Mums/Dad's can you help me with some research?

[SONIA82]

I'm a mum and I'm doing some research for a project and wondering if you could help me?? I only really need a yes or no answer, but appreciate any comments you want to add.

The question is:

When you are buying secondary school uniform, would you consider using an option to pay by direct debit, spreading the cost over three months, with no extra charges?

Thanks for all your help!

[peteneras]

Well, it all depends, I'd say . .

With some public schools' uniform costing close to a couple of thousand pounds for the full works, spreading the cost with no extra charges makes more sense to me.

[blossomhillontapplease]

ouch!

i nearly died at £400 especially now as mine doesnt want to wear some of it as it isnt 'cool'

alongside cat64

[blossomhillontapplease]

some uniform specialists allow you to put your uniform away and pay in instalments over the holidays etc. if forking out hundreds let alone thousands is an issue this is a better alternative, one which i would consider!

[peteneras]

'couple of thousand pounds'
^^

alongside cat64

Quick!

Somebody ? bring the smelling salts . . .

OK, now that you ladies have come round, 'a couple of thousand pounds' is just putting it mildly.

Just look at (at the 9½-minute mark) from some ten years ago coming from a ?cheaper? public school that only wear black ties; i.e. that?s not to mention another public school which wear white bow ties.

[cory]

errr...can you pay by direct debit in the charity shop?

or in Asda?

[Kez100]

No, because I'd have to buy from premium supplier to get the option to pay DD and I would end up paying so much more, than sourcing from the supermarket or High Street.

Obviously it would be useful for those going to Harrow but I suspect paying for uniform is the least of their worries.

[Theas18]

Nope not for me and I'm rather afraid this would be the "bright house" of school uniform, leading people who really can't afford it into further debt- they don't have to shell out £10 for a pair of trousers- they can pay £3 a month for ever.....

[SONIA82]

Hi guys thanks for the comments so far! it would be a uniform pack with a total cost of 100-150, with the chance to spread the cost charge free over 3 months. Does that make it sound any better/worse :)

[DeWe]

No.

[Habanera]

no.

[Kez100]

Uniform packs. Even worse! Best to buy uniform in parts from best sources. i.e Odd logoed item from school supplier. Trousers of a decent quality (especially teenage girls who need the right tailoring) and the non logoed shirts, and PE tops/PE shorts from cheapest source because they never seem used enough so even cheap makes don't really wear out.

Fact is, if you are offering an interest free period and covering yourself for the hassle and cost of non/late payers, you are making your money from somewhere. That is the area where we can all save money on by buying ourselves.

Also three months is a very short repayment period. After all, we all know when uniform needs to be bought, so it's not an unexpected cost for us and so most people will budget accordingly or buy over the summer months using June/July/August pay. You might find your business ends up attracting a larger majority of customers who have serious money worries than you would have hoped.

[ProperLush]

£1750?! I Saw You Coming.


No, if I couldn't afford an initial outlay of £100-150 I couldn't afford to have kids.

FWIW my DS's non- Asda'able Comprehensive school uniform:
Sweatshirt £14
Logo'ed polo £9 x 4
Rugby shirt £14
PE shirt £9

about £75.

Obv on top of that I buy:
1 pair of long black trews (M&S so a bit better than Asda) £11
Trainers (Asda) £10
Football boots on-line £14
PE shorts £4
PE tracksuit trousers £5
mouthguard £10

about £50.

I'd agree that any parent who, with the up to 7 years' notice they get of secondary couldn't budget for that might be the sort of debtor you don't need!

[LineRunnerSaturnaliaCometh]

I went to public school, with a strict uniform code - and which differentiated between summer, winter, lower school and upper school uniforms, as well as prefects uniforms in the sixth form...

We all bought second-hand! It was cool! Especially if you had siblings at the same school. I loved my sister's skirts - I was taller than her so I made them 'mini.'

There is a horrible snobbery about uniform. We were comfortable with non-new. In fact we were tramps, tbh.

[juuule]

no

[MindtheGappp]

No - I'd rather just pay for it in full and be done with it.

[pastoralacademia]

oh! Pretentious sorry peteneras, are you up to no good again?

[marriedinwhite]

Thank goodness mine only go to London Day schools - when ds started he got a blazer for £90.00 and the trousers and shirts come from M&S. I bought everything else, including sports wear and topped socks for £27.00 in the second hand sale. Sports kit has stacked up over the years but it's incremental and he's very very sporty. DD transferred from state at the end of Y8. The state uniform came to about £400 as did the uniform at the new school.

Surely you know the uniform is going to cost a few hundred pounds when they change at 11 and you can put the money aside before you buy it rather than buy it on tick.

[Conundrumish]

I hate setting up direct debits, so try and pay for everything in full.