BNP Paribas Current Bank Account HELP

[Babbles]

Hi All,

We have just bought a (holiday) house in the Gers with a mortgage with BNP Paribas which has been great and trouble free BUT we have got a problem with our current account, it was set up for us by our broker at the international branch on the Champs Elysees Paris and we are trying to get the Cheque Book and Cards sent to the local branch in Condom to pick them up ( I went in there to try and sort it but as I have no name at the international branch I don't think he will have much success either), which all sounds fairly easy. The English speaking mortgage Lady at BNP is very helpful gave use the email address of the chap who opened our account but he's now turned into the Scarlet Pimpernel and doesn't answer his email and there is no contact phone number for him, I've tried ringing the Paris branch to only get on an automated system when I finally got to speak to person my french wasn't up to explaining what I needed and he said there was nobody who spoke English there. The trouble is snowballing as I can't get EDF to set up a direct debit even though I've filled the form in.

Does anybody have a contact name and number for BNP Paribas international branch who speaks English and I can get our account unblocked and a cheque book sorted out, I've looked on the web and it only gives the automated number. I would like to get this sorted before I go back in November because if I leave it till then they still won't be able to get the cheque book to the branch in the time I'm staying there.

[Sunday Driver]

Personal e-mails tend to get lost in people's inbox, particularly if they're having to deal with a lot of correspondance or if they are out of the office frequently.

So, send off 100 consecutive identical e-mails to your invisible broker so's he can't miss 'em.......[;-)]

If that doesn't work, I'd forget about him and write to BNP Paribas International branch and demand that they sort it out for you.

 

 

 

[Will]

The trouble with so many French banks is that although they like to give the impression of a big national - or in BNP Paribas's case, international - institution, that's only at corporate level. When it comes down to administrative level, things are handled regionally with little or no link between the different areas. Although they seem to have got the cash machine network sorted so you can draw money out anywhere, with a lot of banks it is impossible to pay in outside your own region, believe it or not, let alone access account details or get cheque books etc sent. The banks are also very reluctant to send out cheque books, cards etc direct to you by post, so it usually means a trip to the branch where your account is held - not much use if it's a long way away, or in another country.

I strongly suspect that BNP and Paribas still treat themselves internally as separate banks, which doesn't help.

I'm afraid I can't help you with contact details - I no longer have any dealings with this outfit, though having heard some scary stories even by French banking standards I can't say I'm sorry. I did have a mortgage with Paribas (pre BNP merger) though that was on a house in England, and the mortgage was in ECUs (the Euro's predecessor). The company was impossible to contact even then, and a look at its web site suggests it has not improved.

Do keep on at them, because you are in a ridiculous situation. You weren't to know at the time how French banks operated, but your adviser should have foreseen troubles ahead for you.

By the way, I've just done a spell check on this message, and Paribas comes up as 'pariahs' which seems rather appropriate.

[cooperlola]

I had a similar thing when a BNP account was set up for me.  I wrote to them, authorising them to post the cheque book to my home and they did it. Somehow, the written word seems to go down rather better with the overly-beaurocratic banking systems here.

[Babbles]

Hi All

Thanks for the ideas, I'll get out the French dictionary and draft myself a letter and try and get everything sent ot our local branch in Condom, and maybe copy it to our local branch and maybe do a blanket email just for the fun of it ;-) and let them know how miffed I am at not being able to set up direct debits and have to go to the expense of transferring funds to the builders account. Anyway why do they have an in ternational branch where they only speak French, I do try but foolishly I thought that it would be easy to phone the international branch. Does anyone know where I can get a chip implanted in my brain so I can suddenly speak fluent french under pressure!!!!! That might help!!!!!

[booboo]

crikey, i see what u mean; i've just had a look at the ir website, and everyime you try to find a contact email/tel, you have ti either fill out a form for them to contact you or you get ther 08... number which is basically some random telephone platform (probably in morocco..!!)

you might be best opening (or transferring) your account at your local branch? or try another bank all together (CA paris intl are all English, and Barclays intl bilingual too)

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Abs Turner"]

Hi All

Thanks for the ideas, I'll get out the French dictionary and draft myself a letter and try and get everything sent ot our local branch in Condom, and maybe copy it to our local branch and maybe do a blanket email just for the fun of it ;-) and let them know how miffed I am at not being able to set up direct debits and have to go to the expense of transferring funds to the builders account. Anyway why do they have an in ternational branch where they only speak French, I do try but foolishly I thought that it would be easy to phone the international branch. Does anyone know where I can get a chip implanted in my brain so I can suddenly speak fluent french under pressure!!!!! That might help!!!!!

[/quote]My chip was implanted 40 years ago and it still malfunctions on a regular basis!  However, feel free to PM me with your draft letter if you would like me to help out with the french. Or maybe show it to a French friend before posting - a method I've found very useful myself.  You might try to get hooked up to an internet bank account with BNP.  Yeah, it's a bit of a minefield but at least you can peruse your account at your leisure, print off RIBs etc.

[Babbles]

A quick update, The scartlet Pimpernel of BNP has finally emailled me (4 months, yes 4 months later) he wanted a copy of our wedding certificate (3rd time) but our account is still blocked for setting up direct debits (apart from the mortgage) they destroyed the cheque books (as they were at the Champs Elysee branch, and we hadn't picked them up, even though we didn't know they were there and we don't go to Paris!!) He says he'll get back to me on Monday (everything crossed) as I'm off to Gers on Tuesday, the big question is will they or won't they have the cheque books waiting for us in the Condom branch by friday???????

[P]

[quote user="Abs Turner"]

the big question is will they or won't they have the cheque books waiting for us in the Condom branch by friday???????

[/quote]

Abs, you are either the Worlds greatest optimist or a fool [:D]

Paul

[Babbles]

Well, I hate to admit that I'm a fool but thats what I am, there was no cheque book but the unhelpful lady I saw last time has now been sacked!!!!! and I now seem to half half of Condom branch and my gas supplier trying to sort it out for me so who knows what will be waiting for me in 3 weeks!!!!!!!!! so at least my faith in human nature has been restored, I wonder if they will do the same for me with the unhelpful man at EDF!!!!!![;-)]

[Sunday Driver]

It's the old story.  If you're struggling with an individual, then report it up the line.  It usually works.