Registered mail: a warning

[allanb]

I have found out, the hard way, that the registered mail procedure in France (lettre recommandée) is unreliable because it is frequently abused. 

I have a long-running dispute with a supplier in the course of which I sent him a registered letter to which he did not reply.  I wrote a follow-up letter, which I intended to send by registered mail also, with a copy of the accusé de réception of the first one. 

I mentioned the problem to the lady who runs the local post office, and she said: "This is a common problem.  A supplier who wants to pretend that he didn't receive a registered letter, even when presented with the accusé de réception, can do so simply by saying 'Oh yes, we did receive that one, but the envelope was empty.'  It is so well-known that there is a standard technique for dealing with it: you don't use an envelope - you write your letter on a single sheet of paper, fold it, write the address on the outside, and attach the post office sticker to it.  In that way, whoever signs the receipt cannot later say that he didn't receive the piece of paper."

This seemed almost unbelievable, so I mentioned it to a couple of other people - one who works in a bank, and one in an insurance company.  They both confirmed it.  The insurance person commented that it is a common way of prolonging a contract that the customer wanted to cancel, by pretending that the cancellation notice wasn't received.

Maybe this happens elsewhere, but I hadn't heard of it before coming to France.  I think it's appalling, but you live and learn: from now on, no more envelopes for my registered letters.

[Cassis]

I'm not altogether surprised that some companies and suppliers go to such lengths, given the unscrupulous, one-sided and restrictive nature of some contracts.  The tip about how to get around it is excellent!