Brighthouse - The Store That Prospers in Bad Times

[rpg9000]

Scunner - I really don't see what the problem is. We do have various consumer guidelines and legislation in place to try to protect the general public from their own stupidity, but where do you draw the line. Tesco charge £1.00 for a lettuce, Waitrose offer it for £1.35. Should that be illegal? I choose to go to Tesco, many people obviously prefer Waitrose. Why on earth do they do that? Convenience, snobbishness, better quality, "green" credentials?  Whatever - retailers don't hold a gun to your head and force you to buy either way! You do your research, and you make your choice - as long as you have all of the facts, I can't really see what more you can ask for.

stoop - how do you know they charge 435% - oh yes, there it is on the front page of their website for all to see along with the other basic conditions of their business, as required by law. So, what further warnings do you consider need to be given? The trouble is, many consumers wouldn't know what an APR is if it was stuck up their backside.

nuttybird & pookie - you freely admit that your past problems were caused by your own lack of self-control and that you've now learnt your lessons and emerged as better people. Isn't that how life works?

I don't have a 46" plasma 3D television because I don't buy the hype that it (or a flashy car/mobile phone/watch/clothes/wife(!)) will make my life more fulfilling. We live in a society where we are sold consumer dreams, and if some people are gullible enough to overstretch themselves in the pursuit of this retail nirvana, then I certainly won't lose any sleep over their predicament.

I'm more worried about those poor little kittens.............. but only just.

[Scunner]

If you believe in the free market economy then you have to accept that people will buy from places that best suit their circumstances. I do believe in it and with that places such as this will exist. What I don't like is the very specific plan to target the most risky people then use risk to justify the vastly inflated prices.

It is almost business by entrapment. Yes the people doing the buying should make it their business to learn more about it but again part of the business plan is to target those least likely to. It is one thing to sell nice things to people but quite different to sell nice things to people who really can't afford the nice things. Making nice things obtainable to people that can't afford them should not be seen as acceptable. The loan shark is no longer seen as acceptable in modern day Britain. So why is making tenners available to people who can't afford them not acceptable, but making tellys available is?

The varying price of a lettuce in Tesco or Waitrose has very little relevance - unless there is a place where those who really can't afford a lettuce can buy one at 10p a week for 3 years?

[rpg9000]

Well, I understand what you're saying Scunner (and I think you accept part of my reasoning), but I'm obviously a little more jaded than you and have a far more cynical outlook on the free market and advertising.

The psychcological tools used by advertisers nowadays are very sophisticated, and seem to revolve around alternatively making us feel inadequate, selling unattainable dreams and gaining our trust with a soft Scottish voice-over. "We're good with food" - what the frig does that mean? And do you really think McDonalds give a frig about your childs nutrition - no, they're just jumping on the 5-a-day bandwagon.

I mean, guys nowadays moisturise! When did that become necessary?

If you drink tap water you're gonna die a horrible death! Blimey, I drink water straight out of the tap (well, via a glass) in Turkey, and I'm still here.

People can't walk more than 100 yards without feeling the need to hydrate!

Wake up, suckers!

Sorry....what was the question?

[Bluwise]

I feel inclined to agree with rpg - in this over-protective nanny state, individuals have fewer opportunities to learn by their mistakes, (which is the most effective way to learn as demonstrated by nuttybird) and will continue to be influenced by the media and not consider the consequences.  We have to take more responsibility for ourselves and think harder before acting.  It's so easy to be a complete idiot these days and then blame someone else ......."I was given the wrong sort of ladder...."
 
PS
Love the  "can't walk more than 100yds" example - that drives me mad - see so many walking around a cool office with a bottle of water glued to their hand

[Scunner]

I agree with rpg too, but it doesn't cover the fact that I am trying to make, which is that it is dubious to point to risk as justification for high prices when risky customers is what you set out to attract. The other point I was making is that it is difficult to justify a society in which the poorest people pay the most for things.

[Bluwise]

Well, I'm not sitting on the fence here and I do see Scunner's point about using risk as justification however,the fact is, people are often unaware of the subliminal messages the media are sending out and they fall into the "desire" trap - I think I'm right that most of the items purchased in this store are those of desire not need.
If people lived within their means and didn't fall into this trap then there wouldn't be a market for Brighthouse.
Their customers choose to go there as it is probably their only means of getting the object of their desire - that's up to them - we know what's going on so why don't they?
Maybe they do know but don't care?  Perhaps what happens as a result of not paying up does not seem too bad to them?
 

[Bluwise]

ps

"difficult to justify a society in which the poorest people pay the most for things."

A whole new topic there that I (and probably many others here) would love to comment on Scunner but will have to be later.....must finish my work and stop nosying on here!  Look forward to picking up the thread later as I'm sure there will be a lot to read.

[Scunner]

Well you make some very interesting observations and the one that is most interesting to me is that you see that people are not living within their means when they use shops like this to buy things. It is also possible that the very existence of shops like this brings the notion that the items they sell are now very much within their means. As can be seen in this topic, it is not agreeing to buy with credit that is the life changing action, it is the inability to repay it that serves to give the purchaser the chance of a wake up call. The people giving you the ability to buy and the credit agreement to do so will convince you it is very easy, but they will know that is not the truth.

You have to fall down a hole to know for sure that falling down holes really hurts. Until then they can all seem easy to jump over.

[cheers]

Have watched this thread with interst.

quote:Originally posted by Scunner

Well you make some very interesting observations and the one that is most interesting to me is that you see that people are not living within their means when they use shops like this to buy things.

A lot of the people that use Brighthouse are either on benefit or on minimum wage.   It is probably their only means of credit.  What are they supposed to do when as in Scunner's case, had twins and had no bed for them to sleep in when they got too big to share a cot?  Believe you me in some houses in the UK drawers are still being used as beds no matter what the Gov say!  When they signed up maybe 9 months ago things were fine and they had no problem with their repayments.  With the price hikes we have had since then its a different matter now they cannot afford the re-payments!  
Not everybody has a crystal ball.

[Scunner]

quote:Originally posted by cheers

 What are they supposed to do when as in Scunner's case, had twins and had no bed for them to sleep in when they got too big to share a cot?

I've had good times and bad times but I don't remember that