Why

[PJ.]

Personally, based on what i have heard presenters say i think it might be a bit less than that. around 150 - 200 but all the same. lets say 300 people missed out. i expect BID paid close to £50 for the item (based on the way they are desperately trying to clear the item) and they had 10 of them available. thats £500 in value. although the call costs £1.50 i doubt they make more than £1 on each call themselves. the 10 people that got one gave BID a revenue of around £50 total plus the missed calls so around £300. that leaves them minus £150. not exactly a golden egg. more of a gold plated turkey lol

What isnt factored into this is the cost of broadcasting and the cost of 'airtime'. shopping channels pay for a licensee for their airtime which is in the millions each year.plus of course all the costs which go along with broadcasting a show. from what i have heard and read channels will break that down into a cost per hour or even a cost per minute basis.

If anything this was a 'loss leader' designed to keep and audience watching so they can sell the other products they had available. I know the internet loves a conspiracy. but i dont think there is anything underhanded about this promotion. in fact. i think its the opposite. they sold a hoover for £1.thats great! no other channels run promotions like this. i think BID deserve a bit of credit for giving their viewers a bit of entertainment and an opportunity to get a cracking bargain. i realise that no matter what they do some people will look for the 'catch' and try and point out they are 'evil wrong doers' which is a shame. because it seems to me they are doing their very best to give people a genuine reason to watch the channel.

It still doesn't sit right with me that the majority of callers pay for the lucky 10 to have a bargain. Feels more like a lottery than a shopping channel sale. Two separate issues I know. I think I was very conservative with my guessing though as bid can be seen by anyone with a TV now.

PJ

 

[newtobid]

Bid that great rip off channel that has barely made a bean the past two years according to accounts filed

No doubt somebody will tell me the accounts are fiddled

If they are ripping people off they are not doing a good job

 

[newtobid]

Personally, based on what i have heard presenters say i think it might be a bit less than that. around 150 - 200 but all the same. lets say 300 people missed out. i expect BID paid close to £50 for the item (based on the way they are desperately trying to clear the item) and they had 10 of them available. thats £500 in value. although the call costs £1.50 i doubt they make more than £1 on each call themselves. the 10 people that got one gave BID a revenue of around £50 total plus the missed calls so around £300. that leaves them minus £150. not exactly a golden egg. more of a gold plated turkey lol

What isnt factored into this is the cost of broadcasting and the cost of 'airtime'. shopping channels pay for a licensee for their airtime which is in the millions each year.plus of course all the costs which go along with broadcasting a show. from what i have heard and read channels will break that down into a cost per hour or even a cost per minute basis.

If anything this was a 'loss leader' designed to keep and audience watching so they can sell the other products they had available. I know the internet loves a conspiracy. but i dont think there is anything underhanded about this promotion. in fact. i think its the opposite. they sold a hoover for £1.thats great! no other channels run promotions like this. i think BID deserve a bit of credit for giving their viewers a bit of entertainment and an opportunity to get a cracking bargain. i realise that no matter what they do some people will look for the 'catch' and try and point out they are 'evil wrong doers' which is a shame. because it seems to me they are doing their very best to give people a genuine reason to watch the channel.

Ideal World are currently running a "half price event" (halogen oven usual price £99.99 anyone)

The general consensus on there forum were i posted my suspicions about this event are that my thoughts are shared and people think they are at best underhand, and at worst illegal.

However they are not "outraged" or in most cases even that bothered (or bothered enough to report it) Having said that i did have one private message asking me how they complained to the ASA which i replied to (this was on a seperate ideal world matter).


Based on this maybe Ideal World viewers are just not that moved to complain, having watched a lot of this "half price event" i can guarantee one thing if Bid tried or do in the future something similar they will be reported left right and probably centre.


So i have to ask again why Bid attracts a lot of people who want to log Asa complaints on a daily basis for potential minor breaches?

 

[Bennyxp]

Ideal World are currently running a "half price event" (halogen oven usual price £99.99 anyone)

The general consensus on there forum were i posted my suspicions about this event are that my thoughts are shared and people think they are at best underhand, and at worst illegal.

However they are not "outraged" or in most cases even that bothered (or bothered enough to report it) Having said that i did have one private message asking me how they complained to the ASA which i replied to (this was on a seperate ideal world matter).


Based on this maybe Ideal World viewers are just not that moved to complain, having watched a lot of this "half price event" i can guarantee one thing if Bid tried or do in the future something similar they will be reported left right and probably centre.


So i have to ask again why Bid attracts a lot of people who want to log Asa complaints on a daily basis for potential minor breaches?

The half price event which Ideal World ran this weekend is very misleading and if bid done it, yes, there probably would be ASA complaints. I feel that IW customers don't complain about it as it's a 'one off' type tactic, while bid were coming up with new ways to deceive the customer every day and I was becoming tired of it. Bid have never been 100% compliant, but there is an extent that I would let them get away with before I would complain. I sent in several complaints in a short period of time, as I like watching bid but didn't think their selling practices were right. When the ASA upheld a complaint and bid tried to justify themselves and then came up with a new tactic to replace the 'defunct' one, it was giving me ammunition to make further complaints so justice was made. If IW were coming up with tactics to deceive the customer on a daily basis I (and other IW customers) may start to complain. - In 2008-2011 bid had hardly any upheld complaints. That doesn't mean they were 100% truthful, just that people were happy to see an odd slip but not happy with blatant lieing.

 

[newtobid]

good post Benny that

it is however often remarked on this forum that two wrongs do not make a right...

 

[mr tom]

that's a good shout benny. a fair point really.

i think "the big two" channels manage to go under the radar alot more for some reason.

 

[newtobid]

that's a good shout benny. a fair point really.

i think "the big two" channels manage to go under the radar alot more for some reason.

Well spotted Tom

Having said that having had a quick read of the qvc forum there are plenty not happy on there that have logged certain things with the ASA.

I believe Bid have made mistakes, i also believe some of there biggest have been there responses to complaints. Rather than gather evidence and compare there presentations to lots of others they appear to have not taken the whole thing very seriously and in turn have put together what look like half baked "defences" probably knocked up in 10 minutes with no thought.

You can be sure of one thing reading a lot of the upheld complaints, most of which have come from the same source the time, effort and evidence gathering effort has been immense on the side of the complainer and it shows why they get there complaints upheld.

For me companies should not be judged on the skills of those who are logging the complaints but more on a level playing field with there direct competition.

 

[PJ.]

I agree any channels that practice bad practice should be reported, I have about other channels and will in the future. Not sure why people think the ASA have something against bid though. They don't uphold all the bid complaints by any means.

 

[MrMobo]

The half price event which Ideal World ran this weekend is very misleading and if bid done it, yes, there probably would be ASA complaints. I feel that IW customers don't complain about it as it's a 'one off' type tactic, while bid were coming up with new ways to deceive the customer every day and I was becoming tired of it. Bid have never been 100% compliant, but there is an extent that I would let them get away with before I would complain. I sent in several complaints in a short period of time, as I like watching bid but didn't think their selling practices were right. When the ASA upheld a complaint and bid tried to justify themselves and then came up with a new tactic to replace the 'defunct' one, it was giving me ammunition to make further complaints so justice was made. If IW were coming up with tactics to deceive the customer on a daily basis I (and other IW customers) may start to complain. - In 2008-2011 bid had hardly any upheld complaints. That doesn't mean they were 100% truthful, just that people were happy to see an odd slip but not happy with blatant lieing.

No offense but your 100% wrong about "IW customers" I know of at least 5 that have submitted complaints.... and that's just the people I know. Its common sense others will have submitted complaints too.
I think its wrong that a few on here are trying to justify Bids wrong doings by using IW as an example of customer leniency. I think it sets a dangerous precedent if people start to over-look wrong doings of one channel just because another channel got away with it. If anything people should look at Bids upheld compliants and use them as an example when submitting complaints about other channels who have done the same thing.

 

[MrMobo]

You can be sure of one thing reading a lot of the upheld complaints, most of which have come from the same source

Please explain that comment. I trust you have factual evidence to back up your comment.

 

[Bennyxp]

No offense but your 100% wrong about "IW customers" I know of at least 5 that have submitted complaints.... and that's just the people I know. Its common sense others will have submitted complaints too.
I think its wrong that a few on here are trying to justify Bids wrong doings by using IW as an example of customer leniency. I think it sets a dangerous precedent if people start to over-look wrong doings of one channel just because another channel got away with it. If anything people should look at Bids upheld compliants and use them as an example when submitting complaints about other channels who have done the same thing.

At no point was I justifying any of IW's misleading techniques, I was merely saying that more customers will let the odd tactic fly over, while in bids case viewers were getting sick of the constant misleading sales. As I said, bid have never been 100% compliant, but rarely got complaints as viewers let them fly over until the tactics got silly.

 

[Wirral70]

I have only seen some Ideal World's so called half price offers on their website and I have to say the Halogen Oven 'offer' does seem somewhat dubious. However, lets forget Ideal World as this is a Bid Forum and travel back to the Real World. Is there the smallest crumb of evidence that Ideal World have ever behaved even remotely like Sit-Up?, I don't think they have, in fact there is no evidence that any other group of current shopping channels have.

If anyone needs reminding here is a link to the ASA website which details Sit-Up's lamentable compliance record since last November, which resulted in an almost unprecedented referral to OFCOM for consideration of statutory sanctions following repeated breaches of the Broadcast Advertising Code.

http://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/Advanced-Search.aspx?Start=9/5/2012&End=8/7/2013&Advertiser=sit%20up#results

But what do you make of this guys?. I was looking at Justin Hazell's Linkedin page and note where he says he has a clean ASA record as if it's some sort of a medal. When an employee of Sit-Up feels the need to highlight his clean record (and Justin is by far one of their most honest presenters) I think it kind of says everything.

http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/justin-hazell/68/426/9b1

 

[Bennyxp]

But what do you make of this guys?. I was looking at Justin Hazell's Linkedin page and note where he says he has a clean ASA record as if it's some sort of a medal. When an employee of Sit-Up feels the need to highlight his clean record (and Justin is by far one of their most honest presenters) I think it kind of says everything.

http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/justin-hazell/68/426/9b1

Seems like he is looking for another 'tv sale' job and that is a plus point for potential employers The only positive he has over other presenters! lol

 

[Bennyxp]

And they say they don't get commission, but "Achievement of Channel Sales Bonus 3 quarters in a row." surely this could be a reason for the misleading to make sales, and I presume the producers are on the same scheme too!

 

[Wirral70]

Seems like he is looking for another 'tv sale' job and that is a plus point for potential employers The only positive he has over other presenters! lol

I think he is as dull as dishwater but that one line says it all for me.

I doubt even the most fervent Bid Basher could sum things up better, and as succinctly, as that.

 

[Wirral70]

And they say they don't get commission, but "Achievement of Channel Sales Bonus 3 quarters in a row." surely this could be a reason for the misleading to make sales, and I presume the producers are on the same scheme too!

It's a very telling page of information, in my opinion.

Anyway, you won't find me slagging off anyone for receiving bonuses as I receive them. The management are to blame for the compliance problems, they set the tone and the expected standards.

I would hate to think what kind of pressure the presenters have been put under however, that isn't our problem.

 

[newtobid]

amazingly the halogen oven usual price was £10 lower today than during the whole half price event.....

Yes it is not the ideal world forum Wirral but if i want to mention a rival and how i feel they perform to presumably the same rules and regs i am allowed i believe

i of course could once again be very very wrong

infact that was almost a very defensive post from you

 

[PJ.]

amazingly the halogen oven usual price was £10 lower today than during the whole half price event.....

Yes it is not the ideal world forum Wirral but if i want to mention a rival and how i feel they perform to presumably the same rules and regs i am allowed i believe

i of course could once again be very very wrong

infact that was almost a very defensive post from you

You should report them to the ASA.

 

[newtobid]

I cant Pj they got annoyed with my 8 complaints lodged against Bid

I have however received notice today that a viewer has logged a complaint after my pm advice

That is what you all want isnt it? Customers not be hoodwinked REGARDLESS of the channel

personally i feel she has a very strong case but as you are aware i am not the ASA expert on this forum

 

[mr tom]

Well spotted Tom

Having said that having had a quick read of the qvc forum there are plenty not happy on there that have logged certain things with the ASA.

I believe Bid have made mistakes, i also believe some of there biggest have been there responses to complaints. Rather than gather evidence and compare there presentations to lots of others they appear to have not taken the whole thing very seriously and in turn have put together what look like half baked "defences" probably knocked up in 10 minutes with no thought.

You can be sure of one thing reading a lot of the upheld complaints, most of which have come from the same source the time, effort and evidence gathering effort has been immense on the side of the complainer and it shows why they get there complaints upheld.

For me companies should not be judged on the skills of those who are logging the complaints but more on a level playing field with there direct competition.

to be quite blunt i feel there needs to be tweaks across the board, not just bid, not just the big two.

the devil is always in the details. most of the issues resonate around the ommission or glossing over of details.