Really Caveat, Emptor: Shopping in France

I recently watched the movie A Good Year (or Une grande année) with Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard (she will also be seen very soon, February 14 to be exact, in La môme a biopic on the life of Edith Piaf) in which Cotillard's character - the owner of a café in Provence - offered this bit of advice to Crowe: "in France, the client is always wrong". And you really can't imagine how true, and not funny, that is.

A good rule to have when shopping in France is not to buy anything you aren't 100 percent sure about (really, a good rule anywhere), because the chances are that you will have a hard time returning it if you discover that you aren't entirely satisfied. Don't pay any attention to what it says on the back of receipts because it doesn't mean anything.

I bought a cell phone a few weeks ago and upon discovering that it was entirely the opposite of what the salesperson assured, naturally, I wanted a return. Since the back of the receipt stated clearly and separately that in the case of returns for pre-paid cell phone packages, the product is accepted minus the cost of the SIM card. I was looking at receiving a fraction of what I paid but I still returned the next day intent on a refund or exchange. Unfortunately, all I got was condescension and rejection.

Apparently, contrary to what it states on the receipt, it is "impossible" for them to accept returns for pre-paid cell phone packages because the SIM card is attached to the phone. Totally bogus answer because everyone knows that the SIM card can be removed and put into any phone. However, the girl behind the counter sensed that I was not satisfied, but seemed to have felt that her answer was enough, and left me to attend to another customer.

On a homesick note, my French roommate told me about how surprised she was by the ease of returns of purchases in Canada. She had bought a tent at Canadian Tire and upon discovering that it was of terrible quality and not warm at all, she returned to the store completely prepared to be forced to justify her case. Needless to say she was more than pleasantly surprised (and totally shocked) by the fact that the cashier took the tent upon presentation of the receipt and asked no questions This does not happen in France was her conclusion on this cross-cultural consumer difference.