I pay by cheque or cash where possible, because I have had many problems with “extras” taken from my account, usually by telecom companies,which take an enormous amount of time to sort out, the results are not satisfactorily resolved either.
Wow Mark! I’m sure that you don’t mean to, but it appears that you’re picking a fight. Surely Simon can ask any question he wants without the need to get your approval?
I’m guessing Simon can look after himself on a forum Tigger. Lol.
Do know what, I was painting a wall when my phone bleeped with your reply to the thread. I felt the need to respond immeadaitly and now I have paint all over my phone.
Thanks
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Oh Mark… that did make me laugh… well done… it’s been a difficult day and you have saved my sanity. 
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Don’t stop now, you could end up with something unique…
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Sorry about the paint Mark 
Maybe I misunderstood; it just seemed to me that you were being over-strong. Anyway, no offence was meant and I hope that none was taken.
All the best.
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Ah yes the French and their cheques. When my banker told me it was advisable to take a cheque book, I nearly fell of my Parisian chair.She even told me you can order special ones from LCL that you can write the amount in Francs (for the old people who don’t like change she added.)
I am British but live in the Netherlands with a plan to retire to our house in France. In NL no cheques either I was never offered a cheque book and I have lived here since 1995. One thing the Dutch do a lot is direct transfers between accounts. So I get a bill from the plumber say and on it is his bank account number. I just enter that into my banking app and pay him directly. I tried that with our French Electrician and he looked at me as if I was from Mars,stating he would prefer a cheque. Even though it would take him 2 weeks longer to get paid.
Retro banking in many ways in our beloved France
And long may it stay like that Andy in our beloved France, having owned and run a uk business turning over £10 million a year, it was a great relief to sell it and move to rural france and to adjust to a more sedate way of life.
To give an example our local Renault garage delivers his local bills by hand at the end of the month for a coffee and a cheque how civilised is that.
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Cheques are still alive and well in Dept 17 - probably half the transactions in our supermarkets & bricos etc are done that way, and many of the local independent shops insist on cash or cheque. We almost got caught out last week, eventually getting a booking at a very popular local restaurant after a year of trying. It was only after we sat down that we spotted the “no cards” sign. We’d enough cash but another party had to nip out to the nearby ATM. We did ask her why no card and she blamed the costs/charges of the system.
All the tradesmen we’ve dealt with - from builder, plumber and electrician to heating oil and wood suppliers all insist on cheques.
I spend a lot of time in and around La Rochelle and have never not been able to pay by card. It must be different out in the sticks.
Rochefort-Royan-Jonzac ~ not quite out in the sticks …
It is really frustrating when you are in a supermarket and you get people in front of you paying by cheque. Almost as frustrating as those who intend to pay by card but then have to dig in their bags to get their cards out of their wallets!
When we first moved here we were offered such a small limit on our debit card, but we explained that we needed to order things on line and it was raised.
It really is amazing that you have to fight to get access to your money.
We always paid off our balance when we had a credit card in UK so were used to using our card for almost everything.
Jane…
In the early days… I too would have been frustrated at the French checkouts… having been used to the swift and impersonal attitudes in UK.
Now, we enjoy the fact that folk can (and do) take their time…whether it be organising a cheque… chatting about a sick relative… or whatever.
Re Credit Cards…When I was much younger (and foolish)… I decided that all the family would have lovely Christmas presents, not simply whatever I could afford, but something each one would really like… and I ran up a large sum on my M&S card. Took me 2 years to finally pay off… and I vowed “never again” and I’ve stuck to it. Only cheques and debit cards… no credit, no overdraft.
Here in France, I wouldn’t say we had to fight to get our money… to get our Debit Card limit raised. I think the Bank were acting responsibly in the first instance, with new customers. They acted swiftly when we contacted them to ask for the limit to be raised.
I recall my brother gleefully telling me once (years ago in UK)… Wow, Barclaycard have automatically upped my limit…look how much I can spend now!.. Seems the more he spent, the more they upped his limit. To my mind, that is really irresponsible… not good at all.
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Ahhhh don’t start me on supermarkets!!! Click & Collect (Drive) is the only way to go!
Most of the supermarkets and petrol stations around here no longer take cheques. I noticed that my dentist has stopped accepting them as well. In the last 18 months my insurance agent has changed his payment system so whereas I used to have to pay by cheque I can now pay by card or even online. Cheques are still used by people who like them, just as they are in the UK, but is it really a big issue?
As for click and collect that’s a mater of choice. I can see why it appeals to some people but I enjoy browsing.
I bet you don’t buy bananas 
click and collect though Simon! I don’t think I would buy anything fresh that way to be honest, can you imagine the crap you might find:persevere:
Actually - not so! I use Intermarché Drive and they have a fresh produce guarantee. They have cocked up twice in the last couple of years and have been very generous with compensation as a result. Anyway - I hate bananas but love banoffee pie!
I just find supermarket shopping a waste of life. You take the products off the shelf, into the trolley, out of the trolley onto the conveyor, back into the trolley, into the car, unload the car at home, into the home, and onto your shelves, fridge, freezer…blimey!
I arrive at the Drive pickup, they load my goods into the car and I drive home and unload them.
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We only have a Carrefour Drive around here, and seeing them going around with their trollies selecting fresh fruit and veg has put me off using that service, and I hate supermarket shopping
That just shows how not everyone is the same. Nothing wrong with that.
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In my opinion Supermarkets aren’t a problem.Some people take just as long to pay by cheque as other do to pay by card. BUT have you ever been stuck in the CB queue at the autoroute peage? Now that is frustrating!!! Why does it take some people such a long time to do something so simple??? (This applies to male drivers as well as female and it doesn’t from my experience appear to be an age thing either.)