PaulT Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Having received the house insurance renewal notice from our French agent the cost seemed very high, especially with the exchange rate.Went on line and found insurance that is basically the same with a few companies in the UK at less than half the cost for similar cover.So to cancel the renewal. Now the requirements are registered post. The closest that I have been able to find from the Post Office is International Signed For.Have I chosen the right one or is there another service I should have used?Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Yyou say that you have found insurance that is basically the same from UK companies, I didnt think that UK companies would or could cover properties in France, can you confirm this?If so there may well be a stampede! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 [quote user="P2"]So to cancel the renewal. Now the requirements are registered post. The closest that I have been able to find from the Post Office is International Signed For.Have I chosen the right one or is there another service I should have used?[/quote]I was looking at the French Post Office website (www.laposte.fr) this morning and noticed that (for a fee, naturally) you can upload a letter and they will print it, put it in an envelope and deliver it using the "Recommandée avec avis de reception" service that you need. They will also do the same for "normal" letters - I think it was 1.40 € for a normal 1-page black-and-white letter. The cost is obviously higher than doing it all yourself, but it might be better to use the French-based service rather than sending it using the Royal Mail service.regardsPickles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 [quote user="J.Rs gone native"] Yyou say that you have found insurance that is basically the same from UK companies, I didnt think that UK companies would or could cover properties in France, can you confirm this?If so there may well be a stampede![/quote]I used to use a UK firm to insure my French house for my first 3 years in France, and the same company is still advertising foreign home insurance. What made you think that it wasn't possible JR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 [quote user="Cat"][quote user="J.Rs gone native"] Yyou say that you have found insurance that is basically the same from UK companies, I didnt think that UK companies would or could cover properties in France, can you confirm this?If so there may well be a stampede![/quote]I used to use a UK firm to insure my French house for my first 3 years in France, and the same company is still advertising foreign home insurance. What made you think that it wasn't possible JR?[/quote]Probably because, IIRC, the single European Market specifically does not cover financial products at present. Hence (for example) to insure a car that is normally based in France, the policy would need to be issued by a French-registered insurance company. I'm not saying that what you were able to do was in any way dodgy; it is just that the whole business of cross-border financial services seems to be a minefield, with some bits seemingly able to operate without any problem, whilst other bits (eg car insurance) are somehow more heavily regulated.RegardsPickles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulT Posted January 5, 2009 Author Share Posted January 5, 2009 To quote JR:Yyou say that you have found insurance that is basically the same from UK companies, I didnt think that UK companies would or could cover properties in France, can you confirm this?If so there may well be a stampede!End quote (did not like the 'auto quote')There is www.intasure.com and www.hiscox.co.uk to name but 2.Google holiday home insurance restricted the search to the UK and a number of companies come up.Looking at the policy documents they state how the insurance meets the requirements in each country that they provide cover for.Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulT Posted January 5, 2009 Author Share Posted January 5, 2009 [quote user="Pickles"][quote user="P2"]So to cancel the renewal. Now the requirements are registered post. The closest that I have been able to find from the Post Office is International Signed For. Have I chosen the right one or is there another service I should have used?[/quote]I was looking at the French Post Office website (www.laposte.fr) this morning and noticed that (for a fee, naturally) you can upload a letter and they will print it, put it in an envelope and deliver it using the "Recommandée avec avis de reception" service that you need. They will also do the same for "normal" letters - I think it was 1.40 € for a normal 1-page black-and-white letter. The cost is obviously higher than doing it all yourself, but it might be better to use the French-based service rather than sending it using the Royal Mail service.regardsPickles[/quote]Thanks Pickles. Have sent it signed for - might have a look at the French PO site this evening and see if I can muddle through.Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 [quote user="P2"]Thanks Pickles. Have sent it signed for - might have a look at the French PO site this evening and see if I can muddle through.Paul[/quote]In French: https://lettreenligne.laposte.fr/lregp/accueil.actionIn English: http://www.laposte.com/-electronic-registered-letter- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 [quote user="Clair"]In French: https://lettreenligne.laposte.fr/lregp/accueil.actionIn English: http://www.laposte.com/-electronic-registered-letter-[/quote]And there was I, working my way through translating the webpage and thinking I was SO clever when all the time it was available in English!!! D'oh!Pickles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 When we were dealing with HiFX for the transfer of the money for our purchase they offered me both home and contents insurance. It was reasonably competitive but in the end I chose to insure locally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulT Posted January 6, 2009 Author Share Posted January 6, 2009 Thanks to Pickles for starting the La Poste thing and for Clair providing the website addresses, especially as Clair normally provides a link to an English translation for those of us who still lack some French language skills - I am sure those of us who require it greatly appreciate your efforts.Decided that I would have a go at this, registered, uploaded a letter and have sent it - cost 6 something euros.With the other services that La Poste offer using the Internet it makes Royal Mail look very old hat. There are times, if Royal Mail offered this service I would have used instead of having to go and find where a Post Office is still open and normally join some long queue.Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 And thanks to P2 for I think saving me some money on renewal, the stampede has started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ventodue Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 [quote user="Pickles"]I was looking at the French Post Office website (www.laposte.fr) this morning and noticed that (for a fee, naturally) you can upload a letter and they will print it, put it in an envelope and deliver it using the "Recommandée avec avis de reception" service that you need. <snip>[/quote]Thanks Pickles - and Clair, later, for further links - for this. Could be very useful ...AmicalementCraig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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