screw you .......

                           dave

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No matter how many people shout about it I still do not agree with grassing on Brits   or french people but I think there must be a lot of different type of people who use these forums and everyones got a different idea on things so everyone to there own

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richard.w...

If some-one is working and not paying social charges and assurances he can charge less than a registered person. Me.

Is that fair? If the answer is no, then what should be done about it? If the answer is yes then prehaps I should de-register and try my luck on the black...come on in all you chaps, the money is lovely and easy over here...

Its theft basically, theft from the state and theft from me and you. Just because its not your T.V or art collection doesn't mean its not theft from each and every one of us.

Those who choose to do this are not contributing to the society they choose to live in. They take all the advantages and give nowt in return.

Thus endeth the sermon...

 

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'Grassing' to me is something that kids do at school This is far more serious and I appreciate that Ty does not want to 'grass' or 'dob' or whatever on any one.

But it is theft , plain and simple, and Ty in my opinion would be legally and morally justified in reporting this person. 

 

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