Refused bank account in France even after providing all requested papers

[GMR]

Peace people

Ok i am a US citizen, decided to live in france with my french fiance and children we have (3), (not married yet) but we plan to get married soon.And we literally just got back here, we are living in a new home her parents purchased in a nice area called Balma, in Toulouse France.

Here is my situation, i went to the bank / post, my Fiance has a account there already, as well as her parents for over 35 years before they retired from the military., so the bank we went to was near esqeral metro, not Balma, basically the center, we arranged a appointment, they told me and my fiance what we needed to do, proof of residence (authorization from owners proving where i live ), they told my fiance to just write this on a paper if she can not come with me, with a copy of her ID, power bill, and i just bring my passport., a week later.

Ok i get there today after waiting for a week, the guy spoke English but took 40 and asked tons of questions like the name of my kids, Birth dates, etc, i told him my fiance and i did not get married at the townhall yet so i told him i just wanted to open a simple single person non resident account for now since we did not get married and papers for France yet, after 40 minutes he takes my photo copy of the passport and rips it up saying i cant open a account in France with out a authorization from the "perfecture a/k/a police" because i am not a EU resident, so i asked him why he waited 40 minutes to tell me this now and he said he realized it was not possible to do it after he entered it into the computer., i said its strange because in Paris many of my friends from the States opened non resident accounts with out jobs, Even in Spain; and i asked him if its the POST BANK only, he said thats Paris and this is Toulouse, he kept all the photo copies of my documents and said maybe after you get this paper come back and we can do something.

After i left i decided to ask "Bank Popular " since it was across the street, i explained to the woman that i wanted a non resident card, as a american for now until i get the EU residency sorted out etc, she asked for the same exact documents, i asked again and explained why so i can save time and get the right papers, i even told them what the guy in the POST BANK said about a authorization from the police, she said no, bank policy in France or the EU requires only these documents but the account will only be a ELECTRON type of card, basically a Debit card is what i understood, so we arranged a appointment for next week at this bank now.

After all this i told a friend and she is demanding we file a complaint against the guy who was supposed to help me at the POST BANK, i have no idea if its worth it or if the person was telling the truth now, so iam asking if his refusing me was legal or against the POST BANKS own policies because im been told some banks have jerks like this now., my Fiance just suggested we go to the local bank and says it all sounds weird too.

[Bevdeforges]

All I can say is "welcome to France!" Opening a bank account in France is a big deal - hence the appointment and all the paperwork. And, like most government agencies, they are not required to open an account for you simply because you provided all the paperwork they asked you to bring.

The other factor is that the Post Bank IS a government agency - and thus is entitled to act in a capricious and arbitrary manner. (Well, not officially, but when you've lived here long enough you'll appreciate my little attempt at humor.)

Getting turned down by a bank for an account is not an uncommon event in France. If you get turned down by three banks (I think it is), the next bank you apply to HAS to give you an account - albeit a nominal account (i.e. one with an Electron card - actually just an ATM card like the Banque Populaire offered you). That at least used to be the rule - some banking rules changed a few years back and that may be one of them. There was also a rule about bouncing checks - if you bounced too many, you could be blacklisted by the Banque de France, which meant you couldn't have a checking account at all, not at any bank in France.

Actually, you're better off with the Banque Populaire anyhow. Just chalk it up to one of the weird lessons we anglo-saxons all seem to have to learn the hard way here in France.
Cheers,
Bev

[GMR]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

The other factor is that the Post Bank IS a government agency - and thus is entitled to act in a capricious and arbitrary manner. (Well, not officially, but when you've lived here long enough you'll appreciate my little attempt at humor.)

Getting turned down by a bank for an account is not an uncommon event in France. If you get turned down by three banks (I think it is), the next bank you apply to HAS to

Actually, you're better off with the Banque Populaire anyhow. Just chalk it up to one of the weird lessons we anglo-saxons all seem to have to learn the hard way here in France.
Cheers,
Bev

i dont get it, in spain, italy, germany and even greece you can demand a paper to file a complaint if a employee miss treats you or simply decides to take it upon his own judgement to refuse service to someone and ignore of EU bank regulations or policies as this guy did in my opinion, and he asked for more information then needed to open a non resident account.,

i do understand that French bank tellers used to do this to foreigners in general before they where part of the EU but i was also told you can challenge the employees who you believe broke policies and acted on personal judgement, racism, discrimination etc, even after all proper documents where presented., bank tellers are not the central bank or owners of a private bank, they are there to do a service hired by the bank.

I know France is more notorious for bigotry from how many described there experiences with the language, someone once said that France is probably one of the few countries where foreigners are less welcomed then any other modern nation, example; even if you spoke a little french they refuse to help you unlike any where else, and i also heard that they are still in the dark ages with the idea that they are a super power, like there big brother the USA., i personally have seen some situations but can say it is everywhere, i guess tourist hate France more then any other Democratic country they visit.

[GMR]

Some one just sent me this link saying you can complain about it, i was joking in my last post with those stereo types, u gotta love french humor, silly i think.

its at the credit-agricole web site

[frogblogger]

The customer is always wrong, and you should be grateful that the employee is deigning to serve you in the first place.

Unless you can rapidly get used to this idiosyncrasy about France, you're in for a hard time and an early coronary. I'm not suggesting that you should take everything lying down, but that you rapidly get used to the idea that this is the way things work in the Hexagon, and that in the long run, swimming against the tide is a waste of time. Life is too short.

There are ways and means of circumventing these problems. Charm and patience works far better than Anglo-Saxon bluster, for a start. The French are allergic to Brits and Americans telling them how to run things - especially if we are right.

I'm glad you added the postscript that you were joking in that last paragraph by the way, because imho you are wrong on all counts.

[minesthechevy]

<<<i dont get it, in spain, italy, germany and even greece you can>>>

You made two mistakes in that sentence -

<<< i dont get it, in spain, italy, germany and even greece ...... >>>

So mistake numero uno - France is none of those countries. That's Rule number one

<<<... you can >>>

and secondly, you can't. That's Rule number two, which will apply in any given situation, without rhyme nor reason, no justification given, and the effort the opposing party puts into enforcing the blockage will increase directly with how much you change it.

Welcome to France.

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by GMR

i dont get it, in spain, italy, germany and even greece you can demand a paper to file a complaint if a employee miss treats you or simply decides to take it upon his own judgement to refuse service to someone and ignore of EU bank regulations or policies as this guy did in my opinion, and he asked for more information then needed to open a non resident account.,

No one has said that you can't complain. Be my guest. But a fat lot of good it will do you. You have no indication that the employee in question decided on his or her own to deny you service. It's completely possible that something in all the paperwork and information you gave him indicated that, under Post Bank rules, you simply couldn't have an account. It could well be that his boss is the a--hole in all this.

The point is that in France you can be refused a bank account, and they really and truly don't have to tell you why they refused you.

Your "revenge" is to take your custom elsewhere, as you appear to have done. The French are slow to get with the idea of "lost sales" or "unhappy customers generating bad word of mouth" - but the Post Bank is government owned anyhow and they frankly don't care if no one chooses to bank with them. They get paid no matter what. Banque Populaire is at least a co-op (of sorts), so you can claim to be a shareholder in the company once your account is open. (Don't push it, but you can sometimes have penalty fees rescinded if you have a compelling argument.)
Cheers,
Bev

[GMR]

Originally Posted by frogblogger

The customer is always wrong, and you should be grateful that the employee is deigning to serve you in the first place.

There are ways and means of circumventing these problems. Charm and patience works far better than Anglo-Saxon bluster, for a start. The French are allergic to Brits and Americans telling them how to run things - especially if we are right.

I'm glad you added the postscript that you were joking in that last paragraph by the way, because imho you are wrong on all counts.

Sure its funny to run into bigots, it is exactly what you described, french or german or brits, once in a while we all run into some, but i can not be wrong for the opinion others share about france in general, it is a very common thing to hear, probably the only country where you speak some french and no one wants to help you, i can get thousands of people to post statements in the matter of hours on that from every part of the world, funnier part is that it is denied and played down instead of looked at and delt with from the shame of it all, but i hear it is because many french still live in the assumption that france is a powerful nation like there hero america, and they are vicious about it, glad these maniacs are kept at bay., any where. sorry bigots ar bigots.

The link i proposed says it is against the law now to be refused the right to a non resident bank account.

Credit agricole:

Comment ouvrir un compte

Chacun a le droit d’ouvrir un compte en banque (à condition, toutefois, de pouvoir justifier de son identité et de son domicile), mais aucune banque n’est obligée d’accorder ce droit à toute personne qui en fait la demande. Un certain nombre de documents est nécessaire pour procéder à l’ouverture. La banque vous proposera un certain nombre d’outils et de services pour gérer votre compte. Sachez qu’elle vous en doit gratuitement un minimum : les « services de base ». A chacun, son compte : les banques adaptent aujourd’hui leurs offres au profil de leurs clients : compte jeune, compte professionnel, compte spécifique client géré à distance, compte spécial client haut de gamme…
La banque refuse de vous ouvrir un compte

Si une banque refuse d’ouvrir un compte à votre nom, vous pouvez soit vous tourner vers une autre banque, soit faire valoir sans attendre votre « droit au compte » auprès de la Banque de France. La banque qui vous refuse l’ouverture d’un compte vous fournira une « attestation de refus » et la transmettra, si vous le désirez, directement à la Banque de France. Celle-ci désignera d’office un établissement bancaire qui sera obligé de vous ouvrir un compte bancaire mais qui pourra refuser de vous fournir un chéquier et une carte bancaire, ainsi qu’une autorisation de découvert. Elle devra néanmoins vous fournir les services bancaires de base tels qu’ils sont prévus par la loi.

© Neel Chrillesen Uni-Éditions – janvier 2008

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by GMR

i guess tourist hate France more then any other Democratic country they visit.

And yet France is still the number one tourist destination. Go figure.

Totally off the topic, I'm reading a fascinating book that calls itself a "historical geography" of France. Turns out the whole idea of being a "tourist" was introduced to the French only in the late 1700's or so, when Brits making "the Grand Tour" started turning up in the outback regions in France.

Accounts of how the British "tourists" (more like adventurers) treated the locals goes a long way toward explaining the current-day attitude of the French toward the "tourists."
Cheers,
Bev

[GMR]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

No one has said that you can't complain. Be my guest. But a fat lot of good it will do you. You have no indication that the employee in question decided on his or her own to deny you service. It's completely possible that something in all the paperwork and information you gave him indicated that, under Post Bank rules, you simply couldn't have an account. It could well be that his boss is the a--hole in all this.

The point is that in France you can be refused a bank account, and they really and truly don't have to tell you why they refused you.

Your "revenge" is to take your custom elsewhere, as you appear to have done. The French are slow to get with the idea of "lost sales" or "unhappy customers generating bad word of mouth" - but the Post Bank is government owned anyhow and they frankly don't care if no one chooses to bank with them. They get paid no matter what. Banque Populaire is at least a co-op (of sorts), so you can claim to be a shareholder in the company once your account is open. (Don't push it, but you can sometimes have penalty fees rescinded if you have a compelling argument.)
Cheers,
Bev

I want a account at the post cause my in laws had one there and they worked in the military for many years, and yes the mom is part of the legal branch, she is insulted but used to this she said., now we will go to the local one to get a account at the post bank, should be no problem, its because i went to a branch downtown they tell me.