to think that owning a flatscreen TV proves nothing about someone's income

[dashoflime]

Here is a flatscreen TV from Brighthouse

As you can see the APR is horrible but the weekly payments are fairly affordable. They are designed to be.

Now that we've established how people on low incomes can afford flatscreen T.V's, perhaps we can move on to accepting the legitimacy of people wanting nice things in their houses even supposing they have less money to you, or indeed different taste.

And then maybe we can have an adult conversation about the problems facing this country without it descending into a mean spirited picking apart of the minutiae of how individual working class people choose to spend their limited money.

Jeez

[LadyMaryCreepyCrawley]

You're right. Holes like brighthouse don't sell any sort of TV other than flat screen or plasma, so it means nothing.

There is always freecycle, but if you don't have access to transport you can't go and pick up a TV.

[SailingDownJacobsCreek]

I think its a phrase that was very 'of a time' when the new LCD type TVs first started coming out and they were still very pricey. Now flatscreens are the norm but for a while they weren't and for a short time they were a status symbol, less so now I think because price-wise they are quite accessible now.

[MrsBethel]

Yeah, it's just a lazy shorthand.

However , it is true that some people without jobs, living completely off benefits, have more disposable income than other people who work full-time.

There aren't many such cases, but people tend to remember them when they see them, and they assume it's typical.

[Trills]

You're all talking bollocks anyway because you're not talking about "flatscreen" TV, you're talking about TVs that are themselves FLAT, (LCD, LED, Plasma).

Back in the day a "flatscreen" TV referred to a TV that was still a big fat deep TV, but the screen was flat, as opposed to the old-fashioned curved screens.

[PropertyNightmare]

You don't have to be rich, just fucking stupid to buy a 'flat' or any other screen tv from Brighthouse.

[CommanderShepard]

Trills THANK YOU. Really pisses me off!

We couldn't get rid of our flatscreen CRT for love nor money. None of the charity shops wanted it as they wouldn't be able to sell it so we ended up taping the remote and manual to it and taking it to the recycling centre with a big "I still work" sign. I hope someone actually took it but it weighed more than me!

[VirginiaDare]

No, but it proves a lot about their IQ if they buy from a place like that.

[dashoflime]

Mrs Bethal: actually it comes up quite often, particularly in London and the South East. There are a few reasons: 1. Rents are too high, 2. Wages are too low 3. The taper (the proportion of benefit reduced relative to the increase in income) of housing benefit is too steep. I have seen people lose their homes because they took a job, and not only were they no better off but the gap between the benefit ending and the wages coming through caused a debt that spiralled out of control. I have on occasion advised people against taking a job because I didn't want this to happen to them.
None of this has anything to do with laziness or TVs. Also: it doesn't mean people on benefits are well off: far from it.

Trills: You learn something new everyday

PropertyNightmare: Or have no access to other forms of credit

[PropertyNightmare]

dashoflime - there is no circumstance in which buying a flat screen tv from an extortionate credit provider whilst on a low income can be seen as anything other than a foolish choice. A washing machine, fridge or heater, however yes I can see how the poor could through circumstance choose Brighthouse.

[PickledFanjoCat]

Well what if they have no tv no money and no credit?

I can see how it happens.

[PosieParker]

Brighthouse is a vile vile shop preying on people with no sense and even less money.

[PosieParker]

There's a business opportunity in there somewhere. Providing goods, that you can repossess, without charging everyone a fortune and still making a regular amount of profit on the goods.

[PickledFanjoCat]

Have you seen that advert where they are giggling and waiting for the "nice man" to come around to take their money?

Its a bloody shite-hole. Its only used by people who are really backed into a corner.

Otherwise why the hell would you?

[PropertyNightmare]

Posie is right. If you have no sense, no tv, no money and no credit then yes I can see how it happens too.

[VirginiaDare]

Well what if they have no tv no money and no credit?

I suppose you could always not have a tv you can't afford, radical thought I know.

[QueenofNightmares]

You don't have to be rich, just fucking stupid to buy a 'flat' or any other screen tv from Brighthouse.

No, but it proves a lot about their IQ if they buy from a place like that.

Awesome I'm stupid for not being able to afford a TV from anywhere else at the time at any point in the foreseeable future after our old one completely broke down. Good to know. Please tell me how much better you are than me for not being fucking poor in other ways.

[QueenofNightmares]

I suppose you could always not have a tv you can't afford, radical thought I know.

So no entertainment at all then? I'm on a netbook my FIL gave me when he replaced his 2 weeks ago. Without the TV we would of had nothing but books now books are fine but I like to know whats going on in the world my DD likes to be able to unwind with a movie but I guess since we're poor we don't deserve that sort of thing that any normal family has.

[PickledFanjoCat]

Its nothing to do with stupidity and everything to do with desparation really.

There are people on all incomes who enter daft credit agreements and behave stupidly with money.

You can order things from the likes of Very with 12 months interest free credit so the only people going in there are very skint with no other option.

I dont think a TV is a massive luxury option for a family nowadays to be honest Id agree if it was a 3D telly or some sort of spa but a modest normal tv, no not really.

[PickledFanjoCat]

"they" perhaps should sit in darkness reading dickens books by candlelight perhaps?

Anyway these credit stores I suppose have a place but someone ought to be keeping an eye on these crazy APRs.

[TheDeathAndGlories]

I grew u

[TheDeathAndGlories]

Whoops


I grewu

[TheDeathAndGlories]

And this is why I hate the desktop site

Sorry

I grew up without a tv, survived and turned out ok(biased)

[pantone363]

I have a lovely 50" LCD

A nice car, nice clothes, iphone a dog and all the other stuff you're not supposed to have when claiming benefits.

I bought them all when I was a SAHM before my husband deciced to have an affair and fuck off. I'm sure people look at me and think I'm either on the fiddle or living it large on benefits. Also bare in mind that NO benefits take I to account any child maintenance. My ex can give me £500 a week and its nothing to do with the benefit people.

[mrsscoob]

You can buy a 32" tv for around £140 I saw some in sainsburys the other day. YANBU some people get those awful provident loans to buy things too.

As for people on benefits having more disposable income than those who work well that's just relative as people tend to live to their means anyway and people in secure jobs tend to have things like insurance, mortgages, pensions etc which people on benefits don't have.