I'm sorry but ...

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cheeky chappie

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Jan 2, 2013
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... I simply HAVE to rant!

Couple of disclaimers in the shopping channels defense, firstly I'm not their target demographic (nearing middle aged man that has never believed sales hype in his puff) secondly I fully appreciate there are folk out there who enjoy these channels and procure their goods. Far be it from me to knock anyone into these channels ... I used to be (purely on a watching for entertainment level) but no more I'm afraid. Oh yeah and I've slapped my rant in the IW section because there's not a general section for these channels but they're all as guilty as the others.

I'll keep it brief. Channel hopping the other night, QVC, selling beauty creams and potions. The guy representing the company was talking about one of the creams and he genuinely said something like 'this gives you youth.' I hazard a guess the first cream/potion that, on a molecular/aging process level, genuinely makes people younger will be sold for maybe £10,000 for each tiny pot, not £40. My point? Okay maybe say 'this can give you a more youthful appearance' ... DON'T say 'this gives you youth.' It doesn't you muppet.

Or what about the sprung mattress on IW that is wheeled out when they're comparing sprung mattresses with memory foam? You know the one, it looks as though it's been driven over by a steam roller to ensure any semblance of comfort/stability it once had is well and truly gone. I know when I sit on the end of my sprung mattress it's perfectly comfortable and doesn't curl up at the edges. I also know it's a false comparison to show the tiny section of uncovered sprung mattress. A full sprung mattress, covered with various fillings and fabrics, is obviously going to react differently than a tiny section of naked metal mattress. Muppets.

We'll sell you a handheld vacuum cleaner and tell you it's awesome. Then we'll sell you a robot vacuum and ask you 'who wants to drag a handheld around?!?'

We'll sell you a Nutri-Bullet or equivalent and ask 'who wants a food processor with all those stupid attachments that take up space?!?' Then we'll sell you a food processor.

We'll sell you creams and potions that are SO good at keeping the skin refreshed and youthful looking the presenters still need to be caked in make-up. Funny that.

We'll bleat on and ON about the price something is going to return to, knowing fine well 0.0000001% of the population buy stuff at full price these days instead of waiting for the next sale in 1.5 days time.

We'll tell you to stop using water to wash your car ... then we'll ask you to buy a pressure washer to, emmm, wash your car. Muppets.

If we genuinely think a product isn't great or the thing it produces (e.g. food/drink) isn't great we'll tell you straight ... honestly.


sorry but had to get that out my system ;) and emmm it wasn't very brief!!!
 
Nothing like a good rant from time to time but as long as people can be talked into buying things they will keep on selling things:talking:
 
My disclaimer is, I can't be fooled or talked into buying anything, I don't believe presenters when they say it's a life changing product etc, if I like it I'll buy it if I don't I won't, simple as that.

From IW in the last couple of days I've bought

Elizabeth Grant skin care.........cheap and cheerful and works for me.
The Spiralizer........because again cheap and cheerful, and a work colleague has one and bought in some sweet potatoe chips so had to get me one because they were gorgeous.
Phoenix Gold iron........because again cheap and brilliant and I needed an iron.

So there it is, I go for what I like and what I need, because of what only one person says.........me.
 
Yes, I think selly telly's OK (and, let's face it, often a lot of fun to watch) providing you work on the assumption that most of the claims are, shall we say, somewhat 'embroidered'. If it's something you want, need/can see a use for and it seems a good deal, you buy. A presenter shouting at me or hectoring me to buy turns me right off, as the overly hard sell just doesn't impress me, either on screen or high street, and being suspicious I always tend to assume they are trying to pull the wool. I'm far more likely to buy if the presenter comes across as calm and knowledgeable and tells you the facts - not just repeating the same old spiel that Auntie Nellie had one, and that's the reason she lived to 200.
My disclaimer is, I can't be fooled or talked into buying anything, I don't believe presenters when they say it's a life changing product etc, if I like it I'll buy it if I don't I won't, simple as that.

From IW in the last couple of days I've bought

Elizabeth Grant skin care.........cheap and cheerful and works for me.
The Spiralizer........because again cheap and cheerful, and a work colleague has one and bought in some sweet potatoe chips so had to get me one because they were gorgeous.
Phoenix Gold iron........because again cheap and brilliant and I needed an iron.

So there it is, I go for what I like and what I need, because of what only one person says.........me.
 
Yes, I think selly telly's OK (and, let's face it, often a lot of fun to watch) providing you work on the assumption that most of the claims are, shall we say, somewhat 'embroidered'. If it's something you want, need/can see a use for and it seems a good deal, you buy. A presenter shouting at me or hectoring me to buy turns me right off, as the overly hard sell just doesn't impress me, either on screen or high street, and being suspicious I always tend to assume they are trying to pull the wool. I'm far more likely to buy if the presenter comes across as calm and knowledgeable and tells you the facts - not just repeating the same old spiel that Auntie Nellie had one, and that's the reason she lived to 200.

Totally agree H, and as for the hard sell, nothing makes me turn the telly over quicker.
 
no no NO guys ... you need to AGREE with me :mysmilie_51:

only joking, yeah I get where you're coming from and I'm in the same mould i.e. if I like something and the price is right for me then I'll buy, with said purchase unlikely to be related to salesperson spiel. And yes, it can be fun to watch, although for me that's limited to the occasional channel hop on/off these days, I think I'm spent in terms of watching these guys for any length, especially as the products don't really vary.

You guys can also see through the spiel (sometimes subtle indirect spiel, sometimes not so much) it's folk that fall for it I feel sorry for ... well tbh I don't (once a gullible fool always a ...), but you know what I mean.
 
shopperholic i am sure you would agree people can be talked into buying things even if it does not apply to yourself and that is what these channels rely on, for myself i would not buy something unless i was sure i would make good use of it and of course it was good value mostly garden stuff for me i have to say.
 

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