General Chat

one of my dads cousin told me a story a while back about a tontine (sp) that her aunt used to run. Not sure which year we are talking about but going back a few. She was poorly wehn it was pay out time so sent her eldest son aged 21 to collect the money for her. He never came back..... They put a notice in the paper when she was poorly in hospital for him to get in touch. Apparently he went to london wiht the money and ended up marrying one of the Jacobs biscuits family grand daughters....... Took the money and went crackers LOL

Kay I think you have hit the nail on the head! The agents come to your door to collect the money weekly so you have it ready for them. If you had to go to the bank each week to save your money, I think few people would bother. Also if you had to go to town, there would be fares or parking to pay and other temptations to spend money on in the shops. It is just a way of saving for Christmas and really is misnamed by calling it .......... Hampers. When my children were small, I used to pay into a Christmas club weekly (as did my Mum and Nan before me) and payout day in November was the day I stared my Christmas shopping. Eastenders fans will remember Arthur Fowler spending the money he had collected from others in the Christmas club to pay for his daughter's wedding. I feel so sorry for all those affected. They thought they were doing it right by saving like this and not borrowing on credit cards or from so-called doorstep loans. Sue xx

thats probably it Kay. If you save money in another account it is always tempting to dip into it at any time throughout the year.

£3.500, Wow! some christmas. But the savings with with any company like this dont just include food,it includes vouchers to spend at High street stores for items. No I cannot understand the logic in saving with these companies who gain masses of intrest, is it that people are not strong enough to to save to save that money themselves?. kay.

No I don't buy hampers, think they are a waste of money, full of things you don't want. My husband runs a savings club with a few friends and they pay out near Christmas. I don't know anyone who is actually in a hamper club don't know if Londoners are in them!

glad somebody else can see my point. Yes I do feel bad for those that have lost money but if I can spare £3,500 through out the year then I wouldnt need to put any away cos I would then buy it weekly in the run up to christmas. Unless its a fiddle when you are on benefits. Stash all your spare cash into a christmas hamper then you dont have any in the bank account when the government ask to see your statement lol

Would really like to have over £60 a week spare to put away for Christmas. When my children were small I paid £2.50 a week for a frozen Food Hamper, it was mostly joints of meat & a few Gataux. I live way out in the country & the meat lasted us through the bad weather

NO. One year i did win a Marks & Spencer Hamper but there were things in it we NEVER used and they eventually got chucked out. Used to get the bumph in the door from hamper suppliers but never liked the whole packages they offered, Didn't see the fun of buying a hamper which contained items we never would use. I prefer to buy things weekly as an extra on the groceries to put by for Xmas. I do feel so sorry tho for those people who seem to have been conned

No thank god. I did save £400 this year and thankfully I have received my vouchers, but i will not be taking that risk next year Carol

Has anybody lost money to farepak??? Something I have never done. Cant understand why one person had said they had lost £3,500. Surely it would be better to put that money into a savings account each week and earn the interest then go out and buy what you really want in a hamper cos half the stuff I have seen in those we dont use anyway.