Author Topic: Christmas Hampers payment plans  (Read 6149 times)

chouchouu

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Christmas Hampers payment plans
« on: July 24, 2014, 11:24:56 PM »
These are so crazy you actually have to see the website to believe it actually exists. Apparently they started off just doing Christmas hampers with food and toys for the kids but are now so profitable they've delved into electronics,  perfume and well, anything you can possibly imagine you don't need. For the person who has so much trouble saving they can't even scratch together $200 for Christmas they will provide you $200 worth of crap for the price of $800 in weekly instalments!

http://www.chrisco.com.au/Default.aspx

dragoncar

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Re: Christmas Hampers payment plans
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2014, 11:37:35 PM »
wat... people are taking a full year to pay off their fruity pebbles?

Quote

After paying these items off for a full year, it's a great feeling to receive such great products and service.Thank you once again for a great Chrisco experience.

Ayanka

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Re: Christmas Hampers payment plans
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2014, 12:09:25 AM »
I assume those people ordered more than just fruit pebbles Dragoncar. What I disliked the most that all of it didn't seem like 'food' to me. There were pages and pages full of crap. The only 2 things you can actually not kill yourself with are the meat and the pasta section. (Yes, I know that is relative)

chouchouu

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Re: Christmas Hampers payment plans
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2014, 12:33:37 AM »
I assume those people ordered more than just fruit pebbles Dragoncar. What I disliked the most that all of it didn't seem like 'food' to me. There were pages and pages full of crap. The only 2 things you can actually not kill yourself with are the meat and the pasta section. (Yes, I know that is relative)

I think the non food sections were even more grotesque, the section for men presents made me just about throw up in my mouth.

It's all so bizarre, I can't imagine with minimum wage being so high in Australia that someone doesn't have $200 for Christmas that they have to put it on a payment plan. When I worked minimum wage I could afford to live it up in Sydney and an overseas vacation every year. I mean, minimum wage is $21 an hour, not taking into account overtime and weekend rates!

dragoncar

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Re: Christmas Hampers payment plans
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2014, 02:01:39 AM »
I assume those people ordered more than just fruit pebbles Dragoncar. What I disliked the most that all of it didn't seem like 'food' to me. There were pages and pages full of crap. The only 2 things you can actually not kill yourself with are the meat and the pasta section. (Yes, I know that is relative)

You are right, they can also get coco puffs and frozen pizza.  And don't forget the bag of rice!  Rice?  Now that's what I call Christmas!!


chouchouu

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Re: Christmas Hampers payment plans
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2014, 05:15:39 AM »
wat... people are taking a full year to pay off their fruity pebbles?

Quote

After paying these items off for a full year, it's a great feeling to receive such great products and service.Thank you once again for a great Chrisco experience.

I might actually point out that they're not "paying off" they're paying in advance. This might be hard to believe but there are actually people out there who will not only pay about four times the retail value of the goods but also pay in advance so that the company has no risk to justify their crazy markups and also 12 months worth of interest accumulation. I first came across this ridiculous company when a blogger was talking about how she affords Christmas without going into debt. Yes, people actually promote this company as some sort of financially savvy tool. The state of mathematics education in this country is deplorable...

rocksinmyhead

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Re: Christmas Hampers payment plans
« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2014, 07:21:16 AM »
okay, as an American I have to ask... is buying groceries for Christmas a normal thing in Australia? or is this even weirder than I think it is? I'm so confused.

chouchouu

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Re: Christmas Hampers payment plans
« Reply #7 on: July 25, 2014, 07:39:47 AM »
okay, as an American I have to ask... is buying groceries for Christmas a normal thing in Australia? or is this even weirder than I think it is? I'm so confused.

No it's not normal. Department stores sell Christmas hampers but they're usually gourmet, things like fancy Christmas pudding, mince pies, champagne etc. the foods you eat for Christmas dinner. It's possible this is some sort of pleb version of the traditional Christmas hamper (pies and frozen chicken nuggets are working class party foods) but I'm confused by the breakfast cereals. I'm guessing they started off with a more basic hamper and then threw in loads of cheap fillers so people think they're getting a lot for their money.

horsepoor

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Re: Christmas Hampers payment plans
« Reply #8 on: July 25, 2014, 09:02:12 AM »
I read this thread title with Hampers used as a verb. 

Having to eat any of that shit would certainly hamper my Christmas.

That is weird and awful.  So it sounds like about a 400% markup from regular Aus prices?

odput

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Re: Christmas Hampers payment plans
« Reply #9 on: July 25, 2014, 09:30:43 AM »
I read this thread title with Hampers used as a verb. 

Me too!

As for this website/"service" - just wow

Zehirah

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Re: Christmas Hampers payment plans
« Reply #10 on: July 25, 2014, 05:58:07 PM »
okay, as an American I have to ask... is buying groceries for Christmas a normal thing in Australia? or is this even weirder than I think it is? I'm so confused.

It sounds like you think people are buying these hampers as gifts?  No, not usually.  These are designed mainly as pantry/freezer fillers.  With expensive brand name products.  At huge markups.

Remember that Christmas is about one week into our five- to six-week summer school holidays so a lot of people who get these are also stocking up for Christmas/end of school year parties, NYE, to go away camping or caravanning to the beach and just keeping hungry kids fed during their break.  They don't want the effort of having to plan their shopping and stock up when they see things on sale or buy a few extra things each week or two during the year and put them aside.  They don't like the idea of having to go shopping during a heatwave.  Add in the (very sensible) desire to avoid the panicked crush you get on Christmas Eve because *gasp* the supermarkets are shut on Christmas Day and so everyone HAS to stock up on milk and bread to make sure they don't run out (the same happens the day before Good Friday and Anzac Day morning when supermarkets are closed).

A huge proportion of people who buy these sorts of hampers are those on government pensions/welfare (single parents, seniors, unemployed, disabled) and/or living in low socioeconomic areas.  They see the pretty catalogues and don't think to do the sums versus the old-fashioned way of putting the money into a Christmas Club account.  Even adding in the extra cost of buying groceries online instead of physically going to the supermarket still works out a lot cheaper. 

Chrisco Delivery Day is also a bit of an event.  Every year in late November/early December, a few friends and extended family on Facebook get into a frenzy because their delivery date has been advised and they've got to clear out their pantry and freezer to make room for everything that's about to be delivered in bulk.  And then they try to organise swaps because there's always something in the hamper that your family won't eat.

Basically, there are those who buy these hampers because they think they are the best thing since sliced bread and think that they are only paying a "tiny bit extra" for "convenience".  And then there is the rest of the population that sees them for the ripoff that they are.

chouchouu

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Re: Christmas Hampers payment plans
« Reply #11 on: July 26, 2014, 08:06:37 AM »
I read this thread title with Hampers used as a verb. 

Having to eat any of that shit would certainly hamper my Christmas.

That is weird and awful.  So it sounds like about a 400% markup from regular Aus prices?

I guesstimated a 400% mark up since I'm not familiar with buying any of the items apart from vegemite. But they're not exactly expensive foods, frozen pizzas and can of coke...
okay, as an American I have to ask... is buying groceries for Christmas a normal thing in Australia? or is this even weirder than I think it is? I'm so confused.

It sounds like you think people are buying these hampers as gifts?  No, not usually.  These are designed mainly as pantry/freezer fillers.  With expensive brand name products.  At huge markups.

Remember that Christmas is about one week into our five- to six-week summer school holidays so a lot of people who get these are also stocking up for Christmas/end of school year parties, NYE, to go away camping or caravanning to the beach and just keeping hungry kids fed during their break.  They don't want the effort of having to plan their shopping and stock up when they see things on sale or buy a few extra things each week or two during the year and put them aside.  They don't like the idea of having to go shopping during a heatwave.  Add in the (very sensible) desire to avoid the panicked crush you get on Christmas Eve because *gasp* the supermarkets are shut on Christmas Day and so everyone HAS to stock up on milk and bread to make sure they don't run out (the same happens the day before Good Friday and Anzac Day morning when supermarkets are closed).

A huge proportion of people who buy these sorts of hampers are those on government pensions/welfare (single parents, seniors, unemployed, disabled) and/or living in low socioeconomic areas.  They see the pretty catalogues and don't think to do the sums versus the old-fashioned way of putting the money into a Christmas Club account.  Even adding in the extra cost of buying groceries online instead of physically going to the supermarket still works out a lot cheaper. 

Chrisco Delivery Day is also a bit of an event.  Every year in late November/early December, a few friends and extended family on Facebook get into a frenzy because their delivery date has been advised and they've got to clear out their pantry and freezer to make room for everything that's about to be delivered in bulk.  And then they try to organise swaps because there's always something in the hamper that your family won't eat.

Basically, there are those who buy these hampers because they think they are the best thing since sliced bread and think that they are only paying a "tiny bit extra" for "convenience".  And then there is the rest of the population that sees them for the ripoff that they are.

Interesting, I knew of chrisco hampers but don't know of anyone who has purchased them, didn't know they were such a big to do, very sad. I didn't realise the crazy consumerism involved with paying for Christmas, I looked at the Christmas accounts and they are paying 1% interest... Oh well, still not as bad as Christmas lay-by I suppose but shocking all these things exist. These people must have massive fridges to fit in all this stuff...

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!