Is this legal?

winegums

My sister went to a schoolwear shop in St Helens, Merseyside (don't know if I can name them on here) to buy a badge as my nephew's school blazer is getting too small. As he only has 1 year to go in school, she thought it would be cheaper, as a single parent, to buy a plain black blazer for £10 from a supermarket and buy a badge to sew on for £5 instead of £38-£40 for an embroidered blazer.

She went into the shop and saw the display of school badges on a board behind the counter with a sign stating 'Sew-on badges - £5 each'. She asked the man if she could buy the badge for her sons school and he refused to sell it to her stating that she should just buy the blazer as it would save her having to sew. When she said she couldn't afford an embroidered blazer and wanted to buy a cheap one and sew the badge on he asked her to leave the shop!

My sister asked if he did actually stock the badges and he said he does but only sells them if the customer spends quite a bit of money in his store - he won't sell them as a single item.

My sister is furious as there were only 2 suppliers of the uniform and one supplier has gone bust. She doesn't want to embarass her son by asking around for a 2nd hand blazer and she can't cut the badge off the old blazer as its become very tatty.

I was annoyed so offered to go to the shop on my own and ask to purchase a school badge but the man behind the counter (I presume he's the owner of the shop) told me I could buy a badge if I purchased the embroidered blazer off him first. Why would I purchase a blazer and then purchase a separate badge? He even had the audacity to get the badges out of the drawer under the counter and show me them before putting them back away. I told him I was reporting him (I don't now who too though!) and he said to go ahead as he will deny it. He then sat down and totally ignored me.

My sister can't take her business elsewhere and feels backed into a corner by this shop. How would we get around this? I've offered to loan her the money to buy the blazer but she won't on principle and I don't blame her. She does get a £40 uniform grant but the school mandatory football kit (available from a few places but all the same price) was £40 on its own.

timeportal

imo, name and shame in the local press, that'll hit him where it hurts

suited-aces

Go to the school's board of governors.

DCFC79

Surely he can refuse to sell to whom as he pleases but he sounds that hes being picky about it, maybe you could get a group of you to go in and ask to buy a badge each but keep on asking him if he says no

winegums

My sister phoned the school and they were quite annoyed but said there was nothing really they could do as the shop in question was not their 'official' supplier - it was the one that went bust. They suggested asking around the year 11's, who are due to leave in a few weeks, to see if one of them will sell or 'donate' his blazer to her but my nephew said he would be too embarrassed her doing that.

I looked it up on the internet and it seems its illegal for schools to only have 1 uniform supplier. Although, saying that, the other supplier only went bust recently.

Any ideas?

DCFC79

Does the school not have a second hand bit where they selll uniform from past students eg year 11's

baza52

Id have thought a ten quid blazer from a supermarket with a sewn on badge would be more embarassing than wearing a second hand one.

winegums

DCFC79 wrote: »

Does the school not have a second hand bit where they selll uniform from past students eg year 11's

Actually, no they don't - it has been suggested before apparently but the thinking is that the uniform is 'cost-effective' enough and those who can't afford it can get a grant. The grant is set at £40 though, which just about pays for the PE Kit.

Also, it seems that the destroying of the uniform is the 'done' thing nowdays on the very last day of Year 11! I'm only 45 but I remember begging my sister to keep her uniform in good condition as I knew I'd be wearing it the following year!

DCFC79

winegums wrote: »

Also, it seems that the destroying of the uniform is the 'done' thing nowdays on the very last day of Year 11! I'm only 45 but I remember begging my sister to keep her uniform in good condition as I knew I'd be wearing it the following year!

i think thats the thinking why my old school decided to set up a second hand bit, the uniforms were good quality as they picked the best bits, i dont think they were priced too dear either, maybe less than half the cost of new, any proceeds went to the school fund,

maybe suggest sometihng at the pta or to the governors, not every parent has the money to splashout on a blazer when buying a badge from the shop will do when sewn onto a blazer from asda,

suited-aces

I remember being the sixth form 1st year prefect when the deputy principal told the parents of the new pupils that their kids would "attract attention for the wrong reasons" if the parents didn't buy official uniform, for about £200 per kid, from the sole supplier who her daughter just happened to work for.

I went straight to the principal the next day. The DP hasn't spoke to me since (we live about 2 mile apart so bump into each other regularly)

shaun_from_Africa

I'm only 45 but I remember begging my sister to keep her uniform in good condition as I knew I'd be wearing it the following year!

I take it from this comment that you're not a bloke!

Does the shop in question have a website for online sales? (unlikely, but you never know).
If it does, your sister could order a few items including the badge, then once she's received them, return the unwanted goods under the distance selling reg's.

Another option might be to put an ad in a local shop window or on freecycle. She might find someone who is willing to sell a blazer for a couple of £'s.
It doesn't really matter if it's very tatty provided the badge is okay and can be removed.