Balmain Pens - Not Quite As High End as Russell Maintains?

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Wirral70

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Dec 14, 2010
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Balmain is a brand I am familiar with because the pens we use in work with our company branding are from Balmain. Now, there is certainly is a couture design house of the same name and obviously that is where the name of the pens originated however, that is where the similarity ends.

Also, I have looked at the Balmain website and I cannot find these so called expensive pens that Russell referred to. What I have been able to easily find is dozens of promotional companies selling Balmain pens by the bucket load for absolute peanuts and I really do mean peanuts. I'm sure there are high end pens of this name knocking about from yesteryear but these aren't, no way.

http://www.balmain.com/en/

http://www.promochoice.co.uk/acatalog/Balmain_Pens.html


What Russell did last night is exactly what he used to do with Triplet Opals. Talk mainly about a loosely or one time related company/product when the item on sale is actually uber cheap tatt. Think Pierre Cardin and you're along the right lines

The guy is pretty shameless really but I guess we all know that. What he did isn't (in my opinion) against any rules (although I couldn't see any expensive pens on their website but i'm as ever happy to be corrected) but it is highly disingenuous and could even be considered sly but if he thinks he's going to get away with slipping back to the snake tactics of yesteryear he's got another thing coming. The presenters on a whole are so much improved now and i'm guessing the last thing Sit-Up need is a shark like Russell ruining things for them.

Happy Christmas James, it seems we need to watch you closely again Mister!
 
Balmain is a brand I am familiar with because the pens we use in work with our company branding are from Balmain. Now, there is certainly is a couture design house of the same name and obviously that is where the name of the pens originated however, that is where the similarity ends.

Also, I have looked at the Balmain website and I cannot find these so called expensive pens that Russell referred to. What I have been able to easily find is dozens of promotional companies selling Balmain pens by the bucket load for absolute peanuts and I really do mean peanuts. I'm sure there are high end pens of this name knocking about from yesteryear but these aren't, no way.

http://www.balmain.com/en/

http://www.promochoice.co.uk/acatalog/Balmain_Pens.html


What Russell did last night is exactly what he used to do with Triplet Opals. Talk mainly about a loosely or one time related company/product when the item on sale is actually uber cheap tatt. Think Pierre Cardin and you're along the right lines

The guy is pretty shameless really but I guess we all know that. What he did isn't (in my opinion) against any rules (although I couldn't see any expensive pens on their website but i'm as ever happy to be corrected) but it is highly disingenuous and could even be considered sly but if he thinks he's going to get away with slipping back to the snake tactics of yesteryear he's got another thing coming. The presenters on a whole are so much improved now and i'm guessing the last thing Sit-Up need is a shark like Russell ruining things for them.

Happy Christmas James, it seems we need to watch you closely again Mister!

You must work for an incredibly generous comany to not only provide you with such luxurious pens but to also allow you to spend time each and every day watching and commenting on shopping telly. i had no idea such companies existed.

I watched last night and the only thing disingenuous is your account of the deal of the day launch and knowledge of the brand that is available. the presenter (james russel) chatted about the history of balmain and how they where seen in the 1950s. all of which is 100% true

see below

http://www.balmain.com/en/histoire-maison-de-couture-balmain/

He also said about cloths from balmain costing lots of money which they clearly do - the jacket below is one of scores being sold at over £3000

http://www.farfetch.com/shopping/me...?gclid=CLzLhsqwt7sCFUzHtAodvmAAfQ&country=215

i dont quite see how you can have a problem with them talking about the prestige and history of a brand they are selling. especially when it is all 100% true lol
 
I think it's important to mention that he wasn't selling a Balmain cloth, he was selling a Balmain pen which are sold in great quantity as promotional pens to all manner of companies. They are as cheap as chips.

And look as I may I cannot find any pens on sale on the Balmain website, probably because the pens are a licensed product much in the same way you can pay thousands for a Pierre Cardin couture dress but also £2.99 for three pairs of Pierre Cardin Polycotton socks in Primark.

Balmain pens probably have about as much in common with their couture lines as Jaguar Aftershave (which reeks) has to do with their cars. As I clearly said in my post he didn't do anything wrong but I think any fair minded individual would agree his pitch was somewhat disingenuous.
 
I think it's important to mention that he wasn't selling a Balmain cloth, he was selling a Balmain pen which are sold in great quantity as promotional pens to all manner of companies. They are as cheap as chips.

And look as I may I cannot find any pens on sale on the Balmain website, probably because the pens are a licensed product much in the same way you can pay thousands for a Pierre Cardin couture dress but also £2.99 for three pairs of Pierre Cardin Polycotton socks in Primark.

Balmain pens probably have about as much in common with their couture lines as Jaguar Aftershave (which reeks) has to do with their cars.



If BID was selling jaguar aftershave would you expect them NOT to mention in any way shape or form the history of jaguar? or the jaguar car? of course not!!!

the NAME on the pen is BALMAIN. whoever made it BALMAIN have entrusted them with their name, history and reputation. and therefor allowed anyone selling the pen to sell it as a BALMAIN. which they did and which is perfectly acceptable to me and most importantly to the BALMAIN company lol that is assuming BALMAIN didn't make it themselves.

again. i watched and didnt hear anyone mention a balmain pen being sold elesewhere and im sure if you actually did you would have been writing to the ASA not shopping telly ...
 
A couple of years ago I did buy an expensive pen from Bid, but I cannot remember the brand. The only problem I had was that I could not buy a refill to fit. It was really good looking pen. I would be very disappointed to buy what I thought was a high end pen and end up with tat.
 
I would never pay over a £10'er for a pen, I find the Gem ones that Gem TV do are brilliant presents.
 
A couple of years ago I did buy an expensive pen from Bid, but I cannot remember the brand. The only problem I had was that I could not buy a refill to fit. It was really good looking pen. I would be very disappointed to buy what I thought was a high end pen and end up with tat.

Have they mentioned refills on these?
 
'From his heart', this is a beautiful gift and plenty of other gushing garbage but nothing on refills

Dear me Momma, do you want jam on your toast too?

A pen such as a Balmain isn't to be used you know? It's to impress people, like a Lalique nylon scarf.

Some people, honesty. Refills indeed.
 
It's amazing if you buy in bulk, Balmain pens cost under $9 each - that's around £5 each.... Bid.tv passing the savings onto our customers :mysmilie_17:
 
Honestly you can pick up the type Balmain ball pen Bid were selling for peanuts. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with them per se but there's really nothing high end about them either. It looked nice enough though and may make a decent gift but you could get a lot more for your money with the £16 it cost all in.
 
can you show me where i can get this pen for peanuts please, thanks

I don't know where you could buy their pens as an individual customer but there are many promotional companies that sell them, the ballpens (which is the type Bid were selling) start from less than £2 when they are bought in a batch which is how they are usually sold because (as far as i'm aware) they are mostly used as a personlised/branded promotional tool. I don't think you often if ever see them in retail outlets other than the likes of ebay/Amazon. They seem to be mostly sold by companies who do company branded keyfobs, mugs and that kind of thing. I'd hazard a guess that most people with a Balmain pen were given it as a freebie.

As I said there's nothing wrong with them but i'm not sure they have much in common with a couture frock!

http://www.compugift.co.uk/_/balmain-pens
 
I don't know where you could buy their pens as an individual customer but there are many promotional companies that sell them, the ballpens (which is the type Bid were selling) start from less than £2 when they are bought in a batch which is how they are usually sold because (as far as i'm aware) they are mostly used as a personlised/branded promotional tool. I don't think you often if ever see them in retail outlets other than the likes of ebay/Amazon. They seem to be mostly sold by companies who do company branded keyfobs, mugs and that kind of thing. I'd hazard a guess that most people with a Balmain pen were given it as a freebie.

As I said there's nothing wrong with them but i'm not sure they have much in common with a couture frock!

http://www.compugift.co.uk/_/balmain-pens

Apart from being by the exact same company????
 
I think it's important to understand that brand names are often licensed or owned by several different companies. For example expensive Slazenger Golf equipment may well carry the same branding as a cheap pair of Slazenger Boxer Shorts but they are owned and manufactured by completely unrelated companies.

Virgin is a classic case. There are hundreds of Virgin branded companies around the world but many are not even part owned by Virgin Group, they merely licence the use of the name.

Rolls Royce is another. Identical branding but the aerospace company has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the motor company.

I'm not 100% saying the pens aren't the same company but I can't seem to find any pens for sale on the Balmain website, they have fragrances and sunglasses but no pens which would at least suggest they are somebody else's product.
 
I think it's important to understand that brand names are often licensed or owned by several different companies. For example expensive Slazenger Golf equipment may well carry the same branding as a cheap pair of Slazenger Boxer Shorts but they are owned and manufactured by completely unrelated companies.

Virgin is a classic case. There are hundreds of Virgin branded companies around the world but many are not even part owned by Virgin Group, they merely licence the use of the name.

Rolls Royce is another. Identical branding but the aerospace company has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the motor company.

I'm not 100% saying the pens aren't the same company but I can't seem to find any pens for sale on the Balmain website, they have fragrances and sunglasses but no pens which would at least suggest they are somebody else's product.

Ah the sound of back peddling lol.

You have no idea if the pen is made by balmsin or not but you are prepared to slaughter bid for telling the history of the brand? Interesting!

Even if they don't it's hardly uncommon practice. You mention virgin above. Virgin media have nothing to do with Richard Branson yet he always features in their adverts so potential customers know they are still buying virgin quality. They don't just give their name to anybody !! You have made out there is something underhanded about bids editorial when that's just not the case.

I think a simple 'sorry' will make amends :)
 
It would seem strange that Balmain (the fashion company that Russell heavily centred on in his pitch) don't advertise any pens on their website, not that I can see. They have clothes, accessories, sunglasses, fragrances but no pens. I'm sure most reasonable minded people will find that rather odd.

In fact the only place they seem to be widely sold is Amazon, ebay and the kind of Promo companies I have mentioned. I think it's reasonable to assume the fashion company are likely to have nothing do with the pens other than they have the same name and branding. Either way these pens aren't exactly Mont Blanc!

Sure the name will of course originated from the fashion line but it dosen't mean they are related companies any longer but as ever I'm happy to be proven wrong.

Answers on a postcard.
 

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