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Terms of Payment:For U.S. exporters, what is called "the financing of export sales" is not basically differentfrom financing domestic sales. The fundamental concern in both cases is that one bepaid in a timely manner for the goods and/or services delivered.France's modern banking system offers a full range of payment means, the mostsignificant of which are:- Commercial letters of credit- Sight and time drafts (documentary collections)- Bank transfers- Certified checksAlthough bank transfers and certified checks are fairly self-explanatory methods ofpayment, commercial letters of credit and sight and time drafts may be less familiar tothe would-be exporter but are potentially attractive terms of payment.PayPal electronic payment has recently been introduced to France and is beginning tobe used in smaller, usually ‘one-off’ export transactions.Sales Service/Customer SupportReturn to topConscious of the discrepancies among Member States in product labeling, languageuse, legal guarantee, and liability, the redress of which inevitably frustrates consumers incross-border shopping, the EU institutions have launched a number of initiatives aimedat harmonizing national legislation. Suppliers within and outside the EU should be awareof existing and upcoming legislation affecting sales, service, and customer support.Product LiabilityUnder the 1985 Directive on liability of defective products, amended in 1999, theproducer is liable for damage caused by a defect in his product. The victim must provethe existence of the defect and a causal link between defect and injury (bodily as well asmaterial). A reduction of liability of the manufacturer is granted in cases of negligence onthe part of the victim.Key link: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/single-market-goods/product-liability/Product SafetyThe 1992 General Product Safety Directive introduces a general safety requirement atthe EU level to ensure that manufacturers only place safe products on the market. It wasrevised in 2001 to include an obligation on the producer and distributor to notify theCommission in case of a problem with a given product, provisions for its recall, thecreation of a European Product Safety Network, and a ban on exports of products tothird countries that are not deemed safe in the EU.Key link: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/safety/prod_legis/index_en.htm2/18/2010 Country Commercial Guide for France 26INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT, U.S. & FOREIGN COMMERCIAL SERVICEAND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, © 2010. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES.