Banking at a snail's place

In 11 years, we are now on our third bank. First CIC, then Barclays/Milleis, and now Crédit Agricole.

All suffer the same fate, taking ages to implement instructions and never responding to correspondence, or requiring your life history in paperwork.

Latterly, it took Milleis 21 days to close a Livret A after two letters, five emails and two phone calls. Similarly, CA have taken nearly three months to offer a small loan to repair a barn roof, with double the loan cost secured by an assurance vie, and required reams of personal documentation, far more than for a carte de séjour! What a shambles.

Name and address withheld on request