Before we disappear - Last thoughts - What's your bid experience?

[merryone]

For me first and foremost It was entertaining, and when I wasn't particularly paying attention a nice background noise. Watching literally open mouthed at some of the utter BS and lies that came out of some of the presenter's mouths. "10 pairs of socks for just 5p - How good is that? - We're actually paying YOU to shop with us" (Hey let's forget the mere matter of the £41.48 you have to pay in postage & phonecall!) "Spend a penny with us today" (forgetting the extra £9.52) and we'll credit your account with £10 and technically you'll be getting this for free" (Tee hee readers, little do the viewers know that we won't actually put the credit on the account, but it's there if you remember you've got it, you can't claim it online, but you can phone and buy something, but it'll have to be at a time of our choosing, and pretty much an item of our choosing too!). SOLID GOLD looking BRACELET, ONLY £4.99 COME AND GET IT, THEY'RE GOING FAST!!
HOW THE FECK DID THEY LAST SO LONG?

In my experience I admittedly spent far too much with them, but can honestly say that I was never really ripped off as I always was careful to factor in the extras, always shopped online and managed to get refunds sucessfully.

Let's start with the bad as I want to finish on a good note.

Terrible bedding - actually shouldn't have been allowed as none of it seemed fit for purpose

Bought an appallingly bad quality bullet blender from them, but had to trick them by lying about the weight on the returns form to make it eligible for free courier collection...it would have cost me £12 to return myself and one can only imagine the hassle and expense I would have had to go through in order to reclaim it!

A couple of dodgy handbags...a couple I don't know why I bought them at all. One yellow one I loved but it the strap came of the first week I used it, didn't bother trying for a refund (too much hassle and expense again) so mended it myself, but after a couple of months it was so worn out I had no option but to bin it!
A black patent one that arrived so flat you could have posted it under a door frame, they must have padded it to buggery in the demos, it was horrible I used it once or twice then donated it to a charity shop!

The stuff that masqueraded as fine jewellery was always pretty awful too...it always looked a million times larger on air and a million times better, I've actually thrown stuff in the bin in disgust before!

Good stuff

Apart from the sheer entertainment, and some of the presenters Peter Sherlock, Lisa Brash and Debbie G when she was there some of the products were pretty good too.

SEN Skincare - AMAZING - I can say no more than that

Possibility bath smellies - Cheap and cheerful

Watches - With the exception of the dreadful Phillipe mercier, the watches were fab, Christin Lars included. I have two "Diamond Collection" watches, they've got real leather straps, a minuscule diamond on the face, keep good time, look smart and cost me next to nothing!

Perfume - Liz Taylor stuff, Laurelle (had staying power believe it or not)

Costume jewellery - Got some amazing stuff there.

Some of the fashion was pretty good too.


I'm gonna miss these channels immensly and even more I'll miss chatting about them, but hey, they needed to go didn't they?


What's your story?

 

[Wirral70]

Panjaban (or Punjaban as they became) was probably the best product we ever bought.

But sadly they apparently shafted the nice people from the company so they never returned to Bid, much like droves of Bid's customers really. So I guess you could say that the Panjaban story kind of sums up what went wrong with Sit-Up.

I think like many people on here I think the real fun ended a long time ago but in it's day it was great to watch. But then it all became very cynical and, let's face it, at times downright deceitful a few years back. It was always a big ask for them to recover from the damage that had been done and that, together with a far more sophisticated internet savvy audience, meant that the channels were effectively obsolete.

They were pretty pointless towards the end, it was fun but eventually for all the wrong reasons. I think the time was right for the curtain to come down, their glory days were long behind them.

But thanks for the memories.

 

[steveh31]

They were always there if you needed a bit of company, felt a bit off and just wanted to laze around, but the original concept and fun had gone and the uniqueness they had disappeared.

They could not compete with online and cheap high street retailers, it was for the best they should have gone gracefully a while ago.

Let's all remember how it used to be fun, entertaining and harmless and it will be remembered for a long time, hopefully for the entertainment not the last few years of pressure buying and difficulties.

RIP Bid-up.tv

 

[astounded shopper]

I bought a jumper from bid that the stitching had started to undo but too expensive to send back with their robbing post of £7.99 that they would not refund. The wind charm that was on a couple of days ago is only £4.99 in my local shop, everything about this channel and price drop screams cheap, I watched it sometimes when there was nothing else on just to see what rubbish they were selling, one type of hair conditioner and shampoo is in our pound shop and £14.99 on bid with postage on top. A few of the presenters were ok but some of them were embarrassing because they were so bad, one coughing and spluttering most of the time and as for the one and his "goddess" that made my skin crawl he was so unaware how stupid he sounded or didn't care. I did think bid was going to get better with the new format but then came the usual rubbish and second rate presenters.

 

[merryone]

Panjaban (or Punjaban as they became) was probably the best product we ever bought.

But sadly they apparently shafted the nice people from the company so they never returned to Bid, much like droves of Bid's customers really.

So I guess you could say that the Panjaban story kind of sums up what went wrong with Sit-Up.

Forgot about Punjaban...it was going for a £1 for a box of 6 and with the extra £7.99 I was happy to pay that price. It's great stuff. I ordered two but I only received one, however was only charged for one.
My local stockist..well it isn't local unfortunately...will have to make this last box last!

 

[Wirral70]

Forgot about Punjaban...it was going for a £1 for a box of 6 and with the extra £7.99 I was happy to pay that price. It's great stuff. I ordered two but I only received one, however was only charged for one.
My local stockist..well it isn't local unfortunately...will have to make this last box last!

They are easily the best curry sauces i've ever had as I absolutely cannot abide the greasy, oily, fatty slops that you usually get in the supermarkets. They are nothing like that are they Merry? just really great flavours, delicious :mysmilie_59:

We don't have a local stockist either but I have a friend who lives in the Preston area who now picks some up for us.

You can get them online too.

 

[aqua]

I never bought anything.
I surfed into Bid one afternoon a few years ago and couldn't believe what I was seeing- a bit like a gang of on- air muggers.
It was fascinating to observe the lies , manipulation and shameless hard sell tactics all of which seemed to be targeted towards an elderly and gullible demographic.
I quickly banged off one ASA complaint which was upheld and could have submitted numerous others.
There are dodgy sales outfits everywhere but with Bid it was all played out in your living room and that was the fascination.
Everyone regrets the job losses but I must say there were many times that you could hear the studio staff sniggering when James Russell and Peter Simon were laying it on thick so I think that the culture of contempt for the customer was quite deeply embedded.
I dread to think how Caroline will break it to her godchildren.

 

[Wirral70]

I never bought anything.
I surfed into Bid one afternoon a few years ago and couldn't believe what I was seeing- a bit like a gang of on- air muggers.
It was fascinating to observe the lies , manipulation and shameless hard sell tactics all of which seemed to be targeted towards an elderly and gullible demographic.
I quickly banged off one ASA complaint which was upheld and could have submitted numerous others.
There are dodgy sales outfits everywhere but with Bid it was all played out in your living room and that was the fascination.
Everyone regrets the job losses but I must say there were many times that you could hear the studio staff sniggering when James Russell and Peter Simon were laying it on thick so I think that the culture of contempt for the customer was quite deeply embedded.
I dread to think how Caroline will break it to her godchildren.

I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that certain Sit-Up stooges positively revelled in the shystering, I guess they thought it was funny and that nobody would bother doing anything about it.

Well they were wrong, my goodness they were wrong. And look where it ultimately got them?

Some of them were out of control 2-3 years back and i'm proud that in a small way we helped put a stop to the very worst of their excesses. It's just a shame that everyone had to suffer because of the con merchants.

 

[Goodluckifyageddit]

I was a viewer from about 2003, so was lucky to be around during the glory years. My mum bought towels and pans from them, I bought some of the better CD box sets (usually for no more than £10-13 all in). Greg Scott's shift was something you eagerly waited for...he was so unpredictable and always fun to watch...although it was a shock to discover later he wasn't always the nice guy you saw on-screen !

 

[Mommabear]

It's got to be getting on for almost ten years ago now but this is how good they must have been......

My dear departed husband who absolutely HATED watching shopping channels, actually used to put Bid on on a Friday night and we both watched and I and HE bought stuff :mysmilie_13: We both enjoyed watching MM on a Friday night, that's how good they must have been then.

Then I didn't bother watching on my own until a couple of years ago. I couldn't believe how the whole set up had declined but it had me intrigued with the crafty selling techniques and I started watching it all over again. I was left gobsmacked on many occasion and did think that this couldn't go on.

And it hasn't and we're here......You can fool some of the people some of the time........ultimately it's all over bar the crying.

 

[Wirral70]

It's got to be getting on for almost ten years ago now but this is how good they must have been......

My dear departed husband who absolutely HATED watching shopping channels, actually used to put Bid on on a Friday night and we both watched and I and HE bought stuff :mysmilie_13: We both enjoyed watching MM on a Friday night, that's how good they must have been then.

Then I didn't bother watching on my own until a couple of years ago. I couldn't believe how the whole set up had declined but it had me intrigued with the crafty selling techniques and I started watching it all over again. I was left gobsmacked on many occasion and did think that this couldn't go on.

And it hasn't and we're here......You can fool some of the people some of the time........ultimately it's all over bar the crying.

That's exactly what my Dad said this morning when I told him they'd gone bust. Those very words, and it's true too.

 

[merryone]

Whilst I appreciate that they had to go, I am sorry that they pretty much got zapped off air without word of warning. Pity they couldn't have had a proper closing down sale and offered us some real bargains, mind you, knowing you were on your way out with little or no chance of getting paid, what presenter in their right mind would have stayed on to present these hours? There was a couple of online sales though in the last week on the price drop channels offering some pretty amazing bargains, perhaps put in place by those "in the know" (someone must have had an idea how and when the end was going to come). One of the items I bought was a set of Laurelle make up brushes. I paid about £12 all in, and was shocked at the quality ( In a good way) seriously good and worth at least £40 of anyone's money! I bought a pack of two neckwarmers that you put in the microwave, they wouldn't have normally cost on the channels over £20, I paid under £12 and they again are amazing quality, work well and smell delicious when used, a set of lipsticks of which the quality and staying power are second to none and paid under a tenner. A few decent sales like that scattered across the past couple of years may have saved them, but no, they decided to plough their money and energies into stupid gimmicks that either practiced to deceive (before everybody got wise to them) or were barking mad and were never going to work.
The new Shop at bid format was a natural progression and I for one was glad to see the end of the messing around with the prices before we were told how much something was ( The prices were fixed for a long while) but at least they finally began to be honest about it!). Unfortunately most of the stock was so low end it was frankly laughable and with poundshops selling much of it for a pound obviously, even the most gullible of people were wising up!
Feel mega sorry for the presenters who are going to miss working with their colleagues (who seem to be friends as well) despite all the shystering as well of course for those behind the scenes.

 

[Wirral70]

Whilst I appreciate that they had to go, I am sorry that they pretty much got zapped off air without word of warning. Pity they couldn't have had a proper closing down sale and offered us some real bargains, mind you, knowing you were on your way out with little or no chance of getting paid, what presenter in their right mind would have stayed on to present these hours? There was a couple of online sales though in the last week on the price drop channels offering some pretty amazing bargains, perhaps put in place by those "in the know" (someone must have had an idea how and when the end was going to come). One of the items I bought was a set of Laurelle make up brushes. I paid about £12 all in, and was shocked at the quality ( In a good way) seriously good and worth at least £40 of anyone's money! I bought a pack of two neckwarmers that you put in the microwave, they wouldn't have normally cost on the channels over £20, I paid under £12 and they again are amazing quality, work well and smell delicious when used, a set of lipsticks of which the quality and staying power are second to none and paid under a tenner. A few decent sales like that scattered across the past couple of years may have saved them, but no, they decided to plough their money and energies into stupid gimmicks that either practiced to deceive (before everybody got wise to them) or were barking mad and were never going to work.
The new Shop at bid format was a natural progression and I for one was glad to see the end of the messing around with the prices before we were told how much something was ( The prices were fixed for a long while) but at least they finally began to be honest about it!). Unfortunately most of the stock was so low end it was frankly laughable and with poundshops selling much of it for a pound obviously, even the most gullible of people were wising up!
Feel mega sorry for the presenters who are going to miss working with their colleagues (who seem to be friends as well) despite all the shystering as well of course for those behind the scenes.

The good news is if anyone is a fan of the Argan and Macadamia products at least there are plenty of other shops to buy them. Plenty of them.

I'm fascinated to see what happens with the Skin Pharmacy website, will they persist with the preposterous prices now that their (arguably) biggest outlet is no more?

 

[MrMobo]

The last 3 things I purchased was:

Faux Fur throw/blanket.... it came with black marks on the edges (looked like finger marks).
TV Dongle.... I was able to receive some pay per view channels like Sky sports/Sky movies that seemed to be broadcast from websites not affiliated with sky. I was a bit concerned about accessing this content via my IP number as Virgin & BT are cracking down on such websites.
Solar power lights (those that are in the £1 shop) out of 10 I got.... 3 are still working.

I thought I would be upset or just sad that the channels have gone but I feel in a way they did us a favour by changing the format just recently as it had become awful to watch.

 

[Docswife]

I started watching relatively recently so have nothing to compare it to. I couldn't believe my ears the first time I heard Peter Simons monologue!! I was stunned! I'm no shrinking violet, but really...!!!! How they allowed that I'll never know! Apart from the fact he was 40 years out of date, it was embarrassing to watch! As for Mike Mason, he looked as if he was there as part of his community service! Honestly, that guy got through the interview??? It was obvious they'd set the bar very low.......

In short I watched out of utter amazement!! As I said when I joined this forum, I loved it in a so-bad-it's-good way. It was a third rate channel with third rate presenters, chavs R us type show, never bought a thing from them, if it wasn't solar powered, they didn't sell it!! Cheap overpriced tat by the time I caught up with it, but it was entertaining, in a funny way I'll miss it. And whilst I'm sorry lots of people have lost their jobs, it had to come, they knew what they were doing. They are tough as nails salespeople, who used every dodgy tactic to sell rubbish products. They 'invited' you into their lives with their stories of their children, partners, even their flippin' tattoos!!!! They were shameless, ruthless and contemptuous. Tough luck.

 

[£1 MEGADROP1]

I'll post my story later and what a journey it's been

 

[Docswife]

I'll post my story later and what a journey it's been

Can't wait.....hurry back!

 

[merryone]

I started watching relatively recently so have nothing to compare it to. I couldn't believe my ears the first time I heard Peter Simons monologue!! I was stunned! I'm no shrinking violet, but really...!!!! How they allowed that I'll never know! Apart from the fact he was 40 years out of date, it was embarrassing to watch! As for Mike Mason, he looked as if he was there as part of his community service! Honestly, that guy got through the interview??? It was obvious they'd set the bar very low.......

In short I watched out of utter amazement!! As I said when I joined this forum, I loved it in a so-bad-it's-good way. It was a third rate channel with third rate presenters, chavs R us type show, never bought a thing from them, if it wasn't solar powered, they didn't sell it!! Cheap overpriced tat by the time I caught up with it, but it was entertaining, in a funny way I'll miss it. And whilst I'm sorry lots of people have lost their jobs, it had to come, they knew what they were doing. They are tough as nails salespeople, who used every dodgy tactic to sell rubbish products. They 'invited' you into their lives with their stories of their children, partners, even their flippin' tattoos!!!! They were shameless, ruthless and contemptuous. Tough luck.

Or battery operated! I bought a solar powered bush....mmmm it lights up in the daytime and goes out at night- great glad I only parted with £14 for it (all in of course).

 

[Dave]

I've been watching for about 20 months - I bought a dongle - didn't get any of the channels promised, and do you remember the little sonic jewellery cleaners, I got one of them to. That never even worked at all.

 

[Wirral70]

I've been watching for about 20 months - I bought a dongle - didn't get any of the channels promised, and do you remember the little sonic jewellery cleaners, I got one of them to. That never even worked at all.

I wonder how many of those ****** LED Book Magnifiers have ended up in tips around the United Kingdom?

Plenty I fancy, what a load of shite. :mysmilie_59: