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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Very disappointing Fortnum and Mason Hamper

45 replies

queseraseratoo · 28/12/2018 15:43

Fortnum and Mason Hampers are overpriced and very mediocre. They also substitute items for inferior ones and then safe in the knowledge that the hamper was a present (who would buy one for themselves?) they refuse to do anything about it unless they can contact the purchaser! Avoid

OP posts:
Lockheart · 28/12/2018 16:02

This is AIBU, not Yelp. You’d be better off writing to F&M directly.

StateofIndependance · 28/12/2018 16:04

Obviously they are overpriced. There are no circumstances in which it is going to be good value for money to buy jam and teabags from Fortnum and Mason of all places and then have said items delivered to you in a wicker and leather basket filled with straw.

FlamingJuno · 28/12/2018 16:07

I bought one for my parents for Xmas. It was expensive, but nice. I supplemented it with some extra items that I wanted to include but which were way too expensive to consider buying from F&M. They loved it. I had it delivered to my house however, not direct to recipients.

RosemarysBush · 28/12/2018 16:11

I don’t know if you’re being unreasonable. I’ve never seen one. Sorry you’re disappointed.

MsSquiz · 28/12/2018 16:14

YABU, DH and I bought one for his parents in the summer as a gift and you can bike your own in store so choose things the recipient would enjoy (for example, his parents don't drink so there was no point buying one with a bottle of alcohol in it)
We then chose the basket and had it delivered direct to them.

MIL loved it and has reused the basket

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 28/12/2018 16:14

I'm surprised, I've had a few (from work!) and they've always been great. They are hugely overpriced but no poor substitutions.

They will need to speak to the purchaser if you have a problem, as would any retailer. They have no contract with you. Contact whoever gave you the hamper and I'm sure it'll be easily sorted.

Seniorcitizen1 · 28/12/2018 16:17

Of course they are rubbish - people buy them purely for the F&M name - so the goods actually cost not very much and the huge price is for the F&M logo. A fool and their money are soon parted. It is the same with these so called celebrity restaurants - average food barely adequate service sky high prices. The Sunday Times used to have a restaurant page in the paper and letters were featured from diners who went to a restaurant because of its name so they could boast to their friends - food no better than a wetherspoons service poor and had to take out a second mortgage to pay the bill. Too scared to complain at the time. Its the snob value they they pay for not the quality of the products

Whocansay · 28/12/2018 16:20

Good value for money? No. Good stuff? Yes.

It's like saying, 'why buy champagne, when you can have prosecco'?

It's an extravagance. But you must have known that when you bought it, surely?

AlpacaLypse · 28/12/2018 16:21

I spit on your disappointing F&M hamper and raise you this - leaflet came though our door a few weeks ago, my eye was caught by it and I mentally priced up the contents. I reckon the mark-up is about 200%!

AllTakenSoRubbishUsername · 28/12/2018 16:29

Of course they are, it's all name and packaging. But it is a much more tolerable scenario than finding our your husband is gay like that other poor lady on here. I would just chalk it down to experience and the downside of FWP.

winsinbin · 28/12/2018 16:30

All shop bought hampers are poor value IME. There is a massive markup and they always contain a few duff items. Plus you are left with a massive basket - yet another piece of clutter. We do home made ones in a gift wrapped box prettied up with tissue paper, florists cellophane and a nice bow. They still look impressive but are much more personal - what other hamper would give you Wotsits, peanut butter and Jaffa cakes?

OliviaStabler · 28/12/2018 16:31

No hamper is ever worth the money imo. Even in the sale.

The contents never remotely add up to the total price.

luckylavender · 28/12/2018 16:36

I really dislike threads like this. On what planet is this an AIBU? Is it a stealth boast or more likely a post on a board which has more traffic. It belongs in Chat or Christmas.

MudCity · 28/12/2018 16:38

We have one. It’s beautiful. No substitutions, beautifully packaged. Can’t fault it.

primoestate · 28/12/2018 16:43

Mine is truly gorgeous. Not sure if the items were hand picked by our friends but everything is divine.

purpleelk · 28/12/2018 16:44

But you can ebay the branded hamper for silly money.

Jux · 28/12/2018 16:48

Find local compaies that do hampers. When I can afford it, I send people boards from The Cheese Shed for example. We also have local businesses which do more traditional type hampers. Obviously it's more expensive than to put one together yourself, but for a gift they're lovely.

F&M, Harrods etc, well no one with sense buys stuff from those sort of places. As a child my paternal grandmother once sent us a hamper from Harrods for Xmas. It was so exciting - I was about 7 and we were really pretty poor - but that was back in the 60s.

viques · 28/12/2018 16:51

Never had one of their hampers so can't comment on them directly but can say that IMO F and M do a very indifferent afternoon tea compared to other places, but other stuff they do is great (eg lunch!)

As others have said upthread, most of their appeal is in the name,

greendale17 · 28/12/2018 16:58

Of course they are rubbish - people buy them purely for the F&M name - so the goods actually cost not very much and the huge price is for the F&M logo. A fool and their money are soon parted.

^Completely agree. Their markup is horrendous

PrivateVasquez · 28/12/2018 17:00

I've never heard of this brand and thought Fortnum was the name of a mum who plays Fortnite 😆

shaggedthruahedgebackwards · 28/12/2018 17:01

Middle class problems Grin

pontiouspilates · 28/12/2018 17:03

We had one delivered this Christmas as a gift. It was lovely, really good quality and no subs. Sorry you had a different experience.

cheesenpickles · 28/12/2018 17:04

My db and dsil usually get us one each year, however this year they ended up putting together one themselves because apparently they had a right old nightmare last year. Hamlets not showing up or contents substituted that they'd chosen the hamper specifically for.

Having said that, I do get a real sense of "Ooooooh!" whenever we receive one. A bit like a Harrods back used to back in the day.

cheesenpickles · 28/12/2018 17:05

*hampers even

YoThePussy · 28/12/2018 17:10

WWBU to for years use an empty F&M hamper as a cat basket? My Grandad always sent my parents a hamper for Christmas. Being thrifty, also the 1960s, hamper always became cats travel basket. Happy memories of pre M4 days travelling to Wales with cat screeching in it’s F&M basket.

Too young then to see or enjoy the contents, wouldn’t say no to anything like that now.