Consumer rights

Dates of January sales in France and key points to know

Your guide to the official start-of-the-year winter soldes

Explainer: When and by whom can you be cold-called in France?

We also look at what you should do if persistent calls continue

Long-life cow’s milk sold in supermarkets is recalled in France

The packs of six have been recalled due to a problem with the flavour, texture, or smell. Here is what to do if you have some at home

practical

Does the EU have a small claims court like the UK does?

We look at mechanisms which aim to protect consumer rights

What credit card purchase protection is there in France?

We look at whether there is a French equivalent to the UK’s section 75 rules allowing consumers to request a refund from their credit card company

€1,000 bill: Why are French locksmith charges so high?

Out-of-hours services can be eye-wateringly expensive so customers should choose who they call carefully

Can you return a product in France that does not work as advertised?

Consumer laws has rules on this for physical and digital goods but there are timeframes to respect

12 French banks taken to court for not reimbursing fraud victims

Consumer group accuses banks of too often placing the blame on clients over frauds when they are not at fault

New rules in France against misleading discounts and fake reviews

The European directive includes punishments of up to €300,000 and two years in prison depending on the offence

French shops mis-sold guarantees for faulty goods: Orange, Darty, SFR

Shops are obliged to fix or replace faulty items free of charge within two years, under certain conditions, but many sold guarantees instead withough informing people of legal rights

French consumer group condemns ‘lying and misleading’ food packaging

Examples included a 'beef ravioli' product which had only 4% beef

French consumer group demands VAT reduction ahead of gas price rise

UFC-Que choisir is running a petition for tax cuts and urges customers to choose a fixed price offer to escape the impact of repeated increases in the regulated rate for gas power

French supermarkets recall 1,000 tonnes of sugar due to pesticide risk

Some fine-granulated cooking sugars have been found to contain levels of ethylene oxide higher than the legal limit

Ice cream, biscuits, spices... why France is recalling 7,400 foods

The products are sold in leading supermarkets and contain higher than authorised doses of ethylene oxide, a chemical used to treat food against bacteria and classed as a carcinogen

French ‘top-up’ health insurance prices rising in 2021

Mutuelle providers are raising their prices by more than 4% in 2021, with one watchdog describing the price hike as 'difficult to justify'

Supermarkets in France start selling second-hand goods

Supermarkets and hypermarkets in France are to start selling second-hand items, with the Système U group starting last week with sites in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Pays de la Loire.

Calls for free masks in France as mandatory wearing spreads

A French consumer association is calling for masks to be provided free by public services such as public transport and schools, as analysis shows that masks are now mandatory across more than a third of France.

EU consumer rights violated by airlines during Covid-19

The European Consumer Organisation has accused major airlines - including Air France, EasyJet and Ryanair - of violating passengers’ rights over reimbursements for cancelled flights during the Covid-19 pandemic.

French group will ‘fight in court’ for Covid travel refunds

A French consumer association fighting for the public’s right to refunds on trips that were cancelled due to Covid-19 has said it is prepared to take the case to the country’s highest administrative court if necessary.

Mince meat from Auchan and Lidl recalled in France

Check your fridges and freezers: Batches of minced meat sold at the supermarkets Auchan and Lidl have been recalled in France due to a possible risk of metal filaments being mixed up in the meat.

French study: Food to have fewer ingredients in future

In the future, food will be more simple, have fewer ingredients, and be closer to homemade style, as consumers increasingly demand to know exactly what they are eating, a new French report has said.

What’s new in France and diary dates: March 2020

New laws, changes and dates for your diary in March 2020: ratings for clothes, tobacco rise, motorcycle tests get harder and equality rules

French associations launch petition to ban cold calls

Consumer associations in France have launched a petition calling for a ban on cold marketing calls - with more than 80,000 signatures collected in less than 24 hours.

Coca-Cola may disappear from some French supermarkets

World famous soft drink Coca-Cola could disappear from some supermarket shelves in France in the next few days, after a dispute erupted over “new healthier trends” and delivery problems.

French brands recall coffee capsules in plastic risk

Coffee capsules are being recalled by three supermarket brands in France after the products were found to be at risk of leaving “bits of plastic in consumers’ cups”.

Is there an ombudsman for car hire problems in France?

We had an issue with a car hire firm in the UK when we were charged costly insurance which we had not requested. We emailed an ombudsman for the UK car hire industry and they helped. Is there equivalent help in France? H.B.

Ways to cut costs and save on everyday life in France

We work hard for our cash so let’s make the most of it. The Connexion finds ideas to make it stretch a little further

How to take action when parcel is delivered damaged?

I’ve had several bad experiences of mail-order goods delivered damaged. I believe the items left the vendor in perfect order but in transit, or possibly at the depot waiting for delivery, they have been dragged across the floor and soiled by black tyres and other dirt. I do not like blaming the vendor of the product but how can logistics companies be called to account? M.M.

French senate allows food shoppers to use own boxes

The French senate has voted to allow consumers to use their own packaging and containers when shopping for food, or buying food and drink “to go”.

Car hire firm Goldcar angers European consumers

More than 1,500 complaints about car hire firm Goldcar Rental were received by consumer network Le Centre Européen des Consommateurs last year, it has said, ahead of a meeting on the issue this week.

Air France is fined over ‘no show’ penalty

Air France was wrong to make a passenger buy a new more expensive ticket for the return leg of a trip after he missed the outbound flight, a court has ruled.

Self-service tills rising in popularity in France

Self-service checkout tills in supermarkets are becoming more common in France, and stand to change consumer behaviour considerably, a new study has found.

Food brands in France ‘hiding’ palm oil as ingredient

Palm oil is being “hidden” in traditional products in French supermarkets, with “clever marketing” designed to mislead consumers, a food NGO has found.

‘Resale’ event tickets online are risky, France warned

It is a risk to buy event tickets from “second-hand” dealers online, either on auction or resale websites, or through platforms appearing to resell tickets at high prices, a European consumer union has warned.

Organic food condemned for ‘promises’ in French report

A French consumer group has condemned the organic food industry for offering “mountains of promises” that they often cannot keep, in a report for which it tested 130 organic products.

French household buying power to rise by €850 in 2019

The buying power of the average French household is to rise by €850 over the course of this year, a new economic study has found.

European white goods reclassified on new energy scale

White goods sold in France (and the EU) from March 2021 are to feature an updated “energy rating” sticker, with the current classifications of “A+”, “A++” and “A+++” replaced by a new scale from A to G.

Battery-farmed eggs less popular with French consumers

Most hens’ eggs bought in France today do not come from battery-farmed hens for the first time ever, as consumer habits shift towards eggs from free-range and organic farms.

French supermarkets banned from super-low promotions

Supermarkets in France are no longer allowed to run “super-promotions” on any food product, under a new law, in a move that could cost shoppers hundreds of euros per year.

France fines white goods brands €189m for price fixing

Six major white goods brands, including Electrolux and Whirlpool, have been fined €189 million by French consumer agency la DGCCRF for their role in a secret price-fixing agreement.

Study questions beef content of ready meals in France

The amount of beef in “beef-based” ready meals sold in France can vary by as much as 50%, a consumer study has found, with more expensive options not necessarily better than cheaper varieties.

EU to get tougher on one-market, one-price

New European rules to prevent geo-blocking - charging more for identical goods and services bought on websites in different countries - are due to come into force at the start of December.

Rising petrol prices prompt anger across France

Sentiment is growing across France against the rise in petrol prices this year, with campaigners seeking to protest on November 17, and a petition on the issue gathering over 300,000 names.

Half of olive oil sold in France is falsely labelled

Almost half of olive oils sold in France do not conform to regulation, a new report has found, with many containing added vegetable oil, and falsely claiming to be “extra virgin” or “organic”.

Supermarkets offer ‘cashback’ for first time in France

Shoppers will be able to ask for “cashback” from their supermarket cashier for the first time ever in France, as the Casino group prepares to roll the scheme out across 150 stores nationwide.

Water heater fault warning issued

Manufacturers will repair faulty systems free of charge

French public ‘not satisfied’ by supermarket fruit

The French public is less than impressed by the flavour and quality of fruits and veg sold in national supermarkets, a new study has shown.

Contaminated steak hachés recalled across France

Batches of fresh steak hachés from supermarkets Leader Price and Casino are being recalled across much of France due to fears of E.Coli bacteria contamination.

French homes receive 28kg of paper ads per year

The average household in France receives more than two kilos of publicity material posted through their letterbox per month, yet only one in five has used a government “stop adverts” service that could help.

Majority of beer contains pesticides, new study shows

Most beer contains traces of glyphosate and pesticides, a new test by consumer magazine 60 Millions de Consommateurs has suggested.

CBD shops open in Paris as use spreads across France

The first cannabis “coffee shops” are opening in the Paris region as the legal use of CBD (cannabidiol) spreads across the country.

Poor service from Cpam: what to do

My wife returned her Carte Vitale last summer to our Cpam health authority because it would not update but we are still waiting for a replacement and just keep getting vague promises. How can we complain? J.P.

May a notaire refuse certain work in France?

Can a notaire refuse work? I have been told of a case where a notaire would not deal with settling the estate of a family member who had died because he thought it was not worthwhile due to the low value involved. Someone else I know asked a notaire to draw up a will for her estate which includes a house in Romania but the notaire refused saying it would be complicated and not worth it for him. H.T.

Delays on rise as almost 16% of TGVs were late in 2017

Delays are on the rise at SNCF, with over 16 million passengers having been delayed on a TGV last year, and almost 16% of TGV journeys found to have been late in 2017, up from previous years.

Stores fail to display correct weight

I have very accurate digital scales and I find stores often do not display the correct net weight of food because, for example, the weight of the trays used for meat is included. Often the real price per gram of the food is more than shown. Who can I complain to? M.P.