Upheld Complaints Against Sit Up - 12 June 2013

Here are this weeks Upheld ASA complaints against Sit Up.

I made this complaint, it involved the appalling Chris Birkett and I consider this one as bad as it gets, just awful lying.

http://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2013/6/sit_up-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_224556.aspx

Steve Macdonald uses a different tactic with the £10 credit offer as seen yesterday and at other times, namely that he tells viewers that they really are giving away a £10 credit with every purchase and if you don't believe what he's saying then check the terms and conditions on their website. He's counting on viewers trusting him enough to believe that the £10 credit offer is genuine therefore they won't bother to find out for themselves that these so-called credits may be worthless to them.

At the time I thought that such a statement may have been a bit too vague for an ASA complaint but having seen that adjudication I now believe that a complaint could be worth pursuing, though we'll have to wait until it happens again (if it does).

Price Plunge said:

Steve Macdonald uses a different tactic with the £10 credit offer as seen yesterday and at other times, namely that he tells viewers that they really are giving away a £10 credit with every purchase and if you don't believe what he's saying then check the terms and conditions on their website. He's counting on viewers trusting him enough to believe that the £10 credit offer is genuine therefore they won't bother to find out for themselves that these so-called credits may be worthless to them.

At the time I thought that such a statement may have been a bit too vague for an ASA complaint but having seen that adjudication I now believe that a complaint could be worth pursuing, though we'll have to wait until it happens again (if it does).

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i'd say it isn't as one could argue that he is pointing people in the direction of the facts/rules, which is technically more than most of them do.

Wirral70 said:

Here are this weeks Upheld ASA complaints against Sit Up.

I made this complaint, it involved the appalling Chris Birkett and I consider this one as bad as it gets, just awful lying.

http://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2013/6/sit_up-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_224556.aspx

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...and the shysterism continues...the excuse that Birkett hadn't been told that the voucher offer was continuing is a feeble one indeed, makes you wonder if producers lose the power of speech to be able to correct the presenters while they are on air. I see that the latest voucher offer is restricted to a three-day redemption period - if you didn't actually go to the site to check the T's and C's out you'd be hard pushed to notice that in the few seconds that they are flashed up on the screen - very dodgy practice IMO.

mr tom said:

i'd say it isn't as one could argue that he is pointing people in the direction of the facts/rules, which is technically more than most of them do.

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That's what I initially thought therefore didn't think it was worth complaining. However it may also depend on the context, especially if at the time there was no on-screen text informing viewers of the existence of terms and conditions, as was the case when I was watching (though the message was displayed later on during the sale).

Price Plunge said:

That's what I initially thought therefore didn't think it was worth complaining. However it may also depend on the context, especially if at the time there was no on-screen text informing viewers of the existence of terms and conditions, as was the case when I was watching (though the message was displayed later on during the sale).

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i think its just become standard practice among all forms of tv to say that t&c's exist but it's up to you to find and read them.

i'm not on their side, i just feel on this matter he did nothing different to what schofield would have said etc.

Calling Wirral... or anyone else who may know the answer


What happens now, or is already happening with OFCOM? Are they monitoring situps, have they watched the old tapes? Will situps get away with it by (almost) cleaning up their act? Will OFCOm give them an ultimatum? Will they make them give an onscreen apology? Remember the other channel which did that, they folded afterwards. Sorry to appear so thick but I have very little to none knowledge of things like this. Please forgive me if i don't answer any of your replies, I'm not disinterested, just spending the afternoon at Queens watching the tennis

Steve Mac was credit crazy yesterday, as they all are. I hate the days, which are more and more often now, when they do this credit malarky. It's all you hear. Bugga the product, it's all about the £10 credit 'that's going back into your account' and 'we're giving you more here than you're spending'.

Well judging by FB, it's not as easy as them lodging the credit nicely in your account. I don't know, I've never had the pleasure but there are some very confused people on FB. They check their account and the credit isn't there. Have they missed it? The answer is always that they have to phone CS. So how much does that cost? Why should you have to chase up on something that the presenter has said has been credited to your account?

It's like somebody giving you a birthday present and you have to ring up and fetch it!

But we know why, because if they lodged £10 in every purchasers account they would be skint. So let's hope not many claim it then eh? It's a good way of shifting a load of tat with a rotten dangling carrot.

I bought the mini coffee maker from them when there was a £10 credit promotion.
Needless to say it never showed in my account. I haven't chased it up as it would probably cost me as much or more to get it and then how many times do you see items over £10 that you can use these vouchers on, and then if you do you probably already got or dont want the item. Its all a big scam.

Thunderstorm said:

I bought the mini coffee maker from them when there was a £10 credit promotion.
Needless to say it never showed in my account. I haven't chased it up as it would probably cost me as much or more to get it and then how many times do you see items over £10 that you can use these vouchers on, and then if you do you probably already got or dont want the item. Its all a big scam.

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Exactly Thunderstorm

Hillary said:

Calling Wirral... or anyone else who may know the answer


What happens now, or is already happening with OFCOM? Are they monitoring situps, have they watched the old tapes? Will situps get away with it by (almost) cleaning up their act? Will OFCOm give them an ultimatum? Will they make them give an onscreen apology? Remember the other channel which did that, they folded afterwards. Sorry to appear so thick but I have very little to none knowledge of things like this. Please forgive me if i don't answer any of your replies, I'm not disinterested, just spending the afternoon at Queens watching the tennis

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I guess we'll have to wait and see what OFCOM say Hillary. I would think a series of on air apologies would be the least they should be ordered to do.

Just look at that complaint though, it was so awful. Dreadful Hillary.

the £10 credits should just stop

a, because they are misleading and hard to understand for the customer

and b, because they are just asking for trouble mentioning them and the ever confusing t + c's


I now transpire to have £20 credit on my bid shopping account which according to the rep who rang me today has no expiry date

One is from when i bought the Lee Stafford dirt cheap on price drop and the another is another baffling "loyalty" £10 they have credited me (4 products in the last year hardly loyal)

The fact they have now given me 4 credits in under a year despite not being a regular buyer makes me wonder just how many credits are being applied at random?

newtobid said:

the £10 credits should just stop

a, because they are misleading and hard to understand for the customer

and b, because they are just asking for trouble mentioning them and the ever confusing t + c's


I now transpire to have £20 credit on my bid shopping account which according to the rep who rang me today has no expiry date

One is from when i bought the Lee Stafford dirt cheap on price drop and the another is another baffling "loyalty" £10 they have credited me (4 products in the last year hardly loyal)

The fact they have now given me 4 credits in under a year despite not being a regular buyer makes me wonder just how many credits are being applied at random?

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Really? i have had 4 £10 credits and been very grateful of them when i came to spend them. yes there are T&C which is a pain in the backside. but, as they say there is no such thing as a free lunch! time are tough. if you want a bargain you have to work for it. thats how i see it anyway. They are giving you an incentive to shop with them are they not? i think it is an insight into just how disliked BID are by this forum that even when they give away free credits they are hammered lol.

Wirral70 said:

Here are this weeks Upheld ASA complaints against Sit Up.

I made this complaint, it involved the appalling Chris Birkett and I consider this one as bad as it gets, just awful lying.

http://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2013/6/sit_up-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_224556.aspx

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"Today's the day. Seriously, I will tell you now, I've got full confidence that we would sell literally hundreds of these without that £10 credit offer ... get your £10 credit. We're just waiting to be told it's [the credit offer] over, because today at 7.14 we got an email saying we could continue on with this ... we can continue on with this for now, but there's no guarantee how long that can go on for."

I remember the days when TV presenters had to be articulate. the people who represent BID do them no favours at times. if you sound like a barrow boy people will assume you are one. As for the complaint. i dont agree it is the worst i have seen from their catalogue. not even close.unfortunately for them if this was an isolated incident you would assume it was a genuine mistake. But their reputation proceeds them. after reading the ASA site yesterday i get the impression that they are so sick of the complains aimed at BID that they just 'upheld' anything that comes in. other companies seem to be able to 'resolve' far more serious complaints.

bingowings said:

"Today's the day. Seriously, I will tell you now, I've got full confidence that we would sell literally hundreds of these without that £10 credit offer ... get your £10 credit. We're just waiting to be told it's [the credit offer] over, because today at 7.14 we got an email saying we could continue on with this ... we can continue on with this for now, but there's no guarantee how long that can go on for."

I remember the days when TV presenters had to be articulate. the people who represent BID do them no favours at times. if you sound like a barrow boy people will assume you are one. As for the complaint. i dont agree it is the worst i have seen from their catalogue. not even close.unfortunately for them if this was an isolated incident you would assume it was a genuine mistake. But their reputation proceeds them. after reading the ASA site yesterday i get the impression that they are so sick of the complains aimed at BID that they just 'upheld' anything that comes in. other companies seem to be able to 'resolve' far more serious complaints.

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agree with this

watched ideal world this morning for ten minutes and there were 3 comments that if they were made on bid would have been reported for sure

1. this is used by members of the royal family (really?)

2. lots of high profile celebrities use this product

and this product has been featured in the daily express and vogue

bingowings said:

Really? i have had 4 £10 credits and been very grateful of them when i came to spend them. yes there are T&C which is a pain in the backside. but, as they say there is no such thing as a free lunch! time are tough. if you want a bargain you have to work for it. thats how i see it anyway. They are giving you an incentive to shop with them are they not? i think it is an insight into just how disliked BID are by this forum that even when they give away free credits they are hammered lol.

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i am agreeing with you in a way bingo

i have benefited from the credits but have no idea why, that is my point i feel they have probably applied lots of £10 credits were they should have not and also missed a lot of customers who should have

it is just making more work for them everytime they run a promotion like this