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The Company That Cancelled Christmas

The Company That Cancelled Christmas

FromCautionary Tales with Tim Harford


The Company That Cancelled Christmas

FromCautionary Tales with Tim Harford

ratings:
Length:
36 minutes
Released:
Dec 9, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

More than 100,000 families - many of them amongst the poorest in Britain - put money aside for Christmas gifts and other seasonal treats in a savings club called Farepak. It wasn't a bank, and it wasn't great value for money... and it went bust. Kids went without toys, and festive dinner tables were left bare. 
Why would someone put their hard-earned money into such a scheme? And what does it tell us about how we often view Christmas as a time for frenzied spending? 
For a full list of sources used in this episode visit Tim Harford.com 
CAUTIONARY TALES RETURNS 6 JAN, 2023. HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND SEE YOU IN THE NEW YEAR. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Released:
Dec 9, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

We tell our children unsettling fairy tales to teach them valuable life lessons, but these Cautionary Tales are for the education of the grown ups – and they are all true. Tim Harford (Financial Times, BBC, author of “The Data Detective” and “The Undercover Economist”) brings you stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, daring heists and hilarious fiascos. They'll delight you, scare you, but also make you wiser. iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.