Credit Agricole


After selling my house I decided to open a bank account with Credit Agricole. I was warned by other British customers not to do it as they had so many problems with them. How right they were!


I have been trying for the last week to transfer a high amount of euros to another bank and despite doing all the correct paperwork with the Manager, visiting the branch three times and endless telephone calls, as of today it has still not been done!


Their excuses are the Iban number was wrong - it isn't! Because it was a large sum of money they wanted to know where I had the money from - I told them that at the form filling stage! Then it was the fact that they needed to know WHY I was sending the money to another bank - and the list goes on.


I am so frustrated as all they have to do is enter a couple of digits and send, but it seems there is no urgency in the matter and they wish to hold onto the money.


After this scenario is over I shall be closing all the accounts as I no longer trust their motives and shall return to my other bank, La Banque Postale.



Any suggestions please because even their english employees cannot help me.






I haven't read the whole of this thread but remember some of the earlier entries. Just for balance I have to say that we have been with CA for nearly 9 years. To my view, the charges are published and transparent ( and at that typical ) and we found the English speaking FREE phone service ( based in Nîmes ) extremely helpful.

In fact we were so enamoured with the service we moved over all of our products business to them.

Ron Birks

What is?

But I don't understand anyway why anyone would voluntarily go into the offices of a local CA-branch and open an account. It amazes me why so many immigrants from the Netherlands or the UK go for that bank when they arrive in France despite the vast amount of stories indicating a system of individual banks i.e. kingdoms, lack of central co-ordination and a total void when it comes to customer service..... Is it the agricultural thing that does the trick?

My OH usually goes into a branch with a metaphorical hatchet to implant in somebody's skull. She asked for a debit card, for which she got a credit card and then got monthly charges for not running up a bill to pay off (sorry, I can write it but still do not understand it), when we had a lightning hit and she tried to claim for computer damage then they said they would send out somebody to assess the damage. He came and booted up, saw everything come up in English (our main working language for both of us) and asked where it was bought. Wales, said she. Claim refused because computer imported (!!!!). The same as Nick's mother when she made withdrawals with the unwanted credit card, charges for not using CA. She was finally charged after the complaint about the wrong card and then it being changed. On each count she has gone into the local branch and bitterly complained with no real satisfactory outcome.

All insurances and eventually account are gradually being moved, starting with house insurance in a few weeks time. I am with a French part of a UK bank with a very bad name internationally that has only ever served me well here or elsewhere.

We have had problems with Credit Agricole insurance for the car.

We bought the top of the range and got no help when our windscreen wipers packed up at home, despite being promised the home pack would cover everything.

We were all packed up for our annual trip to UK and it was raining cats and dogs. We were told that the wipers were not covered and we should drive 40 k from our house and then we would be covered. That was tantamount to commiting suicide as the road is heavily used by large lorries.

we have taken the insurance away from them.

Effectively - that is a lot of dosh.

But unfortunately they're right. Any amount of money exceeding 50K euro's will have difficulties to pass the system due to laws on international money-laundering etc. Individual banks can set additional, lower limits to protect themselves.

Personally I'm with BNP-Paribas. I had to invest in a meeting with the bank manager to explain my business situation as there would be int'l bank transactions exceeding this amount. But he made a note in my file and I had never any problems since then and I now receive an SMS every time these transactions have been finalized.

Hi Gail,

I can sympathise with you. I recently took over managing my mum's accounts and she is with CA. First I'm astounded by the charges she has received. In a period of 2 months earlier this year they took €500 off her for various minor transgressions.

Last week a €4 surcharge for not using a CA cashpoint. I will be transferring her accounts to another bank, that is for sure.

Second, I now for the moment, use CA internet banking to transfer any money and you can do that internationally too. You do however need to set up the beneficiary as a confirmed beneficiary, usually takes a day or two.

On a side note, do you need any help with uploading a photo to your profile, a few members are finding it difficult, this video will show you how - good luck.