In defence of bid

[Ilovebid]

I've been reading this forum and there doesn't seem to be an awful lot of positive talk about the bid channels. And whilst a lot of the criticism is grounded in fact, its not really valid. So I feel like I have to chime in and jump to the channels defence...

These channels are great. The bargains are excellent. The postage is fair. Peter Simons is hilarious. The telephone charges are reasonable. I've never seen an ugly female assistant. The jingles are catchy...I might make it my ringtone...

 

[Moet&muffins]

You are in s minority but it's lovely to hear your
Comments even if some of it is Tongue in cheek!!

 

[Ilovebid]

Tongue in cheek?! Heck no :happy: don't you think the music is catchy (it's on YouTube by the way...)

 

[Nikki]

I've been reading this forum and there doesn't seem to be an awful lot of positive talk about the bid channels. And whilst a lot of the criticism is grounded in fact, its not really valid. So I feel like I have to chime in and jump to the channels defence...

These channels are great. The bargains are excellent. The postage is fair. Peter Simons is hilarious. The telephone charges are reasonable. I've never seen an ugly female assistant. The jingles are catchy...I might make it my ringtone...

Hmmm pardon my saying but I think you're in the distinct minority. If you have got bargains then great & it's everyone's choice what they want to buy. What I'd say is can everyone on here be wrong? & Then the recent discovery that there's a whole load more people who are voicing their disapproval and dismay on facebook, & they're not picky little comments either! Quite major & reasonable disputes actually. If a presenter has a good product & /or does a good presentation we're the first ones to applaud. Regretably there are very few instances of this. The ASA have upheld a number of complaints about their sales tactics & rightly so. Someone described the company as "morally bankrupt". This seems to be an accurate description of their bahaviour in a vast number of instances in my opinion. Selling dirt cheap triplet opals as "triple protected" and encouraging people to multibuy them is blatantly misleading! Calling moissanite "the space diamond" whilst omitting to mention on some occasions they are lab created stones. Telling people to use body cream on their eye area, very irresponsible and can damage this delicate skin tissue, resulting in puffiness and perminent bagging of the skin. It's just irresponsible misleading selling to vulnerable people in my book.
The latest scam is telling people as Peter Simon is doing now, that a 2ct moissanite ring costs £1000's, they don't if you check on google.

We've all said this is a sad state of affairs as many of us remember when there were reasonable buys on Bid, you had to hunt for them once the p&p was added but they were there. & I'm sorry but £7.99 p&p plus £1.53 to call to order is hardly competitive! Many internet retailers are offering free p&p & a free returns label, hardly a staggering £9.52 per item & full return postage on top if sent back!

 

[radio_dayz]

That's a cracker. It's the way you tell 'em!

Best laugh I've had so far this year! Keep them coming.

 

[Paul_s]

I've been reading this forum and there doesn't seem to be an awful lot of positive talk about the bid channels. And whilst a lot of the criticism is grounded in fact, its not really valid. So I feel like I have to chime in and jump to the channels defence...

These channels are great. The bargains are excellent. The postage is fair. Peter Simons is hilarious. The telephone charges are reasonable. I've never seen an ugly female assistant. The jingles are catchy...I might make it my ringtone...

:mysmilie_483: :mysmilie_483: :mysmilie_483: :mysmilie_483: I love it when Sit-up management post stuff.

 

[petpixie]

Flaming troll!!!:clapping:

 

[tinshed]

I've been reading this forum and there doesn't seem to be an awful lot of positive talk about the bid channels. And whilst a lot of the criticism is grounded in fact, its not really valid. So I feel like I have to chime in and jump to the channels defence...

These channels are great. The bargains are excellent. The postage is fair. Peter Simons is hilarious. The telephone charges are reasonable. I've never seen an ugly female assistant. The jingles are catchy...I might make it my ringtone...

Peter if your going to post at least use your real name.

 

[deedee]

Oh dear, here we go, I hope this one doesn't turn nasty à la Kat Baker! or become defensive like Moetandmuffins!
Ilovebid, I don't know what to say to you. I don't think most of us consider the phone charges and P&P to be reasonable at all and we've uncovered some pretty unethical and nasty selling techniques (just check out the ASA rulings against the channels)
However, we're not spiteful or vindictive, we just want honesty, we want the truth and we are the first to dish out the praise and congratulations if a presenter does a good job.
Each and every one of us is entitled to an opinion but unfortunately the hard evidence is showing we're being ripped off with extortionate charges, blatantly lied to and even scaremongered.
As for Peter Simon being 'hilarious', I'm sorry, he is just an embarrassment and cringeworthy to watch. His sleazy inappropriateness and incompetent presenting is not hilarious, it's a sackable offence.

 

[Adam]

 

[radio_dayz]

I must admit, Peter Simon can be hilaious.

Last night he was selling a Moissanite Ring. First of all, he called Moissanite the Moon Diamond, and that it's a very rare Gem. Yes Peter, a rare Gem that's man made! He later called it the Space Diamond (which is what it's called of course). When the price of the Ring dropped to around £600, he said "we are a discount channel and the ring would cost you many thousands elsewhere".

Well it made me laugh.

 

[merryone]

It's clearly a wind up! I'm not saying I don't believe that there are people out there who like, love the channels, but I most certainly don't believe how anyone can even begin to think that a delivery charge of £7.99 on top of a phone call charge of £1.53 is a fair price. Any way cheers, you've give me and some of the others by the sound of it a jolly good laugh x

 

[Ilovebid]

Actually, it's not a wind up - I can certainly appreciate why you may be a little upset about the way they sell the products, but it's fascinating to see the depth to which they use human psychology so intricately to push the products - they've thought of everything, and even when Peter Simons does have his little verbal diarrhea fits he's still throwing out random buzz words that encourage a purchase.

Lets take the postage though to start with, £7.99? Bargain. Get yourself a halogen oven, wrap it in a nice box, go to your local post office, tell them you want it delivered within 5 days, and you want it tracked and insured - you'll be truly surprised at how close to £7.99 the price is...

 

[radio_dayz]

Then send an SD memory card in an envelope. How much is a first class stamp these days?

 

[Enigma]

Actually, it's not a wind up - I can certainly appreciate why you may be a little upset about the way they sell the products, but it's fascinating to see the depth to which they use human psychology so intricately to push the products - they've thought of everything, and even when Peter Simons does have his little verbal diarrhea fits he's still throwing out random buzz words that encourage a purchase.

Lets take the postage though to start with, £7.99? Bargain. Get yourself a halogen oven, wrap it in a nice box, go to your local post office, tell them you want it delivered within 5 days, and you want it tracked and insured - you'll be truly surprised at how close to £7.99 the price is...

Bid use Royal Mail or Parcel Force, do they?

And they'll pay a company rate, at a reduced fee.

Which will not equate to what customers are being asked to pay. PER ITEM.

If that's what you consider a "bargain", I'd love to see what you consider extortionate :wonder:

 

[Ilovebid]

They use an independent courier, and your correct in thinking that they will get a much reduced rate, in fact due to the volume I would imagine they pay a flat fee of next to nothing.

Consider this:
An item is 1p, the postage is £7.99 and the call is £1.53, so that's £9.53 in total - the total isn't usually that far off the going rate for the product (if you look on eBay for a lot of what they sell its pretty close to the mark) but its the way they break the cost down that seems to annoy people. If the same product was £9.99 with a free phone call and free shipping I doubt anyone would complain/moan.
The reason they separate the costs is for the same reason shops still put "xx.99" or "xx.95" on prices - it makes them seem cheaper, it's simple sales tact and its been around for years and will continue to be.
:happy:

 

[Phill]

They use an independent courier, and your correct in thinking that they will get a much reduced rate, in fact due to the volume I would imagine they pay a flat fee of next to nothing.

Consider this:
An item is 1p, the postage is £7.99 and the call is £1.53, so that's £9.53 in total - the total isn't usually that far off the going rate for the product (if you look on eBay for a lot of what they sell its pretty close to the mark) but its the way they break the cost down that seems to annoy people. If the same product was £9.99 with a free phone call and free shipping I doubt anyone would complain/moan.
The reason they separate the costs is for the same reason shops still put "xx.99" or "xx.95" on prices - it makes them seem cheaper, it's simple sales tact and its been around for years and will continue to be.
:happy:

Actually i believe they do this so they pay less tax, as i'm sure P&P and call charges are not taxed the same as selling prices. Correct me if i'm wrong anyone, but i bet it's just another con from sh*t-up to make more money, whilst ripping the customers and tax man off at the same time.

 

[Nikki]

They use an independent courier, and your correct in thinking that they will get a much reduced rate, in fact due to the volume I would imagine they pay a flat fee of next to nothing.

Consider this:
An item is 1p, the postage is £7.99 and the call is £1.53, so that's £9.53 in total - the total isn't usually that far off the going rate for the product (if you look on eBay for a lot of what they sell its pretty close to the mark) but its the way they break the cost down that seems to annoy people. If the same product was £9.99 with a free phone call and free shipping I doubt anyone would complain/moan.
The reason they separate the costs is for the same reason shops still put "xx.99" or "xx.95" on prices - it makes them seem cheaper, it's simple sales tact and its been around for years and will continue to be.
:happy:

Three words: HILARIOUS WIND UP!

 

[Nikki]

Yep, so much like the final curtain of Auction World...Just flicked over to see Peter Simon selling a replica of the Elvis final concert ring to "I did it my way" for £69.99 plus £9.52 p&p & call to order. :mysmilie_486: PS said keep it in the velvet pouch, well no doubt it is destined to be a Bid icon. Thing is, I can't recall Auction World selling gold overlay, (probably on base metal as doesn't say 925 silver). I was quite young when AW folded tho' so may not be the best judge of that. AW did try to flog supposed single strands of Elvis's hair tho in a presentation frame just b4 they bit the dust. Awww I'm welling up, so emotional !! :mysmilie_483:

 

[merryone]

They use an independent courier, and your correct in thinking that they will get a much reduced rate, in fact due to the volume I would imagine they pay a flat fee of next to nothing.

Consider this:
An item is 1p, the postage is £7.99 and the call is £1.53, so that's £9.53 in total - the total isn't usually that far off the going rate for the product (if you look on eBay for a lot of what they sell its pretty close to the mark) but its the way they break the cost down that seems to annoy people. If the same product was £9.99 with a free phone call and free shipping I doubt anyone would complain/moan.
The reason they separate the costs is for the same reason shops still put "xx.99" or "xx.95" on prices - it makes them seem cheaper, it's simple sales tact and its been around for years and will continue to be.
:happy:

You're right, it is the way they break it down that annoys us,well it does me anyway. We just want a bit of honesty,how much do you want for the item, then we'll decide whether we can afford it, or want it at that price. Why do they have to play games with us? It's not been an "auction channel "for a long time. Fixed prices,clocks put a stop to that long ago,instead we have to go through a charade of the silly start price, a handful of cacophonous noises,agood smattering of bull (I'm going to do something I shouldn't ) until they tell us how blinking much they want for it! Some people may be fooled by it........and whilst it might be a common business model, I don't particularly like the idea of a company who base their sales around deceit,who are actively trying to pull the wool over customers eyes. They keep telling us they're a discount channel,why can't they just cut the crap and make a vague attempt to be one?