Cheques and recommended letters

After a small pause in writting here, I've decided to continue my blogging. Since a year and half I now live in Grenoble where I persue my PhD with the French-Italian company STMicroelectornics.

The reason why I continue is because I want to share my experiences with the French system of using payable cheques and recommended letters which differs quite much from what I experience in any other country where I've been.

At my arrival in France, as I started a bank account at BNP Paribas, I was asked if I wanted a cheque book. I remember my father having a cheque note when I was 5, but I can't recall him ever using it. Actually as he bought a Ford Escort in the mid-80s I remember that he payed it cash. Since I though also in France cheques were something belonging to the past, I told the bank that I wouldn't need the cheque book.

Actually I managed six months in Paris without using any cheques. However, when I moved to Grenoble I directly discovered how indispensible the cheques are in France. The agent who helped me finding and installing my apartment asked for them, but I managed without. Worse was when I went to buy furnitures. I bought to armchairs at the furniture resale Fly and was promised that I could borrow a van for free since the armchair costed more than a certain amount. However, when I wanted to pick out the van, the ask me to leave a cheque as deposit. Since I didn't have any they refuse to give me the van, although I offered to leave a deposit in both with my credit card and cash. Since I've discovered how often people are using cheques. Although everyone have credit cards it seems that French rather use cheques while they are doing their shopping.

In Sweden when you want to quit a contract you simply go to the place where you signed the contract, and tell them that you want to quit it, or even simplier you can do it over phone or rarely by fax. In France often a "lettre recommandée" - a recommended letter - is required. My neighbours are moving - they need to send a letter to the rental agency. I want to quite my contract with the fitness gym where I'm going; I first went there told them I want to quite; they told me that I need to write a signed letter; I wrote a letter and gave it to them directly; they told me no, you need to send it by the post and it need to be recommended. I am afraid for the day I am going away from France, I will need to send a recommended letter to: the telephone company, the electricity company, the rental agency, the insurance company, the internet provider, my job, my school, my bank...

Talking about bank; a small advice if you are going to France don't choose BNP Paribas - I paid €8.50/month for having my bank account in their bank. Now I have LCL and pay €1.50. My bank account in Sweden is still for free.