Page 13 | To be delighted that Brighthouse is about to go bust?

AgeLikeWine · 2020-03-27T15:48:53+00:00

It’s not all bad news at the moment. [smile]. Brighthouse is a nasty, exploitative business which rips off the poor, the uneducated and the vulnerable by selling household goods at inflated prices on finance at extortionate interest rates. Their business model relies on creating spirals of debt in a similar way to Wonga. Normally I would sympathise with the staff of businesses which go bust, but not in this case. Good riddance.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 30/03/2020 13:06

I'm sure plenty of people who get jobs in the Indian call centres set up to call and scam westerners (not the legitimate ones assisting customers or even making cold sales calls, of course) believe the same thing - it doesn't matter to them at all that they can be instrumental in devastating vulnerable people's lives, because they're just doing what they feel they need to do to feed and house their families.

ocarinan · 30/03/2020 13:34

So taking the only job you can so you and your children don't starve is the same as forcing others to get punched in the face. Right.

I bet those on their high horse saying they would rather live on the streets than work for Brighthouse have never actually been in that situation. It's easy to claim moral superiority when you and your family aren't at risk.

Biker47 · 30/03/2020 13:38

Don't see the problem with them really, like all credit agreements, the ongoing and total costs are listed before the agreement is signed for, the customer is free to not accept those conditions and go somewhere else for what they desire.

MonkeyToesOfDoom · 30/03/2020 13:44

It's easy to claim moral superiority when you and your family aren't at risk.

Whilst they live in their nice paid for homes and work for their oh so morally correct companies...

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 30/03/2020 13:45

So taking the only job you can so you and your children don't starve is the same as forcing others to get punched in the face. Right.

It was a metaphor - but in fact, it isn't really that different. The main difference is that you don't suffer physically for a short time, rather it's often mentally and for a much longer period.

ocarinan · 30/03/2020 13:50

Looks like 2400 people may now be without their livelihoods. Yay.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52090976

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 30/03/2020 13:54

the customer is free to not accept those conditions and go somewhere else for what they desire.

But this is the whole point: they often have very few options and those that they do are not publicised well and don't have a shiny-signed High Street presence.

As has been said, for many people, their main alternative if their fridge breaks is to get a second-hand one - which might cost them £50, which they don't have upfront, and also require a car to fetch, which they also don't have.

I agree with you if it is indeed 'what they desire' - a games console, massive TV, leather furniture etc - but when it's a basic appliance like a fridge or a cooker, it's a bit harder to stand back smugly and say "Well, these are the terms if you desire to keep your family's food safely chilled and then not have to eat it raw".

Once they've 'frivolously' bought their new cooker from BH or their like, paying massively over the odds, they can then have a good old chuckle at the joy of paying overt the odds for the electricity to make it work, because they aren't in a position to have a normal meter and pay by monthly DD.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 30/03/2020 14:05

Looks like 2400 people may now be without their livelihoods. Yay.

Nobody is glorying in the loss of jobs, but you can't justify it when those jobs are in an immoral industry. Did you cry when all of the circus animal tamers lost their jobs after the law changed to allow human performers only? Do you despise the 'nasty' NHS smoking cessation campaigns because this could threaten the jobs of the people who work in cigarette factories?

lyralalala · 30/03/2020 14:06

As has been said, for many people, their main alternative if their fridge breaks is to get a second-hand one - which might cost them £50, which they don't have upfront, and also require a car to fetch, which they also don't have.

Also a second-hand one, especially fridges and freezers, have no guarantee that they will last - or work at all.

We all know Facebook/gumtree is a haven of people getting rid of their stuff that they can't be arsed taking to the dump. They'll happily rip someone off for £30 or £50

ocarinan · 30/03/2020 14:12

Do you despise the 'nasty' NHS smoking cessation campaigns because this could threaten the jobs of the people who work in cigarette factories?

No but I'm not happy about losing their jobs. I can be happy that smoking is on the decline without demonising those who took jobs at cigarette factories because they had no other option.

Nobody is glorying in the loss of jobs

Some people on this thread seem to be.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 30/03/2020 14:13

Very true, lyralalala

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 30/03/2020 14:14

Nobody is glorying in the loss of jobs

Some people on this thread seem to be.

I for one am not glad that the people have lost their jobs. I'm just glad that BH have gone, even though that necessarily means that their employees will lose their jobs.

FlamingoAndJohn · 30/03/2020 14:17

I’m not happy that people have lost their jobs, of course not.
What I am happy about is that an utterly immoral company that only exists to take money from people who simply can’t afford it has gone.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 30/03/2020 14:19

I'm also not totally convinced of the idea of people having no other choice as to what jobs they go for. I realise that the job centre will often force people to take an immoral job or otherwise face sanctions or lose benefits; but some people stay there for years.

If you've got a job in BH as your only initial option, what stops you from then looking for another retail job in a slightly less exploitative shop? Why stay at the cigarette factory for any longer than it takes you to find a job in a biscuit or cushion factory?

ocarinan · 30/03/2020 14:24

If you've got a job in BH as your only initial option, what stops you from then looking for another retail job in a slightly less exploitative shop?

Nothing. But if you live in an area with high unenployment when low paid jobs can have tens or even a hundred applciants per role it's easier said than done.

MockersxxxxxxxSocialDistancing · 30/03/2020 14:37

But do people get to keep the big tellys and the sofas.

FlamingoAndJohn · 30/03/2020 15:05

But do people get to keep the big tellys and the sofas.

That’s a good point. I’d be worried if I had something from them that I would have to suddenly pay up!

june2007 · 30/03/2020 16:49

I wouldn,t have thought they get to keep the stuff for gratis. Pay up or loose I imagine.

DGRossetti · 30/03/2020 16:57

But do people get to keep the big tellys and the sofas.

depends on what the administrators decide. If the original contract was "if you don't pay, we'll take away" then it's entirely possible that faced with someone refusing to pay the £400 (or whatever) for their £200 TV which is now worth £10 (if that) they would be forced to pretty much abandon it.

I guess they could threaten to try and sue in the small claims court, but my point upthread about a business reliant on people with poor credit ratings stands. Can't pay: can't pay.

NemophilistRebel · 30/03/2020 16:59

The goods surly wouldn’t be worth that much second hand so would any administrators be able to make it worth their while with all the hassle involved in getting things back?

Purpleclownsuit · 30/03/2020 17:11

I think they’ll find a way of selling the debts on as a way of getting back some of the money immediately and whoever buys the debts will do the long haul debt collecting/repossessing of anything not paid for.

ArthurDentsSpaceTowel · 30/03/2020 17:28

Wasn't it an electrical fault with a second hand fridge that started off the Grenfell fire?

(Not trying to derail, sorry).

NemophilistRebel · 30/03/2020 17:32

It was one of the hotpoint fridges with the faulty wiring.

I’m surprised hotpoint are still going with the amount of their product that spontaneously combust

DGRossetti · 30/03/2020 17:34

I think they’ll find a way of selling the debts on as a way of getting back some of the money immediately and whoever buys the debts will do the long haul debt collecting/repossessing of anything not paid for.

The thing is the "debts" won't be worth much either. If (say) Bill Gates owes me £1,000, then it's a fair call for a company to buy that debt for (say) £100. They put the spadework in and get their £1000-100-900 without too much problem.

But if Bill Smith who already has a shot credit rating, no job and is on UC has a £1,000 debt, it's probably not even worth £1.

1Morewineplease · 30/03/2020 18:36

I don’t want to add to the debate as it seems to have turned a bit.

I would like to say that many councils ( usually city ones) have a repository of used furniture and appliances that folk , with little or no income, can go to , to get these things. You will need proof of your income/benefits in order to get something . You might be asked to pay a nominal amount or you can get them for free, depending on circumstance.
These items are from where people have done a moonlight flit, died intestate or left when they were evicted.
I had a neighbour, many years ago who managed to get a sofa, washing machine, and some carpeting from the council.
I’ve quickly googled and Birmingham and Sheffield are offering this.
Hope this might help someone.