We on
Iāve
Learn the language and practice it with the French - they will work with you on it. Yes, many French speak English but for the love of god, you're living in France.
Be patient - you're about to encounter a bureaucracy and lifestyle that rewards activity and not productivity. This has been a difficult adjustment for me (I'm an American and when you buy a car from someone it's a simple transaction. Not here. Not even close.)
Open your mind - the positive experiences come with living the life, not fighting it. Learn the local culinary specialties and visit local historical sites (even if it just is a 1000 year old rock sticking out of the ground). Find a weekend food market and wander around, sampling anything.
Move to a city - in the city and not around it so you can integrate. Even if you're not a city person move into a city for about a year. It's the best way to immerse yourself.
Make friends with your neighbors and other expats - many cities have expat groups you can find and your neighbors do want to know you.
Do these five and you'll have a great time.
Shirley - I read this :
Then if this "acompte" is necessary and agreed upon it is NOT EVER to be paid in advance, the artisan will have to do something before handing him over any money.
and picked up on the words *if* and *before* - which would imply that Jan is saying something pretty similar to what you posted afterwards :
If you sign you agree to this advance -
Bear in mind that not everyone on this network is a native English speaker and that sometimes nuances get lost in translation.
You two are at cross purposes!!!
(pun fully intendedā¦!)
Hi,
He's not all wrong about it, my wife and I do agree with most and can add quite some more to it. I can't reply for Andy but we do want to leave (not to say to 'get the h out of here') but we're still here because the law, the local authorities, l'Architecte des BĆ¢timents de France, the notary as well as the surveyor have been slowing down our plans which definitely need to be taken care of before we can leave.
So come on then please explain if it is that bad why are you still there?
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Please get an account at Boursorama Banque, great on-line banking, best free as well as paid services (most ofāem free) and they have some real offices in case you need to pull someone over the counter. 
Well done! Good riddance. Our experiences with La Poste are about the same. Another weird thing we noticed is that mail travelling north-south (over the hub - Paris) or vice-versa is usually three times quicker than mail travelling east-west (or v.v.) no matter what distance.
Having had a bank account in France for at least 35 years and one at La Poste for many years as well without ever one single incident (no bounced checks, nothing) my old mother had an automatic payment refused because of lack of funds caused by the postal services of France (general strike). Her pension from the Netherlands had not come in. Neither did the letter warning that there was a lack of funds. A second prelevement automatique due two days later bounced as well.
When a couple of days later the strike ended and the mail came in she received a whole pile of warnings and fines and a letter telling that she had been black-listed at the Banque de France...
I had a hard time making the director of the local office understand that their own strike was the cause of the matter and initially they wouldn't even correct the notification at the BdF let alone cancel the fines. It even took threats to have this done. Of course we all closed our accounts, they couldn't care less...
Nope, this entirely depends on the artisan, the relationship between client and artisan, the amount of the work to be done and the cost of the materials. Then if this āacompteā is necessary and agreed upon it is NOT EVER to be paid in advance, the artisan will have to do something before handing him over any money. Donāt make a down payment without first getting the proper documents (Devis, agreement/contract with proof of the acompte.
Do you know, this is going to be one of the next subjects for my blog as it something I feel so passionate about - any tips anyone?
Yup, there are as many dodgy clients around as dodgy builders, we always ask for 30% as an accompte. This enables us to order the materials needed for the job and ensures that the client doesnāt change their mind. Clients also have to realise that a devis is binding on them as well as the artisan, it is a 2 way contract.
Hi hi, that must have been a truly āinterestingā experience considering that French is a speach impediment. :-))
Bonjour Ć vous tous!
My experience is that the best official 'French' tradesmen are not French but quite often from other countries (mostly Portuguese). I've seen and experienced many a botched job and on every occasion the biz owner and most of the personnel were French. The rules in France allow you to do a three week course and pass an exam and you can officially start a construction company. I know several builders who got official this way. They had several years of experience in for instance masonry before they passed the exam but that doesn't make them qualified for the wide gamma of complicated tasks necessary to build... WELL.
Once the choice is made it's very important to keep in mind NOT EVER to pay anything in advance. Try to pay after every successfully accomplished task or retain at least a part of the sum until you're satisfied with the job. Don't hesitate to ask someone knowledgeable to inspect for you if you're not sure the work has been done well.
Then about lawnmowers, the lack of quality is indeed something to keep in mind. I don't totally agree that paying a hefty price tag will do you that much good. Paying three times more to get only 5 times more hours out of the equipment is not what I would consider a good deal. When you have to mow large areas better get yourself a good old used real agricultural tractor fitted with mowing equipment. Their diesel engines are as indestructible as their mechanics and they do the job faster and better. The remaining life left on these machines puts all the other 'home' and semi-professional mowers to shame, by far.
La Poste do a great simple bank account, which is what I am looking for at the moment for my new business, the only problem is that it means actually going into La Poste more often which would be a nightmare! Aghhh,
Provided you use a registered artisan, you simply hand in your invoice with your return, if you file on line you don't even have to do that, you just declare it. Note that you are only reimbursed on the actual materials not the cost of the labour.
With the regards to the TVA, we are not TVA registered at the moment so you don't pay TVA on the labour anyway! Something people need to remember when using smaller companies.
Oh Iām so glad its not just me!!!
People in post offices are special. I got called a liar in so many words the other day - luckily I was having a good day and it made me laugh. Could have been very different on another day!!
There are so many cons. The lack of choice, the expense of it all, the general xenophobia, the naffness of the humour, the poor food, trying to get anything done. For me, itās like being back in the North-East of England in the early '80s, but with better weather. But perhaps thatās just Beziers
And it is illegal in France to pay over 3000ā¬, for anything in cash.