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GR, GRP, PR: What do the French hiking signs mean?
What are the coloured symbols on French hiking routes? Who paints them there and why?
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Miss France: glam - but not sexy
Miss France organiser Geneviève de Fontenay fears she is fighting a losing battle to protect her 'Cinderella dream' from vulgarity
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Normandy Landings visit for Queen
Queen Elizabeth has confirmed a state visit to France, ending rumours she is handing over duties to Charles
We bought a defective machine
We bought a woodwork machine at €479 only to find it did not work. We did not want it repaired, we wanted a new one, as we bought it to work on our renovation and did not want to wait, knowing in France a month can turn into two or three. The shop insisted repair was their policy. I said the law says we should get a choice, but he insisted we could not have another machine. E.E.
The garantie légale de conformité covers you if you buy an item that does not do its job. A consumer has a right to ask for reimbursement or repair. The shop should arrange this in 30 days, but can insist on one or other of the options (repair or reimbursement) if one is significantly cheaper than the other. If the problem is not resolved after 30 days the customer may keep the item and ask for part of the price back as compensation, or to return it for a full refund. It may be possible to ask for damages too if you can prove the problem caused you loss. To take matters further contact a consumer rights body such as those listed here (www.conso.net – click associations de consommateurs) or your trading standards office (www.tinyurl.com /FrenchFraudOffices).