'Consumer protection' in France

[Bevdeforges]

I have to say that foreigners are often taken advantage of in France - there is still the stereotype of the "rich British tourists" who are driving up housing prices and driving the young, French couples out of the market. Like most stereotypes, there's probably a grain of truth there, too.

But there's also a reason that the French tend to rely on the old networking approach to hiring tradesmen - a friend of a friend kind of thing. We're rather fortunate to have a guy in the building trades living across the street from us. What he can't do himself, he recommends one of the people he works with. If there's an attempted rip-off, "we know where he lives" (though I doubt we'd run into such a thing). Even worse, his kids would get cut off from donkey rides!

I suppose it's one of those things here in France that is a double edged sword - demonstrates what a tight knit community the French rely on, but it does kind of limit your range of choice.
Cheers,
Bev

[frogblogger]

Ref the house prices there is a lot of resentment in the Savoie where I lived before, in Bourg Saint Maurice. Many locals cannot afford to buy any more, the prices are silly. But what they forget is that the local economy mushroomed from a largely agricultural 'subsistence'-type existence in the early 20th century to a massive mainly ski tourism-based industry with the emergence of some of the richest per capita communes in France, and thousands of jobs where there would have been none. Before the tourist explosion there was an exodus of young people to the big cities in search of work. The same demand that pushed up house prices is the one that made it worthwhile for locals to stay and work in the Savoie in the first place.

The same applies in many respects to Provence - the influx of foreigners, British, Dutch, Scandinavian, Parisian etc, has been responsible for a major boost to the local economies, and job creation.

[mikecambrai]

Purchasing materials for work in France is fraught with difficulties. I now only buy something that is cheap or that I can mend if it goes wrong. Otherwise I buy from the UK and bring it back with me. For instance, with central heating I am happy to buy radiators and pipework in France, but I buy the boiler from the UK.
Bitter experience of spending many thousands of pounds has taught me that there is in fact very little consumer protection. If you return goods to a shop it will be your fault for buying it in the first place. If you go to the 'Consummateur' they will write a letter for you telling you that it is the fault of the supplier and then the supplier will still do nothing.
You should also be aware that many contracts (like insurance) must be cancelled 3 months before they expire or you will have to continue for another year. The same applies in Holland but I don't know all the categories.
Caveat emptor is the rule of the game I'm afraid!
Mike