Random musings and general banter.

[Hammy60]

I'm similar to this, wouldn't buy from them as a point of principal.

You know if it was just the odd occasion or just one rogue presenter then you may cut them a little slack, but it's a daily dose of hard sell, overegging cheap crap, misinformation, lies and general unethical sales tactics/behaviour employed by all of them which is obviously approved and condoned by management, should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

And while TJC channel seem to get a bit of a free ride, from the little i've seen, it's has similar poor ethics/morals, christ featuring Papa and Gamages says all you need to know about a channel. They're just lucky that their toooooooooo boring to watch and complain about, being shysters is bad enough but extremely boring shysters are a turn off.

 

[Lord Helpus]

Just checked the YouTube feed as I thought from reading this how bad can it be?

I zoomed in quite close (never again...) the forehead is bad today. It looked like she had stuck a tight layer of cling film on it and the light was reflecting worse than usual.

If that's Botox they can stick it where the sun don't shine (although she's probably had it done there as well!)

I didn't check her lips but I don't fancy going back on to check.

The woman from Opatra who is Natalia's guest looks like an AI invention, highly tanned and glazed with a nose like a ski slope and a mouth like a cave.

They look like dracula's sisters.

 

[Samki]

The woman from Opatra who is Natalia's guest looks like an AI invention, highly tanned and glazed with a nose like a ski slope and a mouth like a cave.

They look like dracula's sisters.

Scary

 

[Herring]

I regard companies like Shein and Temu as shysters. They sell very poor quality merchandise which are advertised cunningly so that a rug turns out to be a mat on receipt. They also have an ulterior motive in that they are heavily subsidised by yhe Chinese government to capture Western markets.

I would not put IW in this category. Their wares are demonstrated on screen and most of us are able to discern the quality rather than be deceived by misleading pictures. This can also apply to the likes of Amazon. Who hasn't bought a necklace or something and then been disappointed by the size of the pendant? And let's not forget that this behemoth does not pay proper taxes in the UK.

I am not here to defend IW because I despise some of their sales techniques as much as anyone else and often comment on them. But nor do I see them as devils in disguise.

What I'm trying to say is that I have purchased several items and found the service to be efficient and any issue has been dealt with quickly. I got what I paid for, ok maybe I could have saved a few pounds and pence elsewhere but so what? Therefore they can not be described as scammers per se.

I certainly think they would do well to throw out a number (most?) of their presenters who use tricky, outdated sales methods, bring adults into the back room and adopt a more honest approach overall. To me exaggerated claims are counter productive. They only fool the foolish.

Keep in mind much of IW's stock (especially the electronics and homeware) come from the exact same Chinese factories that supply the sellers on AliExpress, Temu, et al. TJC just buy it in bulk and import it.

You can almost always find the exact same products (albeit the ones branded with TJC's 'Homesmart' logo won't have it on, but otherwise a the exact same product unbranded or with someone else's logo on) for 50-95% less than IW charge.

Those £19.99 shower heads Mike Mason tells us are a bargain and cheaper than getting an electrician to install a power shower? £1.29 each on AliExpress. Even Opatra products can be found there

All folks are doing by buying Chinese tat from IW instead of AliExpress or Temu is paying through the nose for the exact same products, while lining TJC's pockets with profit - which ensures they keep ignoring quality products with lower margins in favour of low-cost, high-margin future-landfill.

I wouldn't be surprised if half the fashion came from Shien, either.

 

[Battiola73]

Crumbs have IW got a job lot of furniture polish. Foghorn is getting shinier too.

 

[Battiola73]

The woman from Opatra who is Natalia's guest looks like an AI invention, highly tanned and glazed with a nose like a ski slope and a mouth like a cave.

They look like dracula's sisters.

Hells teeth, just caught a glimpse of It. It’s wearing a cross which I thought was a deterrent against vampires? AI needs to improve surely. The Gruesome Twosome. Scary. Its mouth is bigger than Lindsay’s

 

[MrMarple]

I regard companies like Shein and Temu as shysters. They sell very poor quality merchandise which are advertised cunningly so that a rug turns out to be a mat on receipt. They also have an ulterior motive in that they are heavily subsidised by yhe Chinese government to capture Western markets.

I would not put IW in this category. Their wares are demonstrated on screen and most of us are able to discern the quality rather than be deceived by misleading pictures. This can also apply to the likes of Amazon. Who hasn't bought a necklace or something and then been disappointed by the size of the pendant? And let's not forget that this behemoth does not pay proper taxes in the UK.

I am not here to defend IW because I despise some of their sales techniques as much as anyone else and often comment on them. But nor do I see them as devils in disguise.

What I'm trying to say is that I have purchased several items and found the service to be efficient and any issue has been dealt with quickly. I got what I paid for, ok maybe I could have saved a few pounds and pence elsewhere but so what? Therefore they can not be described as scammers per se.

I certainly think they would do well to throw out a number (most?) of their presenters who use tricky, outdated sales methods, bring adults into the back room and adopt a more honest approach overall. To me exaggerated claims are counter productive. They only fool the foolish.

IMO that is the fault of our system allowing them to pay so little. If there was a legal way for me to pay 75% less tax than I do currently I'd be doing it. You can't blame Amazon for doing the same. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot about Amazon I don't agree with but I'm definitely on their side with the tax situation. If they're not paying enough, make it illegal and make them pay more.

 

[Duke of Cheese]

I think if one, just one grandparent, say, has been taken in by one of those awful exaggerated value watch sales pitches (awful watch/awful pitches), and spent hard saved/earned monies on one for a special occasion for a grandchild - because they believed it to be worth the RRP. That is enough for me to choose not to buy from them. Too much moral high ground, perhaps. But that is how I strongly I feel about the issue.

 

[galesgal57]

Those slimming pants they are selling for £29.99 for two, are £4.99 each from Amazon! Foghorn just did a direct price comparison of £79.99!

 

[Muttley]

Those slimming pants they are selling for £29.99 for two, are £4.99 each from Amazon! Foghorn just did a direct price comparison of £79.99!

But if the expensive ones turned me into a Twiggy look-a-like I'd pay it

 

[galesgal57]

But if the expensive ones turned me into a Twiggy look-a-like I'd pay it

Think I need scaffolding.

 

[Professor Branestawm]

IW's strapline should be 'You can't polish a turd'

But Peter currently is shilling our new range of IW Turd Polish.
Mikey says it’s flying’ aaaght (Like flung dung).

 

[Professor Branestawm]

I collect watches and nobody ever comes up in the bar/restaurant/shop etc and asks what i'm wearing/where did you get it etc, but happens all the time to IW presenters.
Also everyone one of them is obsessed with the weight of the watches, to them weighty equals quality, which really, really isn't the case.

Me neither!
Just doesn’t ever happen.

 

[Professor Branestawm]

You can date so many names. I'm Julie and born in the late 60s, there were 3 Julie's in my class. Really popular name from that era.

Oh Yes - Waterloo Sunset, ‘Terry and Julie’.
There was two of each in my class at infant school.
And only 14 in the class!

 

[Professor Branestawm]

All this talk about watches has reminded me. I paid a visit to the renowned Swan & Edgar store in good old London the other day. I was so impressed that I'm thinking about going back so would anyone like to add themselves to a bulk purchase? Free cufflinks or a pen with every purchase.

View attachment 29479

Still feels like Tower Records to me.
Happy memories - mooching round on a Saturday afternoon

 

[cheeky chappie]

Therefore they can not be described as scammers per se.

Sorry but I hold a slightly different view.


Trying their best, their very best, to convince viewers they are getting a product that should be selling for three, four, five times the price.

Suggesting with an actual wink wink that boots they were selling were most likely the same, as in exactly the same product, as ones that sell for three times the price 'just because they have a particular brand on them.'

Misleading information about various products e.g. 'stone' ornaments, watch specs wrong etc.

Blatant lies about brand history.

'Yours for only £29.99' conveniently forgetting to mention the other three flexis that will follow.


To me they are scammers all day long and then some ...

 

[Hammy60]

I regard companies like Shein and Temu as shysters. They sell very poor quality merchandise which are advertised cunningly so that a rug turns out to be a mat on receipt. They also have an ulterior motive in that they are heavily subsidised by yhe Chinese government to capture Western markets.

I would not put IW in this category. Their wares are demonstrated on screen and most of us are able to discern the quality rather than be deceived by misleading pictures. This can also apply to the likes of Amazon. Who hasn't bought a necklace or something and then been disappointed by the size of the pendant? And let's not forget that this behemoth does not pay proper taxes in the UK.

I am not here to defend IW because I despise some of their sales techniques as much as anyone else and often comment on them. But nor do I see them as devils in disguise.

What I'm trying to say is that I have purchased several items and found the service to be efficient and any issue has been dealt with quickly. I got what I paid for, ok maybe I could have saved a few pounds and pence elsewhere but so what? Therefore they can not be described as scammers per se.

I certainly think they would do well to throw out a number (most?) of their presenters who use tricky, outdated sales methods, bring adults into the back room and adopt a more honest approach overall. To me exaggerated claims are counter productive. They only fool the foolish.

Sorry, but we'll have to agree to disagree about IW (should really say Shop TJC LTD, as they run the whole pantomime). While a lot of us may be able to discern the quality and deceptive tactics of IW there will equally be a lot of folks who are duped. The fact that they are quite happy to lie, mislead & con folks on a daily basis makes them scumbags in my book.

Don't know anything about Shein or Temu, never used them or even looked at them, just had a quick scan of their web sites and looks like the sort of cheap tat you see on IW. Hve no idea as to their sales ethics but take your word for it they are shysters.

While Amazon may pay less tax than some folks think they should, as has been said they are only following the existing rules, if anyone is to blame it's the Government not Amazon. I would also add, Amazon probably add far more benefit to the economy & population than a few million extra in corporation tax, heck my council pension fund has a lot invested in Amazon shares. Bought loads of stuff from Amazon and never had any problems with stuff not being what it's supposed to be, the only problem i've had is with items being damaged on delivery but that has usually been one of their marketplace sellers using crappy courier.

 

[Hammy60]

Peter speaking of retiring, to Scotland. Just turn down get me out of the jungle.

 

[galesgal57]

Peter speaking of retiring, to Scotland. Just turn down get me out of the jungle.

You could take him up the Trossachs!

 

[cheeky chappie]

Monday

Peter speaking of retiring, to Scotland. Just turn down get me out of the jungle.

I've heard Haroldswick is very nice ...