menthe Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 Those of us who have lived in the UK and now live in France will know that UK adresses have the postcode of the town after the name of said town. So eg Swindon SN1 ***. French addresses have the post code in front of the place. So chez moi, it is 24*** I think it's great as the départements are numerical as well as arranged in alphabetical order. So 24 is Dordogne and the next 3 numbers give the location. Sorry about about this very basic introduction but bear with me. Recently I ordered a book from World of Books and although they are a dot com company there IS a French site. After several days of no book, I had an email to say it could not be delivered as the address was inadquate but, without my doing anything about it, the book came today. I have had this problem several times including from when I have ordered on amazon fr. If the item comes from the UK, then the post code, for us, is the wrong way round. Eventually the things do arrive having gone through some procedure. I am wondering if the first "scan" is done electronically, then when the address is unrecognised, it goes to wherever "inadequately" addressed things go within la Poste, a human being looks at it, scribbles on the covering the address as it should appear and the colis is delivered after a short delay. Can anybody explain whether this is how it works? Has anybody had this problem? Maybe in future, I shall write my postcode as well as my village on the same line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 And French postcodes cover far bigger areas than U.K. ones. My hamlet in the Vendée bore the code of a town 8km away, as presumably did everywhere else within a similar radius of said town. Used to be a nightmare for deliveries. I suppose people might use "What Three Words" nowadays for more precise delivery addresses, though not much help for posting your goods, mint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 I haven't had that problem, but La Poste is woefully incompetent, so none of my deliveries are from them. Anything I receive is delivered by one of the Services such as UPS or DHL. In my quartier there is no point expecting a parcel as the post people have the yellow slip that says you were not at home when the called filled in before they come. The same thing is true for accusé de reception. In both cases a trip one of the Bureaux is needed, and even then it may not be the one indicated on the slip. It says something when renewed UK passports have to be sent by one of the private services. In 2003 I never received my new one, and I had to sign a form to sweaR that it had not come. A replacement was then sent out by a messenger service and as far as I am aware this continues to be the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted August 28 Author Share Posted August 28 12 hours ago, Loiseau said: And French postcodes cover far bigger areas than U.K. ones. My hamlet in the Vendée bore the code of a town 8km away, as presumably did everywhere else within a similar radius of said town. Used to be a nightmare for deliveries. I suppose people might use "What Three Words" nowadays for more precise delivery addresses, though not much help for posting your goods, mint. Yes, Loiseau, you are right about French postcodes covering far bigger areas than UK ones. My village's postcode is shared by, I think, about 10 to 12 other small (and not so small) villages alentours. Never had problems before, all the facteurs and factrices knew all our names (surnames, fore names, even previous surnames) and everything came on time. However, since we have had fibre installed, we were told that all our homes would have new addresses so that they could be digitalised. Imagine the consternation in this very conservative (small and big C, I think) village and all the other nearby villages. In our village, we had a meeting for everyone and we were consulted about the names of our roads. As our little "allée" only had 5 houses and only 3 lots of proprietors turned up, we quickly decided we'd keep the name of our road and just have our numbers changed. But the majority of roads, named and unnamed, had brand new names and now nobody, even long-time inhabitants, has any idea where each newly-named road is. If you needed to find someone, you'd have to give the occupants' names, if asking directions. The upside is our allée is now a rue. My best French teacher gave us a list of the designation of roads in order of importance. So Chez Menthe would be the lowest, LD Menthe next up and so on from allée to rue to boulevard and every other designation in between! There has to be as many designations for roads as there are for different types of bread😄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbanana Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 Norman, I must beg to differ about the competence of LaPoste; round here they are excellent, including Colissimo. Generally too I have had no problems with other delivery firms. If you are having problems could it be because the area you live in frightens the bejabbers out of the deliverers wno dump their post and run? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted August 28 Author Share Posted August 28 I go along with Woolybanana on this one. Here is a story I might have told before. It involves an occasion when I was at a village near here and had with me a parcel for return to Amazon (postage prepaid). Went to their little Bureau and found it closed as it was one of those agency places that did not open everyday. Then along came a factrice in her van to collect the letters in the box. Seeing the parcel in my hand, she said shall I take that for you? Thank you, madam, but I need a receipt for this. She asked what my name was and where I lived. So I told her my name and address whereupon she said don't worry I know your village and I know your husband via the table tennis club. I'll get your receipt and ask my colleague who delivers in your village to put it in your post box. I meekly handed my parcel over; just notice that level of trust of someone I'd never seen in my life. Sure enough, the very next morning, the receipt duly tamponné, was in our letter box!! How's that for going the extra mile? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 Both of you live in small villages. That may be the key to the difference. Here the 'agency places' are tabacs or other shops that are open at least as much as the PO is. There are many all over town https://www.bonial.fr/Magasins/Beziers/Mondial-Relay/v-r679 and so far more convenient than having to wait in the interminable queues of people waiting to withdraw their RSA. In contrast to menthe's story I had one postman who refused to deliver letters because he said my post box wasn't "conforme"..but I am not allowed to have that type as I less than 100m from an historic monument in a classified area. How is that for being obstructive? h Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted August 29 Author Share Posted August 29 Now I understand, Norman. That is plain obstructiveness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Petomane Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 Norman, I live just north of you and it's not just La Poste who can't be arsed to deliver. Most carriers now drop your stuff off at a relais, and text you to go and pick it up. This is after you've paid for a home delivery. I could write more about customer service in France , but you'd need to put aside several weeks to read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 We seem to agree about La Poste, but I have never experienced a carrier texting to say the package had been left at a point relais. In fact more and more call and say that they will be there soon just a few stops before they get to you, and several have in place a system by which you can follow the progress of the delivery van on an inter-active map. Nor do I agree about the old chestnut about customer service in France. It may not be top in large national chain shops, but if you deal with local individuals it is often superb. My Pharmacy, local food businesses, the cafés and restaurants I visit offer personal and thoughtful service, and the Nurses and Physiotherapist who call several times a week are wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Petomane Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 Well, there you are Norman. One man's meat is another man's poisson. One day I will buy you a coffee on Allées Paul Riquet. And let us hope for excellent service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 15 hours ago, Le Petomane said: Well, there you are Norman. One man's meat is another man's poisson. One day I will buy you a coffee on Allées Paul Riquet. And let us hope for excellent service. At La Victoire perhaps. https://www.facebook.com/barlavictoire/?locale=fr_FR Certainly NOT at Le Cristal https://www.le-cristal-beziers.fr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted August 30 Author Share Posted August 30 On 29/08/2024 at 16:49, Le Petomane said: Norman, I live just north of you and it's not just La Poste who can't be arsed to deliver. Most carriers now drop your stuff off at a relais, and text you to go and pick it up. This is after you've paid for a home delivery. I could write more about customer service in France , but you'd need to put aside several weeks to read it. Customer service in France? Well going by the customer service I received today, I have nothing but praise! The nurse came today to our house at 8.30, as arranged on the phone, and took my blood. By 4.00 pm today, had a text message from the lab to say my results were ready. Downloaded these onto the computer, printed out, 7 pages, and ready to take to my surgeon (yearly check-up) on Tuesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lehaut Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 15 hours ago, menthe said: my results were ready. We get the same service here. Walk up in the morning before eating, results in at lunchtime. However, we used to be able to go onto the lab site and compare all the previous years results (instead of the up and down signs on the current years result). Without warning to the clinic or the patients, the lab deleted access to the server, so we no longer have any access to compare. My MT did not seem particularly concerned, but we liked to look at them. She was more concerned listening to my heart on my last check up. She looked puzzled, then rushed out of the room saying I need to give you an electrocardiogram NOW! She strapped up the electrodes, connected it to one lap top which was connected to a second computer (incompatibility problems with the new system). I tried to remain calm having felt fine when I went and having done a 35km bike ride in the morning. Turns out she had miss heard something so all was fine. Still had to pay the 20€ though😗 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted August 31 Author Share Posted August 31 Well done you, Lehaut! Not bad for 20€ to be reassured. Last year I had both an electrocardiogram AND an échocardiogram from a cardiologue and I paid considerably more but it was mostly paid for by the SS and the mutuelle. Like you, I was a mere fraud, nowt the matter at all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 If it is done by a cardiologue there is also the consultation fee of at least 60€ on top.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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