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Articles and visitors letters

 

Do you have a story to tell? An experience you can share with others? Something amusing about your time in France? Or perhaps a hint or tip to pass on?

 

We want to know about it and others would to.

 

So please send us your interesting items and we will publish them HERE!

 

General letters to the web site can be found here too!

 

franceonline@sfr.fr

 

Articles so far

 

A Stitch in Time Blog

Airport Scam

Angel Traders Newsletter

Appeal from Simon Williams

Auto entrepreneur - information from LINK St Yrieix

Bowls - The Beginning of Perigord Bowls Club 2007

Bowls - Perigord Bowls Club 2007 season

Building Society Scam!

Cancer Support in France

Changing Internet Provider Wanadoo to Neuf/SFR

Credit Card Scam

Dorothy Race Author

Ecopower Article - Payback!

Entry to France as a new resident

Equine Rescue France

Fuel prices 2009

General Letters

Gite booking scam!

Health cover and top up policies

Health care with Mutual Societe Agrigole

House Buying Scam!

Internet Scams!

Internet Problems??

Joanna Wright and Jackerobi Textiles

Jon The Carpet Man

LD Lines new route for 2009

LINK St Yrieix

Marmalade

Mobile Phones in France

Nearly Heaven - News

Phoenix Association

Pompadour Racecourse

Private Health Cover

Sterling Shopping Newsletter

Tax Credits and VAT in France - Buyer Beware!

Transferring money from UK to France

Trees in Autumn by Darren Edwards

Web site for your holiday home in France - article


General Letters

 

Anyone got rabbits??? Interesting tip from Linda.

 

Thank you for your super newsletter & all the hard work that you must put into it.

 

We have lots of Rabbits here and last time we had snow, earlier this year, because the grass was covered, they decided to chew their way through some varigated ivy stems that we were training up a fence to try to make it blend in more with our surroundings......................we had bought about 10 plants at several Euros each so we were not amused!

 

Then we hit on the idea of taking empty plastic bottles,  at least one & a half litre size, cutting off the neck just below the shoulder, cutting off the bottom and then cutting down the bottle length with removing the label then you have a purpose built stem protecter for free! Because of the bottles being springy they naturally form round the stems with no tying then in the Spring we just collected them up slotted them inside one another ready to use again with our latest snow fall.

 

Hope this might be a help to other people who have "bunny villas " near or on their property.

 

Every good wish for Christmas & the New Year

 

Kindest Regards

 

Linda 21 December 2009

 

 

This letter was sent in by some regular readers of our newsletter who experienced the Cinema in Thivers this week.

 

Hi

 

We decided this week to visit Thiviers Cinema to see Easy Virtue film in English and what a wonderful night we had. We stopped off first at the Hotel de France for a drink and Nicki (the owner) made us very very welcome and then we headed up in to Thiviers centre to find the cinema. Must admit from the outside it just looks like a shop but inside it was lovely. Very comfortable and spacious seating. Only 4 euro that night to get in and the film was good. We shall definitely go again and will be keeping an eye on the newsletter for the next English films.

 

The Girls! 18 June 2009

 

This letter was sent to Sue Virr of www.nearlyheaven.com and she has forwarded it to us for inclusion as it follows the same "doggy" theme as below.

 

Bonjour Sue

 

The arrival of a new puppy, called Poppy

 

Poppy arrived at La Grue at the age of 7 1/2 weeks, not that you would know  she was so young or so little. No fear or apprehension of her new surroundings, or new family.  The two old girls who have lived at La Grue for years were only slightly curious of the new arrival, which of course Poppy wasn't going to take lying down.  It took her just two days to ensconce herself into the fold, it has been mayhem and hurricane force ever since.  Poppy has spurts of Poppy power, this is when she flies around the house at 40 miles an hour, looking for trouble or the odd game of tug o war with Taz the Alsatian, who, I might add, is 12 years old.  This manic mayhem usually ends with Lucy, the pointer, stepping in and slapping both of them so that normality can return.  We think that Lucy may know where the puppy keeps her batteries, because the result is usually a couple of hours of peace and quite whilst Poppy has a puppy nap.  At the slightest rumble of thunder she is in our bed, if she can't

sleep, in our bed, cold in our bed, do you see a pattern developing, there is already restricted room during storms, with Taz under the bed and Lucy on it.  We never knew that Puppy's teeth were so sharp, however we know now, as she has taken a liking to fingers and toes.

 

In two weeks she has put on 2 kilo's and grown 5cm from the floor to her shoulder.  I am only able to write this because a game of tug o war has just finished and all 3, Lucy Taz and Poppy are fast asleep, ah bliss, but you know what, can't wait until she's awake again, even though it means for the next however many weeks not much is going to get done around the house. 

 

Ron and myself (Jackie) have never had a puppy before, we have always rescued dogs, usually Lurchers.  We both agree that having Poppy is absolutely delightful, even with the odd puddle of pee and pile of poo,  which she  does on the odd occasion, she thinks that it is good fun, when we have a mad dash to the garden, which of course she refuses to come in from, so it's a titbit for enticement!!

 

We can't wait to introduce her to the outside World, it's like having a baby grow, we can see everything through new eyes, she is excited by everyone and everything. It's probably one of the most satisfying things we have done.

 

Congratulations to Mum and Dad for the production of such beautiful puppies and to Sue and the girls for the love and care they received until it was time to leave and go to there new homes.

 

Jackie and Ron Soutar. 22 May 2009

 

Dear Dordogne on Line

 

We brought home an 8 week Hungarian Vizsla pup last week and seriously had forgotten what hard work they are.  At the moment it would be totally impossible to (a) leave him on his own (b) ask anyone to 'pup-sit' as he is at stage of being placed outside every half and hour or so to do his business and as our house is definitely not easy to puppy-proof being one big living space, it is very time-consuming.  I know you have at least one dog, so I am sure you appreciate what I am saying!  I have come to the conclusion that babies are easier, at least you can put nappies on them!
  
I will just say that it is your fault we have actually got the pup.  Greg and I had been looking for a Vizsla pup since last year when we lost our two very elderly cats.  We both like the breed and as Greg has asthma it had to be a dog with very little loss of coat, so as not to trigger off an asthma attack.  We were willing to travel to UK to get one, but in February whilst we were visiting our daughter who is living and working in Cambodia, I was checking my emails and looking through your newsletter, when unbelievably, I saw an advertisement from Sue Virr, a lady who breeds Vizslas.  One of her bitches could possibly be pregnant. 
 
Bizarre, the fact that we were prepared to travel to UK or anywhere in France to get a Vizsla and yet we found a pup when we were the other side of the world in Phonm Penh and also, more ironically we discovered that Sue lives 15 minutes up the road from where we live in France! 
 
We had to have one really, didn't we? It was our destiny!  At the moment as our pup is tearing around like a swirling dervish, I am not sure if it is a good or a bad destiny!!!!
 
Regards

 
Carol-Ann & Greg 21 May 2009


Articles

 

Dorothy Race Author

Some time ago, relaxing in my garden in England, doodling on a notepad, I watched a little snail crawling on the ground who started me musing about how boring it must be to be a snail. I scribbled a couple of lines….then a few more and when, later, I read them to my husband, Roger, he wanted to know what happened next - but I couldn’t tell him! So, the next day I added some more….Roger wanted to know the outcome and encouraged me to complete the story. At that time I was secretary to a team of Primary School Inspectors and because of the educational value, as well as the actual story, they encouraged me to ‘do something with it’. Not sure that it was worthy of publication, I popped into the local village school and asked the head teacher for her opinion. She rang me the next day and invited me to read it to a class of 5-8 year olds. That was a most terrifying but rewarding experience. The children loved it. Then, I was introduced to Peter Scott who did the lovely, amusing illustrations for me and I published it in October’08.

Having written poetry, stories, articles etc over the years – all for personal pleasure – I had forever hoped that one day I might get something published. Hello Little Snail is that dream come true.

Roger and I met in 2003, and married in 2004. Our joint family of four adult offspring are all settled in their own life styles across England, with one having emigrated to Australia so with retirement approaching we were looking for a new a adventure. Last year we found our lovely new home here in France.  

Please visit my web site www.mousetec.co.uk to read more about Little Snail and how you can purchase the book.

 

 

 

 

EcoPower Article - Payback

Just over 10 years ago I bought some new shoes – they cost me £99 in the sales.

About 2 months ago I bought some shoes for €19 and got one pair free.

The 10 year old shoes are still just about as good as new – the new ones, well, one pair is ruined already.

THE most frequently asked question about eco systems is payback – or to put it another way “How long will it take to recoup my investment?”

This is one of those “How long is a piece of string “questions - there are so many variables - but that’s not a satisfactory answer so let’s consider one specific product and the one considered to be the best investment, a Solar Hot Water System.

So “What is the pay back?” Well, first and foremost it does have a payback. If you buy Oil, Gas or Electricity there is no pay back at all - ever. No matter how much gas, oil or electricity you buy and no matter how long you buy it for, you never get your money back. You will also have to service, maintain and ultimately renew your boiler or whatever at some time.

Payback is usually calculated as the equipments capital cost divided by the annual fuel bill savings - unfortunately this is simply inaccurate, misleading and wrong.

You need to take a wider view and factor in future energy increases, inflation, the savings in boiler or equipment servicing and the lifetime of such equipment.

There are also other factors that will affect this calculation – factors completely beyond our control such as the newly introduced French Carbon Tax for Oil and Gas – who knows what other taxes or environmental penalties will be introduced in the future? In fact Solar used to compliment central heating systems are likely to become much more popular purely because of this new Carbon Tax.

If all of the variables are taken into account it is generally accepted that a good Solar Thermal System offers a pay back of between 5 to 10 years. Remember too there are French Government incentives for Eco systems such as Tax Credits and reduced TVA rates that can reduce these payback times still further if you qualify.

“Up front” financials aside, it is also good for the environment, will increase the value of your home, and makes us less susceptible to the ever increasing costs of energy. 

Whatever form of eco system you might consider it is absolutely vital you choose a system that will perform efficiently for a very long time with a “rock solid” guarantee. A payback period of 10 years isn’t much use if your system only lasts 10 years (or less) and I have seen some systems (and shoes) that have neither performed nor lasted as long as they should have.

It is quite possible to obtain efficiency figures for solar systems – they are recorded by the test laboratories that evaluate systems for product approvals such as the main one for Solar which is the Solar Keymark.

One of the key tests for solar systems is Optical Efficiency which measures how much light is captured and converted into useful energy. To give you one specific example here are the key figures from two mainstream suppliers of solar systems in France (names withheld of course): The Optical Efficiency of system A is 0.37 / The Optical Efficiency of system B is 0.85. You don’t have to be a genius to know which one is better by more than twice as much so choose wisely.

The up front costs are a “one off” – the operating costs are for life.

You ALWAYS get what you pay for so maybe the £99 shoes were the better buy after all.

Marc Asker – EcoPower 

www.ecopower.eu.com

 

 

 

Appeal from Simon Williams

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn Gold in Limousin From Darren Edwards

The best way to give your garden the midas touch


Autumn in LimousinAutumn is just around the corner and I’m sure we are all looking back and reflecting on what a truly wonderful summer we’ve had. Yet being a tree lover, for me, the best is yet to come.


The months of autumn give nature a chance for one final grand flourish to the year, as deciduous trees start to change colour.


Like an allie against the coming winter, trees like Acer, Beech, Liquidamber, Poplar and Tulpifera turn to shades of fiery reds, oranges, browns and yellows, covering the Limousin countryside in a psychological heart warming tapestry of colour, until winter takes its grip and forces the leaves to finally fall.



Parrotia So how does it all happen? Well, most of these colours are already present in the leaf, but are masked by the green chlorophyll which the leaf needs for photosynthesis. As the day length shortens, trees ready themselves for the coming winter and shut down food producing elements. The chlorophyll disappears from the leaf and any trapped glucose, is turned by sunlight and cooler autumn nights into the brilliant red colours we see.



SassafrasIf just walking the roads and lanes of the region is not enough for you, there are a couple of excellent arboretums in the region. Arboretum de la Sédelle, in Villejoint, Crozant is open until the end of October. Or Arboretum de la Jonchère, located in Le Bourg, near La Jonchere Saint-Maurice. Hopefully all this natural beauty will stimulate you into planting at least one tree in your own garden. If not, then take a deep breath........ The oxygen that has just filled your lungs was produced in part by trees.




Autumn in LimousinJust two mature trees produce enough oxygen annually to support a family of four. Now breathe out.....The carbon dioxide exhaled will be absorbed back by the trees. Just one tree can absorb as much carbon in a year as a car produces while driving over 25,000 miles.


Convinced?

Off down to the tree nursery this weekend?

Good, but before you make your purchase and rush back to plant it, here are just a few tips to ensure that your money is not wasted, both now, by planting correctly to give your tree a chance to establish itself and for the future so you’re not unnecessarily calling out a tree surgeon to cut your tree down because it’s too close to the house.

Autumn is the best time to plant, so the time is right now. If you’re unsure what to plant, or what will succeed, look around you. See what is thriving in the area. Just make sure that if you go for a species out of the ordinary that it will flourish in soil and climate conditions. Matching the tree to the site is critical. When you purchase that short 3-6ft sapling, what size is it likely to be in 10, 20, 30 years time. A crucial factor when planting is to consider buildings, driveways, overhead cables, underground utilities. Remember trees spread out below ground as well as above ground and serious damage and expense can be incurred if a tree is poorly sited.

Trees purchased from nurseries are sold in one of three forms:

bare rootBalled

The roots of the tree and the soil around them are wrapped up in a breathable cloth.

 

 


container grownContainer Grown

The tree is sold within the container it was grown.




bare rootBare Rooted

The tree is sold with the roots exposed. This form is only available from late autumn until early spring.




When digging the hole for the tree, ensure that it is wide, at least 2-3 times the diameter of the root system, but no deeper than the rootball. Break up the sides and base slightly with a garden fork. This all helps the roots establish more quickly as they are not trying to break into compacted soil. Also make the hole square in shape, round holes can force the roots to just circle around the hole and strangulate the stem.

When planting the tree, it is best to plant 2”-3” higher than the original growing level, or the base of the trunk flare. This allows for settling. If planting bare root, position your tree stake now, placing it between the roots so to avoid damage. Straighten the tree in the hole, have someone look at it from several angles to ensure that it is straight. If you have a balled form, remove the wire or string at this stage before backfilling and gently, but firmly packing the soil.

It is common practice these days, not to apply any fertilizer or compost at the time of planting as this does little to encourage root development and growth.

If planting balled or containerised, the tree stake can now be positioned. It should be at approx 45 degrees to the stem, thus ensuring it misses the rootball. Ensure that the tree is tied fairly low down on the stake as studies have shown that trees establish quicker and produce stronger stems if allowed to move more freely. Remove stakes and ties after the first year.
 

tree planting



Apply a mulch around the base, while avoiding piling it around the trunk. This will help keep moisture in, moderate soil temperature extremes and prevent competition from weeds and grass.
Keep the soil moist, but not soaked.

Finally, be patient, although trees and plants grow quicker here than in the UK, it’s still going to take a while before your tree reaches maturity. Remember you’re planting for the future. All those magnificent trees that tower above us like Oak, Sequoia and Poplar were once looked down on by someone who planted them.

 

 "Les Medicin des Arbres"

 

As featured in Le Populaire newspaper and based in Coussac Bonneval, Haute Vienne.


Darren Edwards is a fully qualified tree surgery business, with extensive knowledge of the care of trees.

 

We can diagnose disease and problems from leaf to root.


Pruning, shaping, reducing or felling, we can take care of all your trees needs.

 

We are fully qualified with years of experience and fully insured.

 

Covering departments 24, 87 and 19.

 

We are happy to come and take a look and offer a free estimate service.

 

Contact Jackie or Darren Edwards on 05 55 09 81 12 or mobile 06 47 38 46 95. email jackndaz@hotmail.com

 

Customer 316

How to set up a web site for your French holiday home

Set-up a website and sell the dream

It’s an easy decision to harness the power of the Internet to market your French holiday home, but don’t underestimate the importance of effective presentation and promotion of your website. Here, we provide some guidance on getting started with your site and how to get potential customers to view your carefully crafted pages.

Choosing a Website Design Service

There are many options to consider when selecting a company to design your website. Don’t be tempted by the false economy of the homemade site option. First impressions are important and a poorly presented website is unlikely to engender interest in your gite or chambre d’hote.

Consider the services that you require when choosing website designer. These will very likely include a content management system (the facility to log-in and make real-time updates to your website), web hosting, domain registration and logo design. You should certainly be offered access to reports on the number of people who have visited your site, and where they have clicked through from (sometimes called “site stats”).

Template based websites can look great

A full-featured, professionally designed accommodation rental website need not cost more than about £500-£600, and an annual fee of around £100 may also apply.

 

An excellent option for the budget conscious is to use a template-based website building service. These typically involve selecting from a range of pre-designed templates and then adding text and images using an online tool. These services vary in quality and cost, so check their portfolio pages and compare prices. One such service, whose templates are specifically designed for guest and rental accommodation websites, is Simplicity Websites (www.simplicitywebsites.co.uk).

Choosing your domain name

Your domain name will influence how highly your site is placed in search engine listings. Firstly, decide if you want your domain to have a .co.uk or a .fr extension. Google will generally list .co.uk domains higher for searches conducted in the UK, so if your site is in English choose the .co.uk extension.

The domain name should include two or three keywords that your potential customers might enter into search engines, this will improve your listing position. For example, a bad domain name to choose would be www.chezjanet.co.uk as it includes no keywords that users might use in Google searches. An example of a good domain name would be www.charentegiterental.co.uk as it includes three highly relevant keywords.

Promoting Your New Website

Unfortunately, no one will find your site unless it establishes a good web-presence so, once it’s complete, the underrated and time-consuming task of promoting the site begins.

It’s important to get your site into the main general search engines and directories, these are Google (www.google.com)  Yahoo (www.yahoo.com)  MSN (www.msn.com)  Ask (www.ask.com)  and Open Directory Project (www.dmoz.com) . These sites may eventually find and list your website but it could take several months so it’s advisable to visit each one and submit your site.

There are a number of online directories that specialise in listing French gites, chambres d’hotes etc; some are free but most charge a fee of up to £100 per year. These are worth using but they do vary in the amount of enquiries that they generate so use them selectively and monitor the results from each one.

An effective way of increasing traffic to your site is to create a links page and ask other sites to exchange links with you. It is advisable to only include links to relevant websites so offer to swap links with other French holiday home owners, your local taxi service, tourist attractions, estate agents etc. A great tip is to ensure that, when another site links to yours, your main keywords are clickable text. Search engines will use this clickable text to determine the content of your site, enabling them to list you highly for relevant searches.

Finally, a content rich site packed with relevant information will always attract visitors and search engines love them. Build your site with 6 to 10 pages, include loads of content on your establishment and pack it with plenty of local tourist, travel and heritage information. 

By Trevor Owen of chambre d’hote and gite website creation tool Simplicity Websites.

 

Please email Trevor for further help and advice: trevor@simplicitywebsites.co.uk

 


 

Pompadour Racecourse

Come to the Races at Pompadour Racecourse

August – September 2009

 The second half of the Pompadour Racing season includes some of the most popular events

It starts on Sunday 1 August with a day of nostalgia, with activities to bring back many old time memories for both racing enthusiasts and the public at large.

 

This is followed by one of the really big days at Pompadour ‘ The Day of the Horse’ on Saturday 15 August.. All the various equestrian activities in Pompadour combine to make this an exceptional day. It starts quite early in the morning with show jumping in the rings alongside the lovely chateau of Pompadour. Then in mid morning Mass is celebrated in the racecourse conducted by Abbé Bertrand d’Eloy. Shortly afterwards there is a parade of the stallions of the Pompadour Stud prior to lunch. In the afternoon there is a full race card including the Grand Cross which is a qualifying race for the french National Championships. In the evening there is more show jumping with the prestigious Prix de la Ville de Pompadour.. It as a full day with a funfair and other attractions, and should you wish to participate in all the activities there is a Passport for 8€.

 

Following on quickly is Elegance Day at the races, on Sunday 23 August. It is not quite Ascot style but there are many who arrive in their very best attire bedecked with great hats, looking almost as elegant as those in the royal boxes at Ascot. Various competitions are held and it is a fabulous day out. Those arriving with extra special millinery can even enter the race course for free.

 

A regular race day takes place on Sunday 30 August to be followed by further meetings on Sunday 6 September and Sunday 13 September. The latter at Pompadour is traditionally a day with several races reserved for amateur riders, or for lady jockeys.

Not to be forgotten is the Grand Week of the Horse which takes place from

7 – 13 September. This is a week of Dressage, Show Jumping and Cross Country with up to 600 horses participating. Visitors are free and there is also a shopping village installed in the grounds of the chateau.

For further information use the contacts on the following advertisement


Jon the Carpet Man!

 

My name is Jon Prince and I have been involved in the carpet and flooring trade for the past 30 years or so - either selling them, fitting them or cleaning them. (Being self-employed, most of the time I was doing all 3!)

 

But the majority of the time I've been fitting carpets, vinyl and laminate/wooden flooring either for my own clients or sub-contracting for the likes of Allied Carpets, Carpet Right and Courts Furnishers. The idea was, that now the system for starting a business here in France has been simplified, I would carry on where I left off in the UK 3 years ago and fit customers own carpets and flooring.

 

Although that has been the start of the business, almost every person I've spoken to has asked me to supply the carpets/underlay's etc. - and now I can!

 

 

 

 

 Free measuring/estimating       Carpet samples to your home  Guaranteed fitting

 

From May 1st. 2009 we will be making monthly return trips to the UK to collect all your carpet and flooring requirements - so from measuring to fitting should never be more than a month away (bearing in mind that most carpet retailers in France will quote you 4/5 weeks delivery).

 

Maison Secondaire

 

If you have a second/holiday home in France and are limited to the amount of time you can spend here, try to identify the carpet you want at one of the major UK high street stores - the chances are we will be able to give you a quote for the same range.

 

Areas covered

 

France is a very big country and although we are based centrally in the Correze/Limousin our services are mainly for our own surrounding departments - depts. 15, 16, 23, 24, 46, 63  & 87 - and of course 19.

 

However please feel free to contact us for work outside these areas - we will help where we can!

 

See our advert here and our web site www.jon-thecarpetman.com

 


Joanna Wright and Jackerobi Textiles

                    

                     Joanna Wright Background

All my life I have worked in fashion and textiles. I am passionate about colour and design, and my main attributes are my constant enthusiasm and my organizational skills. I began my career as a textile designer becoming fully conversant with all fabrics, the yarns that make those fabrics, and the various textures that are woven or knitted, stable or stretch, which has been essential to designing fashion and soft furnishings.

I have worked as a fashion or textile designer for many UK companies including Courtaulds, London, then I started my own business whilst living on a Leicestershire farm.

The name ‘Jackerobi’ is made up from the names of my children.

I had a shop and workshop near Leicester, and the business became very successful creating and supplying sweatshirts and fleeces to several schools, and made to measure trousers for individual customers, especially those with awkward sizes.

During my career I have cut hundreds of patterns and fitted many a toile, and have conquered all shapes, styles and sizes in baby wear, children’s wear, ladies wear, and men’s wear. I have designed, cut, and manufactured tailored garments, leisurewear, dancewear, costumes for productions and fancy dress, bridal wear and corsetry. I relocated to France along with my industrial sewing machines and rolls of fabric in 2005, initially to expand my versatility and take some time out to study fine art and art history, before starting this new French enterprise.

La Féolle is a perfect place for my work and anyone is welcome to discuss anything from alterations of clothes, furnishings, upholstery, painting commissions, animal beds, to new designs, or to view stock that’s for sale.

We currently have our soft furnishings on sale in Paris.                 

www.jackerobi.com


Phoenix Association

 

 

www.phoenixasso.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHO ARE WE?

When my husband, Richard, and I first arrived to live in the Dordogne, we were quick to notice the number of stray animals. It was only many years later that we were to realise the extent of the 'abandon'. The regional animal shelters, the SPAs, were hopelessly overcrowded and euthanasia often the only practical solution. So in our own small way, we began to help them rehome cats and dogs, especially those considered 'unhomeable', such as the elderly and handicapped.

In 2001 we became an officially registered charity - an 'Association Loi 1901.' This status allows us to be in receipt of funding - essential, as before we had to dive deep in our pockets for every euro.

Phoenix is a non-profit making organisation, run on a voluntary basis. We have no paid staff and rely entirely on the goodwill of our helpers/supporters

Phoenix is a network of foster homes, not a single adoption centre. The dogs and cats are fostered and integrated happily into family life.

We operate on the principle of 'small is beautiful', concentrating on only one or two newcomers at a time, so as to give them maximum care and attention before offering them for adoption. Some stay, and become permanent members of their foster households.

 

Click the following links to find out more about this wonderful organisation

 

http://www.phoenixasso.com/gang.html

 

http://www.phoenixasso.com/adoption.php3

 

http://www.phoenixasso.com/membership.html

 

http://www.phoenixasso.com/links.php3

 

http://www.phoenixasso.com/horse.php3

 


Tax Credits and VAT in France - Credit’ d’Impot et TVA : Caveat emptor – Let the buyer beware

 

France has well publicised system of tax credits which apply to certain products. These products are mainly those considered ‘renewable energy’ systems such as solar hot water systems, or for property heating and include log or pellet boilers, wood burning stoves and some heat pumps.

 

The purpose of the tax credit scheme is to provide a financial incentive to buyers to encourage them to invest in environmentally friendly technologies, which is good for everyone and of course the planet. In essence, if you buy a product approved for tax credits (more later) then the tax office will reimburse a percentage of the product cost, on the proviso the product is supplied and installed by the same company (vitally important*), and the company must of course be registered to install such equipment.

 

For example, you purchase a wood burning central heating boiler which costs say 7000 Euros plus installation. The tax office will reimburse you 40% of this, i.e. 2800 Euros in the following tax year. If you don’t pay this much tax, or in fact pay none, then they will send you a cheque – yes really !! Please note, the credit applies to product cost only and not labour.

 

Personal qualification criteria

The main requirement is that you must be fiscally resident in France, and if your principal residence is in France then in theory you are fiscally resident from day one.

Until recently the scheme only applied to principal residence but has now been extended to include properties that are rented unfurnished for a period of 5 or more years.

 

Products approved for tax credits

The products have to achieve a certain level of efficiency, i.e. say 85% efficient, and meet certain standards. For example, for a solar hot water system has to be either CSTB approved, Solar Keymarked or be approved to a Pan European standard such as EN12975 etc. This is not something that you should be concerned about – the supplier should be able to tell you whether the product qualifies or not.

 

How much tax credit and for how long?

Up until February 2009 you could for example receive up to a 50% reimbursement against many qualifying products, however this has recently been reduced to 40% for some items. It is also very important to note that the tax credit does not necessarily apply to all of the products that might be used.

For example, for solar hot water systems the tax credit applies to what is deemed the ‘renewable energy part of the system’. Therefore, in this instance it only applies to the solar panel/s and not for example the pipework, pump etc. The amount of tax credit is limited to 8000 Euros for a single person and is 16000 Euros for a couple.

 

The scheme was due to finish at the end of 2009 but has been extended to 31st December 2012. That said, the percentage amount of tax credit is being reduced each year so in 2010 it is no longer 40% for boilers but reduced to 25% and so on.

  

Whose responsible for complying with the tax regulations?

As the person submitting the tax return you are responsible. If you claim tax credits the ‘tax office’ will not necessarily check you qualify. This shouldn’t really be a problem but read on – some details have been removed to protect the identities of customer and supplier.

 

Caveat emptor  - a horror story*

We bought our xxx in 2006 from ABC and received the 50% credit d'impot. After receiving the rebate we have not thought about it again. 

Anyway, in February this year we received a letter from the tax office stating that as the xxx wasn't installed by the company who supplied it and we have to hand back the rebate plus interest!! They're not claiming it's fraud but they want the rebate back. 

Obviously it's a shock. What's most annoying is ABC should have made this clear to us this when we bought it. Their 50% rebate stickers are extremely misleading...my partner went in to the store to point this out and they uselessly said 'c'est noté'. 


So a word of warning - if you've not bought yet it must be bought from and installed by the same company. If you didn't and you had a rebate I'd make sure you put a bit of money aside just in case your tax form gets checked too. Who'd have thought they still went over these things years after!

 

It’s an unfortunate fact of life that the tax credit scheme has been and is being badly misrepresented and abused by numerous companies both big and small. The company referred to above is a major multi national so don’t assume just because they’re big they’re right.

 

Reduced rates of TVA

In a similar vein to get a reduced rate of TVA (VAT) the product/s have to be professionally installed.

 

The standard rate of TVA is 19.6% and the reduced rate is 5.5% so quite a saving.

 

There are a few other requirements such as the property being more than two years old, that the work is replacement / refurbishment etc etc but the above point re ‘professional installation’ is the one to watch.

 

The main French TVA form is a very simple one which is a pleasant surprise.

 

My advice

Despite the fact that legally it is your responsibility to ensure you are not making any false tax claims unwittingly or otherwise, (which could be considered as fraudulent), the supplier has a moral obligation to give you accurate advice.

 

If they are not prepared to help then maybe they are not the company for you?

 

Do try and take advantage of these schemes – there are huge financial benefits there for the asking and of course it’s money back from the taxman which is a bonus in itself – but do your homework and then you can be secure in the knowledge that you have complied.

Article by Marc Asker of EcoPower France

www.ecopower.eu.com


Read here Angel Traders newsletter 2 December 2009

 

ANGEL TRADERS - English speaking business fairs in France
     

Dear All,

After completing our 6th Angel Traders business fair we both feel totally elated.

The business fair took place in the "Chateau des Vigiers" Monestier Dept 24. With more than forty stands and placed in the salon Chai and more than 330 visitors we were very proud to invite them to this exceptional venue and to meet our exhibitors.

A manicured golf course surrounded by natural beauty. A perfect place for any event. We couldn't of wished for anything more.

The idea behind Angel Traders is very simple. It is an English speaking business fair. We invite exhibitors of all nationalities that are able to speak English to purchase a stand at a low cost. We then promote our event with the help from our sponsors Angloinfo.com (the best information website), The Connexion and Advertiser newspapers ( The best and most interesting read in France.) Halo Financial are our foreign currency experts that are present at every fair and provide the after fair exhibitors get together. This enables the exhibitors to network together and makes a perfect end to the day. Magicmouse.co.uk are our print sponsor who can not only provide you with exceptional quality  marketing material but produce what we need to promote our events.

We feel very privileged to be able to help businesses to continue to provide a trade or service to people living in France.

Christmas Fayre Sunday 13th December 12.30pm until 5.30pm.
 

 A traditional Christmas Fayre to be held at the "Chateau Le Mas de Montet", Petit Bersac only 8km from Riberac.

It is only eleven days until our Christmas at this magical Chateau.

It is not only going to be the best Christmas Fayre ever in the Dordogne with lots of beautiful unusual stands on offer and a beautifully decorated Chateau this day will be perfect for everybody. Why not stay and have a traditional Christmas dinner at the Chateau for just 35€ PP and stay the night for just 99€ for two people. Santa is waiting to see You!!.

To take advantage of our great offers please visit our website. Stands can be booked on line.

 

 

 

  The next English Speaking Business Fair is to be held in Brantome dept 24 on Saturday 23rd of January 2010.

We can confirm today that stands are now for sale for our next Business fair and can be booked online.

If you have exhibited before the price of your stand will be only 90€. If you are a new business wishing to attend the price will be 120€. The tables are approximately 3m long and will be shared making each stand 1.5m. You can of course book multiply stands if required.

Remember our last event sold out in Just 12 Days so if you are interested in coming then book online today.

Finally we would like to thank all of our sponsors together with our exhibitors and visitors for making Angel Traders a great success.

Why not follow our blog and read about our road trip to Chateau Des Vigiers. www.angeltraders1.blogspot.com

 CHATEAU CELEBRATIONS

New for 2010.

We can organise your special event in a chateau in the Dordogne.

Wedding receptions, Birthday parties and much much more. The angels are here to help!!.

Please call us or email chateaucelebrations@gmail.com.

 

Congratulations John Sidwell

Yet again John from Big Dish Satellite has one a free stand at a future event of his choice. For each event we encourage our exhibitors to invite their contacts and who ever invites the most people wins a free stand. So well done John.


Thank you once again to our marvelous sponsors....
 

 

 
www.angeltraders.net

email - angeltraders79@gmail.com

Telephone 06 85 60 37 26

 

 

We look forward to seeing you all very soon

 

Amanda and Melanie
Angel Traders

www.angeltraders.net


 

Sterling Shopping Newsletter

Sterling Shopping December 2009 Newsletter

WELCOME

Welcome to the December edition of the Sterling Shopping newsletter.

With the pound dropping once again against the Euro (just 1.09 this week), shopping in the UK makes even more sense than ever.

As usual we have been looking for ways to improve our business and the range of services that we can offer to you our customers and we have negotiated a number of exclusive special offers from trusted suppliers for Sterling Shopping customers. Details can be found below, just quote Sterling Shopping December Newsletter when ordering, to take advantage of these exclusive offers.

NEWS

The November deliveries all went well with the first, twice weekly deliveries completed in late November. Now we are well on the way to completing all those Christmas deliveries. If anyone needs to speak to one of us at Sterling, please feel free to call either the Bergerac office 0553 22 39 16 or the UK office 01869 350076, within office hours.

The run up to Christmas is a very busy time for everyone working at Sterling in both the UK and in France, so please bare with us if the phones appear to be engaged much of the time. The truth is, they just never stop ringing!!!

We are fully booked for grocery deliveries in December, but it is worth registering your interest in a slot as from time to time, spaces become available. Call Alyson in the Bergerac office to register. We still have some limited space for non-food goods, but the space is being booked on a daily basis so don’t leave it until the last minute to book your non-food items onto a delivery schedule.

One extra word of warning. If you have one of our slots between now and Christmas, be sure and place your order with the shop asap as their delivery slots to

us are filling up fast. If you come up against real problems here, call the girls in our office for advice.

We have now added to our fleet of vehicles to accommodate our customer needs.

Here we have four of the Mercedes Sprinters being loaded at the UK depot (in the rain gain!!)

TURKEYS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR DECEMBER DELIVERY

Many of you have expressed interest in having a turkey brought over for Christmas. We are now taking your bookings for Christmas turkeys and turkey crowns. Please see our website for details and send us your orders this week!!

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS AND CARDS

We have had lots of requests for the delivery of Christmas presents both too and from France. If you would like to take advantage of this service, please contact us to make arrangements.

If you have large quantities of Christmas cards that you want to send to your friends in the UK, Sterling is happy to transport your Christmas cards back to the UK for free. Simply give your addressed cards to any of our drivers and we will transport them back to the UK. You only pay the cost of a stamp in the UK for each letter. We make no other charge for this service. Your cards need to be handed to our drivers by Saturday/Sunday 12th/13th

STERLING SHOPPING SPECIAL OFFERS

We have negotiated a number of special offers from trusted suppliers who have contacted us to offer Sterling customers some exclusive deals. Please click on this link to go to the exclusive special offers page on our website. These offers include organic and locally produced wines, pet houses and house selling advice!

Click the link below to go straight to the exclusive offers page on our website;

http://www.sterlingshopping.co.uk/SterlingExclusiveOffers.html

JANUARY DELIVERY SCHEDULE

We now have slots open and are taking bookings for January deliveries. With more than 1750 registered customers, these slots are bound to fill up very quickly, so book today to avoid missing out

NEW WEB SERVICE- STERLING SHOPPING.CO.UK GOES MULTI LINGUAL

A number of our customers have told us that their French friends would like to use our service so we have added the google "translate tool to our site to make it more accessible to non English speaking clients. The translation link on our website is simple and easy to use and allows clients to view our website in various languages. Should anyone need to speak to our staff in French, we suggest they contact Mark in the first instance on 06 75 82 48 94.

VAT REGISTRATION

From January 1st, Sterling Shopping will become VAT Registered. This means that it will now be necessary from January 1st 2010 for us to add vat to all orders. While we must add this, we will continue to offer the same excellent customer service to all of our existing customers and all of our newly registered customers.

We look forward to meeting many of you when we bring your Christmas orders and wish you all a happy Christmas and prosperous new year.

With regards from the team at

Sterling Shopping Ltd

www.sterlingshopping.co.uk

Quote of the week: "I can’t believe I’m taking croissants to France"- Julian, our latest driver.

www.sterlingshopping.co.uk

CONTACT US

We now have a number of ways in which customers can contact us and we thought it would be good to summarise these and set them in order of use.

One the first occasion that someone orders from us, we MUST have a completed contact form sent in from the customer from our website.  This gives us all the essential information we need to complete a delivery.

Our preferred method of contact is by e mail and we would ask that you use these addresses set out below please;

simon@sterlingshopping.co.uk – General enquiries and requests

simsim171164@yahoo.com – General enquiries and requests

mark.faulkner@wanadoo.fr – Removal enquiries

We have the following landline numbers;

France 05 53 22 39 16, UK 01869 350076 and the mobiles as listed for the drivers above.  Should you need to speak to someone at an office, the first point of contact should always be to Alyson in the office in Bergerac please.


 

Mobile Phones in France

 

Article prepared by www.mobiles.co.uk


The mobile phone industry in France is strong and growing stronger as the years progress and the mobile phone penetrates the hearts and minds of the population. There are over 53 million mobiles active in France itself and the country has a variety of networks providing services for their citizens. It`s interesting to note that a recent report linking mobile phone use with brain cancer was taken very seriously by the French government, who now aim to actively discourage mobile use for children under 12, with a ban on advertising to this age group. This is a progressive move that it is considered will be followed by other European nations in the future if further evidence is produced. Amongst the adult population mobile phones are of course an incredibly popular way to communicate and do business, and France also has 3G networks allowing fast access to the internet on your mobile phone as well as access to mobile broadband services on PCs and laptops. Lets look at some popular phones on the French market and some up and coming stars that are taking the country by storm.

HTC Magic - This is one of the latest touch screen handsets produced by iPhone-bothering manufacturers HTC. Called the Magic, this phone has all the smart applications and hardware that you`d expect, including a large 3.2" touch sensitive display that makes navigating menus, playing games, using applications and browsing the web simple and fun. It also features the Android operating system seen so far only on the G1 on T-Mobile because it is an OS developed by search engine giants Google. However, it works well here and it will be interesting to see how this new handset fares in the long run. It`s is available on the SFR network in France on a monthly contract.

Apple iPhone - As popular in France as it is in the rest of the world, the iPhone 3G is still a great piece of kit and is due for its second update later this summer. Available on Orange in France, the iPhone has a massive 3.5" touch sensitive screen, 8 or 16GB of on board storage space for videos, music and photos, and a powerful processor to make playing games and using applications a doddle. Then there`s the acclaimed iTunes software included to make your iPhone a fully fledged media player as well as the lauded App Store where you can sift through loads of useful applications and download them direct to your iPhone.

LG Cookie The Cookie is like a baby smart phone, featuring a decent touch screen interface, good camera and video recording functionality and an attractive design. It`s available in a range of colours, and in silver on Bouygues Telecom in France with unlimited mobile internet, which is a mobile phone deal that is hard to pass up. There are loads of great deals and handset available for every price range on the French market, and using online price comparison is the best way to sniff them out.


LINK St Yrieix

 

Auto entrepreneur -  where do you begin

 

BECOMING AN AUTO ENTREPRENEUR, WHERE DO YOU BEGIN?  (13 April 2009)

 

At the beginning I suppose, and where is that?

 

Why, after 17 years in France, living the frustrations and the hassle do I still want to get involved?  And even crazier, Yes, I still want to start a business? What is it about us Brits!!

 

Well, I suppose I should thank President Sarkosy for liberating his government and making it all possible! If somebody didn’t sort France out I think a lot of people were wondering how it was all going to end. And now a crisis has intervened as well.

 

Is this a bad thing; are we in a worse state than our buddies overseas, who knows?

 

I live here, my life is here and so, I’m launching into AUTOENTREPRENEUR.

 

In March 2009 it became possible for me to register as an interpreter/translator, under the new scheme.

 

Firstly, I needed to look at what I wanted to achieve and realistically whether it was possible, would it make money etc. Nothing replaces good common sense.

 

For me, the goal was to launch this project without spending money, well, very little, as I didn’t have it to spend.

 

I work part time as a secretary/translator for an estate agency; and as you can imagine, business has been quiet to say the least, and as I have the time to achieve another goal I felt that this was the right moment for me, if ever there was one.

 

I started with an outline plan to the Mayor of St Yrieix, Daniel Boisserie, as I considered without this there was no business. I wanted a new out look on an old problem, COMMUNICATION AND INTEGRATION, or the lack of! After an initial conversation by telephone he was kind enough to call me in the same day to discuss my proposition. He is a man who likes action, motivation and free thought, so I think I scored a few points there.

 

Receiving a positive approach for my project, I ploughed on, remembering that I was getting myself involved with the heart of the French administration. It will be of no surprise to find out that a further month went by before I got the official stamp!

 

I spent that month learning just how you can produce a website at low cost on a DIY basis, with some very useful help from a kind friend who gave me the basics and put me in the right direction. In the end the total cost was £25 for my domain name and a year’s subscription. Business cards were easily obtained using Vista print, 250 free; just pay for the postage, and now as for the other possible costs, well.

 

From the outset, you do need to print off your guide. I did this on French Entrée Limousin, and also on the French site, Auto entrepreneur, so I could compare any discrepancies.

 

French text always takes the precedent, so it’s important to try and understand both. Only French text stands up in a court of law in France.

 

In that guide it mentions three very important points to be considered well before registration.

 

Will I need a professional insurance? It’s not obligatory, but check it out, I found Gerard Chevalier of AXA Insurance very efficient at evaluating my needs.

 

Do you need to protect your personal property against seizure should you run up huge debts?  Well again I went to see the notary Jacques Delcroix In St Yrieix who helped me to see if I was at risk or not. There is a cost for this contract so you should think about it very seriously.

 

Professional Bank accounts, do you need one? NO, but if you think you will need an overdraft facility then you might be better to approach CREDIT AGRICOLE or the official bank for Auto entrepreneur, LA POSTE, to see what is on offer.

 

Having decided to carry on and that this was for me; I then made another list of questions to ask the auto entrepreneur help line. I could not believe it was going to be as easy as it said, so naturally I had lots of questions, because I was waiting for the trap!

 

There didn’t seem to be one! and you only have to go online and read some of the comments to realise that though it is a new scheme that may well have some quirks that need ironing out, for all the  people wanting to “HAVE A GO !” without getting hooked into what was a very complicated system! En fin, It has arrived!

 

They have an excellent help line, or you can put your questions in email if you prefer; in French of course.

 

So once you are through these first steps, next week I’ll bring you up to date on the rest, if you just can’t wait, then get in touch straight away and I’ll help you get under way!!

 

http://www.link-styrieix.info/

 

patricia@link-styrieix.info

 

Telephone 05 53 62 13 12

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

BECOMING AN AUTO ENTREPRENEUR, PHASE TWO! (25 April 2009)

 

After my initial interest and keenness comes the reality

 

·         Will it work?

·         Are the council going to allow me to do this?

·         Will my sponsors back me?

 

Well the first questions have been answered with a positive sign so…..

 

Why wait?

 

I brought up the AUTO ENTREPRENEUR website and pressed the enrol button.

 

You need to have ready a document with your passport details and a handwritten signed declaration; as well as your own health cover details if you have them?

 

Choosing the category to enrol in is probably the most complicated part but the information is there if you look carefully and think carefully.

 

I had my confirmation email back within  24 hours and my written confirmation from INSEE (the register for business accounts) within the week. So then you have the infamous Siret number and can plough ahead with your advertising etc.

 

On the registration form it states clearly you need to report your earnings trimestiel or mensuel, three monthly or monthly. At the moment only three monthly is on offer until July 2009.

 

IF YOU DO NOT REPORT YOUR FIGURES, EVEN IF THEY ARE ZERO you can lose your right to run a business. At the end of one year if you have reported O € for the whole year then your business can be ended for you by the authorities.

 

I hope it goes without saying that trying to start another business at this point could become very complicated, if not impossible.

 

It never pays to ignore the French Administration.

 

Following this I have now received a registration document from the retirement fund where my payments will be made should I make any money. Plus lots of options they offer BUT all costing money. Nothing is obligatory apart from the payments shared from your earnings which are done for you when you make your online declaration.

 

PAPERWORK

 

The documents you need are there for you to download and then personalise. You should keep a day to day record of activity, if you are lucky enough to have some, plus copies of bills you issue to your clients. These are all for your records should the authorities decide to run a control. Otherwise there are no formal books to keep, no accountants needed etc. You simply go on line to make your declaration once every three months and then you will be told the amount you need to pay and by what date.

 

Well for me that will be the 1st July.

 

If there is any major hitch I will let you know!

 

FOOTNOTE

 

If you don’t have success with the help line, information will always be available at the

 

LA CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE

LA CHAMBRE DE METIERS

ACPE

CPAM (QUERIES FOR BENEFITS AND HEALTH ISSUES)

ASSEDIC (BENEFITS, CHILD ALLOWANCE ETC)

 

And if you don’t know what these places are, try tapping them in online and seeing the wealth of information that can be had.

 

Good luck, and should you want someone to help get you up and running just give me a call.

 

Telephone 05 53 62 13 12

 

Or email me patricia@link-styrieix.info

 

For more information about my own business go to www.link-styrieix.info

 

Regards Patricia Littlewood

 

 


News from Nearly Heaven

 

3 December 2009

 

email info@nearlyheaven.com


Equine Rescue France

 

http://www.equinerescuefrance.org/

 

Founded in 2007, ERF is a not for profit association (Loi 1901) whose aim is to improve the welfare of equines in France through rescuing, campaigning and education.

 

After living in France for several years, friends Jon and Kathryn Dobson (President), Jenny Lupton (Secretary) and Trina Summerfield felt that there was a need for an English speaking association to bridge the gap between UK charities and other associations in France, and ERF was born. In early 2008, ERF were accredited as a Member Society of the W.S.P.A (World Society for the Protection of Animals).

 

Based in the South West (with bases in Depts 24, 16 and 86), ERF offers advice and support for both English and French speakers facing equine welfare issues. Working with key UK charities, ERF are able to campaign for welfare improvements, whether enforcing existing legislation or campaigning for change. By forging links with the key French associations and welfare bodies, ERF are able to support their work as well as to instigate local actions.

 

ERF regularly rescue horses and donkeys from maltreatment and then rehabilitate and re-home them under long-term loan contracts, often the process takes many months. ERF offers help and support to individuals who need to re-home their equines due to changes in their circumstances – an increasing problem in these times of financial hardship. In other cases, ERF can support owners by offering expert help and advice, Trina is a Monty Roberts Registered Associate and has show jumped at a National level, and Jenny has many years of both Eventing and Training behind her. Working together with the relevant DDSV (Directions départementales des services veterinaries), they have been successful in ensuring that neglected animals are regularly visited and improvement plans implemented.

 

ERF campaigning efforts focus on raising awareness of the long-haul transport issues facing equines in Europe where they do valuable work alongside WSPA and WHW (World Horse Welfare).

 

 

 

 

Fund raising is an important part of their work since, although the majority of work is voluntary, there are regular vets’ and farriers’ bills to be paid. Funds are raised through association membership and fund-raising activities organised by volunteers – donations are always welcome!

 

ERF’s blog at http://equinerescuefrance.wordpress.com/ is a valuable source of information as it is regularly updated with news and videos of the rescues as well as other welfare news and general information about caring for equines in France. For more information on becoming a member or supporting their work, see their website at www.equinerescuefrance.org.

 

For further information on this article, please contact:

Kathryn Dobson (President): Kathryn@equinerescuefrance.org

Tel: +33 (0)549 971017

La Chaux, 86400 Linazay

 

WSPA : World Society for the Protection of Animals: www.wspa.org.uk

WHW: World Horse Welfare: www.worldhorsewelfare.org

 

Last updated Jan 2009

 


Internet Problems?? - if anyone has had any experiences like this below do email us and let us know.

 

I found it very interesting to read your experiences (on changing from Wanadoo to Neuf/SFR) and I have a new alert for you, my new email is patricialittlewood@sfr.fr ( at the moment!)

 

We were clients of Tele2, recently taken over by SFR who offered us a good package to join straight away.

 

All went pretty well and our old contract and email address finally finished on the 24th January. We had already been functioning with the neuf box since the 10th January all working well.

 

And then! 23rd January,  we started to have black outs on the box. The phone went first and our area has very bad cover with mobiles; so started a long week of calls to the technical service etc and a lot of frustration as they want to run all the checks while you are in front of your box but finally they would give me the tests and I would phone in with the results from work. They could find nothing!! During the week the line came back for a day, then gone again!! I started to lose my patience being sent back an forth between the commercial service and the technical service. I was lucky as at least I speak French and they did try to explain but not very thoroughly.

 

Eventually this week everything came back on Tuesday. I was so frustrated I even ran the adsl test from work for my area and phone number; during this period SFR was suspended; giving the impression there was something much more serious at fault that seemed to be out of their control. I was so up tight that I thought about changing operators, then I thought, well, I'll write a formal letter of complaint to the commercial service and the consumer agency and give them a month to explain themselves and see if all remains stable.

 

The very same afternoon, my first phone call at home was from ORANGE, asking me if I had been having problems and would I like to change to a much better service! and they would even pay the cancellation fee to SFR! I'll let the readers make their own deductions, and I would be very interested to hear if this has happened to anybody else?

 

A work colleague, recently had enormous problems similar to mine with Orange here in St Yrieix. She got told that her line was being pirated by Alice (now Free.fr).

 

If all the companies are using dirty tactics to try to poach clients I don't suppose any of them are going to own up to this; meanwhile you spend a small fortune on calls to their services trying to find out what on earth is going on. I'll let you know the follow on from my letter as they have acknowledged receiving it and promise to deal with it quickly. last week they even said they would reimburse the wasted calls with the technical service (two hours) that remains to be seen!!

Let me know if you think I am becoming paranoid??

 

with regards, Patricia Littlewood

 

Update 14 February 2009

 

As promised an update on my SFR problems!
 
The intermittent service( telephone especially) has carried on. This week with the help of yet another technician called Xavier further checks were done that have convinced him that the problem is within the neufbox itself. This was Wednesday and as promised my new box has arrived today. I also had a reply to my letter of complaint and with many apologies etc have been invited to contact their commercial section where I should be proposed , I quote" une application d`un geste commercial". more news next week as I really want to test out the box and have a whole week of telephone etc before confirming that my problems are over and see what sort of geste is on offer for all the hassle beforehand.

with regards, Patricia Littlewood

 

Update 25 February 2009

 

SFR  update - all's well that ends well !

It is now one week sine the new box was installed, and working like a dream ( I really hope I don't regret saying that)SFR have been excellent and I am getting a refund for the period where my service was  spasmodic + a refund for all the calls to their technical centre.Thank you SRF, and it was with pleasure that i filled in the survey they sent me.

regards Pat

 


Marmalade

 

Do you make your own marmalade?????

 

We (Neil and Sue Spoonley) were in the spicy shop in St. Yrieix (Haute Vienne) and the lady asked if I made my own marmalade and I said no why and she said that she takes orders from the English for Seville oranges for making marmalade and asked if I knew of anyone who might be interested in placing an order for some oranges....

 

You have to contact her direct Michelle Aguilera 05 55 75 91 25.  Her orders arrive on Tuesdays.  It seems she orders 50 kilos!!!  Not for herself of course but for others..

 

Regards Neil & Sue Spoonley 29/01/09

 

You can also also buy Seville oranges (Amere) at Grand Frais both the new one in Trellisac and the shop near Auchan at Marsac have them for 1.5 euros a kilo.  The shop is worth a visit even if you don't want Seville oranges!

Julia 30/01/09
 

 


House Buying Scam!

 

And another house buying scam!

 

Dear Dordogne on Line, we would like to make you aware of a recent scam. We were contacted regarding our house firstly to see if they could rent it out for a week in April, I explained the house was for sale, he said he has a friend who is interested but doesn't speak much English so he was doing it on his behalf, so after many emails, asking how much, could he see more picturess etc, he said he wanted to buy it and would send a cheque as a deposit and covering his agents fees to get him to France, when we receive it we are to forward 9,000 euros to him.

We actually received a cheque for £30,000 from Barclays bank - a branch in London, this was deposited into an English account and bounced, the bank has frozen the account as the cheque was stolen.

He also phoned us once to say they wanted the money asap to give to their agent, but I explained we can not send anything until the cheque has cleared.

This is all the information we have on these scammers

Mark Steven also put James Smith on a few emails.
pzone1@gmail.com
+44 7045751642


The cheque was on behalf of (Mitsubishi electric finance europe plc, re mitsubishi elect europe be power systems group) and then a signature and no name from Barclays bank, 1 Churchill Place, lLndon, E14 5HP.

Name withheld 21 January 2010
 


Hello, please could you make sure everyone on your site selling properties privately on your site is aware of this scam.

Name Fabrice Croichet, 00225 06 43 87 34 (be warned its the code that's important as he had a few different email address and numbers, he says
he is a Belgian business man looking to move to this region of France for work and wants to move in very quickly, he does not haggle the asking
price, emails and phones constantly speaking very fast, he is Africian not French, he has no Notaire and when you ask for a deposit and this is where we got suspicious, he asks for all of your bank details, Rib, Iban, code guichet etc, then he will send you 30% of the asking price to lay down to secure the property so he is the future owner.

Then you receive a certificate via email saying "we are the UEMOA, we have stopped this transfer of the funds from the Ivory Coast to your bank, in order to release the funds you need to pay 750 euros ASAP, then the funds will be in your account".

We contacted the UEMOA office via the official site which is http://www.uemoa.int/index.htm and we received an email back saying that the 2 names did not match up and there is no one working for them and the UEMOA has nothing to do with financial dealings.

We wish to warn any potential sellers who are English because when we received his original email Dordogne On Line was cc in the email and other
potential suspects.

If you have any questions please contact us.

Thanks Simon Williams 19 January 2009 williams.jean087@orange.fr

 

NB DORDOGNE ON LINE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY COMMUNICATION FROM THE GUY AS HE LANDED IN OUR SPAM FOLDER BUT IF WE HAD WE WOULD HAVE NOTIFIED EVERYONE IMMEDIATELY THAT IT WAS A SCAM, PLEASE BE CAREFUL.

 


Changing Internet Provider Wanadoo to Neuf/SFR

 

Ok as promised the write up on changing from Wanadoo (Orange) to Neuf which is now SFR.

 

We took the decision after some friends told us they had changed and were paying less for the adsl connection including calls in France and the UK and we all want to save money don’t we?

 

We went onto the web site for SFR

 

http://www.sfr.fr/

 

and you will see on the site under Boutique Mobile et Internet the option to click on ADSL and if you do that in the right hand corner you can test your line by putting your phone number in and it will tell you what options are applicable to your line.

 

Well ours was

 

Neufbox non degroupe de SFR

 

Which for 34.90 per month gave us 8 meg adsl, free calls in France and another 60 countries including the UK – BUT only to land lines this does not include mobile numbers and some 08 numbers so be aware of that. Also SFR take over your France Telecom line and pay the 16 euro per month line rental. You keep you own phone number 05 xxxxxxxx.

 

So we were paying 32.90 per month to Orange for ADSL plus 16 euro per month, getting free calls in France but paying for calls to the uk which averaged 7 euro per month so total cost was 55.90 and we were going to get a better deal for 21 euro a month less. Got to be worth a go.

 

34.90 is your TOTAL COST, no additional line rental, nothing.

 

There is a box once you go through this procedure where you can click to talk to someone and I clicked on that, put our phone number in and within 2 minutes the phone rang and it was Neuf! The lady spoke English and over the phone we set up the contract, had to give RIB numbers, address, email address for contact.

 

They said to do nothing until the equipment arrived within 3 weeks and then they would terminate the France Telecom line and once the new Neuf box is up and running then we have to notify Orange by letter (Avis de Reception – and I have a copy if anyone wants one – just email me franceonline@sfr.fr with Termination Letter in the subject box) to terminate the internet connection.

 

And our payments to France Telecom and Orange are by direct debit so also have to sort that out so will keep you posted.

 

Within 14 days the post lady delivered our Neuf box. As we unpacked it our ADSL went off! Could not believe it and went into panic but decided to try and install the new box and see what would happen.

 

We unpacked everything and put the CD in the computer and re-connected with the new box and surprise surprise it all went very easily and we connected to the internet via SFR again immediately. Now I cannot say this will happen for everyone, perhaps we were lucky. Our friends were off over night but the timing for us was perfect.

 

We could still receive our emails via Orange at this point so our next job was to set up Outlook Express to receive via SFR.

 

We suddenly realised we had not been sent a new email address or password, could not access our account on SFR or move forward.

 

I rang their helpline on 1077 which is sent to you in a letter and the guy gave me an email address and password over the phone. Be aware he did not speak English. Should have been more patient as the passwords arrived with new email address the next day in an email and by post.

 

The only problem you have is that IF it goes down you have no phone at all unless you also have a mobile which most of us do I would imagine.

 

So we will monitor it and see how it goes. Will keep you posted if there are any problems at all.

 

Just one point on the 1077 service client number, you only get to speak to a real person between 8 am and 2.00 pm and 5.00 pm and 8.00 pm, otherwise it is a recorded message help line only.

 

We have received a letter from France Telecom to say our phone line is disconnected and that we now have to use our new provider if there are any problems and the letter to terminate the internet account has been sent.

 

Will update this space as necessary with any problems etc.

 

Dordogne on Line 4 December 2008


Fuel Prices - Thought our readers may be interested in this information following our newsletter asking to share info on fuel prices. Our grateful thanks to Sue Spoonley and Peter Westbrook for their contributions and especially all Sues hard work and her telephone bill to boot!

 

Here is the price today 13 November 2009 for Fuel 24. 13/11/09 0.655ttc 1,000 & 2,000 0.645

 

Here is the price that I have been quoted for 3 November 2009 and today from Alvea St. Yrieix. TTC.

3 November 2009 1,000lts 0.684 2,000lts 0.654. Just called and price the same as last week.  If people can get a group together and make a total of 2,000lts + then they do get it a bit cheaper see 2,000lts price.

Hope this helps towards the search. best wishes Neil & Sue Spoonley


Neil and Sue Spoonley sent us this information regarding LD Lines new route for 2009.

 

LD Lines has received full approval from the Port of Dover for the introduction of its new Dover – Boulogne freight and passenger service in 2009.

Scheduled to start from 1st July 2009, the new service will provide four return sailings daily with a crossing time of one hour 45 minutes and proposed sailing schedule of :
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Local times):

Dep. Boulogne     Arr. Dover     Dep. Dover     Arr. Boulogne

05.00                        05.45              06.45               09.30 (NotSundays)

10.30                        11.15              12.15              15.00 (NotSundays)

16.00                        16.45              17.45              20.30

21.30                        22.15              23.15              03.00

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freight and tourist traffic, including coaches, cars and additionally foot passengers will be carried. The vessel "Norman Spirit", which currently operates on LD Lines’ Portsmouth – Le Havre service, will be replaced on the Western Channel and is then expected to be transferred to operate the new Dover – Boulogne route.

The ship has capacity for 1850 passengers, 700 cars and 110 freight vehicles.

"We are delighted to have now received confirmation from the Port of Dover that our new Dover – Boulogne route has official approval and we look forward to a very positive, long-term working relationship with the Port Authority, " says LD Lines’ Directeur Général, Christophe Santoni.

"Our entry into the highly competitive short sea cross channel ferry business is a major development for LD Lines. We are convinced that the service will undoubtedly attract new freight and tourist customers, which will benefit both Dover and Boulogne as departure and destination ports."

In the first year of operation the company expects to carry in the region of 120,000 freight vehicles, 133,000 cars and 400,000 passengers.

Bob Goldfield, Chief Executive, Port of Dover said, "The Port of Dover welcomes the additional capacity at a time when it is planning a second ferry terminal to meet forecasts in traffic growth."

Fares and reservation information for tourist passengers will be published in due course - visit : www.ldlines.com

Note :

LD Lines new service will operate to the newest French port terminal for passengers, cars and freight, as the first cross channel ferry company to inaugurate the Port of Boulogne’s new Ro Ro terminal from 1st July 2009.

The construction of Boulogne's new Ro Ro terminal and the first linkspan began in the second half of 2008 and will be operating by 1st July 2009.

This represents an initial 35 million euros investment as part of the Hub Port Boulogne development. Construction of the second phase, with the addition of a second linkspan and further investment of 45 million euros, will be completed by 2010.

The new route will also be re-introducing a cross channel freight option, which currently does not exist between the UK and Boulogne. With Boulogne being France’s most important fishing port, LD Lines new service and specific sailing times will cater for this industry.

Boulogne is also France’s 9th ranked commercial port and is therefore an ideal choice for freight companies looking to export steel, forest products (paper, pulp, wood), cement and food. Also the global leader for dairy products and number two in bottled water and biscuits, has a very large commercial presence in Boulogne.

For further information :

Nick Stevens –

Press & PR Agency (UK & Ireland) : LD Lines

" " " (UK) : Boulogne Chamber of Commerce / Port of Boulogne

Tel : 00 44 (0) 1303 892631 / 00 44 7768 832899

email : nick@heyfordclose.fsnet.co.uk


A Stitch in Time Blog

 

16th September 2008 Blog

 

Our first afternoon meeting and a very amusing and interesting afternoon we had! 19 ladies were present including 3 other French ladies who certainly seemed to enjoy "a petit gout a gateau" We had a wide choice this week Terri made a fab Coconut cake and a Nutty Cake.  I made a Marmalade cake and Eccles cakes.

Thanks very much to Sue Paddock and Sue Allen who gave a demo of lots of needlecraft projects for Christmas. They will bring some of their equipment to the next meeting too. Nearly every one took something home to try. This was paid by the extra coffee money. The next lot will be spent on another kettle, boxes to carry cups etc in and lots of small things we need. We are now getting very good at putting up and breaking down the tables.

 

Sophie Hicks was there from So cheeseeeeesie! she had brought some excellent Chedder cheese to sell and some really yummy cheese straws. Sophie is happy to take orders for the next meeting - email her direct on sophie.hicks@orange.fr 

 

We heard that Dawn has had her first chemo treatment we are all thinking of her and her family.

 

The vote for mornings versus afternoons was held and the afternoons won. Another point put forward was that would a meeting every week from October to April instead of fortnightly  be nice? As there is so little going on socially in the winter,  let me know how you feel. Next meeting the 30th of September Winter draws on!


Sharon Resner - want to know more? click here

 


Airport Scam - East Midlands UK (27 July 2008)

 

We received this email from one of our advertisers this week, reproduced here as a warning and for you to beaware. This was at East Midlands Airport.

 

"Hi, had to let you hear this so you could put it onto the site.
 
I was back in UK last week on jolly old Ryanair, no problems with that side of things it was when I got to my hire car that things could have got nasty
 
As I approached the car I was aware of 3 non English men hanging around, I opened the car, put my back onto the back seat as I closed the door I saw a glass bottle wedged under the tyre, I quickly checked the other tyres, got into the car, locked up and drove off 3 sets of eyes following my every move with interest
 
Draw any conclusion you want to from this experience, the police have been informed who were very interested , I was not aware of any physical presence of security, I suppose CCTV could have been running but that does not give me any confidence
 
Cheers
 
Phil Nicholson"
www.lesbregeres.com

 


Cancer Support in France

CANCER SUPPORT FRANCE; A NEW BRANCH IN THE CREUSE.

A successful presentation by Cancer Support France was held on Friday 11th January 2008 in Saint Etienne de Fursac, Department 23, and it was decided to set up a new CSF branch in the Creuse. CSF provides an information and listening service for Anglophones affected by cancer, and currently has branches covering 5 Departments in France with three more in the pipeline. They offer support through visits at home or in hospital, guide clients and their carers to other sources of advice and help, and provide access to written information about cancer and its treatment. All active-listening volunteers receive specialist training, and French speaking volunteers can be called upon to help with communication with doctors and hospital staff.

CSF is a an association of volunteers and relies heavily on donations and fund raising support. The new branch in the Creuse, department 23, (hopefully based in Gueret) is looking for a suitable venue for meetings and for more volunteers throughout the Creuse region to help with administration, fund raising or one to one support work. If you can help in any way, no matter how small, and are interested in being involved, please contact;

Helen French;  telephone 05 55 63 35 73 (e-mail alnellfrench@gmail.com)

Christine Wakefield;  telephone 05 55 62 29 68 (e-mail pete.wakefield@orange.fr)

Our next meeting will be at 2.00 p.m. on Monday 25th February 2008. Please contact us for details of the venue.


Private Health Cover

 

Ian Tench has kindly allowed us to detail below his thoughts and advice regarding private health cover following the changes in entitlements to the CMU in France. This is a very worrying time for many and Ian has put together a spreadsheet of costs for private health care which he is happy to email to interested people. Please email Ian on franceonline@sfr.fr for a copy of the spread sheet. (Please put SPREADSHEET in the subject box of any email)

 

A big thank you to Ian for the information below.

 

Attached is the spreadsheet.  It is based on the work I did when we were looking for a policy.  The prices will vary as those quoted at the time were a mix of 2007 and 2008.  They are for a couple aged 57 with no pre-existing conditions.

I have sent out quite a few of these in recent days as you can imagine. By all means use them as guide as to what is provided and value for money but please ask people to check for themselves.

I also advise people to consider factors other than cost and coverage.  For example, expired E106 and CMU holders have no rights to NHS treatment back in UK so do they need more than one country cover? 

 

Also consider travel elsewhere.  For example, I usually fill up my car in Spain so I need to be
insured for Spain & UK as well as France.  Also, if things go in our favour, can you cancel mid term?  Finally look at the excess - many of them are designed so that routine treatment fall under the excess - so you could still end up paying in most cases, although this may be preferable to a higher premium, it depends on your attitude to risk and medical history. Some excesses are per visit to medic, others are per condition.

 

Happy for you to publish my comments.  Please ensure that people realise the spreadsheet is not definitive and they must check for themselves.  My E106 expired today and I am off skiing in the Alps in a weeks time, not to mention the skiing and hill walking I fit in during the week so I had to get ahead of the game.

Can I offer another tip that worked for us with Morgan Price and may work for others who need to act quickly and want to avoid postal delays in setting up a policy?

Once we had a quote we liked, we downloaded the application form from the internet, filled it in using a Mark 1 biro and then scanned the completed form, saved it as a PDF and then e-mailed it back as an enclosure.  They were happy to accept this.  I suspect they would also have accepted a fax. Other companies may do the same and it cuts out the snail mail exchange.

I am happy to accept e-mail requests as well.  From time to time I update the sheet with additional info.  That would ensure a latest version goes out.  Also - if people find additional info I can incorporate it in the sheet. 

 

Hey, perhaps I should go into business and get
round my E106 problem that way!

 

Regards Ian

5th January 2008


Credit Card Scam

 

Thought you might be interested in details of this clever credit card scam.  It was forwarded to me by one of our clients, originally from the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce. (27-11-07)

 

"This one is  pretty slick since they provide Y O U with all the information, except the  one piece they want.


Note, the callers do not ask for your card number;  they already have it.


This  information is worth reading.  By understanding how the VISA  & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better  prepared to protect yourself.

An employee was called on  Wednesday from 'VISA', and someone else was called on Thursday from 'Master Card'.  

The scam works like this: Person calling says, 'This is (name),  and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My badge  number is 12460.  Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase  pattern, and I'm calling to verify.  This would be on your VISA card  which was issued by ( name of bank)  Did you purchase an  Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in  Arizona ?'   When you say 'No', the calle r continues with, 'Then we will be  issuing a credit to your account.  This is a company we have been  watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500  purchase pattern that flags most cards.  Before your next statement,  the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?'  

You say 'yes'.  The caller continues - 'I will be starting a  Fraud investigation.  If you have any questions, you should call the  1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for  Security.

You will need to refer to this Control Number.  The  caller then gives you a 6 digit number.  'Do you need me to read it  again?'

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works   The caller then  says, 'I need to verify you are in possession of your card.'  He'll ask you to 't urn your card over and look for some numbers.'  There  are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are  the security Numbers' that verify you are the possessor of the card.   These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases  to prove you have the card.  The caller will ask you to read the 3  numbers to him.  After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say,  'That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost  or stolen, and that you still have you rcard.  Do you have any other  questions?'  After you say, 'No,' the caller then thanks you and  states, 'Don't hesitate to call back if you do', and hangs up.  

You  actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card  number.  But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question.  Are we glad we did!  The REAL  VISA security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card  .  

Long  story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account.   VISA is reissuing us a new number.  What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card.   Don't  give it to them.  Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card  directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told  us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know  the information since they issued the card!  If you give the scammers  your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit.   However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for  purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more  difficult to actually file a fraud report.

What makes this more  remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a 'Jason Richardson of Master Card' with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time  I didn't let him finish.  I hung up!  We filed a police report,  as instructed by VISA.  The police said they are taking several of  these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know  that this scam is happening .  

Please  pass this on to all your family and friends.  By informing each  other, we protect each other.
"

 


Entry to France as a new resident

 

This information has been taken from The Complete France Forum (16 September 2007 - with the moderators and forum members permission) and is high priority information to ALL new residents to France. Please click through to the forum for more information if you wish.

New regulations concerning the Right of Entry and Residence for EU Citizens intending to move to France.

There have been some important changes to the French immigration regulations that will effect all those intending to relocate to France in the future. The purpose of this note is to provide a brief overview of the situation as published on the Service-Public website.

The government is introducing a new obligatory registration system for EU citizens which is due to come into force soon. Under the new regulations, you will be obliged to register with your mairie within three months of arrival and obtain a residence certificate.

In order to obtain the certificate, you must comply with the code de l'entrée et du sejour des étrangers et du droit d'asile (articles L121-1, L 121-2 and L122-1 to L122-3) which sets out the following conditions:

  • You must be in possession of an current valid passport
  • You must not be considered to be a threat to public order,
  • You must provide evidence that you have sufficient resources so as not to become a burden on the French social security system and have made adequate provision for healthcare and maternity insurance.

In terms of the latter condition, the criteria for registration may be fulfilled as follows:

You are currently employed or have an offer of employment in France

You will be making obligatory contributions towards social security/pension/healthcare in the same way as any other French employee. You must produce evidence of employment in order to obtain your residence certificate.

You are not employed, but intending to start your own business in France

Provided you have registered the business within the three months and arranged the obligatory social security/pension/heathcare provisions applicable to your trade or profession, then you may obtain your residence certificate.

You are retired or you have not obtained employment or established a business in France

As a ‘non-actif’, you must provide evidence of resources (such as pension and/or investment income) at least to the level of RMI (currently 440,86€ per month for a single person without child), or if you are over 65, then at least to the level of the old person’s allowance (currently 621,27€ per month maximum for a single person).

The additional entry requirement for heathcare insurance will be satisfied if you hold a current valid E-form entitling you to affilliate to the state heathcare insurance system, otherwise you will have to purchase a private health insurance policy offering an approved level of cover. If you hold a temporary E106, then once it expires, your affiliation will also expire and you will have to obtain private insurance cover. Holders of the E121 automatically receive entitlement to state healthcare insurance cover for life, so they are not affected by this.

The new registration requirement will only apply to persons entering France once the decree setting out the modalities of the process has been published. After that, the right of stay will be dependent upon fulfilling these criteria and obtaining the necessary residence certificate.

The above procedure applies to EU citizens only. Non EU citizens are subject to other arrangements.


 

Building Society Scams!

We received this email from one of our regular readers, please beware!

Hi

I have just received an email from Nationwide Building society asking me to verify my account details to carry on using the internet banking. This is a scam, please warn others.

6 August 2007


Gite booking scam!

 

Just had a telephone call from one of our advertisers in the Limousin who had taken a booking for 2 weeks from a guy called Terry Smith who subsequently sent a bankers draft for far more money that the gite booking demanded. Luckily our advertiser considered something was wrong and found the bank transfer was fraudulent! The matter is now in the hands of the Fraud Squad. Please note this name and beware!

 

France on Line 23 July 2007

 


Internet Scams!

 

Latest scam report (19 November 2009)

 

We received this email from one of our regular readers, PLEASE BE AWARE!!!

 

Dear Dordogne on Line, We have fallen victim to a scam. We are with Orange (internet provider) and we received an email from Orange saying they had taken 90 euro from
our account and needed to pay it back. When you click on the link you have to fill in all areas including card number etc. On the same day some one had 1503 euros out of our account, no one else has the card details.

 

We checked our bank account on line there hadn't been any debit of 90 euro from orange but instead airline tickets for eurostar and qatar airline plus other amounts adding up to 1503 euro.

Please inform all Orange users of this scam!

Regards S W (identity protected by this web site)


Latest scam report (5 August 2009) they are STILL AT IT!

"Dear Limousin on Line - I have recently advertised various items through your internet site and have become away of a scam being used. The person contacts you enquiring about an item for sale on behalf of a client and asks you to send pictures and confirm the price. They then accept the price without question. They then tell you that they will send you the asking price plus some extra for you to remove the item from the web site. They agree to arrange shipping, but want to send you the cost of shipping for you to forward to the shippers yourself. As we were aware of this sort of scam we have not done so, but if you do you will find that the cheque will appear cleared, but then the money will disappear from your account. As you have sent your own cheque to the shippers, you will be debited for the cost of the shipping. I would like to make others aware of this scam." Regards Deborah Highmore

 


And another reported this week 1 December 2008 by one of our advertisers and after their last email to "willy" they have heard no more.

We reproduce the emails here. We have deleted personal info.

 

Dear seller,
Do you still have your
www.france-on-line.info/classified_adverts.htm for sale? kindly get back to me with last offer you have, also let me known
the condition of it, i hope to read from you Best regard
willy

 

Hi Willy

 

Do you mean the ????????, if so yes it is still for sale and in very good
condition.  If you would like to view please call.
 

Dear Seller

Yes ???????,kindly get back to me with last offer you have on it

willy

 

Hello,
     Thank you very much for your mail fast, I inform you that I am okay and
meet with the asking price you have on it, as regards the delivery do not
worry about that I have a freight forwarder who will come to your location
for the gathering. Payment is by check, I will instruct my representative to
the issue of check on your behalf with the sum of 8000.00euro, as soon as
payment is received by you, you deduct your selling and updating of 'surplus
funds to my shipper. Come back to me with your information to be drawn to
check for the payment name, address, telephone number.
Hope to hear from you soon. willy

 

Thank you very much for buying the ?????? and I understand that you will
instruct your representative to send us a cheque for the amount of 8,000
euros, 5,500 euros for us and the balance to go to your shipper (I hope that
is correct).  The cheque should be made out to:

AN Other

The address is: ?????????????????????


Tel: ???????

 

Please could you give us some idea of when we will receive the cheque and
when your shipper will arrive here to collect the ???????

 

 

Hello ???????,
Thanks for mailing the payment information and I want to let you know that
the delivery of the cheque to you will be next week.So i want you to keep
all buyer's off ,Consider the ???????? sold to me.Am also compensating you
with (50?) for your runing arround to get the transaction completed the same
day you receive the payment.I want you to deduct the the western union
charges to get the funds wired to the shipper the same day you receive the
payment cashed.About the shipper's information for the wire transfer will be
sent to you with the Name and Address of the shipper for you to get the
funds transfered by western union as soon as you receive the payment and the
funds is been available in your bank..The shipper will be at your location
for the pick up upon receipt of payment via western union by next day.i want
you to know that the pick up will be done 24 hours upon receipt of payment
via western union by the shipper.That is the shipper will be at your
location to do the pick up by next day.
    I await your soonest reply to know if all is okay / understood at this
END. hope to here from u soon

 

Dear Willy

I have looked up Western Union on the internet and I assume that they are
the transfer of money company, I'd rather use my bank to do any transfers,
so therefore would it not be easier if you send me a cheque for 5,500 euros
and send a separate cheque to the shipper  (what is the name of the shipping
company) or would it not be possible to give the shipper a cheque/cash when
he collects the caravan?

Obviously once I have received the cheque, I will have to wait until the
cheque has cleared in my bank before I transfer money to the shipper.

 

DO NOT RESPOND TO THESE TYPE OF EMAILS OR TRY CHECKING THEM OUT ON THE INTERNET AS OUR ADVERTISER DID AND CALLED THE SUPPOSED BUYERS BLUFF!

 


The following was sent to us by one of our advertisers Vivienne Teasdale, she agreed to reproduce it here as a warning to others.

 

Thought I’d better provide this following information so you are aware and can warn your other clients as I am sure this enquiry I have had is a scam.  You may be aware of it as others may have had similar emails.

 

I received an enquiry a week or so ago for long term B&B rental for 3 months from 1st August to 30th October from a guy called “Harry Jimmy” from Churchill Manitoba Canada for himself, his wife and 2 twin boys aged 8. and have attached the latest email from him for your information

 

I replied with a quote (just short of 3500 euros) which he followed up with a yes he would like to book but could I quote him for electricity, security deposit, bills, etc. and mentioned renting the “apartment”, a term he has used all the time since.

 

Thinking there was a misunderstanding and that he was looking for an independent house or apartment with usual facilities such a kitchen, etc though he did not mention this I emailed back said we would be happy to rent our rooms (increased the quote to just short of 4000 euros) but explained thoroughly that we are a B&B, and what he would and would not get i.e. no kitchen but space in fridge and use of laundry facilities (necessary I think for a 3 month stay).

 

I also sent him some alternative sites for gites, houses etc including your own, and have received a return email still confirming that he would like to rent the “apartment”. 

 

However, - and this is where is gets suspicious - he waffles on about his wife having ordered 2 bicycles during her last vacation which she has yet to pay the balance (of 5000 euros???) for so they can be delivered here for the boys??  Also she will be driving a BMW 5 series which she required space for but can he pay me just under 9000 euros for me to send the balance for the bicycles????

 

Also that his wife will meet me at the airport at 4pm (I assume he means on 1st August) to be brought here???  What about himself and the children and where’s the BMW??

 

His email then asks for details of my account no, etc but what is really suspicious is the whole email is worded and set out very similar to the emails we all seem to be receiving at the moment telling us we have won a lottery we have never entered or there is a person in Africa who has made a fortune in diamonds or something and wants an investor they can trust – Yeah Right!!

 

Anyway hope you can pass this info on and your comments and thoughts on it may also be of help.

 

Feel free to warn others in any way you can but since then I have also had another "scammer" claiming to be Dr Moore in Holland and wishing to book for a hunting/fishing party of 6 people.  Following a quote of 1,500 euros he wished to send me a cheque for 6,750 USD for me to take my share and send the rest to a third party (supposedly who have arranged his flight, hire car, etc).  What are they doing issuing cheques in US Dollars if they are Dutch??
 
I have actually also seen a warning on another site and apparently there is a lot of it going around at the moment.
 
If there is anything else I can do i.e. if anyone wishes to speak to me about it please feel free to pass on my details.

 

E mail vivienne.teasdale@club-internet.fr   

 


Registering for health care with MSA

This short over view has been submitted by Paula Grainger and she is happy to communicate in more depth with others who may need to go through the same process when starting their own business, email Paula via franceonline@sfr.fr

 

Just to let you know how we got on with MSA Mutual Societe Agrigole, dealing with us getting on to the French health system.  A lady came to our house from MSA and checked out our business plan and our equipment and then satisfied that we had a good business, we then went through about 20 mins of form filling, we then had to wait for about 2-3 weeks for our application to be processed, and then received our attestation to say that we had been accepted!!!  and ofcourse the "Bill", So here we are finally, your French has to be of some sort of understanding as they don't speak English, or if not have someone who can translate.


Perigord Lawn Bowls Club 2007 season

 

Our first full season ended in September 2007 with the Club Championship finals being played.

 

The mixed Pairs were won by Carol and Peter Allars beating Sian and Vince Foster.

 

 Alan Biss ran out the winner against Dick Passmore in the Men’s Singles.

 

The Ladies singles which was the pick of the games was a very close affair with Sue Passmore narrowly beating Pam Wotton. Another excellent match was the Plate Final which ebbed and flowed with each player taking the lead and then letting it slip, Terry Street held off Peter Allars to win. The Mixed League was played throughout the whole season, went to the last set of matches with three teams still in contention. It was particularly nice to see that some of the novice bowlers were in the teams taking part in the final play offs. The winners were Sue Passmore, David Preston, Clive Davie and Ged Hall. The trophies, all very generously donated by club members, were presented at the club dinner in November at the salle des fêtes in Vieux Mareuil.

 

 

Members have helped the committee in a review by completing a short questionnaire so everyone has an input to the planning of next season. The Championships and Mixed League were successful but we need to look at including some events which can be played over a shorter period. Integration with our French neighbours must continue to be an objective. Work continues on our Web site and hopefully will be up and running this spring.

 

Throughout the winter months we will be playing Short Mat Bowls after having a short mat very kindly donated by Mrs Patricia Smith.

 

 

Our sincere thanks goes to our sponsors AXA Assurance; Blevins Franks Financial Management and Périgord Renovation we look forward to their continued involvement in 2008.

 

Our Annual General Meeting will be on Wednesday 20th February 2008 at the salle des fêtes in Vieux Mareuil commencing at 14.00hrs. If you are looking for a sport or a new hobby why not come along, full coaching can be provided.

 

Dick Passmore.

Président.


Périgord Lawn Bowls Club 2007

(Click HERE for more info on this club)

 

Pauline and Clive Davie took over La Charrue in September 2004 and through their business met many new arrivals to France. Over the odd glass of wine discussions turned to past sporting exploits Sue and Dick Passmore said they had been very involved in flat green bowls during the summer and short mat bowls during the winter. Both had achieved county badges at short mat and Dick went on to represent England throughout the nineties. So the idea of creating the first flat bowls green was born and in September 2005 we pegged out an area of 35m.sq. on the lower field at La Charrue. During the October and November the ground was dug out with Clive driving the JCB.

 

The boulders and roots were not too bad but because of the unevenness of the land we soon realized that we would need the assistance of some French farmers to help move tons of earth from the site. So off Clive went to negotiate with some neighbours who had tractors and were willing to help. When we were ready along came our friendly farmers and with other new arrivals at La Charrue and friends the excavation begun. Some of course just stood in total bewilderment, as for our French friends they scratched their heads and couldn’t understand what we were doing, crazy English!!

 

The delivery of several tons of gravel was laid to aid the drainage of the site then it was time for the sand, tons and tons of it, 19 lorry loads, all having to be levelled as evenly as possible. Time was drawing in and the days were getting shorter and we knew we had to level the ground before winter set in. But eventually we were satisfied so we left our project to settle down throughout the winter. In the meantime the proposed rules and constitution were drawn up and sent away for translation into French in readiness for applying to become an Association.

 

In the Spring of 2006 the sand was again levelled and finally in May seed was sown. After only a few weeks grass was seen peeping through the ground so a few glasses of wine were had in celebration, then Clive’s work really begun in looking after the green.

 

So good was his work that in August we actually were able to bowl a few woods, the feeling of elation over took us, broad smiles all round and of course congratulations to Clive for all his hard work. The committee took the bold decision to hold two demonstration days in September and even though it poured with rain on both days we were satisfied with the number of people that came along to support the new Club.

 

Our application to become an Association had been accepted so our Treasurer opened a bank account in the Club’s name, he is now busy seeking quotes for Public Liability Insurance so all members and their visitors will be fully covered against accidents.

 

We held an Open Evening in October so prospective members were able to ask questions and to voice their thoughts on the future events both on the bowls green and socially.

 

The green has now been top dressed and put to bed for the winter months.

 

We are situated between Brantome and Vieux Mareuil on the D939.

 

If you are interested in joining the Périgord Lawn Bowls Club as an experienced bowler or as a complete novice please contact our President Dick Passmore 05 45 23 62 17 or email nirvana8@wanadoo.fr

 

Full coaching will be available.


MEDICAL COVER - A word of warning! (September 2004)
 

From recent personal experience please do seriously think about medical cover when moving to France. Do not rely on an E111. We have an E121 where I am covered 100% for all costs but my husband was only covered for 65%. In our 40's we did not consider it necessary to take a top up policy. However in the past month my husband has suffered a heart attack and was admitted to hospital for 7 days. He underwent an angioplast and is now recovering at home. We have not had the bills as yet but know that one hospital (he was moved part way through the week) charged 320 euro per day. The transfer to Limoges was 40 euro. Some blood tests have been charged extra and his monthly medication bill will now be 153 euro for life. This was totally unexpected but now we have taken a top up policy with Groupama and will be covered from now on for all costs and also for dental treatment and glasses. If anyone would like further information please feel free to e mail us. The good news after this was because my husbands condition is life threatening he is covered 100% but the top up policy has come in useful for dental treatment and an operation for myself in 2005 where we paid nothing.

 

MEDICAL COVER - A word of warning again! (April 2005)

 

A friend two weeks ago was taken ill and admitted to Limoges hospital where he underwent tests for diabetes. When asked for his top up/mutuelle details he did not have one and was informed that his hospital stay was costing 200 euros per day and he would have to pay 35% of that cost and his anticipated stay would be 2 weeks at least. This information did nothing for our friends state of health at that point. He had been "thinking" about taking a top up policy but had never "got round to it". The good and bad news is that the hospital discovered his diabetes is category 1 and therefore he will not have to pay the huge amount he at first anticipated which one the one hand made him feel better. PLEASE PLEASE do seriously consider a top up policy no matter what age you are or how healthy, you just never know and the cost implications can be huge. Obtain quotes from insurance companies or your bank and investigate the different options, the policies are not always easy to understand but are absolutely necessary.

 


Below is one persons account of moving money to a French bank
 

"A personal experience about moving money to France via a building society. We banked with the Nationwide Building Society in the UK and after some research they were the cheapest option to send money to France, charging £20 whatever the amount to be moved. They used a commercial rate of exchange, not the tourist rate, but you cannot be exactly sure what it will be as the rate can move up or down before they press the button. You can either move the money by completing a form with a specific date to move the money and post it to them or do what we did which authorised a family member, still in UK, to do it for you. Our money arrived within 24 hours into our French Bank account and there was no charge to receive it, but you do need to allow around 5 days so if you are signing for a house do not leave it until the last minute. Your UK bank will need the RIB number, which is the account information about your French bank including your account number, the IBAN, which is the International Bank Account number and the B.I.C. or Swift number and the full name and address of your bank. Your French bank will be able to give you all these numbers. It's a good idea to go to your UK bank, and see if you can get a form for transferring money abroad so you can see how to fill it in long before you might need to use it. It can be a little daunting to fill out a form and see maybe £100,000 disappear off into Europe. If it does get lost in the 'system' it can take weeks before it comes back, we were told."


 

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