Just popped to Screwfix to pick up my online order. The order had kindly been picked and bagged up. I was halfway out of the door before the guy realised he had to charge me for the bag. He insisted I could take the bag if I paid 5p and seemed unhappy when I refused and insisted on emptying the bag and carrying the four items out by hand!
He pretty much destroyed the bag getting it open and ripping off the invoice which was stapled on. I doubt very much the bag will get reused which is a shame.
How long before shops realise they can give a 5p discount on goods purchased, and thus circumvent the rule.
NT
At least it was only one bag.
I think it is a very reasonable rule to apply to supermarkets, virtually everyone shops there regularly for large volumes of small stuff, and it doesn't take much planning to keep re-usable bags in the car. I don't think it is quite so important for "ordinary" shops and it seems very reasonable for clothes shops to provide suitable bags. But I suppose it is easier to write "blanket" legislation.
"Your bagging bonus discount is: 35p!"
Then I'd come along and game the system by using 100 bags for my £5 shop.
Exactly and how big was this store. Small outlets do not have to make the charge. Brian
Thank god we live in a country where you can be both cantankerous and boring and then openly boast about it!
Cheers
The legislation was not drafted that badly. What matters in England is the total number of employees in the firm - not in the branch. And I think Screwfix have more than 250.
Brian-Gaff wrote:
Compared to the simplicity in Wales, Scotland, NI - where it's been working very well for years - it was drafted abysmally badly.
Still, it has given cause for hilarity. Four years ago, the Daily Brownshirt was a staunch supporter of it. Now, it's a terrible idea.
I think it's entirely reasonable to carry your own bag to a clothes shop. Even if you don't, people may think twice before accepting multiple bags - just buying the first one then using it in every shop visited.
I also don't see the point in only applying it to businesses with over
250 employees - a bag is a bag at the end of the day - why should I not need to bring my own if going to the local greengrocers versus shopping at the supermarket. It gives no real competitive advantage to the small business!
Drafting and policy are not the same thing.
Who mentioned policy?
The decision to exclude shops with less than 250 FTE employees was policy in conventional terms - "to avoid imposing new administrative burdens on start-up and growing businesses in England" to quote the explanatory memorandum to the Order. But you are free to use "policy" and "drafting" interchangeably if you wish: there's no law against it
250 is a lot of staff. I can understand maybe 10 to exclude the likes of market traders and independent shops - but still unclear of the point (and I am a small business owner)
Was he going to give you a separate receipt for 5p ?
Simon.
hased, and thus circumvent the rule.
... then we clearly need a new law limiting the number of bags per kilo of various types of product
NT
It's going to involve an administrative overhead to set up a system to charge for the bag, account for the VAT on it, and give the rest to charity or whatever. Large businesses can do that *once* centrally, and roll it out to the branches. Small businesses would have to absorb a similar overhead all by themselves.
[Greengrocers may not even have to deal with VAT on their produce - but they would on the bags!]
I expect so - I'd need it for my accounts and I'd be wanting to claim the VAT back!
Did it include VAT ?
Interestingly, the guidance here:
states under "Bags you don?t charge for":
You don?t charge for plastic bags that are[...]considered as sealed packaging for mail order and click-and-collect orders (regardless of handles)
So presumably they could have just given me the bag. Robbing bastards.
Apparently so:
For every bag that you charge for, you must[...]charge at least 5p a bag (including any VAT)
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