Hi - can anybody help please?
We have a little holiday cottage in the Mayenne - bought just over 2 years ago. We took over the utility payments with no problem, however, our water company changed to STGS earlier this year. We received a bill for E 83,53 - we sent our Credit Mutuel Bank details (20 Aug) (as we had in previous years to the other company) - however, we received a letter in return asking for a cheque - however they also enclosed a DD form. We sent a note back saying 'sorry we don't have a 'cheque compte' - could you please set up a direct payment and completed the form they sent to us (22 Oct) - we have now received a Lettre de Rappel threatening to cut the water off. My French is not brilliant.... we are in the UK and we have plenty of money in our bank account..... but we can't seem to pay the bill - Any suggestions gratefully received ..... or if anybody can help with a quick e-mail to STGS to try and resolve this.... Many Thanks!!!
No problem, the offer's still there if needed!
Have sent you a friend request Annmarie , or if you can give me your email address in a PM , I will scan in and send you the email I received from them with all relevant details.
Dear Everybody - thank you so much for your kind offers of help - I really appreciate it! I was really in panic mode when I posted this yesterday - we really didn't want to turn up on our next visit to find the water cut off! Luckily I have managed to get hold of a friend in the UK last night who has rung STGS earlier today and has managed to sort everything out (we hope!) STGS claim they would not accept our bank account details or set up a prelevement as it was our 'first' bill - which they claim HAS to be paid by cheque! They wouldn't even accept payment over the phone??? Luckily my friend still has a French bank account with a cheque book and has sent the cheque off today. Thanks especially to Wendy and Paul - Paul - I would appreciate the details you have to pay them direct - I'll try and get OH to set up our Credit Mutual account for internet banking - then hopefully we can pay them direct in the future.
no offence meant Victoria. I really do think you are lucky to be in that position. I added the smile on, ":)"so that you would know for sure I was saying it in a friendly voice, not a rude one. I't's Barclays I am hammering, not you, just trying to defend people from them ripping you off.
15 is a lot of money on a bill of less than a hundred though, you are lucky to be in a position to be placing the words ONLY and 15 in the same sentence! :) My point about Barclays, who have a long history when it comes to human rights & wrongs usually in their case, is they, and others in the UK, are charging ANYTHING at all, because the EU agreement is to use BACS/IBAN in order to make it FREE for all small transactions. even 50p would be going agaisnt the priciple of it, and 15 pounds is criminal.
Ask the Crédit Mutuel for a cheque book. Cheques are SO useful in France it's madness to be without a cheque book.
I dont pay my bills from my english account as obviously its free from my french account as i live her all the time, but when i need to transfer money to my french account it only ever costs me 15 pounds, i say only as it has not cost me 45 pounds ever! so i wasn't being flippant when i said 15! i find barclays a very very good bank and was charged more from a natwest account and i dont think its criminal otherwise it wouldn't happen! please dont pressume to make judgements and say people are lucky etc when you dont know them i find that alittle rude specially considering i was just giving information !!
I just want to add a general word of caution to UK residents using direct debit arrangements in France. It is VERY easy for companies to overcharge using DD and then to take a long time repaying the refunds. French companies are no exception and I have found they seem to effectively use them as an easy way of repeatedly taking advantage. I also find that French companies and institutions seem to expect ALL bills, no matter how false, mistaken or downright wrong, are always paid for, on receipt of getting the bill and only afterwards, the customer has a right to ask for a reimboursement - which, again may take a very long time..(but it doesn't work on me, if I dispute the bill I prefer to risk being cut off. I won using this method with FT, who had to reimbourse me the cost of being reconnected as well)
Legally, you have the right to pay the bill using a cheque, or cash, or by telephone using a bank card, without direct debit, if you want to, and you also have the right to receive a bill by post, though I assume this is risky if you live abroad (meaning in the uk) instead of France.
Also, in France, you still have the right to free legal aid for small claims, if you are on a low income. In the UK, this is currently being smashed to smithereens by the coalition, along with the right to a judicial review.
Might I suggest you learn the phrasology for making a telephone call to your water company, to ask to speak to an english speaking advisor. 'Conseilleur'. good luck
I had the same problem so I contacted STGS by email and had a reply by email from a Monsieur Bérenger BOUVET together with all their bank details IBAN etc.
Like you Doreen, I pay none of my bills by prelevement anymore, due to the way they can just delve in and take what they want , when they want ! I even pay my Orange internet and phone bill by credit card online , (which they didn't like, and made it hard for me to do ) but you have the right to pay by this method.
Paying any utilities in France should not have to cost 15 squid each time !!!
15 is a lot of money on a bill of less than a hundred though, you are lucky to be in a position to be placing the words ONLY and 15 in the same sentence! :) My point about Barclays, who have a long history when it comes to human rights & wrongs usually in their case, is they, and others in the UK, are charging ANYTHING at all, because the EU agreement is to use BACS/IBAN in order to make it FREE for all small transactions. even 50p would be going agaisnt the priciple of it, and 15 pounds is criminal.
only ever costs me 15 quid with barclays for whatever amount i want
Hello. an IBAN or "BACS bank transfer is what ALL E.U. banks are SUPPOSED to use for doing this kind of operation. It was an international EU scheme to make transfer between all EU banks FREE for small transactions. But guess what. UK banks have found it easier to charge for this -somehow legally or otherwise unchallenged, and so banks such as Barclays are charing up to 45 squids for doing it.
Your IBAN number should be available on your french RIB and on your UK bank statements or chequebooks.
Hi AnnMarie, I am in Mayenne and my water company is also STGS . I don't like paying by direct debit or cheque so asked them to send me their bank details . I bank online with Credit Mutuel and pay them by virement bancaire direct , it only takes seconds . Do you have online banking with CM because I can give you their details . The STGS branch on my water bill is 22 rue de greves , in Avranches. If this is your branch I can give you RIB and IBAN N°s for STGS . Alternatively I can pay them and you can send me a cheque if it is that urgent.
barclays also do t very quickly normally two days
Hi Annmarie,
Don't know if you've solved your problem but if not you may want to set up an account with the Citibank branch in London. Their online banking includes international money transfers so you could pay in euros via this account. The exchange rate is usually pretty good, and before you send it you can decide if it is acceptable, or come back another day. Just a thought.
to clarify, you can do this yourself online, without having to visit the bank!
sometimes they threaten but dont act! have youentan email to the company provisding a copy of your RIB OR IBAN NUMBER which they can then take the money direct
If you want to scan the bill/letter and send it to me, I will phone them for you. Will send a friend request so you can do it privately.