Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

How can it happen that a company can take payment for goods and when the last instalment is paid declare they have gone bust? This is not a case were some Arthur Fowler nicks the Christmas pot, we’re talking about £40 million taken from 150,000 depositors.
It seems incredible that there are no laws or guarantees in place to secure payments made on such a massive scale.

The people who have been paying into Farepak have not gambled or dabbled on the stock market they are simply paying up front for Christmas hampers gifts and shopping vouchers. Of course it is families on lower than average incomes that have been stung , its heartbreaking to see parents interviewed on the news and no one, rich or poor should be ripped off like these people have been.

If an individual stole the money taken from families trying to make Christmas less of a financial burden they would certainly face a prison sentence, will the directors or owners of Farepak get the same punishment? I very much doubt it!

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

i lost £200 through farepak, it was on the news the other day that we will be lucky if we get 2p back for every pound we put in, hmmm i'm going to do a lot with £4 aren't i

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

I will probably get shot down for making this next statement... I have no sympathy.
Why? Because it is financial naievity to line the pockets of these people throughout the year, on a weekly or monthly basis.

Open a savings account at the bank, and put away the same amount every week, or month, that you would with the hamper company. When you eventually draw on the savings, you will have accrued some interest, that goes in your own pocket, not Farepak's back sack!

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

I feel that you are a little wrong there Sparkologist. If you are on limited income and you put so much a week in the bank, the first thing you do when junior needs a pair of new shoes is to draw it out. Been there and done it.

People have trusted this firm, knowing that they can´t get at their cash until Xmas. It makes me really angry.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

Yeah, Sparksologist, sometimes it's easier to save to something like Farepak rather than the bank. It's sort of a committment thing. For instance, if you were to put £2 a week away into a bank account it would be easy to miss a couple of weeks and then another couple and then you'd be so far behind you wouldn't have anything for Christmas. With Farepak or some other scheme like that you have to pay your £2 because you're committed to it.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

thats what im gonna do next year!! in case the firm im with does exactly the same!

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

It is a contentious subject, I have every sympathy to those who have lost money over this and I wish them well and I hope time will allow them to get things together before the day. It’s the kids, lone parents and not least the elderly I feel for. Again it’s the most vulnerable that suffer. I have used this firm in the past, but was never impressed with the goods. I can understand both points of view, but it won’t help the real victims of this.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

I remember that my mum couldn´t have got through Christmas without paying into the club at the local shop. Mrs Hickey´s half way down Holland Street.

They must have known things were about to go belly up.........there are some really bad folk in this world.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

THe way the likes of Fairpack look at it is this, if your friend is collecting the money 'vanity' or so called self respect will not allow you to miss an installment, they prey on the weakness of the poor and should be stopped.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

I don't see it as vanity, I see it as a matter of willpower.

When I was a kid, my mum looked after all the financial matters in the household. The only thing my dad got to spend his money on was his beer and the occaissional saturday investment of the equine kind. My mum would never go into the red. She had a simple rule,"If the money isn't there, you can't spend it." My sister and I didn't miss out on anything, but we learnt the value of money.
I know Lettie has the same values as I, with regards to money, which was handed down to her by her dad.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

#10 Today, 20:44
Sparkologist
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Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers

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[quote sparkologist]
I don't see it as vanity, I see it as a matter of willpower.

When I was a kid, my mum looked after all the financial matters in the household. [/quote]These things did not exist in our day,yes it was personal pride. I/we did not live in a consumer dominated society and were not exposed to the temptations that went with it.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

Hang on.. we are talking about people paying for goods they are not going to get.. they have PAID!, its no different than buying and paying for items my mail order with your a card or by cash.. only for the the company to then tell you they will not give you what you purched and futhermore will keep your money. Farepak customers have not bought stuff on HP.. to make out its the niaveness of these families is wrong.. they have been mugged pure and simple.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

This is not the first time this has happened!this is not a new thing but you would think so the papers the media it was only about 7-8 months ago i lost £1399 on a tv to time/tiny where i paid and then they went bust and we didnt get the tv or the money back fair enough it wasnt xmas money we had been saving but it was money we didnt have we had got a bank loan to pay the money for the telly and when we didnt get the telly we still had to pay the money for the telly.

Before that there was a sofa company that went bust and people didnt get the sofas that were on order and paid for but still this thing can happen its only now that Farepak have gone bust that things have just come to light if more had been done by they polititians who are now all of a sudden soo het up about it then these people wouldnt be in this predicument!

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

If you pay for things by credit card and dont get the goods paid for you would be covered by the card ( i understand you cant pay Farepak this way) but under normal circumstances that would apply.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

I bet they are back again next year trading under a different name.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

Just seen this, http://orange.co.uk/news/quirkies/18...wsquirkyfriday

perhaps you girls want to get together, we'll see if we can find a photographer brave^h^h^h^h willing enough to donate their time :D:D:D

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

I can feel sympathy for the folks who were simply trying to ensure that they would have funds available for the holidays. I'm not a fan of this sort of program, but I am a fan of folks who want to provide their families a decent holiday celebration.

Many of our banks here in the USA offer Christmas Club programs. Customers make regular payments throughout the year (or have it taken directly out of their pay), and the bank pays interest. A couple of advantages are that these accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, so that there is virtually no chance of losing one's money, and the accounts pay a modest amount of interest (if there is an emergency and funds are withdrawn early, the interest if forfeited, which provides a mild discouragement for early withdrawals). Seems like a better program than the hamper scheme. I favor any program that encourages folks to think about saving and/or investing.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

all i can say is i'm glad ive only got one child, i really feel for the people who have more than one and have lost all there money

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

Quick update for you, found teh following info

http://www.findel.co.uk/corpsocresp.htm

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

Findel own Express Gifts as well.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

yep, rather a strange tale as to how I found that link

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

i saw in the sun today that they were giving some money to the people who lost out on there xmas savings...its just a shame that it had to happen....
will have to start stuffing the matress all year instead

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

I use to stuff the mattress, I would slip a fiver or tenner under every week, it took me three months to realise that she had been stripping the bed each week.........:( :o

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

[quote]will have to start stuffing the matress all year instead[quote]Makes more sense than risking it with Farepak, were money is concerned you can not trust anyone.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

How many banks will take £2 over the counter? Not many you have to have minimum deposit. I've said it before Credit unions will take any amount of money up to a certain amount. You will get paid a dividend as well. The thing is credit unions are under the guiding thumb of the FSA so your money is safe. They also do loans and there is one in Hyndburn now because Haslingden & Helmshore Credit Union extended their boundary and became the HHH Credit Union - Haslingden, Helmshore and Hyndburn Credit Union. You save as much as you want when you want and you can also get loans. Thats how i used to pay my car insurance - because you had to pay extra to pay by direct debit so i'd get a loan and pay it up front and then pay it back over the year. I know the Credit Unions in Rossendale if you have been affected by Farepak if you take the details that you had with you to the credit union they will offer you a loan to tide you over christmas.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

nice to see some useful and positive info shillelagh.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

Found teh following info

Barclays donates to Farepak fund

23 November 2006







Following the collapse of Christmas savings firm Farepak earlier this month, Barclays has donated £250,000 to the Farepak Response Fund as a gesture of goodwill.

Customers who paid money to Farepak using their Barclays or Woolwich debit card or Barclaycard can make a claim to get their money back through the various industry-wide chargeback schemes.

So far Barclays has refunded more than £15,000 to customers.

Cardholders who have a claim are advised to call these numbers:

Barclays Debit Card holders - 01604 254689
Woolwich Debit Card holders - 0870 166 0060
Barclaycard holders - 0870 1540154

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

Woolworths have donated £50,000 going towards some kind of "compensation" for the farepak customers

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

and so have many other companies,but we won't be getting anything before xmas, which is when its needed :(

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

just recieved a letter from the joint liquidators for farpak...seems like they are moving on with trying to get some money back for the people who lost out so much last year, so things are looking up, i doubt anyone will get any money this year but maybe i'll get my money or even some of it back next year...here's hoping ay

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

If and when you get anything back it will be a bonus Flashy, fingers crossed you get smething.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

Never know flashy u might be able to bye a xmas pud next year with the money that u get from them.........but lets hope u get a lot more than that..fingers crossed.

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

lol i wont be buying a xmas pud lynx, i hate the damn things ;) i may be able to buy a mars bar ;)

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

BBC 2 daily politics/business show 12 noon weekdays, run an update on un/Fairpack on regular basis, you may get a few shillings in the pound, 'The rest is lost In the main parent company'. No disrespect flashy but only a lunatic would invest money via a third party, interest free with no guarantee, save a flimsy few grand insurance policy'for advertising purposes' not only can they go bust, the collector can do a runner, and still can if owt comes back for you to him/ her. I will keep you posted with developments.
PS; Next year following the collapse of Northern Rock 'or nearly' the government are gong to underwrite a certain amount,but not the collector or agent. Sick it in the bank and get the interest, a smart agent does.;)

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

Ian i'd been using these saving schemes for a few years and before farepak i'd never had a problem, i obviously havent done it this year but i do know some people who have done it with a different company, lets say ive learnt from my mistakes...thanx for that :)

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

It only need's the 'agent' to get into financial trouble, bingo there goes your money,all they get is a slap on the wrist in court, and what's an odd friend lost cost; nowt.
People whe perform these agents tasks for peanuts 'usually' have nowt anyway,there is more money per anum lost this way countrywide, than Fairpack lost.
Fairpack invested 'your money' the parent company who were in trouble, they could not pay back in time result, UNHAPPY CHRISTMAS, for flashy and the rest of Fairpack's loyal customers who were well 'sett' up by the 'big boys'. Where is that money now?
Remember the 'Bouncing Check' Robert Maxwell came here with 5 bob in his pocket,transfered the news printers pension into his company, he's dead but that money is still floating round, like he did. we are mere pawns in their scheme of things, expendable.;)

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

thats sooooo true

Re: Xmas cancelled for Farepak customers
 

I would say the same as jimme,could be back with another name.