Another problem to beware of with Crédit Agricole

[NormanH]

Crédit Agricôle is a collection of

regional banks, not a national one, so if your account is based in

one place you may have problems with things like paying in a cheque

in a different region, although they are trying at last to sort that

out.

Today I tried to cash a cheque in Midi

Pyrénees where I am on holiday.

I had previously cashed one last

Thursday and was told that I could only cash ONE cheque a week !

If I had known this before I would

have cashed a more substantial amount the first time (the limit is

400€, but I had only taken 100...)

I had to block my cash cards as my

wallet was stolen by an opportunist sneak thief who climbed into the

ground floor window of my rented flat...

Fortunately I know a few people here

and can get the cash I need to go back to the Languedoc where I have

to be to pick up the replacement cards!!!

So be warned. If you need to cash a

cheque out of your base region cash the maximum you can afford...

and you will need a RIB in addition to your cheque book and ID

[Mrs Trellis]

I was wondering if CA charge for making a cash withdrawal outside France?  As Nationwide now charge - I believe £1 + 2% I'm looking for the cheapest way to get cash in Greece.

[nomoss]

We drew 60€ with our CA CC in Spain last April, from a BBVA cash machine. There were no charges either in Spain nor here.

Edit: Incidentally, cash machines usually advise one of any charges before the transaction is completed, so one has the opportunity to try a different bank.

 

 

[YCCMB]

I've said before(and, yes, we bank with CA but for the limited use we make of our French bank account, it is simply more trouble than it's worth to change banks) that it would seem to have become simpler in France to withdraw money from your own account using a balaclava and a sawn-off shotgun than by using more orthodox methods.

[mint]

For many reasons, we now bank with la Banque Postale.  Longer opening hours and, of course, you can use any post office in any town.

 

[idun]

sweet17, when you pay a cheque in how many days do you have to wait these days before the cheque is cleared with la Banque Postale? Used to be a long time, and I do hope that it has changed now.

[Mrs Trellis]

I thought of Banc Postale, they have more sensible cheque books too, but I see the queues in the post office.  I've been kept waiting even when there's no-one in front of me and if there are 3 or more, take a book

[Pommier]

After many years with CA, we changed to Banque Postale about 4 years ago, and although there have been a couple of glitches (one very bad, but they were very apologetic about it!) they are definately better than CA.

[NormanH]

Yes a queue out of the door and a three-quarter hour wait are standard, especially on and just after the 5th of the month when the 'allocs' are paid...and of course a good deal sent abroad by Western Union or mandat which takes up even more time..

[mint]

Id, cheques don't take long at all.  Can't say exactly but only a day or two the last time I paid a cheque in.

Also, I live in a tiny village and do my banking in the 2 small towns near us; so there is never what you'd call a queue.  More often then not, if it's just money I want, I use the ATMs and, if it's a Banque Postale ATM, I can do the usual stuff like check balances, print statements and so on.