I'm shocked this is allowed to be aired.

In my kids primary it was the kids of the poorest parents who had the biggest santa hauls. And thinking of those individual families I can understand. When your child has had multiple hospital admissions because they cant breath due to living in a damp flat with hardly any windows... giving them a "perfect" Christmas has heightened importance.

I was able to give my kids a happy stable home and say yes to hobbies and trips year round so Christmases in my house were sensible. No lists as long as your arm, one request & one surprise.

There is a crossover to some extent from this thread to the one about the mopeds. Issues about life chances, opportunities , luck, supportive services for children and families - services of all kinds. And what is the reality?

Whatever TM and PH says austerity is not over. The whole range of public services are deprived of sufficient resources to in many cases do more than provide the basic mandatory minimum.

Universal credit is failing many many people, work capability tests and PIP reviews result in more people being thrown into financial misery. The latest story on taking carers to court on charges of fraud when often the mistakes were the result of DWP error almost produced a shrug of the shoulders and an ‘of course they would response

We are lied to about employment figures when the definition is working 1 hour a week or more and transport and child care costs make working on the minimum wage just about impossible.

And what are our politicians concerned with - the self inflicted puss filled sore that is Brexit and whichever way that pans out, will hit the poorest parts of the country hardest.

Meanwhile back st a certain luxury hotel .....

GabriellaG. When I compared you to Esther McVey it was not a compliment.

This thread is in imminent danger of falling into The Four Yorkshiremen sketch from Monty Python.

We can’t discuss other threads, but the moped one is hardly the same.

What a bloody awful thing to say lemon about the four yorkshiremen - there have been some thoughtful and moving posts on here and I do wonder why you feel the need to be so dismissive? And you can’t see the link beteesome of the broader issues on here and the issue behind criminal youths? Quelle surprise

What do criminal youths/acid wielding thugs have to do with it?
The connection that some posters seem to be making between growing up in poorer households ( and we are not talking about Africa type poverty either, but wanting XBoxes!) and becoming vicious thugs and criminals because of it is jaw dropping.

It’s just a bit more subtle then that lemon so maybe hard to grasp. Thanks for heads up about African poverty - silly me hadn’t realised that <must try harder>

Hopeless,you can't make somebody have empathy.

.......or comon sense.

Or an Xbox..

Or any other emotion, come to that.

What do you think the adults who prey on these kids offer them?
muffin Yes, I agree. I asked way up thread if the advert is on when children can see it and use 'pester power' to make their parents feel they must have one.
I also said that I didn't disagree with HP at a reasonable rate of interest which is a way of acquiring goods you wouldn't otherwise be able to afford. Sometimes there was even 'interest free credit'. Presumably the cost of the goods was a bit more to cover that, but it wasn't extortion.

Those who are able to get a credit card may also be paying over the odds if they can only pay off the minimum each month.

The majority of children who grow up in poor homes do not turn to crime.
A minority of those who grow up with every advantage do turn to crime.
How has a discussion about the morality of firms like Brighthouse turned to a discussion about crime?

It started out by the OP being astonished at the price having to be paid for goods by those who have the least.

I asked why that advert is allowed when Iceland's advert about palm oil and the orangutan has been banned.
Which one is the immoral advert?

I agree, it's disgraceful. A washing machine and a TV these days is seen as the norm, not a luxury. I'm fed up with people who are no doubt quite comfortably off themselves telling those who have very little that they should go without. Maybe you did go without when you were younger - so did we - but I would not wish it on anyone else.

Sometimes there was even 'interest free credit'. Presumably the cost of the goods was a bit more to cover that, but it wasn't extortion.

I sometimes use that. Makes sense if your savings are earning a good rate.

The goods dont cost more BUT if you default or take longer to pay then the interest rate goes sky high. You have to be sure you have pay it off within the 0% time frame.
AND crucially, you have to have a good credit rating to get a good 0%, so once again the worse off get the higher % and get stuck in a viscous cycle

I remember when we nearly got caught out with that notanan, when we were buying our first pc at supposedly 0%. It was being paid by direct debit and we forgot about the large final payment until nearly too late.
We would have had to pay quite a swingeing interest rate on the whole lot.

Yes you have to be VERY organised for it to work out 0%, they count on people not keeping track of it and getting quietly switched over to the high rate.

I use them when it makes sense to leave savings where they are but I am quite anal about finances, I wouldnt recommend it otherwise

It’s extortion!! Taking advantage of people. They’d be better with Very/Littlewoods catalogue or an Argos card. Brighthouse are the absolute pits!

@eloethan considering in modern day that both parents often have to work, have to be perfect parents with social services called if you even look at your child the wrong way and have very little time for family life I don’t think a washing machine is a luxury. Maybe when mum stayed at home all day and didn’t have a job she’d have time to do washing but not with modern working needs.
Not to mention houses these days are very small and no real room for handwashing clothes.
A TV is a luxury. But not a washing machine. Goodness...get with modern times.

I think you have to have a reasonable credit rating to be able to buy from catalogues such as Littlewoods etc.

I think that is what Eloethan said PhiPhisnana

BrightHouse is quite simply a lender of last resort ( other than the illegal loan sharks). It’s that simple

At least the interest rates ARE displayed prominently now.

In my town, Bright House is situated next door to an excellent BHF shop, where goods can be purchased outright for a very small outlay, including electrical items large and small.

I really think that when something like 90%+ people have a TV then it really is the norm rather than a luxury. And if you don't have much disposable cash, TV might be one of the only home entertainment outlets available to you. The cinema - or any rainy day entertainment - is quite expensive, especially if you have a family.

where goods can be purchased outright for a very small outlay

"Purchased outright" is the key phrase there though.
£100 may be "cheap", but not if you only have £70/week/family for all bills & food (this was incapacity benefit before UC). £6/week FEELS more achievable.

PhiPhisnana can I add to your comment that one of the main things SS looks for is a proper bed (not a mattress on the floor). If you are being observed, as young mums leaving mother & baby homes can be, you need that furniture NOW not when you have saved up for it.

And children should not be on second hand mattresses.