The Great 'Back To School' Hunt

sandy_may

Now i have £5 left to get Artist pencils and an A3 art portfolio!

Lol any one know where they have nice ones?

Have you tried The Works? we get all our art supplies from here (watercolour paper, pencils, paints etc) at bargain prices. I got a couple of A3 portfolios at £6.99 each, admittedly a couple of years ago but i think they still sell them. definitely worth a look.
:T Well done for being so resourceful!

Ann1e

Michelle wrote: »

This is probably the wrong thread, but my anger brimmeth over!:mad:
My daughter has just moved to high school and I have had to purchase a list of new items. The only place that the goods are available are from the extortionate school uniform shops. I have to question why I have to pay £32.50 for a blazer (M&S £18), £15 for two blouses (M&S £8 for two), £9.75 for one white polo shirt (Tesco £7 for three). All because they bear the school logo. The list goes on and on.....
I have asked my daughters school if it would be possible to purchase the embroidered badge bearing the logo (like was available when i was at school - many years ago ) Then we could buy a better quality jacket, blouse, polo shirt at sometimes half the price and then add the logo!
Does anyone else have any other suggestions? I know that some schools periodically have pre-owned uniform sales. This makes it possible to buy at a fraction of the new costs. Very often our children outgrow their clothes before they even show signs of wear. I am so cross that I am railroaded into buying from one store, and knowing that you have no choice but to use them offer really expensive items and frequently indifferent service.
I would love to know of other parents experiences as I am looking to try to change the enforced purchase of these overpriced and often inferior quality goods that we have to buy for our children at least at my daughters school!

Me too, me too!!! See my earlier post - I contacted the office of fair trading and they said as yet there is no law preventing a school having the monopoly on selling the uniform - hang on - I'll find it:

Thank you for your enquiry to Consumer Direct. Your reference number for this case is ... and should be quoted in all further correspondence regarding this case.
In reference to your query, the school would not be in breach of any legislation in only offering one outlet from which to purchase the necessary uniform. The investigation carried out by the Office of Fair Trading may affect the guidance given to schools on this issue, but it does not make this practice illegal.
I would advise that you make a complaint to the school directly, sending a letter by recorded delivery, ensuring that you keep a copy of the letter for your own records. You should state your argument in full and request a response to your complaint in the next 7 working days.
If you require any further advice or information about this case, please do not hesitate to contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 quoting your reference number.

Thank you for your enquiry.

Yours sincerely,

Emma Manwaring
Consumer Direct South East
Open:8:00am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 1:00pm Saturday

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Sorry I can't offer any concrete help, but I have noticed that some of the students do not stick rigorously to the uniform code - I dare say they get moaned at by the teachers, but do they want good attendance by young people looking smart or do they want to suspend students for not sticking to the uniform?! AND the stuff they sell is absolute tat too, falls apart soon as ruddy well look at it - ooh dear, you got me going all over again! Maybe this is something Moneysavers could get going - there's enough of us, ok, not all with school children, but a lot of us must have. Come on Martin, make this one of you big rants!!

I posted big complaint about this on 30 Aug, see mine and reply from bindiboo. Go complain - I'm flippin' well going to - makes me really mad!!!

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Michelle

Thanks for the information regarding the advice you have received. Just for your information in 2004 - yes, three years ago, there was a report from the Department for Education and Skills DfES. I will attempt to put in a link (not very good at this!)

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/schooluniforms.pdf

It would appear that nothing has actually been done about this!

Sorry I missed your post, I was too anxious to have a grumble! I would be really interested to hear how you get on.

Kind regards

Michelle

Ann1e

Michelle wrote: »

Thanks for the information regarding the advice you have received. Just for your information in 2004 - yes, three years ago, there was a report from the Department for Education and Skills DfES. I will attempt to put in a link (not very good at this!)

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/schooluniforms.pdf

It would appear that nothing has actually been done about this!

Sorry I missed your post, I was too anxious to have a grumble! I would be really interested to hear how you get on.

Kind regards

Michelle

Not a prob - my pleasure - I will check your link tks, but as you say, nothing has been done! Be interesting to know just how many schools operate in this manner, either selling themselves or specifying one particular shop (from which they get a kick-back).

I miss posts too - don't get much time to sit in front of pc, too busy mending school uniform!!

Should this be a new thread moderators? (ooh, think I nearly made a pun there!)

Cheers

Michelle

Sorry, This one is the more relevant of the reports that I have found.

I really have a bee in my bonnet about this school uniform thing. If anyone else feels equally as cross, I hope that this link might assist with some of the findings and suggestions to address it.

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/reports/consumer_protection/schooluniformssummary.pdf

I hope that we can do something towards resolving this school uniform monopoly!

Happy grumbling!
Michelle

jec_60

Do you know anyone with a scan sewing machine where they scan in the school logo and it stitches it? I have done that before. Also a group of us have taken sweatshirts to a local embroidery company and they charged us a small fee (£2 item ) to do it

Sami_Bee

Maybe some one could start (or sign if there already one) a petition to the gov like the one martin has started for bank charges I think its terrible that schools have a monopoly like they do I'm dreading my son starting school even some of our local nurseries have a uniform!! luckily my Gdad in law used to run a school jumper business so has contacts I'm hoping that will help once he does start school!
I would say to anyone who has children moving to a new school check with their old school if they could donate the old uniform, my mum works at a primary and they accept donations and also give away unclaimed lost property at the end of the school year

Wayne3765

Ann1e wrote: »

Be interesting to know just how many schools operate in this manner, either selling themselves or specifying one particular shop (from which they get a kick-back).

Quite a lot I would imagine , reading through the link that bindiboo gave on post #28 ~ http://www.oft.gov.uk/news/press/2006/135-06 it says

The study was announced at the start of July (see press release 110/06). The OFT sent letters and questionnaires to 10,000 schools. 2,110 questionnaires were returned (21 per cent response rate).

I'd guess a lot of the 79% of schools that didn't reply would have something to lose if they were forced to open up the Uniform market to all suppliers.

Ann1e

Correct Wayne 3765! I have started a new thread on this - trying to get up a petition!! We really must stop these schools having a monopoly on these uniforms! I have asked Martin to get involved - think this really is a cause he could get involved with and push!

See School Uniforms - School Monopolies - please!

:money: :money: :money: :money: :money: :money: :money: :money: :money: :money: :money: :money: :money:

Jazzy_B

In Marks in store, they've reduced sale trousers to £1, shirts to £1 for 2, and sweaters to 50p. Worth a phone call before you go to see if there's anything left.