French banking makes me cry!
There are a lot of things I love about France, much like anywhere I've lived really! Equal amounts of love and hate, I'm nothing if not fair! However, AXA Banque France has been super trying for way too long and frankly, even though I know most banks are the same or worse, I simply have to move banks and soon before I loose my mind!
It started just before Christmas when they were updating their security. We were warned that it would take 4 days or so and many weeks later, there were still too many errors for my liking and we couldn't transfer any money! We still can't and its nearly mid Feb! To be fair to AXA their updates were part of a quest to be more secure and I have to say they've achieved that at least! Dear god, it's so secure we can't do anything with it! Arggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!
Yesterday, I gave up trying to transfer money out of Fort Knox and used PayPal yet again, to pay my daughters uni living allowance very late! Madness. AXA is our second failed attempt at banking in France in nearly 5 years. We were initially with Bred banque, but I haven't been able to get on my online account for over two years! No one bothered to respond to requests to resolve the situation! In fact when we last asked for help they still had us living in Saudi! It is just complete madness.
French banking is generally self serving, everyone knows that and one gets the feeling that the banks think its their money not ours, it's super frustrating. All the plafonds (limits) have reset to zero on our bank account and can we heck as like change them back! Our English speaking agency lady was helpful and sent us a form to fill in to resolve and we duly sent it back, not that hopeful of an immediate response! No, French banks don't work from Friday lunch time to Tuesday morning so nothing is ever quick! That said, it looked as if our limits had finally been adjusted and we were very excited, when we appeared to be able to send a transfer to our transfer account! Happy days, only the next day it came back again! Honestly, I have no words and our account is supposedly a VIP account? What that offers, I have no clue...probably an extra level of frustration?
Anywhoooo!
Today, I have been in a very reflective and melancholy mood. One of our own lost her husband of just over a year this morning. So sad. I remember their wedding so well, we held the hen night online, in true Covid style and then the next day waited with bated breath for photos of the beautiful bride! Their love story added so much drama, joy and colour to our dull Covid lock down lives. I can't quite believe it. Makes you think? I mean, we think we have time and then we don't! I feel so guilty about moaning about my lot every day when I will eat with my husband of over 3 decades tonight. We are lucky I guess.
Tonight, I will thank my lucky stars as I cook chicken curry for a rare visit from my No.1 and only son and not grumble much when I have to pick HRH Grumpy up from the station at a moments notice. I haven't felt particularly in fine fettle recently, but I'm alive and I'm grateful for that! I'm so sorry for your heartbreaking loss my friend.
Gumption
D x