If SAUR, they are dreadful!
We normally get an email from them to indicate that the bill is available on line in our SAUR account followed a few days (maybe a week) later with the paper copy by post. We pay it the same day online as the bill is presented in full - always well in advance of the required payment date.
I was only thinking the other day that I had not had a bill from them for some time and hey presto! an email appears in my inbox (as if by magic)!
To my horror, when looking at the account on line, I noticed that there was a bill from 25th May 2022 which had neither been notified by email nor a paper copy in the post and to boot… they were charging me a 4€ fee in addition for late payment!
So, armed with the paperwork of our history of payments and the two bills and the advice we had been surcharged, we went to their local office to seek redress.
No apology or explanation… nada. But they did knock the surcharge on the head.
We paid both bills in one without the late payment surcharge when, a few days later, we noted that the account balance had been adjusted accordingly.
Naturally, we will keep the receipt for the online payment in case it rears its ugly head again.
So, what to do?
We have now selected the option Passez dès maintenant au prélèvement automatique or translated: a direct debit facility to pay by switching to direct debit: invoices will be paid automatically on the date indicated on them. Certainly not the option: Le prélèvement mensuel. Would far rather the money be in our account than theirs as we do with EDF.
The procedure is -
Switch to direct debit now, in one click:
- Choose your direct debit method (monthly or on the due date)
- Validate or modify your pre-registered RIB
- Sign electronically with one click
- Receive a confirmation email
So hopefully now, we should not experience any further issues with SAUR except insofar as not getting an email notification but I guess I can handle that by forward posting a diary entry as a reminder the bill is due and to look on the SAUR site as well as keep an eye out on our French bank account statement for a payment.
Hope that helps.