Strategies for shopping less at Q

[DunmowDizzy]

OMG! Just added up my total spend on QVC for November and it is almost £500. The most expensive item was the decleor TSV at £70 so just bits and pieces.

It not as if I have restricted my spending to QVC have spent a lot elsewhere too this month.

About £100 worth is going back and I can afford it, the spending has also been therapeutic (long story) but I need to nip in the bud now before it gets out of hand.

I promise to half Decembers spending to under £250.

 

[Toril]

I don't order much from QVC any more unless it's a re-order or I can't get the product cheaper elsewhere. I don't watch it much now either, because whenever a show interests me it's often presented by one of the three that I cannot watch so I turn over.

However, my old 'strategies' were that I didn't order using EP, working on the view that if I couldn't afford to pay for it in one go then I couldn't afford it at all (and you can never foresee what expenditure there might be in the coming months.) I also never go on waitlist because the products often don't come back into stock or you forget you'd ordered them.

But the best 'cure' was when QVC sent me a print out of all my orders. It was almost as long as War and Peace and the total I'd spent was five figures, after only 4 years of having Freeview. I blame it on the novelty of having access to shopping channels when I first got Freeview. I'm cured now :mysmilie_14: (much to the detriment of QVC's bank balance and profits. :wink

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I think you have hit the nail on the head - the novelty of a shopping channel has worn off and due to the awful presenters and repetitive brands it has worn off at a galloping rate.

I'll make no excuses, I loved it when I first watched, they had loads of good jewellery and bags and I couldn't have bought the stuff fast enough whereas now it is more of an irritation than anything.

 

[Silver Fox]

It's just so easy to click & something is ordered! Who did that? my wandering finger of the laptop (easier I suppose if you tap the App?)I have 2 items of jewellery at the moment which I like but am thinking when will I wear, so am on the point of returning. Costs money but that is when the 30 day MBG comes in handy, but its not always money saved it is just re-cycled! Most of my Q purchases are items I would never go into a shop & hand over cash for-- how daft is that?

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Of course if the presenter doesn't annoy you the brand ambassador is bound to.

I was sort of interested in the sketchers but after the guest telling me 3 times I could wear a pair of trainers with my maxi dress going to the gym I just gave up.

Also they spent several minutes talking about slippers when from the get go they only had size 3. Again the guest gabbled about a wonderful gift - mmm ok as long as they have tiny feet.

Well saved about 50 quid there.

AND I see Sara G is doing Aura so that is another load saved as I just cannot bear to listen to her talking twaddle over the guest.

At this rate I'll have saved enough to go on holiday!,

 

[Marina]

But the best 'cure' was when QVC sent me a print out of all my orders. It was almost as long as War and Peace and the total I'd spent was five figures, after only 4 years of having Freeview. I blame it on the novelty of having access to shopping channels when I first got Freeview. I'm cured now :mysmilie_14: (much to the detriment of QVC's bank balance and profits. :wink

Toril how do I get my QVC order print out?

 

[PrussianRed]

I have to agree that the novelty factor has now well and truly worn off!

I first started watching Q about 1999 - watched it quite a bit, on and off, and bought a reasonable amount although I would say I've never been a BIG spender. It was a bit like having a rather eccentric auntie who you could 'switch on' when you felt like a giggle, a respite from 'life', or just a friendly voice. It seemed to wash over you rather than grate your nerves, was less shouty and pushy, more calm and quirky.

For me, it was just boredom (same old stuff, same old faces) that made me stop spending. I still buy the odd thing but much prefer to source things from less well known sites, or even visit the DHS!!! I was never their ideal customer anyway, don't wear much make-up and live in jeans, jumpers, gilets and wellies and don't like gold, diamonds or expensive handbags :happy:

 

[Totally Loopy Lou]

Never had this problem (I simply can't afford most of it so just don't buy it - which sounds annoyingly simple!) but I sm dreadful for on eBay. That I can justify the price and it's the getting a bargain and 'winning' the item which is addictive for me. With qvc I would always look items up on google - read reviews (often poor!), think of the crazy postage cost lost to you, see prices elsewhere and just remember the ONLY reason the presenters are saying anything or even there at all is to make you what to BUY from them. So maybe focus on their sneaky strategies?!

 

[DunmowDizzy]

I've had an idea to help me control my spending on QVC. I'm going to add all my purchases for December in my footer on this forum. Just need to work out how to do that now!

 

[Toril]

Toril how do I get my QVC order print out?

I rang CS because I wanted to re-purchase something I had ordered before. Because the online records that I had access to didn't go back as far as my purchase did, I asked them what the item number was. They found it and then asked if I would like a print out of all my purchases incase I needed any item number again. I said yes, and a few days later a large A4 envelope arrived with details of all the item numbers, descriptions and the prices of everything that I'd ordered since day one. It also included the total I'd spent. :mysmilie_13:

So, you could try ringing CS and just asking for a print out because you want to track something you bought or just ask for one because you're tracking your total expenditure. I don't know if you buy a lot from them but, if you do, sit down when you open the envelope because I nearly fell down when I saw my total.

 

[Marina]

Thanks Toril, at the moment I feel a bit shaky to pick up the phone and phone CS but I will work up to doing it. I don't spend very much at the moment but was buying quiet a lot when I started shopping with QVC so I think that I better sit down when I open the envelope, as I'm known to order two TSVs at a time of my favorite brands. I think it's a good idea to have a reality check and I have been warned unlike you poor thing, I can imagine opening that envelope and that figure is staring at you, shudders. Even if my total is a couple of grand it would be shocking to me to see that figure.

 

[Toril]

Thanks Toril, at the moment I feel a bit shaky to pick up the phone and phone CS but I will work up to doing it. I don't spend very much at the moment but was buying quiet a lot when I started shopping with QVC so I think that I better sit down when I open the envelope, as I'm known to order two TSVs at a time of my favorite brands. I think it's a good idea to have a reality check and I have been warned unlike you poor thing, I can imagine opening that envelope and that figure is staring at you, shudders. Even if my total is a couple of grand it would be shocking to me to see that figure.

The embarrassing part is that none of the purchases were more than £30, so you can imagine how many orders I had placed. :blush: My poor postman and the Hermes courier must have breathed a sigh of relief when the novelty of ringing QCut finally wore off.

 

[MinxyKitten]

Maybe we should start a thread of shame, listing each time we're considering ordering an item and we can all talk each other out of it!! I am going to look at my Nov purchases - most of which have been returned, and will start from scratch today.

I can proudly say that I haven't ordered anything in December so far ;-) ha ha!! I can't see it changing either as I have ordered and returned so many things that I have thought "I seriously don't need this" lately. I want to start 2015 in a good, clear frame of mind