La Banque Postale

[AnOther]

From searching the forum I see comments about La Banque Postale are pretty thin on the ground, internet banking difficulties excepted that is.

Is anyone using them and what has the experience been like ? I can see the advantage of finding a branch in just about every town and village.

Fact is I need to open an account with someone in late January and am presently at something of a loss as to whom to go with.

I appreciate that the whole system is very different and less efficient to that in the UK and can also vary enormously from branch to branch, none of which makes the decision any the easier !

I guess a fairly important factor for one with very limited French is to research the local banks in my area (Prayssac) to see if any can conduct business in English.

To be honest I don't envisage needing much from a bank, I won't be needing loans or mortgages, just a chequebook and Carte Blue and few direct debits for utilities etc. so I'd be quite happy to travel a reasonable distance to sign up with a sypathetic branch.

Anybody care to offer recommendations ?

[Llwyncelyn]

There are quite a few on this forum who speak kindly as to La Banque Postale.  I do not and had a relative large amount of money there some of which was dovetailed to pay this years tax.

I had an internet access and was encouraged to use I think it is Rouen as their local hub if any problems for the local manager was really busy on letters! (and incidentally when I called in last week counting both before and after lunch the books of stamps) their phrase not mine.

Thus I tried and tried to get the funds xferred to deposit so that I could at least get some interest.  No go had to go back to see the local manager he said deal with Rouen.

In the end I walked literally a hundred yards across the road opened an account with Credit Mutuel and later that week xferred the money to them and on deposit.

I am now fielding calls twice a week from Rouen asking me to go and see the local manager for there is now less than a 100 euros in the account and they have obviously seen the xfer details.

Only my experience and I have no doubt whatsoever there is good experience out there on La Poste.

However again before Xmas (and yes this is France and thus we should accord with their ways of doing things?) but we have one lady at all times on the counter at La Poste and on this occasion the queue was outside down the road and to the butchers.

I suppose one gets used to the way that things happen in France?

[AnOther]

Thanks for that Llwynceln, the more I learn the more it seem to be a lottery rather than a measured logical decision which is why I was hoping for some recommendations even if it means some travelling out of my immediate area.

 

[maude]

I have used this for the past 4 years of living here and find no problems at all,and there is an English assistance page  on their web/internet access.Havnt used any other bank,but when I asked around,the charges seem to be very favourable.   Maude