 | Paris Money Matters Reviews | 1 - 10 of 23 |  |
Warning: Don't use the LCL (Le Credit Lyonnais) ATM machines at 14 Rue Rambuteau in Le Marais in Paris. When I was there at Christmas 2006, I asked for 200 euros from one of their machines, and only 90 euros came out. The receipt, however, listed the withdrawl as 200 euros.
I had just arrived after a long flight from the States and naturally I was upset. In my fractured French I explained the problem to a bank officer (most ATMs seem to be outside their home banks), and she told me that at the end of the day when they settled accounts, they would realize there was "too much" money in that ATM and would give me a credit. I didn't believe her and went back a few minutes later with a friend who spoke much better French. He found out that this is NOT the first time this has happened at these ATM machines. We wrote out a long letter and they copied all my information from my debit card and promised they would credit my account. Of course, when I got back to the States, none of this has happened and the withdrawl is still listed at 200 euros.
I am currently contesting this with my American bank, but I don't think I will ever see the lost 110 euros (about $150) in my lifetime.
I can't say for sure, but I think my mistake was not to press a button for a set amount, but rather use the option to ask for a custom amount to withdraw. The rest of the time in France, I was very careful to just use the set amount options, and of course, I never used an LCL machine again.
By the way, when I told this story to my counsin's daughter, who is living in Toulouse, she told me the SAME THING happened to her at an ATM there. She never got a refund either.
UPDATE: The banks honored my request for a refund and I recovered all my lost funds. Still, I would NEVER ask for a custom amount again at a French ATM--only the amounts posted. Also, keep your hands free and withdraw your cash QUICKLY.
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 by delphetguy
In restaurants or anywhere don't allow someone to go away with it. In fastfood, it's better to pay with cash... Leave a Comment
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The streets surrounding the Lido and the Moulin Rouge are full of 'clubs' that feature hawkers to get you into the 'club'. What you need to know and what you aren't told until you are inside is that there is a 1 drink minimum. This doesn't sound to bad until you find out that a very weak Vodka Tonic cost 80USD. A Bourbon and Coke (not the good stuff, either) is 85USD. What a shock we had when we found out. You can't just get up and leave, either. They have 'bouncers' to prevent this. BE CAREFUL! Leave a Comment
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I just got my statement from Bank of America and was shocked to see a "Foreign Currency Conversion Fee" on there. When I called BofA, I got the runaround as to why they charge 3% per transaction. That 3% added up quick... and I should have used American Express or MasterCard, neither of which charges this ridiculous fee. Visa was no help either. Their guy hardly spoke English and just transferred me back to BofA. Basically, this is the "we'll bend you over 'cause we can" fee. I asked where that 3% goes and one lady said it goes to the time it takes to convert the currency. I'm sure it doesn't take a computer much time to compute the conversion!!! Unbelievable!
If you've got AmEx... use that card instead!!! Leave a Comment
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Be carreful to take an official taxi at the airport : if men come to you at the landing proposing you a taxi, say NO. You don't know how much you will pay (surely too much) and where they will get you !
True taxis are waiting outside the airport, queuing for passengers (or the contrary), where indicated. Leave a Comment
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 Feeding the pigeons and
sparrows part of my
lunch. by no1birdlady
So you need to be sure you know what you give them, point it out to them that you are giving them a 50f note, and be persistent. Don't let them cheat you. They assume you aren't familiar with their money and that they can get away with it.
I think France is now using the Euro. This was in 2000.
Indeed, when we returned in 2006, France is using the Euro which makes using money easier. We had no trouble with any of the places trying to cheat us this time which was refreshing. Leave a Comment
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Avoid a crepe/ice cream stand run by an older Middle Eastern man located within view of the S. Michel fountain. Creepy guy who just waits to see if you count your change. If you catch it, he will immediately pull the stolen bill out of the register and hand it over.
I can't say this is the only time a vendor/business tried to shortchange me. I experienced this a few times while in Europe. Leave a Comment
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I don’t want to name the restaurant - but the story goes as follows.
We went to a restaurant and asked do u accept credit cards showing Visa card they said yes. We ate a good dinner and gave my visa card, the waitress said they wont accept that card because it doesn’t have a chip (the new card has a chip) , man we don’t searched each others pocket and paid the amount so before entering any place not only show the card, give the card to the place to verify that they will accept the card or not. Leave a Comment
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Paris is generally a safe city (low crime rate). A great danger may be a high-class shop (like Christian Dior, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Chopard - see the photos) ... DO NOT ENTER before verify your bank account !!! Leave a Comment
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It's very expensive to be a tourist in Paris. Drinking in bars and eating in restaurants can make you broke in no time. If you are on a budget, try to find supermarkets and chill out in public parks. Leave a Comment
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