Letters: Free banking is so hard to find in France
Reader notes with displeasure that he must now pay regular charges on his account
Reader says he has had an account at Credit Agricole Anjou-Maine for nearly 40 years
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To the Editor,
In a recent article on bank fees, you report the CLCV's finding that three banks did not charge a fee for simply having an account, one of which was Credit Agricole Anjou-Maine.
As of March 1, CA Anjou-Maine will indeed charge for simply having an account – €2 per month, €24 per year. On the account concerned we also have charge cards for which we pay the usual exorbitant (by UK standards) fees.
CA’s logic is that the said account does not pay in some way for other bank services.
This is hard to fathom, especially since between us my wife and I have numerous accounts with the same branch of CA Anjou-Maine (for nearly 40 years, by the way) only some of which pay interest – at derisory rates, from which the bank profits in any case.
Read more: French bank set to charge clients who do not respond to request for information
This, quite apart from the blatant nonsense that the fee I will pay will go towards improving the quality of management of accounts!
I do recognise that, on the face of it, we are still getting ‘cheap-ish’ banking services by the standards of some French banks, according to your article.
Mike Storey, Ille-et-Vilaine
What is your experience of banking in France? Do you think the service is expensive? Let us know at letters@connexionfrance.com
