This evening, for some unknown reason, I got embroiled in
the most amazing argument on the LIFT Facebook page.
A member asked the question about offering ready to heat
meals, mainly curries, for sale to members of the public and whether they would
be interested.
There were a few responses before I replied.
This lady had all the necessary catering qualifications
(English) but they are different here in France. I just endeavoured to point
her in the right direction so I suggested that the ‘poster’ created a business
and then went through the proper channels to be legitimate in France, even giving her a link to someone selling food here.
Another person said ‘Are you taking the Mick & etc.?’
Well this comment opened all sorts of responses, bearing in
mind that there are now over 1000 members on this particular site
.
A lot of people agreed with the fact that she needed to be
legal. After all I was only trying to help her, heaven forbid that she goes down
the wrong route and ends up being closed down and fined a lot of money that she
cannot afford.
There were a couple out here who ran a pork business; oh you
know, “We breed rare breed pigs and
make sausages, pies, sell chops, piglets etc.” Yes, they got caught out and had to pay an enormous
amount in fines and eventually left the country. Yes, they were running the business without the necessary permissions!
Don’t like to see that
happening to someone wanting to make a living out here.
Eventually the posting
acquired around 150 comments before admin deleted it.
There was a lot of
vitriol.
So there is, out there, the occasional person that will stir
up something innocuous and turn it into a storm.
I was quite surprised at the response from this particular
person, I just could not understand why she had responded in such a way.
Maybe she
had had too much to drink, she did sound a little ‘slurred’ with her comments.
Am I making excuses for someone with issues?
I have had support from people that I know as well as those
that I don’t know.
I won’t keep my mouth shut when there is knowledge to share.
I do not like to see people get the wrong sort of advice.
If I don’t know then I won’t say but if I do then I will and
on this occasion I did.
Obviously you were offering good advice...
ReplyDeleteDo you think she was just at the 'thinking about it' stage and was taken aback at the rigmarole involved in setting up anything in France - then took a swipe at you for pointing out the realities?
LIFT these days sounds more like a Roman arena than a friendly gathering...and I suspect that started when people began to use it to push their businesses rather than just have a cozy get together over lunch.
Glad you had so much support!
I don't know LIFT, Trisha, but I'm guessing it's another of the expat forums or groups, in which case I'm totally unsurprised at the vitriol generated by your attempt to help. I used to spend quite a lot of time on two or three of the bigger forums, offering help where I could and occasionally asking for it. I've virtually given up even visiting them now because either I was never thanked or even acknowledged for the help or the discussion became heated and hostile in exactly the way you describe.
ReplyDeletei think the trouble is that there some people who don't like their rosy view of France to be disturbed by the knowledge that French bureuacracy is even worse (much worse?) than British, while there are others who are flying under the radar and don't like to be reminded that they are taking very big risks in doing so.
Well done on sticking to your guns and go on doing so when you can.
Fly, it was not the Original Poster that took umbrage, it was someone else who obviously has an agenda. The OP was quite happy with any advice that was given. It was just this other person. I am a friend of the moderator and she said she had no problem with my comments. It appears that the OP got a lot of stick privately from others as well. And Perpetua, I do sometimes despair of the (ex-pat)immigrant community. It seems that those who have been resident here for a few years are the nicer bods than the 'newbies'. Maybe the person that caused the upset will one day need some help and no-one will be there to help her. Tough sh*t I say. I am so glad I have many good French friends rather than many ex-pats.
ReplyDelete