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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that it is bad karma to...

26 replies

scifinerd · 06/12/2008 22:25

...buy things I want from a pawn shop like a wii or nintendo. My dh is quite happy to do this but I balk at the thought. Aware I am a bit nuts

OP posts:

themoon66 · 06/12/2008 22:26

Oooh i love Cash converters. Smells horrid, but ooooh the bargins.

Get in there!

Tommy · 06/12/2008 22:33

I always feel a bit like I would be cashing in on someone else's misfortune

StephanieByng · 06/12/2008 22:35

I'm with you scifi. I just don't want things that much.

tearinghairout · 06/12/2008 22:36

Agree with the OP and with tommy. Supposing they get the cash & try to buy it back but it's gone?

Original poster

scifinerd · 06/12/2008 22:37

I just think of the desperation people feel when they have to go to a pawn shop. Glad I am not nuts. I shall stick to my guns then.

OP posts:

StephanieByng · 06/12/2008 22:40

I think you should stick to your guns.

There are other ways of getting stuff; local ads, catalogues, etc. If I couldn't afford something that way then I would just draw the line there; things aren't THAT important to have. You're not nuts at all IMO

ToThrottleaRedRobin · 06/12/2008 22:43

I once had to porn something when I was 18, had no choice really, asked pawn broker if he would keep it unitl the week after, he said yes. Went in a few days later and he had sold it

I can never buy anything form a pawn shop now.

cheeseandsproutssarnie · 06/12/2008 22:44

i wouldnt.

MadamDeathstarOverBethlehem · 06/12/2008 22:44

I'd also feel like I was cashing in on someone else's misfortune.

mumof2andabit · 06/12/2008 22:46

We have sold things because we needed to and were very grateful for the money. We've never missed what we sold -not seriously. I'd buy it no worries.

MinkyBorage · 06/12/2008 22:46

I wouldn't, it's like buying a reposession house. Money from misery.

MrsSeanBean · 06/12/2008 23:07

YANBU or nuts at all. Very sweet.
I couldn't do it either, much too soft.

Jackstini · 06/12/2008 23:10

Look at it as you are providing a lifeline for those people than need to pawn stuff. If the public stop buying, so do pawnbrokers and some people need them...
ttarr - sorry you had a bad experience, I have never known them sell anything before the deadline on the agreement.

ToThrottleaRedRobin · 06/12/2008 23:15

Was a backstreet pawn shop, say no more. Lesson Learnt.

prettybutterfly · 06/12/2008 23:21

Jackstini's point is a good one. Don't totaly rule it out.

But if you feel that bad then that's that.

You aren't being reasonable OR unreasonable - you are just being you!

Tigurr · 07/12/2008 06:39

"I wouldn't, it's like buying a reposession house. Money from misery. "

Oops, we did that. The house had been empty 6 months and the former owners had trashed the place. Yes we got it for a bargain price (65k instead of the 73k it was valued at) but that's just because the bank just wanted their "debt" back, they weren't fussed about making a profit. As it was, we had a few long-term problems with the house because of the ex-owners but it was definitely worth the money we saved and it was the house of my dreams.

As for pawn-shops - if it's a legit one (don't know if they have them anymore) where you have x amount of time to re-buy it, then they shouldn't sell it on. Normally (based on what my gran used to tell me) after that set amount of time THEN it would go onto general sale.

We've sold a couple of things to cash-converters in our time, not because we were hard-up but it was a good way to get rid of junk - got £40 for DH's old knackered N64 that didn't work (more fool them for not asking whether it worked or not and just thinking "oh the box is pristine, it must be fine" - eejits!)

Recently I had a look in a local cash-converters-style place (it's called Happy Hockers but the sign is written in such a way as to make it seem like it says Happy Hookers PMSL) but it was all over-priced shite. It's sad that people need to hock stuff like that... although not half as sad as those "pay-day loan" places you get where you can get an advance on your pay and then give them 150% for the convenience!

BalloonSlayer · 07/12/2008 07:55

"just because the bank just wanted their "debt" back, they weren't fussed about making a profit. "

The bank wouldn't have made a profit, that 8k you saved would have gone to the people from whom the house was repossessed . . . presumably would have set them up nicely or paid some of their inevitable other debts.

Actually not saying this to be critical but your post was a leetle disingenuous.

I don't think I would necessarily rule out buying a repossessed house. Everyone who takes a mortgage out knows the score.

prettybutterfly · 07/12/2008 12:11

We all know the score, surely? And if we don't we soon learn.

I'm sure there are some sad stories behind some of the things in Cash Converters, but much of it's just cast-offs, I'm sure.

ComeWhineWithMe · 07/12/2008 12:21

I couldn't, I remember a programme that was on a couple of years ago called skint and there were people on there who would take their kids consoles to CC and then the poor LO would come home to no console .

lil · 07/12/2008 12:52

Pawn shops provide a service - if you don't let them earn any profit from buying their stuff, how can they operate!!

and Tigurr how can you be so chuffed you just swindled someone out of £40. Shame on you.

bubblerock · 07/12/2008 13:02

Lots of the electrical stuff - wii's & games etc.. are people buying cheap and making money at cash converters. I see it loads of times on hukd - 'wii game £9.99 - cash converters trade in price £15!!' for example. I have never bought or sold from these places but I don't think I'd worry about where the stuff came from.

goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh · 07/12/2008 13:07

oh yes we all know the score when we take out a mortgage, unfortunately most people don't take into account their marriage breaking-up when they think of things that could happen to prevent them being able to pay their mortgage..........

Anyhow, to comment on the OP - no I don't think it's bad karma, these places exist because people buy stuff there, if they didn't there'd be no-where for people in misfortunate circumstances to get rid of their stuff.........

countingto10 · 07/12/2008 14:43

My sister had a friend whose DP pawned their DCs' toys/consoles to feed his gambling habit

MrsFlittersnoop · 07/12/2008 21:34

People sell stuff on eBay or in the local paper because they're skint (I've done this often enough myself)- so is snapping up a bargain on eBay cashing in on the misfortune of others? Or does everyone apart from me check beforehand to make sure they arejust purchasing an unwanted gift?

prettybutterfly · 07/12/2008 21:37

I suppose with eBay it's always just a straight sale. The seller is never going to ring you up again and tell you they'd like to buy the thing back now, because they got a bonus.

But yes, good point.

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