Farepak in administration: What to do? (Merged Thread)

alwaysbusyMUM

:eek: I didnt twist anyones arm to order vouchers from me, I never ever ordered hampers or gifts, how on earth do you know in January what to buy your family for the following chirstmas?
Everyone I know not just Farepak agents but Park & the others all order vouchers. Cash for Cash but to be spent in certain stores, BHS in Manchester used to love me going in - I'm sure they now I'm not going this year, hahahaha, have to stay light hearted about it all, gone past the tears & the screaming

alwaysbusyMUM

trisontana wrote:

I am aware that most people had vouchers . But, as I have said before, you don't get any interest on your money and, although they are supposed to be multi-store they are not as flexible as cash. You cannot use them in such places as Aldi or Lidl where you can get more for your money. People are not stupid, just a little naive.

I'm sorry and I'm not being a SNOB or anything, but I use the above stores if and when nessessary, but not to buy Christmas & birthday presents, how can ordering vouchers that can be used in Argos or Wollies - both cheap places to shop be NAIVE???

recovering_spendaholic

Up until this year I always saved for vouchers though a work colleague. There are an awful lot of people, and I'm one of them, who are not able to be sufficiently disciplined about saving. I am a single parent, and have tried on many occasions to put money into a separate account for holidays or Christmas, but when pressing need arises (school trips, unexpected bills etc), if I have money in a set aside account I will always take from that to meet the shortfall. When I saved for vouchers, it was like paying a debt and once I had paid my £50 a month I knew that I could not access that money again and so it gave me the ability to say no to school trips I couldn't afford and made me manage the money I had left in a more responsible manner, and I knew that Christmas would not mean that I would have to go into debt. It may not make me as noble as those people on here who are able to set aside money into a separate account, but I don't think it makes me stupid or even naive. I only didn't save for vouchers this year because I was made redundant last Christmas and don't know any other agents. I'm glad I didn't now as I would have lost my money.

trisontana

alwaysbusyMUM wrote:

I'm sorry and I'm not being a SNOB or anything, but I use the above stores if and when nessessary, but not to buy Christmas & birthday presents, how can ordering vouchers that can be used in Argos or Wollies - both cheap places to shop be NAIVE???

The naivety is paying into a so-called "saving" scheme that doesn't pay any interest. I did not say you twisted anyone's arm .The company was using a very clever piece of psychology by using agents who would recruit friends and family who feel obliged to sign up, so as to not offend their friend .

As for dipping into a savings account , you can open a 60 day notice account where you won't be tempted to touch the money.

alwaysbusyMUM

well said Jane, you and everyone else on here, that either did or normaly did order vouchers, all did for the same reason, I'm what they call lucky I have a good job & very good hubby & 2 great kids, but I too, knew if the money was there I'd dip into it to buy or pay for what ever arose. Christmas will be tight this year & the birthdays that fall in the first few months of the new year, including my DD 21st.

Hope you managed to find another job?

Merry Christmas

alwaysbusyMUM

I think we need to agree to disagree, I know why my family & friends saved with Farepak and have been doing for the past 11years,

I wish you & your family a merry Christmas, along with everyone on here that has lost there money.

hunnybugs1

trisontana wrote:

The naivety is paying into a so-called "saving" scheme that doesn't pay any interest. I did not say you twisted anyone's arm .The company was using a very clever piece of psychology by using agents who would recruit friends and family who feel obliged to sign up, so as to not offend their friend .

As for dipping into a savings account , you can open a 60 day notice account where you won't be tempted to touch the money.

Gosh, hindsight is a wonderful thing!!! IT REALLY DOESNT HELP US AT THE MOMENT THOUGH!!

emilyj

trisontana wrote:

.The company was using a very clever piece of psychology by using agents who would recruit friends and family who feel obliged to sign up, so as to not offend their friend .

.

Actually, I think the reason people saved with friends and family was more likely to be that they were pretty sure that the agent would not disappear with the Vouchers when the time came for payment -or, worse, not pay their money into Farepak.

The whole business relied on trust -which is why the betrayal of that trust by EHR Directors and the HBOS is somehow so much worse.

Sparkly

So the goodwill package that would be "simple, not derisory, fraud-free, easy to administer at store level and have as much choice as possible" and much touted with positive press coverage for all involved is no longer happening. Trade minister Ian McCartney is currently on a ministerial visit to Fiji, so is unable to comment on the bad news, and for some reason it's taken a number of weeks for the British Retail Consortium to realise that a scheme would have cost them money. When is Nick Gilodi Johnson going to be featured on Crimewatch?

sandhabibi

Before I report what Gmtv have just said, Can ppl keep comments to themselves if it's not being helpful!! I'm an agent and like myself some of my 5 customers (like me) would not have any money left in a saving account as it would be dipped into through the year, I guess naive has a different meaning to what it used to have if I'm being it.
Alot of people have got a horrible christmas ahead and they are being told they are naive. nobody will do this scheme again after this and I know next year I'll save shop stamps.

Gordon Brown and the news have just reported that Sainsbury's are to give upto 25% to people that had vouchers on order. Also The government are putting pressure on other retailers to do the same.:T
If sainsburys can do this then surely Tescos will follow with their billions £ profit!