Farepak.

[flip-flop]

Anybody else getting a little bit bored with this story?
I know it is sad for those involved but, christ, it is only a few hundred quid at the end of the day - the way some of them have been reacting you'd've thought their first born had been taken by a Dingo or something.

[WaldoMcFroog]

...because if you or I lost all the money we'd saved all year for Christmas with no hope of replacing it in time through abosolutely no fault of our own, we'd just get over it, wouldn't we, Mr Scrooge..? Yeah, right. Chinny reckon.

Saying 'it's just a few hundred quid' ignores that as a percentage of those affected's incomes, it is a huge proportion and may mean that kids that have few enough luxaries anyway doing without the one they thought they could depend on.

If the milk of human kindness and basic empathy has turned so sour in your wizened ducts, why not stop reading about it?

[sp1814]

I'm with Waldo on this.

Growing up in the 70s, my mum and dad didn't have much money, but the spare cash they had went to ensuring we all had a great Christmas. We genuinely looked forward to a couple of weeks of presents, food, Christmas tree lights and all the rest.

My heart (and a bit of cash, because I've donated) goes out to the families who've been affected.

Flip-flop...what do you keep in the place where your heart should be?**


(**slightly adapted from a great line in the film 'All About Eve').

[flip-flop]

Its a few quid -I just don't get all the wailing and gnashing of teeth over a few quid, particularly if they are otherwise happy with life and have their health.

Four years ago my brother died five days before Christmas - now THAT was a bad Christmas.

It needs to be put in perspective. So they won't have their Turkey - well boo bloody hoo.

[warpig1]

flip-flop, a few hundred quid may not be anything to you but it is to these families. They have saved all year to give their families a good christmas and now it has been taken away from them. How about a little compassion for them?

[NH]

If it's "only a few hundred quid" then I'm sure you wouldn't mind giving me that amount...I think I could put it to good use.

[warpig1]

flip-flop, we cross posted, I am sorry for your brother but sadly everyone has their own experiences and they are subjective, as is this.

[WaldoMcFroog]

So, unless a family member dies, it's a good Christmas?

Don't think so.

A family member dying obviously makes it a catastophically bad Christmas. I'm sorry it happened to you, but that doesn't mean that other people can't have a 'merely' awful one or that they shouldn't feel hard done by when a company royally screws them over.

[flip-flop]

Yes, I accept it is subjective, and I also concede to your point Waldo about it not automatically being a good Xmas if somebody doesn't die.

But the way some of these people are wailing you'd think their whole family had been wiped out.

They've lost a few quid - granted it may be a lot of money to them, but at the end of the day it is still only a few quid. Get on with it, it is not the end of the world.

[sp1814]

flip-flop

Yep - in comparison to your loss, having one bad Christmas may seem trivial (because in your case, every Christmas will be a reminder of your loss).

However, I still feel a huge amount of sympathy for the families involved in the failure of Farepak, because these are the people who the least amount of money for Christmas anyway. And for this to happen to them (rather than the rest of us who could always extend our overdrafts or pay for Christmas on out credit cards) is just a nasty irony.

I myself have only had one bad Christmas, back in 1976 when my mum bought me an Eddie Kidd 'Stunt Cycle' rather than the Evil Kenievel one which I clearly asked Santa for.

Worst Christmas ever for me...but that's only my perspective...

[Booldawg]

tbh I bet most of the people who lost all their money when Farepak went under had also lost twice that amount on lottery tickets and scratch-cards this year.

[jake-the-peg]

Wind up the Liberals and watch them go?

Slow day Flip-Flop?

[libertie]

Nope, I'm not bored by this story at all....think it's good to be reminded that as well as decent folk trying to be prudent and give their families a nice Christmas, there's also people out there milking some companies to enable them to have a very nice Christmas and to go swanning off to South America for a wee break!!

[naz_nomad]

Maybe they should save all that 'cigarette' money over the course of the year instead ... (or am I just stereotyping?)

[devilwoman]

i feel sorry for the kids who wont be getting much from santa, but as flip flop rightly says its just money, i would rather have my loved ones with me, cos if you lose them every christmas would be hell. there is always another christmas but not family members.

[Le Chat]

Part of me feels sorry for their loss and the other part of me knows, that as a parent, I would not brandish my 8 yr old on TV crying about how his Christmas is ruined, in early November. If it had happened to me, I would have been really, really fed up, yes, but I would have explained to my son of 10yrs that it is a life event and that we would get over it. He certainly wouldn't be blubbing about it and I wouldn't pin all my hopes and dreams on just one day of the year.

[kate1976]

Well I'm one of those that lost money to Farepak, a lot of people have asked me why I didn't put money into the bank instead of Farepak, If I'd done that this year as I had done previous years I'd be still skint after dipping into it for all the things that have cropped up throughout the year! Hindsight is a wonderful thing!!

This was the first year I'd used a company like Farepak as I thought my money would be safe and I'd be financially organised for Christmas, I saved just over �100 for vouchers, all that is now lost, it may just be a few quid to some but to me it's a lot of money and I am angry and upset about it but I'm not going to let farepak fatcats spoil my Christmas, my son understands that things will be a bit tighter this year but I have, hopefully, brought him up well enough to value whatever he does receive!

I would never have him on tv crying like I've seen other kids, I find that a bit spoilt brattish and a tug on the heart strings too far. Although things are tough financially they can still have a good time, I know me and my son will!

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your brother flip-flop!

[chitchat]

I few quid to you flip-flop is a fortune to the less fortunate. I hope you are never in position that these poor people are - coz you will be stuffed full of humble pie. Hope you have a merry christmas! Coz those poor bu**ers wont.

[flip-flop]

People should read Kate's answer - Stoic and pragmatic: garners an awful lot of respect from me as opposed to the people shoving their crying kids in to a camera lens.

[kate1976]

Thank you flip-flop!

Can I just also point out to those who are stereotyping, I'm looking at Booldawg and naz_nomad!! ;)

I don't smoke apart from the occasional social cigarette as the habit is too costly and I rarely do the lottery or scratchcards as I don't have money spare for that either, I admit to buying a ticket every now and then (especially when the euro game rolled over to an outrageous amount) but only if I can afford it!

I know I shouldn't have to justify myself but I do like people to know that I'm not a stereotypical single mum! So long as we have a roof over our heads and he has food then I'm happy!

I'm lucky because my son is not a spoilt brat and knows that things are hard and is grateful for anything he has. So long as he knows I love him more than life itself, which he does, then that's all that matters to me!