France Telecom line rental for a second home

THANKS to the site's forum, and in particular a comment from LaBourse, I was made aware of a telephone line rental contract from France Telecom for a second home.

The company's Ligne Résidence Secondaire enables you to suspend your line rental payment a maximum of six times a year, for a minimum period of at least one month (and at maximum one year) at a cost of €4.69.

This feature could prove useful for those who spend longer periods of time in their home throughout the year and with a simple dial-up internet connection you could still access emails if required.

If anyone has used this service it would be great if you could leave a comment below for the benefit of other readers.

Comments

[Chris Comley]

1) If you have broadband (Haut Debit) it may be worth checking if this on/off tarrif can still be used.

2) Don't forget, if your french is as good as mine, FT have an *english* speaking hotline on

0800 364 775 (calling from outside France + 33 1 55 78 60 56)

THe line is open from 0900 French Time and is always very busy - my advise if you need them (they're very good when you getthrough) is to start dialling at 0858 french time and keep hitting redial until the message changes from "we're closed" to "you're in a queue". That way you can get through to someone within about ten minutes usually.

[Craig McGinty]

Thanks for that Chris, is very helpful.

All the best, Craig

[Phillip Carr]

My French isn't good enough yet to deal with the detail of the contract shown on their website, so I wonder if you can confirm whether or not this service requires you to have a main residence contract with FT already?

[Craig McGinty]

Hi Phillip, you are right that you require a regular contract with France Telecom then you ask for a Ligne Résidence Secondaire contract.
All the best, Craig

[Pauline]

We have used this service for our French home, but when we asked for it to be switched on again for a planned visit they did not do this on time - a real problem with only a UK mobile in France.
Now a bit nervous to have it switched off.

[Margaret Bremen]

I Just phoned France Telecom to change my "ligne Principale" into a "Ligne sécondaire.
Although we have a contract since October 2002 (when we bought the house and so we're a client since),they wanted me to send a lot of paperwork such like as: House insurance in France; Income taxe papers from the country of our first residence etc. I told them that I won't send them any income taxe paper as in these paper are very personal things and that I only wanted to change a contract which I already have since 2002. To get this contract then, I already handed over a lot of paperwork.

[Peter Merricks]

I've used FT since 2003 without any trouble but this year I tried to suspend the line and although I could access my account on line, the password wasn't accepted at the confirm suspend page. And I have had trouble trying to call the English help line although Craig has since offered some advice which I shall try tomorrow.

[Michele Court]

As usual, it depends who you talk to : in 2006 we wanted to cancel our FT ligne as we were going back to UK for an undefinite period.They suggested to suspend the 'ligne secondaire' and said to go to a FT shop (25kms away!)with the paperwork (proof of main residence,etc...)There, we were told that the main residence with a 'ligne principale' had to be in France. So we called back to cancel the contract explaining why and were told the main home/phone can be abroad. FT offered to suspend the ligne FOC and for an unlimited period with free reconnection anytime. Since then we receive an online bill with a NIl balance every two months ! and the number does not seem to have been allocated to someone else...The mind boggles !!!

[Sue]

Very interesting to read about this. In 2009, France Telecom agent suggested we change to a 'ligne secondaire'( we have been customers since 2002 ) but the very next person we asked said this did not exist. The next person said yes it did but we were not eligible - and so on and so on back and forth. We never got a straight answer from 12 people. Current experience suggests to proceed with caution if you are making changes. France Telecom never do as they say and make it impossible to find anyone who will sort it out. I'm sure the French are not treated any differently. The law seems to be very much on the side of big, bullying Corporates.

[Jane]

We have a second home in france and a FT main line only. Each time we leave to come back to England we call at the FT office about 20 mins away and arrange for the line to be suspended on the day we leave. This is done in front of us. Its simple.
When we come back the first day we call and get it switched on again. No charge and no standing charge whilst we are in England. A brilliant service - wish we did something like it in England too.