FRENCH PETROL PROBLEMS

[RadioActive]

Try Credit Agricole--they do a bank account called Britline--can be run on internet or phone and operators speak english.Once you set the account up and pay in money you can apply for debit card with pin.These work in french petrol stations

Does it cost anything to get this account up and running? I've already got a French account but the bank wanted quite a bit per year for a card which I'd only use very occasionally.

Chris

 

[Deleted account W]

Does it cost anything to get this account up and running? I've already got a French account but the bank wanted quite a bit per year for a card which I'd only use very occasionally.

Chris

I've a Caisse D'Epargne current and deposit account. I don't pay anything for the card and can do online balance transfers between the two easier than I can with my Lloyds or Barclays Bank accounts.

 

[Muppet]

This seems to be a common problem - so if you are British, is there a stress free way of getting petrol in France ?

Yes, surprised no-one else has mentioned it.

Take cash!

It's easier than ever with the Euro's, and it's universally accepted. Of course it won't help if you go to an unmanned station, but most of the motorway ones are 24 hour with actual people.

 

[Taff]

..surprised no-one else has mentioned it - Take cash!.. it won't help if you go to an unmanned station, but most of the motorway ones are 24 hour..

It just happens that when we go to France, very very little of our riding is on motorways - we tend to stick to the more "interesting" routes.

 

[(RIP) Shenzi]

this credit card thing makes the french REALLY shagging popular with Spaniards. I love france and even (YES EVEN) the french but this is retrograde, primitive and subnormal.

Thank god there are decent people in france who have been decent enough to exchange cash for "french" credit card money. Personally it makes me wonder about their comitment to anyhing other than the political scene in Paris (read more corrupt more than the Bosnian police that I have been nicked by recently), VERY VERY BAD and very out of step with such a magnificent country.

I dont give a rats arse about the technology I just know that my plastic gets me petrol in Sarajevo, but cant get me petrol in France at night. sorry but that!

bob

As I said earlier,all this is caused by credit card fraud. Apparently the large supermarkets are now asking for proof of identity with foreign credit cards. What action can the owners of the 24/7 take to ensure they don't lose a hell of a lot of money? Right now the technology doesn't exist to ensure they don't get ripped off. One local station next the autoroute must have been targeted as in one night alone 60% of the sales were fraudulent. They cannot carry that kind of loss.
No prizes for guessing which European country has the highest incidence of credit card fraud........
My wife (French) is so proud, and very surprised, to see me in there batting for the French!

Bob

 

[RadioActive]

I've a Caisse D'Epargne current and deposit account. I don't pay anything for the card and can do online balance transfers between the two easier than I can with my Lloyds or Barclays Bank accounts.

Thanks for the info Whatton. Our account's with Credit Mutuel and they want 34 Euros a year for a card. Nearly got caught out this year near Strasbourg on a Sunday when the unmanned station wouldn't accept any of our (new British) cards, and we weren't the only foreigners there having trouble. Luckily we found a manned station as the fumes were in danger of running out!

Chris

 

[guitarman]

Sundays have always been a pain in France for petrol.

In general I try to fill up on a Saturday ready for the Sunday. Then on Sunday either chill out or take a short route or one that includes some motorway miles to find a service station.

I've never personally had any problems paying for petrol with a credit card at a manned station.

BTW if there's a high level of credit card fraud in France how come they ALWAYS give the card back to me before I sign the debit slip? I honestly can't remember ever having my signature checked in France.

I've just got a new chip and pin card and I was told by the bank's helpline that it would work in France ... we'll see.

Cheers

Dick

 

[Mike Werner]

Sundays have always been a pain in France for petrol.

In general I try to fill up on a Saturday ready for the Sunday. Then on Sunday either chill out or take a short route or one that includes some motorway miles to find a service station.

I've never personally had any problems paying for petrol with a credit card at a manned station.

BTW if there's a high level of credit card fraud in France how come they ALWAYS give the card back to me before I sign the debit slip? I honestly can't remember ever having my signature checked in France.

I've just got a new chip and pin card and I was told by the bank's helpline that it would work in France ... we'll see.

Cheers

Dick

It's usally in small rural towns that you can't get petrol, or on country roads.

If you go to the bigger towns or cities, there should be at least one manned station.

When we did the Normandy Tour last year, we arrived at one station on Sunday that was unmanned I asked some people, and they directed me towards another area where there was a Total station that was manned, and accepted UK cards.

Actually, there's no high credit card fraud. There are a lot of scams trying to get pin numbers (hidden cameras, fake slots in ATMs).

There's a program to change all the credit card readers to the newer standard going on in France. It'll take a while, but then they should read the UK cards as well.

Long live Europe....

 

[Taff]

If you go to the bigger towns or cities, there should be at least one manned station.

The problem being that you can spend ages driving around "the bigger towns or cities" with no guarantee of petrol at the end of it.

Judging by the number of "Views" and "Replies" this thread has generated, I can only assume that it is a bigger problem for us British than first thought. Guitarman, can you let us know whether your new card works, as I will probably have my card changed before the next trip if it does. One simple and practical solution would be to ask one of the French speaking members of this site to translate a simple message, which we could print off and keep in the tank bag, ready to show a helpful looking local, something along the lines of

"Unfortunately this machine will not accept my card. As I / we are very low on Petrol, would it be possible for you to use your card in return for Euros? Thank you."

Given the number of piss-takers on this site, it may also be prudent to have any translation confirmed by at least 2 other unconnected French speakers; just in case there's a "diplomatic incident"

 

[Mike Werner]

The problem being that you can spend ages driving around "the bigger towns or cities" with guarantee of petrol at the end of it.

Judging by the number of "Views" and "Replies" this thread has generated, I can only assume that it is a bigger problem for us British than first thought.

Having lived for 16 years in France in smaller villages, I rarely had tis problem (although I have a CB card), I'd say the biggest problem is being able to communicate and ask a local for a manned station ...

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

As I said earlier,all this is caused by credit card fraud. Apparently the large supermarkets are now asking for proof of identity with foreign credit cards. What action can the owners of the 24/7 take to ensure they don't lose a hell of a lot of money? Right now the technology doesn't exist to ensure they don't get ripped off. One local station next the autoroute must have been targeted as in one night alone 60% of the sales were fraudulent. They cannot carry that kind of loss.
No prizes for guessing which European country has the highest incidence of credit card fraud........
My wife (French) is so proud, and very surprised, to see me in there batting for the French!

Bob

Well battled. But they can do their own fighting.... or blockading I think they call it, usually ports and border posts?

I used my Switch card twice in supermarkets (Intermarche and Casino) and was amazed to see my statement last night that First Direct forgot to charge the £1.75 for each transaction that they did before! So chip and pin might be better after all! But I did get screwed for it on my cash advance from La Poste!

And Bob, good link between France & Bosnia.... crap 1-1 draw last week!

 

[rocks]

Bank accounts..

Just looked at the Britline Account :
I will have to make a trip to france, and keep proof, before I can get one, and you get charged an annual fee ( doesnt state how much) for a cash card.

If the annual fee isnt too much then it might not be a bad idea for fuelling up and for trip dudgetting.

I think i will look at getting one after my first trip. Will keep in mind the sunday / petrol issue. Thanks for the warning guys.

 

[Sherringford Hovis]

Re: Bank accounts..

Just looked at the Britline Account :
I will have to make a trip to france, and keep proof, before I can get one, and you get charged an annual fee ( doesnt state how much) for a cash card.

If the annual fee isnt too much then it might not be a bad idea for fuelling up and for trip dudgetting.

I think i will look at getting one after my first trip. Will keep in mind the sunday / petrol issue. Thanks for the warning guys.

When this thread first came up I contaxcted CA and got the Britline stuff, unlike UK where we expect "free" banking this is not a free account with charges for paying in as well as out.

In the end I binned it. If I lived in France I might bother, but for holidays and day truips that amount to say 20 days a year it's not worth it.

 

[rocks]

Costs..

I see they have a fee for paying money in as well.. hmm
Looks like your right. Probably not worth the hassle.

Just hope they switch to the new chip and pin units soon.

 

[Deleted account W]

Re: Costs..

I Just hope they switch to the new chip and pin units soon.

The French have had them for years

 

[(RIP) Sugar Ray]

Re: Re: Costs..

The French have had them for years

This is true - but unfortunately they are using a different system to everyone else. The newer versions, like the UK version, are more resistant to fraud, but the French have no intention of changing/upgrading.

Regards,

Charles

 

[franco]

Crap..

The French will upgrade....probably about the same time the Brits change to the Euro. How come I can driver throguh Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Holland, happily paying for all in euros, but when you get to bloody Britain, it's that funny money with an ugly old bird on it. Unless you go to Scotland, at least they've got variety and colourful money.
The French bank system is jst a ply to keep mad brit bikers off the road as they all get roaring drunk all the time and drive on the wrong side of the road....

G'night all

p.s. My bank cards work all over France AND in Blighty ;-P

 

[Reprobate]

Unfortunately this machine will not accept my card. As I / we are very low on Petrol, would it be possible for you to use your card in return for Euros? Thank you!

Malheureusement cette machine n'acceptera pas ma carte. Car I/nous sont très bas sur l'essence, serait-il possible que employiez-vous votre carte en échange pour des Euros ? Merci!

 

[Taff]

Excellent Reprobate - top job. I will print this off and keep it in my tank bag before the next blat to France. I will trust you & assume that it is correct, but if I end up in some French clink having caused an Anglo - French incident, I will let you know.

 

[richie]

Unfortunately this machine will not accept my card. As I / we are very low on Petrol, would it be possible for you to use your card in return for Euros? Thank you!

Malheureusement cette machine n'acceptera pas ma carte. Je suis / nous somme très bas sur l'essence, serait-il possible que employiez-vous votre carte en échange pour des Euros ? Merci!

Is as close as I can get it, CALL MRS WHATTON, she is French...