Usborne Books - Any advice please?!!!!!!

Nightlight

After several years of various friends trying to recruit me to The Body Shop / Avon / Chocoholics / partylite etc I was chatting to someone about Usborne Books. I've had a look at the website - this month the starter kit is half price - all looks pretty straight forward etc. I was thinking that even if I could just do it upto Christmas it would be a huge help to our finances.

Has anyone on here been a Usborne at Home rep that could maybe tell me what the catches are? It all looks a bit too good to be true! And the declaring it to the taxman side of it etc?
Many thanks

http://www.usbornebooksathome.co.uk/

juno

There's a bit of info in this old thread

plumpmouse

Nightlight wrote: »

After several years of various friends trying to recruit me to The Body Shop / Avon / Chocoholics / partylite etc I was chatting to someone about Usborne Books. I've had a look at the website - this month the starter kit is half price - all looks pretty straight forward etc. I was thinking that even if I could just do it upto Christmas it would be a huge help to our finances.

Has anyone on here been a Usborne at Home rep that could maybe tell me what the catches are? It all looks a bit too good to be true! And the declaring it to the taxman side of it etc?
Many thanks

http://www.usbornebooksathome.co.uk/

Hi

I was an Usborne rep. I did because like you say the starter kit was excellent value and I love their books.

I did about 4 parties but to be honest the people I met just weren't interested in hosting parties.

Schools weren't interested, they always said we'll get back to you and never did. My hubby is a teacher and he says there are just loads of book clubs approaching schools.

I made about £100 I think.

Bookpeople sell loads of cheap Usborne books now so I personally would probably never hold a party as the book are expensive at full price.

There will be reps come on telling you to go for it and how fantastic it is I'm sure.

What would I do? If you like the books buy the starter pack (just see it as they are your books at a bargain price) and give it a go. What have you to lose.

Just remember you are responsible for declaring income for tax which is probably the only hard bit.

Curious_George_2

im being lazy! if you read my posts in this thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=509305 that is pretty much everything i would have said to you here

Nightlight

Thanks very much all of you - on reflection I think maybe I'll get the starter kit(£19 for £80 worth of books) if I can sell £100 worth in 12 weeks I can keep the starter kit ( hopefully a few xmas pressies out of it) and earn a little commission and if it doesnt take off I guess I wont have lost much.

Thanks very much

newcook

I tried usborne but no-one was interested in buying the books. I then tried 2 or 3 times to send the starter kit back but the courier couldnt be bothered to collect them... Usborne have now told me to keep the starter kit.

although their books are good you can buy them cheaper on the internet which people are tending to do more and more

SUESMITH_2

i sold red house books when the kids were younger - i had been a top ann summers rep and was experienced at party plan but i found selling kids books much harder work and in the end gave up. i made a bit of money and had the books which were useful but in the end it wasn't worth it.

1012donna

My friend used to be an Usborne rep and as the others on this thread have said she too found it hard work - you can get them much cheaper on-line. I am a Partylite consultant and find it really enjoyable and the customers always come back for more!! If you want any info about Partylite then drop me a pm - our £300 starter kit is free!!!!!

Carmina_Piranha_3

my sister signed up for it at a demo we saw on a day out, her starter kit was cheaper than that though, they do different promotions.

she loves the books and so do i but she hasn't had much success outside of her own family. she managed the £100 first order though and got to keep her lovely books. she had a stall at 3 toddler groups and only managed to sell 2 books in total. people come and look at the 'that's not my fairy' etc. books and then say that they're on 3 for 2 everywhere (waterstones, ELC, mothercare) so i'll buy them there. or the child wants the book but wants it now and she has to say no, wait 2 weeks because i need to order it - so again the mum goes to waterstones to buy it there because the child wants it straight away.

schools don't want to know - especially if you suggest the 'wish list' - parents HATE that! sister has tried to get the school to do a sponsored read thing but with no success. the head of literacy is approached by so many other companies whose books are cheaper - and some of the companies match each book so the child buys one, school gets one free for their library. usborne say 'up to .... X%' but that depends on order value.

i would say go for it if you think you can make the first order of £100. it's worth doing that i suppose, with christmas coming up - you can give everybody usborne books for christmas.

Nightlight

Hi Everyone and thanks very much for all your info and replies.

Well I went for it brought the starter kit for £19, received my kit which has got some lovely books in it, and thought 'yeah i can do this' until the night of my first party when I thought 'what am I doing? I don't do standing up infront of people talking about a product!!!

So I sent the old man round the local (which he thought was great!) and as my friends and neighbours trooped though my front door I handed them each a glass and said 'help yourself red white or pink wine in the kitchen, books on the table have a look!!!!

Considering there were only about 7 others apart from me I sold £189 worth which I did'nt think was half bad.

Second party 6 people - sold £197 worth - only got two more parties booked and flyers and catalogues are doing the rounds at nursary - so I shall probably do it til xmas but I'm not going to kill myself trying to get people to have parties - at the end of the day i've made myself about £100 plus free books from commission and its cost me £19 and a couple of bottles of ch4eap plonk!!
The kids have got some great books going on their bookshelves after xmas, I've sorted about 8 kids xmas pressies and ....I've had a great laugh

Thanks again everyone for all the info