MSE News: Vulnerable consumers pay triple high street prices for Rent-to-Own goods

DCFC79

d70cw6 wrote: »

is anyone surprised by this?
luxury items charged at high APRs to people with poor credit worthiness.
colour me shocked.

No I'm not surprised, folk just have the patience to save up for a TV, its part if the want it now syndrome.

grumbler

_Paloma_Kubiak wrote:

Vulnerable... cash-strapped... low-income...
...
...
...
BrightHouse... £644:eek:(RRP) Samsung freezer...

Wait... Is it just me?
I've never been inside a shop, but what I see through BrightHouse's windows seems to be the most expensive top-of-the-range new stuff.

Journalism at its best....

I guess these 'vulnerable' and 'cash-strapped' customers need a brand new stand-alone huge fridge as well. I am neither vulnerable, nor cash-strapped, but for some reason I don't have enough space in my kitchen for separate huge fridge and freezer. Neither I actually need them as I am happy with my big 2-in-1 fridge-freezer. And no, I don't live next to Tesco.

brand68

Not much pity here for the vulnerable people who use this method of improving their lifestyle but isn't this the same as the Wonga loan merchants, the people who have to use them got a lot of sympathy and quite right.
I know it isn't clever buying from the Brighthouse people but surely they need some protection from the Sharks.

tomtontom

brand68 wrote: »

Not much pity here for the vulnerable people who use this method of improving their lifestyle but isn't this the same as the Wonga loan merchants, the people who have to use them got a lot of sympathy and quite right.
I know it isn't clever buying from the Brighthouse people but surely they need some protection from the Sharks.

You improve your lifestyle by learning a new skill, getting a promotion at work - not buying a new tv!

dandelionclock30

Nasqueron wrote: »

If you were cash strapped, why buy a TV which also needs TV licence?

Washing machine I can sort of understand if there is no laundrette nearby (likely to be cheaper than paying 3x cost) but if you have no cash spare surely luxury items are not a priority?

No Laundrette nearby!!!! what century do you live in? They don't really exist anymore in a lot of places. Why don't you go a little bit further and suggest that people wash their clothes in the river if theres one nearby that is.


A washing machine is an essential not a luxury item.

im-lost

any links to the study that shows that people who pay more for things are "Vulnerable consumers"

It seems 99% of the population is a 'vulnerable consumer' in some way now, am I the only one that isn't 'vulnerable' in this country, I feel left out, I feel like visiting brighthouse just so I can label myself and put myself in a box

solentsusie

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

No Laundrette nearby!!!! what century do you live in? They don't really exist anymore in a lot of places. Why don't you go a little bit further and suggest that people wash their clothes in the river if theres one nearby that is.


A washing machine is an essential not a luxury item.

When I moved into my first place I either used to use the launderette or take my washing to my mother's or a friends house to do it and give them a few quid until I had saved up enough to be able to afford my own machine. My friend also used mine when hers broke down until she could afford a new one.

I am still within easy walking distance of two launderettes and can think of two others not that much further away.

I suppose it is all about having to have everything from new with the best branding and all the latest shiny whizzy buttons.

Deep_In_Debt

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

No Laundrette nearby!!!! what century do you live in? They don't really exist anymore in a lot of places. Why don't you go a little bit further and suggest that people wash their clothes in the river if theres one nearby that is.


A washing machine is an essential not a luxury item.

I live in a small town and we have a laundrette as does a parade of shops a couple of miles from here, so not that rare. And I've used them when my washing machine broke and I couldn't afford to get it repaired for 6 months. Hand washed a lot of stuff and used the laundrette for the rest - I had enough clean clothes to wear for a while so was no major issue and undies handwashed where necessary.

im-lost

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

No Laundrette nearby!!!! what century do you live in? They don't really exist anymore in a lot of places. Why don't you go a little bit further and suggest that people wash their clothes in the river if theres one nearby that is.


A washing machine is an essential not a luxury item.

not sure where you live, but you cant be that far from one, and that's just places labelled as launderette.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/search/launderette/@51.0571809,-1.5998591,8z

trisontana

Essentials, such as a fridge or washing machine I can understand . Other items , such top of the range TVs or even £300 watches are not essentials. If you want a watch then you can buy perfectly good ones for £5.