Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
But this is beginning to change, at least in the larger stores. If
you need to exchange damaged merchandise (which for some
reason, you could not have noticed before purchase), make
sure you have all your receipts and the original packaging
before you set off. When negotiating with the salesperson,
be extremely polite, don't indicate that the shop did anything
wrong, and don't raise your voice; if anything will work, it's
politesse
(politeness). Also, if you, as you begin exploring your
new neighbourhood, let it be known to shopkeepers that you
have just moved to the
quartier
and are not a tourist, they'll
understand that you are asking for good service.
Some shops offer a
carte de fidelité
, meaning that after you
spend a certain amount, you are entitled to a discount on your
next purchase. A
carte d'adhérent
means that as a cardholder
you are entitled to discounts and rewards for shopping. Some
bookshops and cleaners offer these rewards, as do a few of
the supermarket chains and Fnac.
BOOKSHOPS
Parisians love to read, so there are
librairies
(bookshops) in
every neighbourhood, and all department stores carry books.
Some, especially those in the tourist areas, carry English-
language books, and both Fnac on rue de Rennes and Virgin
Megastore on the Champs-Elysées (open on Sundays) stock
foreign-language titles. There are also several well-stocked
shops devoted to English-language books. You can expect to
pay about 20 per cent more for a new book than you might at
home. Shops that buy, sell and trade used books are cheaper.
Shops generally place special orders if the topics are on the
computer inventory. To order books online, try http://www.
amazon.co.uk. Some shops are
open on Sunday afternoons; most
organise readings by authors.
You may also borrow books
from the American Library
(see page 182), which houses
some 120,000 titles in English,
current periodicals and DVD/
videocassettes. The library also
Darty
The one major shop that prides
itself on its
service après-vente
(after-sales service) is Darty, the
nationwide chain of appliance,
electronics and household stores
(see Chapter 5), where repair
service is rapid and efficient.
http://www.darty.com
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