Park Hampers? Safe or not?

wookie_2

nothing is safe these days, as other posters have been quoting, savings accounts like park, might and still may fail. Vouchers are no good with no shops to spend them in either. So i have and will opt for some self control with either a saving account like that post office one that only lets you make 6 withdrawls a year. Or a big jar lol good luck.

cloud9

i opened up a savings account the the end november as i had finished my xmas shopping and have been putting a little away ach week. i have £14 so far which isn't bad start toward next xmas at the start of jan. because this ccount is just for xmas i don't feel tempted to touch it.
I find vouchers limiting as you can't alway buy that bargain you see if its not in the right shop

Clowance

If savings accounts dont appeal why not buy those savings stamps that supermarkets like tesco and asda do: if you have a certain amount saved you get a small bonus in November or December. Obviously you then have to spend the money in the supermarket: but you could pay for your normal shopping and then use the shopping money anywhere you liked.

rhiwfield

Why take the risk of saving with a company that is adopting a voluntary self regulation scheme? Ask yourself whether such a company, if short of money, might just divert savers' money away from the Trust accounts.

And using vouchers limits your spending choices.

Put your money somewhere safer and dont tempt lightning to strike twice

pinkfluffybabe

zenseeker wrote: »

the advert would have been made long before they went bust.

Doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

However, if they were to remake it everytime one of the shops went bust, they would be making a new one weekly at the current rate.

CleoTheCat_2

How about trying the Post Office Chrsitmas Savings Club?
(I believe that this was set up following the FarePak disaster)
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/jump1?catId=86500737&mediaId=68000708

Hope this helps,
CtC.

slugbug

country hampers is too they are part of Park food group
see https://www.getcountry.co.uk
they ringfence there funds so in the very unlikely event of them going budt your money is totally secure

moneysavingfamilycomp

hi iv saved with park for 5 yrs now always for vouchers. the bonuses are good this yr i saved £360 for myself and £50 for my mum in commision i got
>£5 customer loyalty £1 per yr
>£2 agent bonus £1 per customer you have
>£20 from a promotion for ordering over £400
so for a £410 order i got £27 extra works out at about 6.5% interest.
also on the point about not getting change from vouchers you can order amounts of £5 and £1 vouchers so instead of handing over £10 for £8 spend you can hand over £8. plus due to customer feedback on this point they have introduced voucher cards for this year i think they work like a pre pay card so the shop deducts the exact amount from the card.
i do agree with the point about which shops will be around next year i try to save half and half so i order my vouchers and put some cash away aswell. i wouldnt order other items though hampers etc WAY to expensive.

mrsfarnie

I have never had any problems spending my love to shop vouchers and don't find the shops any more expensive. I also buy m and s vouchers from park and buy my shopping for christmas with them as well as presents! I save about £1000 with them every year. I could not put it in a bank or sealed jar as I would spend it. I would always find an "emergency" somewhere. i.e takeaway!!

mandragora_2

I don't think I'd ever use a scheme like these, as they're set up in the traders' favour; they make money all ends of the deal, not least of which is the money they have sitting in nice fat deposit accounts throughout the year, accruing interest. They call it an 'OPM' model of enterprise - Other People's Money. It'd be this element of it that would gnaw away at me, I know it would..... If the self discipline element of it is hard, why not set up the dd into an account as usual, stick the accounts details and any mail or balance notices etc that come in the post into a plastic wallet that's got a label on it marked 'Christmas 09' and a lovely photo from this Christmas of everyone enjoying themselves stuck right on the front of it, maybe even a totaliser thing that you can fill in as you go - then bury it in the filing cabinet....