Random musings and general banter.

[cheeky chappie]

So was just thinking about this constant plug for IW marketplace, and was thinking maybe the excessive plugging is because maybe it's not as successful as they had hoped.

Anyway just randomly picked an item from home office section. A packet of pencils £11.73 + £2.59 P & P.

Tiger Stationery Premium HB Pencils (209602) | Ideal World

Tiger Stationery Premium HB Pencils

www.idealworld.tv

So did a price check with Amazon marketplace seller, same seller as on IW, but it's £4 + £2.59 P & P.

Tiger Stationery Premium HB Pencils (One Pack of 6) (Assorted) : Amazon.co.uk: Stationery & Office Supplies

Tiger Stationery Premium HB Pencils (One Pack of 6) (Assorted) : Amazon.co.uk: Stationery & Office Supplies

www.amazon.co.uk

That's quite a difference in price on IW. And despite Sally saying it's brilliant, and she buys loads from it, it has everything you need, if that example is a reflection on IW's marketplace prices then I think i'll be giving it a wide berth.

To be fair to IW, I randomly picked a foot massage thingy they're selling for £18 with 1p delivery, so good value.

Oh, wait a sec ...

Someone on Amazon selling the same thing for £12 and free p&p.

Let's face it, on most things almost no retailers can compete with Amazon on price. I just hope IW viewers realise that and don't fall for the false hype being spouted by the presenters. From a business level, fair play to them trying to expand/diversify, even if they're just a proxy ... however I suspect genuine value for money isn't to be had on most of the products.

 

[Hammy60]

Shona flogging the Polti said it's a blockbuster launched last night at 9pm and meant to last a MONTH, but after only two shows 25% of the blue is gone.

Shona - "That is a) how good this deals is and b) how much you're loving it."


Actually Shone there are two other alternatives, c) you're buyer is crap, you've had this polti on many times at around those prices, so if buyer can't predict how much stock you would need for a month, then as i said they're crap at their job, or d) this "blockbuster" malarkey is just sales patter to give the potential buyer the idea that they are getting a special deal, i've heard varying timescales for how long a blockbuster is meant to last from two weeks to a month, but strangely they never ever seem to last anywhere near a month.

 

[Hammy60]

To be fair to IW, I randomly picked a foot massage thingy they're selling for £18 with 1p delivery, so good value.

Oh, wait a sec ...

Someone on Amazon selling the same thing for £12 and free p&p.

Let's face it, on most things almost no retailers can compete with Amazon on price. I just hope IW viewers realise that and don't fall for the false hype being spouted by the presenters. From a business level, fair play to them trying to expand/diversify, even if they're just a proxy ... however I suspect genuine value for money isn't to be had on most of the products.

I will let IW off a wee bit with the marketplace as it's not actually them that is selling stuff, which their T & Cs make very explicit, ie you're not buying from us, we only providing the facilities/platform to take the order and money on behalf of the seller, your contract is with the marketplace seller so any problems don't bother us cause we ain't interested. But of course their fees for appearing on IW web site and the administration costs will have an effect on what the seller can sell at.

But for the products IW sell, the good prices/special deals seem to be only geared for what's appearing on shows, part of a blockbuster, event etc, when products aren't featured then some of their web site prices are ridiculously high, IW website is not a place you would window shop in like you would with say Amazon etc.

 

[cheeky chappie]

Ok so we know they (selly telly channels) all do it to varying degrees, however I chuckled when hopping on to QVC last night and the presenter said an IW-esque thing ...

Please check out your baskets. Your item is held there for 30 minutes and if you don't check out, it's removed.

Pressure sales technique masked as giving cuddly wuddly advice from a friend.

 

[cheeky chappie]

I will let IW off a wee bit with the marketplace as it's not actually them that is selling stuff, which their T & Cs make very explicit, ie you're not buying from us, we only providing the facilities/platform to take the order and money on behalf of the seller, your contract is with the marketplace seller so any problems don't bother us cause we ain't interested. But of course their fees for appearing on IW web site and the administration costs will have an effect on what the seller can sell at.

But for the products IW sell, the good prices/special deals seem to be only geared for what's appearing on shows, part of a blockbuster, event etc, when products aren't featured then some of their web site prices are ridiculously high, IW website is not a place you would window shop in like you would with say Amazon etc.

I'd love to see the stats on how many items (that are featured on live shows at reduced prices) are sold at full price outside promotional periods. e.g. a S&E watch promoted at a reduced price of £199.99 going back up to £349.99 or whatever ... surely there can't be that many folk daft enough to buy outside shows/promotions?

There again ...

 

[JeepSwensonfan]

They obviously forgot to check out their baskets, then the show started, Petr Simione saying just buy it, only 50 pounds, then doesn't mention the other £50 installments.

 

[cheeky chappie]

They obviously forgot to check out their baskets, then the show started, Petr Simione saying just buy it, only 50 pounds, then doesn't mention the other £50 installments.

Yeah he disgusts me with that. Every now and again he'll hurriedly mention 'first of x flexis' but he's infamous for saying 'yours for £50' then as you say not mentioning the other 3 £50 payments. Inferring the item costs £50.

It reminds me a bit of a car salesperson I worked with decades ago when I tried my hand at car sales. Ultimately I wasn't cut out for it and I'm pleased tbh! This was their advice ...

Don't you worry as to whether or not you think the customer can afford the monthly payments on the car. Just get them to sign on the dotted line. If the car gets repossessed x weeks or months down the line, that's not our problem, and at least you'll have your commission on the sale. And if they're keen on a £20k car when you know a £12k car will meet their needs, forget that, go hard on selling them the more expensive model.

I get for those on commission sales is often a cut-throat business and these business exists to sell stuff almost no matter what, hence it not being for me. I know IW presenters aren't on a commission, I'm just making a more general point about underhand and often immoral sales tactics. Hopefully places like car showrooms are more balanced with their sales approach these days.

 

[JeepSwensonfan]

Car sales tried that with my dad, back in 91. He was savvy enough to tell them to stick it, when they started on numbers. They laughed at him, saying good luck getting a car. He bought a Transit van instead, drove past them and stuck his two fingers up.

They didn't know what to do.

 

[Hammy60]

Accurist tonight, capped P & P and Free spit.

They should put a screen between Peter Simon's gob and the watches to protect them.

 

[Hammy60]

Peter - "customised nato designed strap, you'd be paying £40 for them alone."

No it's not, it's nothing like a Nato strap, and it'll cost nowhere near £40.

You really have to wonder what goes on in Peter Simon's mind when he comes out with utter rubbish like that.

 

[Deleted member 21838]

I put in an ASA complaint (about the third, I think) about Ronald McDonald and his shrinking price routine. The usual he is misleading buyers on the true cost of items by instalments mantra, that presumably is printed off, taken to the ASA lavatories and used to wipe up with. He doesn’t state the full price, I tell them. He says the first instalment price and the amount of instalments offered. What part of THAT IS MISLEADING don’t the ASA get, as they clock watch, waiting for the tea and biscuits trolley to appear and count the hours until home time. Er..it’s 10 o’clock, Tarquin, that means just £10 over the next seven hourly instalments, rather than £70 over seven hourly instalments. Spot on, Emily. Spot on.

 

[cheeky chappie]

Accurist tonight, capped P & P and Free spit.

They should put a screen between Peter Simon's gob and the watches to protect them.

I caught some of the show. Peter S with the faux sincere voice saying Accurist had been so generous in the reduced prices offered. So grab them quick before they go up in price. The expert saying they look like they're worth hundreds more, blah blah blah.

A quick check on Google and I quickly found the likes of Argos selling at least two of the watches for the same (supposedly greatly reduced) price that IW were selling them at

Do they really think no one price checks?!? There again, when it comes to IW watch shows and the 'collectors' who buy the stuff, I do wonder ...

 

[cheeky chappie]

I put in an ASA complaint (about the third, I think) about Ronald McDonald and his shrinking price routine. The usual he is misleading buyers on the true cost of items by instalments mantra, that presumably is printed off, taken to the ASA lavatories and used to wipe up with. He doesn’t state the full price, I tell them. He says the first instalment price and the amount of instalments offered. What part of THAT IS MISLEADING don’t the ASA get, as they clock watch, waiting for the tea and biscuits trolley to appear and count the hours until home time. Er..it’s 10 o’clock, Tarquin, that means just £10 over the next seven hourly instalments, rather than £70 over seven hourly instalments. Spot on, Emily. Spot on.

Yep, he's so bad for saying stuff like 'I mean for £30 you can't go wrong, can yi?!?' when as you say in reality the item costs £120.

 

[cheeky chappie]

If they want to be the next Amazon with their Marketplace they've got a way to go. IW currently at ~370k products, actually not bad. However Amazon alone sell ~12 million products, add in their Marketplace sellers and you're looking at in excess of 350 million products. And with things like Prime, same day/next day delivery, market beating prices on many (most?) products, the possibility of drones dropping smaller purchases off in your garden in years to come etc etc, then IW have got their work cut out.

Maybe that's another way the screaming toys guy can promote the drones IW sell ...

Send it to Asda to pick up your IW purchases or to drop off returns!!!

 

[Mommabear]

When they have these so called experts on, why does Ronald do the most talking? It isn’t the presenter’s job to do the ‘expert’s’.

 

[cheeky chappie]

When they have these so called experts on, why does Ronald do the most talking? It isn’t the presenter’s job to do the ‘expert’s’.

Buy this Accurist Milanese, just buy it, right!!
Fir only £70 yi can't go wrong, can yi?!?
The strap alone wid cost yi £60!!!

That's some of his expert advice from last night, lol.

 

[cheeky chappie]

They bleat on about Milanese straps as if they're the 8th product wonder of the world, ha ha HAaaa ...

 

[Hammy60]

I caught some of the show. Peter S with the faux sincere voice saying Accurist had been so generous in the reduced prices offered. So grab them quick before they go up in price. The expert saying they look like they're worth hundreds more, blah blah blah.

A quick check on Google and I quickly found the likes of Argos selling at least two of the watches for the same (supposedly greatly reduced) price that IW were selling them at

Do they really think no one price checks?!? There again, when it comes to IW watch shows and the 'collectors' who buy the stuff, I do wonder ...

Yeah, i believe they really do think it and i'm past the wondering about IW "collectors"/customers, i'm now totally convinced a lot of them share the same brain cell, especially the watch collectors. For the life of me, I really having a hard time understanding why folks would continue buying, and heap praise (through revues) on a company/guests/presenters when they are being openly lied, conned and mislead and being treated like idiots.

Now ok, some folks might know about IW's behaviour, but they still want the odd genuine bargain of the genuinely decent product which they have done their own research on, fine, can understand that, but there are many products which are being sold with misleading descriptions/ misleading level of quality / misleading health benefits / misleading skin & beauty benefits and most of all misleading price saving benefits, there's one huge con job being participated.

In the background as i'm typing, they're selling wigs, have no idea as to the quality or if they are good prices, but sales pitch seems to be so natural looking and you couldn't tell that it wasn't the models own hair, sorry but even being older an half blind i can see a mile away she's wearing a wig and doesn't look natural.

 

[Hammy60]

They bleat on about Milanese straps as if they're the 8th product wonder of the world, ha ha HAaaa ...

While some Milanese straps can be better quality, the ones they have on these watches will be from China, you can bet they cost nowhere near Peter Simon's value, prob between £5-£10 at most.

milanese watch band - Buy milanese watch band with free shipping on AliExpress - page 2

Quality milanese watch band with free worldwide shipping on AliExpress

www.aliexpress.com

 

[cheeky chappie]

Yeah, i believe they really do think it and i'm past the wondering about IW "collectors"/customers, i'm now totally convinced a lot of them share the same brain cell, especially the watch collectors. For the life of me, I really having a hard time understanding why folks would continue buying, and heap praise (through revues) on a company/guests/presenters when they are being openly lied, conned and mislead and being treated like idiots.

Now ok, some folks might know about IW's behaviour, but they still want the odd genuine bargain of the genuinely decent product which they have done their own research on, fine, can understand that, but there are many products which are being sold with misleading descriptions/ misleading level of quality / misleading health benefits / misleading skin & beauty benefits and most of all misleading price saving benefits, there's one huge con job being participated.

In the background as i'm typing, they're selling wigs, have no idea as to the quality or if they are good prices, but sales pitch seems to be so natural looking and you couldn't tell that it wasn't the models own hair, sorry but even being older an half blind i can see a mile away she's wearing a wig and doesn't look natural.

I don't know all the proper psychology terms, however this phenomenon isn't uncommon. I'll use the analogy of super-churches (predominantly in the US) where it's well known those at the top are multi-millionaires, living in the lap of luxury off the ill-gotten gains of the followers, who regularly give more and more of their hard-earned cash to 'the cause.' If you were to try and convince them they're being conned, the high majority would look at you as though you are the crazy one!