GemsTV Format Change

<img src="http://www.shoppingtelly.com/images/gemstv/gemstvlogo.jpg" style="margin: 5px; border: currentColor; float: right;" />GemsTV is now available on Freeview, Sky, Virgin and Freesat. As of tomorrow GemsTV will also be launching on Scottish ITV 1 from midnight until 1am most nights of the week! As they will be reaching a wider audience, many who will not have seen TV Auctions before, GemsTV feel the time is right to "make improvements to the way we play our auctions/games, giving everyone more choice and flexibility."<br /><br /> With the new format at the bottom of the screen you’ll see how many pieces GemsTV currently hold in their vault. Only a certain quantity of items will be available to purchase at the closing price in each game. But, the game/auction will not end until either all the pieces have been allocated, or an hour after the game began. Although GemsTV may now move onto the next game before all of the pieces have been allocated, you may still actually have a chance to purchase the item at that price, either on the phone or on the web.<br /><br />Gems TV said: "This exciting new format will allow us to bring you faster games, more of them, and more choice! We really hope you enjoy the new format and would like to thank so many of you for contributing suggestions on how we can make it more interesting and more accessible to everyone."

Klosblue said:

I guess this is in response to all our comments about the 'Falling Auctions' which weren't!

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and still won't be. Once the auction slows at a given price, they can pull it. Although it'll still be available for an hour it won't drop any further so very similar to TJC methods, including showing how many in stock as well as the number in any given auction. All I can see happening is that this will speed things up but not in our favour. I think a serious look at the "falling aucton fotmat" really needs looking at by the powers that be. xxxxxxxxxxxxx

argeybargey said:

and still won't be. Once the auction slows at a given price, they can pull it. Although it'll still be available for an hour it won't drop any further so very similar to TJC methods, including showing how many in stock as well as the number in any given auction. All I can see happening is that this will speed things up but not in our favour. I think a serious look at the "falling aucton fotmat" really needs looking at by the powers that be. xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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That's how I saw it as well....auctions being pulled when they reach their desired selling price. But on the other hand they still have to sell the pieces or its wasted expensive air time. I saw a number of failed auctions late yesterday afternoon with Nick which showed that viewers can show a bit of discernment when either the product or price isn't right!

I like the idea of unsold items being available for an hour....gives a bit of thinking time plus helpful to potential customers who need a bit more time getting to the phone or for the logging on process. One of my gripes against that dratted clock. :doh:

I received an e-mail too. Found this sentence very interesting :wonder:

With our new format, at the bottom of the screen you’ll see how many pieces we currently hold in our vault. Only a certain quantity of items will be available to purchase at the mind-blowing closing price in each game. But, the game/auction will not end until either all the pieces have been allocated, or an hour after the game began. Although we may now move onto the next game before all of the pieces have been allocated, you may still actually have a chance to purchase the item at that price, either on the phone or on the web.

I must tune in to see these prices :wink:

Probably one similar to the RRP on the labels, now that certainly blows my mind. How thick do they think we are? Very insulting to our intelligence. <a href="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.smileycentral.com%252F%253Fpartner%253DZSzeb008%255FZNxpt484YYGB%2526i%253D36%252F36%255F20%255F2%2526feat%253Dprof/page.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_20_2.gif" alt="SmileyCentral.com" border="0"><img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252Fnocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egif%253Fi%253D36%252F36_20_2%2526uiv%253D3.0/image.gif"></a> xxxxxxxxxxx

Can’t believe gems tv has turned into another qvc, I’ve been watching for about 30 minutes, and have already seen a few auctions ending before the quantity running out. If I wanted to watch an auction channel like this, I would watch sit-up. Can’t believe Steve has gone from the really successful rocks tv, to closing it down and not even having genuine falling price auctions on gems. Very disappointed.

So much too for "no clocks". It seems to me that clocks are more honest than these new random closures. If you're interested in buying you have to have the volume on otherwise you don't know they're closing. Of course if they close with stock then you have the option to order online or by phone, but they'll probably lose some spontaneous purchases. xxxxxxxxx

well good grief what a turnaround! what a shame - a previously good unbroken toy has been fixed and now is as bland and uninteresting as all the rest of the shopping telly channels - rocks attraction was the fact they were different - now theyre not.

How do you buy after the auction ends on line?

The graphics seem to be struggling to keep up online - could be my connection but everything else seems to be working.

Gems TV said: "This exciting new format will allow us to bring you faster games, more of them, and more choice! We really hope you enjoy the new format and would like to thank so many of you for contributing suggestions on how we can make it more interesting and more accessible to everyone."

Don't you just love it when something is changed to benefit a company and they try to convince you that it's all being done for you?

What a bleedin' farce, and no wonder the Bennetts disappeared off the forum; it would have been a bit hard to have to admit that our criticism was accurate and well-founded, and that we were being fed a pack of lies about our continuing gripes and the lack of proper responses, and/or even the most basic reasoning behind their increasingly bizarre methodology.

Well, I can think of many people on here who have contributed suggestions on how to make things more interesting and accessible, and not one of those suggestions has been acted upon, and switching on the channel a minute ago to see what was afoot with the new and "improved" format...I see we are yet again in the throes of a "clearance, with special clearance prices". Cynical, gimmicky rubbish, and if you have to resort to such things, you can't have much faith or confidence in the quality and prices of your products nor the ability of your salespeople to shift them.
Argey is absolutely right when she says that the powers that be need to look into the whole malarkey, and bring television shopping channels in line with the rules and regulations laid down for other retailers, otherwise the whole thing will become ever more farcical and the more gullible viewers will be ruthlessly taken advantage of by the sharp tactics of a business person who has shown that he is happy to discard loyal customers in the belief that some kind of world domination is just around the corner. On that note, I'd remind Mr Bennett that there is a term used to describe a person's fatal flaw, the 'hamartia', and his arrogance and short-term-ism could well lead to the eventual collapse of what looks increasingly like a kind of distorted vanity project.

You got me with "hamartia", me Ancient Greek not bein' wot it woz. <a href="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.smileycentral.com%252F%253Fpartner%253DZSzeb008%255FZNxpt484YYGB%2526i%253D26%252F26%255F33%255F1%2526feat%253Dprof/page.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/26/26_33_1.gif" alt="SmileyCentral.com" border="0"><img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252Fnocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egif%253Fi%253D26%252F26_33_1%2526uiv%253D3.0/image.gif"></a> xxxxxxxxxxx

Iclaudipuss has it! I now believe that the latest incarnation of Gems is just an ego-trip for Steve, and a chance for Sarah to play at jewellery designing - but if the end product is good, quite frankly I couldn't care less: unfortunately it isn't.

I'm wondering if being surrounded by a coterie of friends and family has inured Steve from seeing the many faults that have rapidly manifested themselves since he took over; I have no idea what his vision is for the future (or whether he actually feels there is one), but I can only assume that rising costs have forced the company into seriously compromising on style and quality so they're constantly coming up with excuses.

Wouldn't surprise me if they suddenly disappeared...

Jinny x

Wouldn't surprise me if they suddenly disappeared...


Jinny, I can definitely see that happening, and I don't think it's too far in the future either.

argeybargey said:

You got me with "hamartia", me Ancient Greek not bein' wot it woz. <a href="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.smileycentral.com%252F%253Fpartner%253DZSzeb008%255FZNxpt484YYGB%2526i%253D26%252F26%255F33%255F1%2526feat%253Dprof/page.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/26/26_33_1.gif" alt="SmileyCentral.com" border="0"><img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252Fnocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egif%253Fi%253D26%252F26_33_1%2526uiv%253D3.0/image.gif"></a> xxxxxxxxxxx

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You got that bit right anyway! :mysmilie_17:

Klosblue said:

You got that bit right anyway! :mysmilie_17:

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'Ere, cop a load o'these wrinkles <a href="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.smileycentral.com%252F%253Fpartner%253DZSzeb008%255FZNxpt484YYGB%2526i%253D36%252F36%255F11%255F2%2526feat%253Dprof/page.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_11_2.gif" alt="SmileyCentral.com" border="0"><img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252Fnocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egif%253Fi%253D36%252F36_11_2%2526uiv%253D3.0/image.gif"></a> xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bottoms up!......

argeybargey said:

'ere, cop a load o'these wrinkles <a href="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253a%252f%252fwww.smileycentral.com%252f%253fpartner%253dzszeb008%255fznxpt484yygb%2526i%253d36%252f36%255f11%255f2%2526feat%253dprof/page.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_11_2.gif" alt="smileycentral.com" border="0"><img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253a%252f%252fimgfarm%252ecom%252fimages%252fnocache%252ftr%252ffw%252fsmiley%252fsocial%252egif%253fi%253d36%252f36_11_2%2526uiv%253d3.0/image.gif"></a> xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Πυθμένα μέχρι!! :happy:

Sacha said:

Πυθμένα μέχρι!! :happy:

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Smirnoff to you too! :happy:

Ahh so now I see what has been happening. I think I can happily purchase better quality, nicer items and have the choice where, when and how without complicated 0845 phone calls, unhelpful and rude CS ppl who are more confused than the customers. Nearly fell off the wagon tonight, now firmly superglued to the seat.

i can't find a registered company number detailed on gemstv website, by law, there should be one there. if they are under the umbrella of coloured rocks ltd, company no. 06365402, then something definitely seems a little amiss - their latest set of accounts for the period to 31.03.10 should have been filed at Companies House by 31.12.10, they haven't been filed yet. i think they'll have until the end of March to get them filed, otherwise it's a fine that increases over time & a 'striking off' action will automatically be filed too. (once they file their accounts, that action should be cancelled though).

there is something filed 17.02.11 which refers to section 190(1), if that's the companies act, i think it refers to property being sold.

something 'seems' to be going on...or not! it's quite a common tactic if they want to leave it until the last minute to file accounts & have their latest info available for anyone who runs a credit check (but that usually means the figures are worse than previous years).

I found them doing a name search for Gems TV.

They seem to use Coloured Rocks Company and The Colourful Company Group Limited so who knows which one they file under!