Suggestions for P&P

[PJ.]

We know that one of bid's strengths are the speed of delivery so why not have two delivery options? The current price of £7.99 for 48hr delivery or 1 week delivery for say £2.99. Also per day delivery price and not per item. It could save bid money. People are more likely to order more on one day and therefore one delivery can than maybe going to the same address twice in a week. Might encourage more shopping too.

PJ

 

[Wirral70]

We know that one of bid's strengths are the speed of delivery so why not have two delivery options? The current price of £7.99 for 48hr delivery or 1 week delivery for say £2.99. Also per day delivery price and not per item. It could save bid money. People are more likely to order more on one day and therefore one delivery can than maybe going to the same address twice in a week. Might encourage more shopping too.

PJ

Interesting ideas PJ. It's just my opinion but personally I don't think they'll tinker too much with the P+P, it appears to be an absolutely vital part of their business plan. I think they are likely to sell more Microwave Egg Makers at £1 + £7.99 than they would at say £6 + £2.99, even if the cost to the punter is exactly the same. And of course huge, non refundable P+P charges are a very useful tool to manage their returns costs too!

It's a bit like when you see big advertised offers for say a 1kg tub of spread in the supermarket for £3 but 2 x 500g tubs sometimes cost exactly the same, I have even seen them cost less but many people perceive the big pack to be a better deal because it has a headline grabbing price.

 

[merryone]

Interesting ideas PJ. It's just my opinion but personally I don't think they'll tinker too much with the P+P, it appears to be an absolutely vital part of their business plan. I think they are likely to sell more Microwave Egg Makers at £1 + £7.99 than they would at say £6 + £2.99, even if the cost to the punter is exactly the same. And of course huge, non refundable P+P charges are a very useful tool to manage their returns costs too!

It's a bit like when you see big advertised offers for say a 1kg tub of spread in the supermarket for £3 but 2 x 500g tubs sometimes cost exactly the same, I have even seen them cost less but many people perceive the big pack to be a better deal because it has a headline grabbing price.

Absolutely! I think it's their extortionate p&p charges that are keeping them afloat. Online, you can multiple order and pay just the one p&p charge and will obviously avoid the phone call charge, however, you may have noticed that they're trying now to steer people away from this option and give them no option but to order via the telephone. Up until about a few weeks back, on Bid's website you could "buy now" on almost every item they had, therefore accrue a basket load and pay for it all in one go, for just one charge, they even waived the fee altogether if you spend £50 or more. Now, they keep a very small selection of products on the front page which are available for immediate purchase, and can be added to basket so to speak, other than that everything else is in "auction form" so you can place your bid, which doesn't guarantee your success, or wait for the auction to appear on tv and phone up - pretty crafty, and obviously designed with themselves in mind and not the customer!

 

[Wirral70]

Absolutely! I think it's their extortionate p&p charges that are keeping them afloat. Online, you can multiple order and pay just the one p&p charge and will obviously avoid the phone call charge, however, you may have noticed that they're trying now to steer people away from this option and give them no option but to order via the telephone. Up until about a few weeks back, on Bid's website you could "buy now" on almost every item they had, therefore accrue a basket load and pay for it all in one go, for just one charge, they even waived the fee altogether if you spend £50 or more. Now, they keep a very small selection of products on the front page which are available for immediate purchase, and can be added to basket so to speak, other than that everything else is in "auction form" so you can place your bid, which doesn't guarantee your success, or wait for the auction to appear on tv and phone up - pretty crafty, and obviously designed with themselves in mind and not the customer!

I have noticed that on the website too Merry. Yesterday afternoon Peter Sherlock, very honestly, suggested people order online to save themselves the phone call charges but I got the impression he might have been told to move on as he rather quickly changed the subject.

But I could be completely wrong!

 

[Hillary]

Last year I bought a complete set of brand new Marple audio CD's and a half set of Poirot from play.com for £30. They weighed a ton but the postage was free and the parcel was here in 48 hours. Now, if independent traders can do this, why can't bid? If they got their noses out of the money trough for long enough they would see that, in the long run, they would make more money.
It would make the salesperson's job much easier too. They have to stand in front of the camera and justify the exorbitant p&p. The only 'advice' they can give, is order on line to save the phone call, and that's the smallest part of the rip off. I feel sorry for them.

 

[Hillary]

And another thing. Our bedroom phone turned its toes up last evening so this morning we went to ARGOS and got a really nice one, very basic which is all you want when the damn things rings at 3am isn't it, for under£5. Now, just think if bid bought a container load of those, how much their profit would be on the postage alone:mysmilie_466: not to mention the markup on the phone. And some poor salesman or woman has to stand in front of the camera, talk it up and justify it!

 

[Mommabear]

And another thing. Our bedroom phone turned its toes up last evening so this morning we went to ARGOS and got a really nice one, very basic which is all you want when the damn things rings at 3am isn't it, for under£5. Now, just think if bid bought a container load of those, how much their profit would be on the postage alone:mysmilie_466: not to mention the markup on the phone. And some poor salesman or woman has to stand in front of the camera, talk it up and justify it!

They always say how they can keep things cheaper on shopping channels because they haven't got the high outgoings of a shop

After hearing all the staff that Mikeyboy thanks, after his shift alone, their wage bill must be mega huge

 

[deedee]

They always say how they can keep things cheaper on shopping channels because they haven't got the high outgoings of a shop

After hearing all the staff that Mikeyboy thanks, after his shift alone, their wage bill must be mega huge

This is a very good point
Shopping channels promote themselves as cheaper because they haven't got the overheads which I could be true in SitUp's case, isn't it on a trading estate in Acton or somewhere like that? so no fancy, expensive studios (makes me wonder how much the new QVC towers cost though!) but there always seems plenty of staff on the floor and in the gallery plus the assistant so the wage bill must be considerable.......aha, now it makes sense, that'll be why the P&P charges are so high! :taphead: :mysmilie_859:

 

[Wirral70]

This is a very good point
Shopping channels promote themselves as cheaper because they haven't got the overheads which I could be true in SitUp's case, isn't it on a trading estate in Acton or somewhere like that? so no fancy, expensive studios (makes me wonder how much the new QVC towers cost though!) but there always seems plenty of staff on the floor and in the gallery plus the assistant so the wage bill must be considerable.......aha, now it makes sense, that'll be why the P&P charges are so high! :taphead: :mysmilie_859:

A lot of the crew, even the Directors, appear to be incredibly young though so maybe they are just starting off in their careers?

Gianni who left recently looked no older than his early 20's and he was a Director.

 

[deedee]

A lot of the crew, even the Directors, appear to be incredibly young though so maybe they are just starting off in their careers?

Gianni who left recently looked no older than his early 20's and he was a Director.

perhaps it's the sort of industry where they want bright young things in which to instil corporate values and maybe if they comply with company policies they get to climb the ladder whilst still very young?
if you read between the lines, what I'm trying to say , very diplomatically is that they want them young and attractive so that they can be brainwashed as to the law according to SitUp and if they behave they get promotion! :angel: :sweat:

 

[Wirral70]

perhaps it's the sort of industry where they want bright young things in which to instil corporate values and maybe if they comply with company policies they get to climb the ladder whilst still very young?
if you read between the lines, what I'm trying to say , very diplomatically is that they want them young and attractive so that they can be brainwashed as to the law according to SitUp and if they behave they get promotion! :angel: :sweat:

You may well be right deedee!

 

[Atticus]

I think Wirral you're spot on when you state about managing return costs - if you return an item to bid you're going to be £10 down (plus the cost of posting the item back to them). I would imagine then for anything they sell under £15 most people would rather just keep it than lose out. Can you imagine some of the lowest tat that they flog for a £5 - customers may not like the item - but hardly any would take the hit of returning it.

I have no doubt that their high p&p keeps them afloat.

(On the plus, I have heard that their delivery is actually very good - items arrive quickly and in good condition.)

 

[Wirral70]

I think Wirral you're spot on when you state about managing return costs - if you return an item to bid you're going to be £10 down (plus the cost of posting the item back to them). I would imagine then for anything they sell under £15 most people would rather just keep it than lose out. Can you imagine some of the lowest tat that they flog for a £5 - customers may not like the item - but hardly any would take the hit of returning it.

I have no doubt that their high p&p keeps them afloat.

(On the plus, I have heard that their delivery is actually very good - items arrive quickly and in good condition.)

Indeed, it's just not worth returning anything that costs £10 or less, and let's face it, how many of their products cost less than £10.

And you're right, when you take into account the additional cost of sending something back then you are probably talking £15. It's a great business model isn't it? Kerching!