Last summer we stopped in Vannes.

Becky

Becky

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in the Gulf of Morbihan for a weekend,

We weren't too sure whether we would stay 3 or 4 nights, so having arrived on Thursday to be 'in' before the expected influx of French yachts, we paid for 2 nights, and then paid on Sat evening for a third night as we decided to leave on Sunday.

As we left on Sunday, at the lock we were accosted by the Keeper who said we hadn't paid, but we assured him we had, and he let us out.

Then a few weeks ago, (4 months later) I received a letter demanding a further 23 euros for the sat night. We got receipts, but of course, I can't finsd any now. Suspect we never kept them anyway.

So................. would you suggest I write back and just say we don't owe them. Or should I send 23 euros to stop any nastiness when we go to that area (but not Vannes again) next year?

I really did pay, but it was cash. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Hi Becky

We once had the same letter from St Malo marina (St Servan) two years running. Fortunately I had kept the receipts which proved we were in St Helier when they told us we were supposedly (unpaid) in St Malo. I wrote to them with copy receipts (and wrote in French) but they never bothered to reply. When it happened the next year I wrote again, also in French, and again enclosed copy receipts from St Helier to prove we HAD left and I asked for an apology, this was not forthcoming. I later wrote again and said we would never visit St Servan again which to date and 15 years later we have honoured.

In Vannes we one time, in company with another club boat, were also yelled at over the tannoy to 'stop and wait for them to collect payment' when we were there for just one night. We had both been to the office twice to try and pay (honestly!) but the office was closed and despite being on board they had not been round to collect. On other occasions when this had happened the money man was in a dory and we called him over and paid on our way out but this time he wasn't there either. We were tannoyed at full volume and made to wait on the waiting pontoon (last lift on a Sunday in August) whilst hundreds of boats filed past in-coming, all pointing at us accusingly....

I'd write to them and explain why you do not owe them money.

Whilst Vannes is nice to see, once you have it is less of a must visit for future trips IMO. In fact these days we rarely bother to go INSIDE the Morbihan unless we want to dodge bad weather, there are much nicer spots outside. We have been there several times however by road when taking golf breaks in winter, so maybe I'm being unfair to Vannes.

Robin
 
Thank you Robin.

I was intending to write (in English, my French isn't good enough) and tell them we had paid in full.

Like you, we found that it is nice to visit once, but rather noisy. So it will not be on any future itinerary.

Just don't want any nastiness when we go that way next year, so hoped nobody else had experienced a similar problem.

One wonders if somebody stole the cash payment I made. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

It certainly pays to retain ALL receipts for many months afterwards.
 
The dory in Vannes followed me out once claiming I had underpaid. I hadn't and told him to push off. He got shirty and so did I. It's amazing how fluent a sweary person I can be in French when the mood takes me.

However, I once got a letter midwinter from Ramsgate claiming I had been there and not paid when I knew full well I had checked with the man who comes round in the morning that I was up to date for leaving. Unlike Robin I hadn't kept the receipts (I do now) but eventually and reluctantly paid them on the basis I was v likely to go there again (two or three times a season, actually). But I keep all the bills now. Actually I thought it was wretched of Ramsgate to write to me 6 months later, as if they knew full well by that stage I would have trouble arguing. At least the nit in Vannes argued there and then.
 
We had a strange experience also in St Malo a few years back. My wife went to the office to settle up- we'd been there I think 3 nights - and they insisted it was deja payee so she assumed I'd beaten her to it with my wallet (as if!)

Some months later we received a bill for the 3 nights so phoned them up to make the payment with an explanation that it was a misunderstanding. They wouldn't take a credit/debit card over the phone and insisted we send them a Euro cheque. At this point I was becoming a bit irritated so asked them why they told my wife it was deja payee, after which they agreed it was indeed payee and then hung up on me
 
[ QUOTE ]
It certainly pays to retain ALL receipts for many months afterwards.

[/ QUOTE ]
As a matter of habit, every berthing receipt is chucked in the chart locker. Every year or two I have a clear out. The only time I ever had a query was from Bridlington (they were perfectly correct, I hadn't signed the cheque).
 
[ QUOTE ]
One wonders if somebody stole the cash payment I made.

[/ QUOTE ]

Becky

Regretably that is always a possibility. Wherever possible if only to avoid using our eurocash, we pay by credit card, then to be safe we always retain the credit card and associated receipts for checking against the bill when it arrives. Fortunately the system for later checking and shredding paid and disposable receipts suffers the usual lethargic delays which on several occasions has proven useful! In practice, like Snowleopard, our mooring receipts etc tend to get put in a catchall folder under the chart table which may not get emptied until the next chart table clearout (when the lid won't shut). Most Capitaneries accept credit card payment and indeed many of the mobile collectors now also have credit card machines.

Another option in your dispute might be to photocopy the log book entries to show you were elsewhere?

Robin
 
We went there, but were directed to a pontoon anchored out of the beach. No sorry, we were on the W side I believe. Will check on the chart, which isn't here at the moment.

But we met a really nice person who marked his favourite anchorages in the Morbihan on our chart for next time.

Such lovely people, cruising folk! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
I always keep the invoices in the log book. like to see the increase per year. and note the marinas that i refuse to pay high mooring fees /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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