What are you going to do with £1K Harrods gift card

IamWood

FlorayG said:

I'm curious to know how valuable the hampers used to be? I can't even imagine a £1,000 hamper!

I think this is the one I received last year.

https://www.fortnumandmason.com/the-christmas-day-hamper

We usually give them away to friends, neighbours and charities.

IamWood

Albermarle said:

Assuming Harrods sells techy things, you could buy a new ipad/phone/laptop/TV etc 

Prices of these things, if they are the most modern and well known brands version tend to be pretty fixed, so probably not marked up because its Harrods?

This sounds a good idea. Will check. Thanks 

IamWood

Lord_Mattenly said:

Organgrinder said:

Lord_Mattenly said:

Organgrinder said:

I visited Harrods a few weeks back. Can't honestly say I'd ever buy anything there that I couldn't find significantly cheaper elsewhere. Same products, just without the markup.

I'd see if I could sell the card for upwards of £800 and then buy more elsewhere.

Scrooge is alive and well lol!

I thank God I put my corset on this morning for I fear my sides have split. In fact I only did not laugh out loud, so as to prevent my head from falling off.

Baron - and no this isn't a wild stab in the dark - though I could potentially see a use for one - do enlighten me - why is buying something from Harrods worthwhile when I could buy it significantly cheaper elsewhere?

I am @Lord_Mattenly! Maybe just for the fun of it my friend rather than maximising return! The gift was given in good faith and not necessarily for maximum financial return.

Yup, thanks. Will bear that in mind. Ty

DullGreyGuy

Organgrinder said:

Lord_Mattenly said:

Organgrinder said:

Lord_Mattenly said:

Organgrinder said:

I visited Harrods a few weeks back. Can't honestly say I'd ever buy anything there that I couldn't find significantly cheaper elsewhere. Same products, just without the markup.

I'd see if I could sell the card for upwards of £800 and then buy more elsewhere.

Scrooge is alive and well lol!

I thank God I put my corset on this morning for I fear my sides have split. In fact I only did not laugh out loud, so as to prevent my head from falling off.

Baron - and no this isn't a wild stab in the dark - though I could potentially see a use for one - do enlighten me - why is buying something from Harrods worthwhile when I could buy it significantly cheaper elsewhere?

I am @Lord_Mattenly! Maybe just for the fun of it my friend rather than maximising return! The gift was given in good faith and not necessarily for maximum financial return.

Can't see the fun of paying over the odds for anything even Harrods.

That depends on how you define "over the odds"? 

Buying something for £500 that everyone else sells for £400 sure, but then there's not that much that Harrods sells that falls into that. As I said before, the brands most top out on is their starting point and then they go up from there. 

Buying a bottle of Krug Champagne that was made in your birthday year? Harder to say if it's "over the odds" as clearly they won't be making any more of it! 

Buying things from Channel, Hermes, Cartier etc? Again others won't be selling for cheaper

Organgrinder

I'm sure there's plenty Harrods sell that is the same price as elsewhere......most likely from browsing the site they are things I don't buy.

For other items (and this is a far from extensive search) they seem more expensive, and in the case of said Krug in the birth year of a family member, £395 against £314.

Ultimately as with everything it comes down to choice etc. For some, getting something from Harrods or Fortnums etc is a treat and if people enjoy that then good for them.

A lot of what I buy could be classed as commodities. Hence I see little point in paying top whack. Even many of the things we think aren't commodities eg designer goods are produced in such large quantities they can often be found for less elsewhere. 

But each unto their own. I'm happy doing my thing.

QrizB

IamWood said:

My employer has abandoned the tradition of sending employees a basket of Christmas hampers. Instead, I received a £1,000 gift card from Harrods. I’ve only been there once for afternoon tea. Any suggestions for the most MSE  way to spend the money?

If all other inspiration fails, you could use the Harrods card to buy yourself a Christmas hamper just like old times

https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/hampers/christmas-hampers

Savvy_Sue

I went to Harrods once, as a teenager! My mother asked if I'd like to go with her, and I thought "why not?" What she didn't tell me is that she was suggesting we should go on the first day of the sales! 

So it was a bit mad, and we were more a Woolworths family than a Harrods family. I don't think Mum bought anything, but I got a couple of pairs of thick socks, which I wore a lot, and I treasured the Harrods bag (because in those days you'd get a bag wherever you shopped, for free). 

I would probably use it on food over the year, rather than one hamper. Or the tech idea is a good one. 

Savvy_Sue

Yes, you quite possibly could buy almost anything that Harrods sells cheaper elsewhere. However, does it matter if you spend a little more on something from Harrods than you would elsewhere? Because it's money you haven't had to find, isn't it? 

So, you decide you want a new laptop. Harrods is £100 more than Amazon - but if you buy it on Amazon, you've got to find ALL the money! 

DullGreyGuy

Savvy_Sue said:

Yes, you quite possibly could buy almost anything that Harrods sells cheaper elsewhere. However, does it matter if you spend a little more on something from Harrods than you would elsewhere? Because it's money you haven't had to find, isn't it? 

So, you decide you want a new laptop. Harrods is £100 more than Amazon - but if you buy it on Amazon, you've got to find ALL the money! 

In my first City job as it neared to Christmas an email from HR came round saying everyone would be sent £750 of wine as a company Christmas present. You were given the option of white, red or mixed and 1, 2, 3 or 0 cases. 

I thought it was really odd, why would anyone choose 0 cases, ie pass up on the free wine? Even if they dont drink it they could gift it etc.  Then in April I got my P11d and there declared on the BIK was £750 of wine and a £300 income tax bill for it. 

Assuming the OP's employer does declare the gift properly and if they are a lower, higher or additional rate then they may be having to find a certain slug off the money on top of the excess Harrods are charging. 


I would love to know where everyone is seeing new Herme's handbags, Louboutin shoes, Cartier Watches or SubZero freezers routinely discounted given everyone seems to be saying the majority of what they sell is cheaper elsewhere. I agree their entry level items certainly are, but the majority of whatever I've priced compared was normally the same price or within a percent or two. With occasional AmEx cash back offers they're then often the cheapest places for their core ranges. 

strawb_shortcake

Not a Harrods affectionado by any means, but their toy Kingdom was broadly in line with other shops. Hamley's on the other hand I found to be massively overpriced. 

I'm partial to Penhaligon perfume and the price is always aligned to other department stores.

I was rather (surprisingly) taken by this cake stand in harrods back in the summer, though doesn't seem as though Harrods still stock L'Objet. It looked better in the shop!