Ofcom launches investigation into the Sit-up channels

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Price Plunge

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If you thought that presenters working for the Sit-up channels were looking glum for some reason very recently, here's why:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tomers-misled-high-pressure-sales-offers.html

Personally I'm not a fan of the Mail website, but here's a quote from the article which gives an idea as to what it's about:

The presenter pushing a Bid TV deal for an Ingersoll Diamond Limited Edition Men’s Chronograph Bracelet Watch with Diamonds’ claimed it had a ‘Swiss precision mechanism’.
He bolstered the impression of Swiss craftsmanship by adding that the Ingersoll brand ‘are very, very proud of their Swiss making heritage’.
The ASA said most people would believe the watch was indeed made in Switzerland when the truth was that it was assembled in China.
In another case a Bid TV presenter selling a Star Ruby Ring suggested it had a retail value of £800.
The bidding started at £875 before reducing to £196.
The presenter suggested the final selling figure of £196 was below trade price, an ‘outrageous’ reduction and an ‘absolute bargain’.
However, the company was unable to provide any independent evidence to back up its claims about the real value of the ruby in the ring.
The ASA said: ‘Since January 2012 there have been 27 ASA rulings against Sit-Up Ltd. The two main types of problem have been misleading pricing claims and misleading product descriptions.
‘We are concerned that that number of misleading ads creates an on-going and cumulative risk of financial detriment to consumers.
‘Despite our repeated warnings and attempts to work with Sit-Up Ltd to improve its advertising we have not seen a significant improvement in its compliance record.’
The watchdog’s chief executive, Guy Parker said: ‘In a live TV auction, where presenters make high-pressure, time-limited offers, it’s crucial that viewers are given accurate information.
‘Sit-Up Ltd has been given ample opportunity to address its compliance failings but hasn’t done so. Our referral to Ofcom sends a clear message that companies who don’t deal fairly with consumers will face consequences.’
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Ouch.

And they were still grossly exaggerating the value of items last week, including a piece of gold tone jewellery which had an outrageously high start price, so there hasn't been an obvious improvement apart from occasional reminders about the p&p and phone call charges.
 
I hope they don't get shut down, they have given me hundreds if not thousands of hours of entertainment over the last 10+ years and i'd be sad to see them go, We just want them to be honest like Andy H is, I've also had lots of great products from them too in the past

Nice to see they bothered to get some up to date images of how the channels currently look too :headbang:
 
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oh my goodness, no wonder they've appeared a bit subdued recently
it's getting quite serious now but, as the article said, they've had plenty of opportunity to improve and comply
 
And now the end is here, the final curtain ... *


PJ

* I am not happy that many good people are loosing their jobs but am happy that hundreds a day if not more won't be ripped off anymore.
 
It's been discussed on here before that a referral to OFCOM was inevitable given the almost unprecedented volume of Upheld ASA Complaints, there's yet another one today.

I blame the top brass for allowing incompetent presenters almost seemingly free reign. I just hope the decent presenters don't have to take the consequences for the idiots who won't, or can't comply.
 
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I would be genuinely sad to see them shut down, its sad to see how these once great channels have become so bad in the last couple of years, They could survive a fine of £250,000 or 5% revenue fine but if watchdog pick up on it and all the papers then it could be game over.

All this selling broken items is almost like they are trying to get rid of everything from the warehouse before they board up.

It will be interesting to see how Peter Simon changes on Thursday night now its not just a slap on the wrist anymore, everyone will be on their best behaviour I hope.
 
£1 MEGADROP said:
I would be genuinely sad to see them shut down, its sad to see how these once great channels have become so bad in the last couple of years, They could survive a fine of £250,000 or 5% revenue fine but if watchdog pick up on it and all the papers then it could be game over.

All this selling broken items is almost like they are trying to get rid of everything from the warehouse before they board up.

It will be interesting to see how Peter Simon changes on Thursday night now its not just a slap on the wrist anymore, everyone will be on their best behaviour I hope.
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I hope they can change but as the ASA pointed out there has not been a sufficient improvement despite all the warnings. I think we all know there are certain presenters who simply seem incapable of being 100% honest. Just this week I have heard some terrible whoppers, Peter Simon yet again made claims about Oskar Emil's heritage that are simply untrue and that's when Sit-Up must have been aware that a complaint about the very same brand was to be announced as Upheld this week, and for that exact same reason.

Going forward I suspect there will be yet more Upheld ASA Complaints.
 
Well, Guy Parker has changed his tune hasn't he?

This could well be the final curtain calling for Sit-up I fear. :thinking:
 
Paul_s said:
Well, Guy Parker has changed his tune hasn't he?

This could well be the final curtain calling for Sit-up I fear. :thinking:
Click to expand...

I know a lot of people felt the ASA are toothless and that complaining to them was a waste of time but a few of us always felt a referral to OFCOM was on the cards if they didn't improve and that has been borne out.

It's hard to see what Sit-Up can do to survive without a wholesale change of presenters and a major rethink of the merchandise they sell. And the associated charges have surely got to be looked at, they are staggering. When you think they quite often charge over 900% more than the final sale price for delivery and calls (when an item is £1), or on some occasions even 9000% more (when an item is 1p) you have to wonder if there's something deeply, deeply wrong with the way they do business.

This is just my opinion but I suspect that Sit-Up as we know it is indeed finished, I genuinely doubt they'll be around in their current guise by the end of the year.
 
Well, the first thing that Bid Management should do is fire the people within the company responsible for compliance and presenter training and development. Their next action should be to weed out the presenters who are persistent offenders. We all know who they are.

The mis-selling of products on the Bid network has gone on far too long. It may make for entertaining car-crash telly for some, but people are being seriously misled and ripped-off by these cowboy practices and that should not be tolerated. I really hope OFCOM throw the rule-book at this disreputable company.

I have said this before: television shopping channels need a code of conduct and/or strict regulations to stop these selling abuses and eradication of the number of 'grey areas' (and I don't mean Peter Simon's furry chest).

Sit-Up Ltd said it was "disappointed" with the ASA's action and claimed to have taken steps to alleviate the previous problems. It said it would be making its case to Ofcom.

"We have made significant and continuing efforts, which have been successful, to improve our compliance performance and procedures. These include compulsory training provided to us by external experts for all relevant full-time staff and freelancers at all levels within the company," said a spokesman for Sit-Up Ltd.

"We have also implemented a process whereby all new relevant full-time staff and freelancers have to undergo a strict regulatory induction and all staff have been warned that failure to keep to the standards expected of them will result in warnings and possible disciplinary consequences."

Doesn't sound like management have done nearly enough either to implement the changes or put pressure on the presenters to fall in line.

:call:
 
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Greg said:
Well, the first thing that Bid Management should do is fire the people within the company responsible for compliance and presenter training and development. Their next action should be to weed out the presenters who are persistent offenders. We all know who they are.

The mis-selling of products on the Bid network has gone on far too long. It may make for entertaining car-crash telly for some, but people are being seriously misled and ripped-off by these cowboy practices and that should not be tolerated. I really hope OFCOM throw the rule-book at this disreputable company.

I have said this before: television shopping channels need a code of conduct and/or strict regulations to stop these selling abuses and eradication of the number of 'grey areas' (and I don't mean Peter Simon's furry chest).

:call:
Click to expand...

I think your post perfectly sums up the situation Greg. I can only speak for myself but I was well aware of the way they behaved for a long, long time before I finally did something about it and I suspect many others were in the same position. This has been going on for many years and it's disgraceful.

There is simply no place for a company who behaves in this manner and all the worst offenders including Management, Producers and Presenters should be dismissed without delay if Sit Up have any real ambitions to be a reputable, well thought of retailer.

I genuinely hope they can be bold enough to take such action as it's totally unfair on the people who have not been involved in this appalling behaviour to have to suffer for those who did.
 
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Wirral70 said:
I know a lot of people felt the ASA are toothless and that complaining to them was a waste of time but a few of us always felt a referral to OFCOM was on the cards if they didn't improve and that has been borne out.

It's hard to see what Sit-Up can do to survive without a wholesale change of presenters and a major rethink of the merchandise they sell. And the associated charges have surely got to be looked at, they are staggering. When you think they quite often charge over 900% more than the final sale price for delivery and calls (when an item is £1), or on some occasions even 9000% more (when an item is 1p) you have to wonder if there's something deeply, deeply wrong with the way they do business.

This is just my opinion but I suspect that Sit-Up as we know it is indeed finished, I genuinely doubt they'll be around in their current guise by the end of the year.
Click to expand...


The first thing is to be honest like Andy H, Sell a watch for what it is don't tell us its got 200 years of history when it might have 20, Don't claim some jewellery should be selling for £1,500 when your selling it for £200, I could go on and on but we all know so many examples I don't need to

They used to boast how they were selling jewellery for costume jewellery prices and now look what tat they sell

I do think the postage should be looked into as well and if needed put the extra in the selling price but make p&p say £2.99 put the other £5 in the selling price that way it looks better as a buyer and they still get the same money excluding returns of course

I don't want to see a cull of presenters, Peter Simon and the likes just need to be honest, pull them up everytime they say something they shouldn't, The people in the gallery need to take some of the blame too, they should be sat there waiting to say no its not nearly 2g its only 1.65g, That's not true the start price was £10 less than what you just said we should be selling it for and on and on

I can't wait to see Peter Simon on Thursday night now, its going to be interesting
 
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£1 MEGADROP said:
The first thing is to be honest like Andy H, Sell a watch for what it is don't tell us its got 200 years of history when it might have 20, Don't claim some jewellery should be selling for £1,500 when your selling it for £200, I could go on and on but we all know so many examples I don't need to

I do think the postage should be looked into as well and if needed put the extra in the selling price but make p&p say £2.99 put the other £5 in the selling price that way it looks better as a buyer and they still get the same money excluding returns of course

I don't want to see a cull of presenters, Peter Simon and the likes just need to be honest, pull them up everytime they say something they shouldn't, The people in the gallery need to take some of the blame too, they should be sat there waiting to say no its not nearly 2g its only 1.65g, That's not true the start price was £10 less than what you just said we should be selling it for and on and on
Click to expand...

I agree with virtually everything you say Mega but personally I cannot see certain presenters being capable of being both accurate and honest.

No amount of training can help someone if they are simply incapable of meeting Andy H's standards and I think we know who they are. I'm afraid their time is up.
 
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I do put the blame firmly on the shoulders of Bid management.

I remember a time in the not so distant past that these same presenters were not doing the hard pressure selling tactics. I may be wrong, but I think it started happening when the cheapo jewellry started to infest the network followed by the other cheapo tat. Clearly the presenter training changed direction into the 'hard-nosed' approach we have seen over the past two or three years. They brought in the stupid 'games', like "What's in the Box" (I mean how 'dodgy market stall' is that?!), the endless "What's in the Vault" and the truly intelligence insulting "Jewellery Avalanche" just personified the depths this shopping channel had plummeted.
 
In that case they need to clear them all out and employ all us lot instead

I actually think now they have to mention the p&p and phone call charge it would come across a lot better if they sold an item for say £6 and said + £2.99 p&p compared to £1 + £7.99 p&p
 
Greg said:
I do put the blame firmly on the shoulders of Bid management.

I remember a time in the not so distant past that these same presenters were not doing the hard pressure selling tactics. I may be wrong, but I think it started happening when the cheapo jewellry started to infest the network followed by the other cheapo tat. Clearly the presenter training changed direction into the 'hard-nosed' approach we have seen over the past two or three years. They brought in the stupid 'games', like "What's in the Box" (I mean how 'dodgy market stall' is that?!), the endless "What's in the Vault" and the truly intelligence insulting "Jewellery Avalanche" just personified the depths this shopping channel had plummeted.
Click to expand...

It's absolutely the Management's fault Greg, they are responsible full stop.

But it's the presenters whose reputations are on the line as they are the face of this shambles but I still feel some of them seem to revel in the shenanigans.
 
£1 MEGADROP said:
In that case they need to clear them all out and employ all us lot instead

I actually think now they have to mention the p&p and phone call charge it would come across a lot better if they sold an item for say £6 and said + £2.99 p&p compared to £1 + £7.99 p&p
Click to expand...

But that would cost them more in refunds Mega, it's just another in a long line of unusual practices. Make the refundable part of a purchase ridiculously low and then inflate the non refundable part to compensate.

But it's all coming home to roost now, as it always would.
 
A sad but somewhat inevitable day. The ASA was looking increasingly complacent and casual with their slap on the wrists and we cannot deny that Bid have been given plenty of time to improve but in a word, haven't.

I'm sure there's some good talent there behind the scenes and a few in front of camera (we know who) but sadly as someone who vaguely remembers the Auction World Days, the press especially if it appears in the printed Mail (popular with Bid's Demographic) can break the company.

Like many of you I agree that it was the determined and sometimes desperate pitch for sales of certain people repeatedly breaking rulings they already had an ASA claim upheld about. I think the producers of these presenters hold a share of the blame too as well as management who saw the company as something that could buy poundland stock and sell it for 8-10x the price because the buyers cannot use the internet to compare prices and wouldn't be bothered to return it.

If they do survive, I hope that it's in reduced form cutting the dodgy/arrogant from the company and with honest products at reasonable prices, more like "here's a duvet that sells in department stores/online for £25 for £15+3.99 P&P" rather than "here's a AAAAAAA+++++ Grade Tanzanite that would definitely certainly be worth £000s in 2/3/10 years when the mine closes" and mock shock faces when it appears on screen at the start price.
 
Wirral70 said:
But that would cost them more in refunds Mega, it's just another in a long line of unusual practices. Make the refundable part of a purchase ridiculously low and then inflate the non refundable part to compensate.

But it's all coming home to roost now, as it always would.
Click to expand...

That is true but a lot of people are put off by having to pay £10 in extra charges, If it was say £3 or £4 then they would be more likely to buy so sales could increase, that might outweigh the money they would lose from return refunds - They should trial it - they have nothing to lose now
 

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