July 24, 2015
At the bank this morning, Madame Aveze was more than cooperative when I pointed out the questionable charges on my debit card. Another charge on the Autoroute du Sud Vedene was made on June 5 at Exit 1. Exit 1 is at the beginning of the A7 in Lyon. Another place I was nowhere near when the charge was journaled. The charges were also made without a required authorization by PIN number.
Madame Aveze thinks ATM frauds are only for large amounts, but encourages me to block the card and open an inquiry. The problem is that Monday I am leaving for 11 days in the Pyrenees. So I decide to keep the card, take funds in small bills and try to pay in cash for gas and tolls rather than use the card, as has been my practice.
A new card is ordered which will be here by the time I return, at which time I can open the inquiry. Madame Azema thinks stations sometimes accumulate charges and submit them days after the charge is actually incurred. This does nothing to explain why stations in Montelimar and Lyon would be charging me fees for tolls.
It is at times like this that the sclerotic aspects of France come into relief. What an inquiry will reveal is yet to be seen, but I am going to open one on my return. In the meantime I will not only journal my receipts separately (as I always do for every expense), but keep the receipts to present at the bank upon my return, just in case there are any more mysterious charges on my debit card while I am away.
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