Random musings and general banter.

[mr tom]

It's (in my opinion) the ridiculously phony way he talks, possibly to try and sound affable, or maybe even vulnerable, to his swathes of old lady 'isn't he a lovely son' fans.

£9.99 = Nan Nanty Nan

I think he's an utter schlock, I reckon he's the most ruthless and dislikable out of all the goons. It seems he thinks nothing of pushing cruise holidays to destinations where it's illegal to lead a gay life. I'd say he should possibly be ashamed of himself but who am I kidding, have you ever heard his Mobility 'Me Dad' Scooter sales? Perhaps he doesn't shame easily?

I guess that's how he's lasted so long (not that he ever mentions that of course).

He makes me itch uke:

I dislike the scooter show as I get the impression it is not live, they filmed it and always repeat it... but without saying that it isn't live.

I could be mistaken, but I don't think I am on this one.

 

[Mommabear]

I dislike the scooter show as I get the impression it is not live, they filmed it and always repeat it... but without saying that it isn't live.

I could be mistaken, but I don't think I am on this one.

I didn't realise this until yesterday. I switched on and De Knees was sat on the luggie. She said you could get £150 off if you quoted IDEAL 1701. She said it was easy to remember because 'it's today's date'.

Nothing there to say it was a repeat either.

 

[mr tom]

I didn't realise this until yesterday. I switched on and De Knees was sat on the luggie. She said you could get £150 off if you quoted IDEAL 1701. She said it was easy to remember because 'it's today's date'.

Nothing there to say it was a repeat either.

I always assumed they had to put ''repeat'' over the IW logo if it wasn't live? But it seems that they only do that at night.

I find things like that more dodgy as it could be more easily avoided than off the cuff comments.

 

[Wirral70]

They were selling a Vax Cordless Slim Vac (as I posted before Christmas we bought this product, direct from Vax). Jimmy Cricket was demonstrating just how good it is at vacuuming right up to the edge due to it's power brush.

While (in my opinion) this is a quite decent device for using on carpeted stairs (and it is highly convenient to get out to pick up light messes on a regular basis) I can say with absolute honesty that, regarding hard floor edge cleaning, this just is not the case.

Of course I could be wrong but it appeared (to my eye) that there was an ever so slight gap between the bottom of the skirting board and the flooring. I do personally believe that it appeared to be picking up the mess as it was quite possibly pushing much of it under the gap.

This vacuum cleaner is nowhere near as effective at edge cleaning as this demonstration would have you believe, absolutely no way, you have my word on this.

Below is a link to a totally independent review of the Vax Cordless Slim Vac from the highly respected 'Trusted Reviews' that backs up what I'm saying. You'll see that one of the main criticisms is it's poor edge cleaning, they say : -

'The thick plastic sides at either end of the bar resulted in the worst edge cleaning test result we have yet seen from any cleaner. A visible line out about an inch from the skirting was hardly touched, let alone the dust in the carpet/skirting groove. Oh dear, this is certainly not Vax’s finest hour'.

I completely agree with their version of the (lack of) edge cleaning ability of the Vax Cordless Slim Vac.

I am minded to place a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority about this demonstration, I have it recorded. I believe it was at best disingenuous, and quite possibly dishonest, it really does not perform as well at edge cleaning as that demonstration showed, really. :down:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/vax-cordless-slimvac-total-home-review

(And in case anyone think's I'm just being biased and having a pop at this lot here's proof we do have this Vacuum Cleaner. My honest comments are based on using it fully charged, with both filters fully cleaned)

 

[Wirral70]

Get on this guys.

De Knees is selling the Crystal Clear set (it seems a good price compared to elsewhere). She said she had her friends around for dinner on Saturday and was asked if she'd lost weight to which she replied, and I quote 'I haven't lost any weight, it's all down to the Crystal Clear tightening my skin'.

Am I missing something here? What about her use of the endless weight loss machines, the diets, the fat reducing cookers, the soup makers, the blenders.

Oh well, much as I thought they mustn't work must they? :mysmilie_59:

 

[Wirral70]

At 9.00pm we have 'The Furniture Collection' as the Pick of The Day.

I have to say their online reviews make for interesting reading, take the Lincoln Bonded* Leather Manual Recliner Armchair. It appears to have a 3 and a half star rating, there's 7 pages of reviews.

The first 3 pages of reviews are brimming with praise and then you get to the 4th page and things change, drastically. It seems at this point these reviewers have discovered that they're not actually 'Leather' chairs at all : -

'looks like a leather chair but in fact plastically'

'I am unsure what the term “bonded leather” means but the instruction booklet supplied indicates that it is “faux leather” which is not real leather which I expected'

'Not sure what the idea of 'bonded leather' entails but after ten years with our previous sofas with no problems this is very disappointing'

'I ordered the electric chair and the two and three seater sofas but the chair has remnants of glue or marks on it and the two seater has started to peel already within a day of delivery'

'The Recliner is make of very bad material, bottom come of after 4 Months not worst the money'

And that's not to mention the problems with the actual 'mechanics' of the chairs. Seems like Creepy 'Luxurious Luxury Deluxe' Crawley might be telling porkies :mysmilie_59:

http://www.idealworld.tv/gb/pp/the-furniture-collection-lincoln-bonded-leather-manual-recliner-armchair-385356

*It should be noted that Ideal World are quite clear that these chairs are made from 'Bonded' Leather. It's a shame that I have genuinely not heard them on one, single, solitary occasion explain what 'Bonded' Leather actually is. There is no explanation on the website either, as far as I can see.

The unhappy buyers must take some responsibility here for spending all that money on, let's face it, garbage, without doing their homework :mysmilie_59:

 

[Price Plunge]

De Knees is currently flogging the "Opti-Beauty Collagen+ Drink" for the bargain price of £39.99 + £4.99 P&P (normal price £89.97). And yes it's on Flexi-pay meaning that you can still be paying for your first month's course a month later. Bargain :mysmilie_59:

But does it work? As someone else I know pointed out, any collagen drunk as a liquid would be destroyed by stomach acid before it even has a chance to reach the bloodstream, so no I don't think so. The before and after pictures were as dubious as always, showing a slightly offset skin picture in each case, and De Knees was getting carried away by implying that every molecule in your body has some collagen (no I don't think so either).

As for the collagen, they displayed on-screen a "Consumer Perception Study" based on 20 people participating over 28 days which tended to suggest that it does have an effect, though the last claim along the lines that "100% of participants saw an effect" basically speaking is pointless gibberish: "I noticed an effect and the effect was that it didn't work".

Gollum's now on and getting (perhaps literally) stuck into those bonded leather monstrosities, now being shown with dimmer lighting so that they don't look as shiny.

Don't forget to check out your baskets! :mysmilie_59:

 

[adam82uk]

This whole health thing is just getting boring now. IW have no idea what to sell.

 

[mr tom]

I love how they have a roaring fire..... playing on a tv on the wall in the background, when selling the bleather chairs.

who are they trying to kid?

 

[Wirral70]

The Collagen Carp is breathtaking, it is complete and utter nonsense. Perception? Good grief!

But clearly there are enough people who cannot (or will not) do even a little bit of research before buying this rubbish (the Pleather Plop furniture is a clear case in point.

But make no mistake, this is no way to run a business. It's unsustainable, they cannot rely on their fast aging audience to stick around to keep buying this garbage. Sure, they'll keep coming up with the next 'miracle' potion but sooner or later it will go belly up.

And they can try hiding pages worth of truly awful comments for the eyewateringly expensive jalopy furniture on the last 3 pages of the reviews. It just reaffirms what we have now known for well of a year now that this channel is all over the place.

Regrettably I have absolutely no doubt that Ideal World does not have a long term future :mysmilie_59:

 

[Greg]

Ideal World is utter PANTS!

 

[desertranger]

At 9.00pm we have 'The Furniture Collection' as the Pick of The Day.

I have to say their online reviews make for interesting reading, take the Lincoln Bonded* Leather Manual Recliner Armchair. It appears to have a 3 and a half star rating, there's 7 pages of reviews.

The first 3 pages of reviews are brimming with praise and then you get to the 4th page and things change, drastically. It seems at this point these reviewers have discovered that they're not actually 'Leather' chairs at all : -

'looks like a leather chair but in fact plastically'

'I am unsure what the term “bonded leather” means but the instruction booklet supplied indicates that it is “faux leather” which is not real leather which I expected'

'Not sure what the idea of 'bonded leather' entails but after ten years with our previous sofas with no problems this is very disappointing'

'I ordered the electric chair and the two and three seater sofas but the chair has remnants of glue or marks on it and the two seater has started to peel already within a day of delivery'

'The Recliner is make of very bad material, bottom come of after 4 Months not worst the money'

And that's not to mention the problems with the actual 'mechanics' of the chairs. Seems like Creepy 'Luxurious Luxury Deluxe' Crawley might be telling porkies :mysmilie_59:

http://www.idealworld.tv/gb/pp/the-furniture-collection-lincoln-bonded-leather-manual-recliner-armchair-385356

*It should be noted that Ideal World are quite clear that these chairs are made from 'Bonded' Leather. It's a shame that I have genuinely not heard them on one, single, solitary occasion explain what 'Bonded' Leather actually is. There is no explanation on the website either, as far as I can see.

The unhappy buyers must take some responsibility here for spending all that money on, let's face it, garbage, without doing their homework :mysmilie_59:

You're absolutely on the money, Wirral. The reviews tell their own story.

Not once have I heard any presenter say that they actually OWN one of these chairs themselves, or that they're at least intending to purchase one: I've heard Shreque talking about a (real) leather sofa he's had for around ten years; I've heard Sally Jacks talking about a sofa she'd bought from a high street furniture retailer; and I've heard Peter Simon talking about his uncomfortable chair at home--which, if true, is still clearly a better option than one of those pleather monstrosities.

As for Crawley, the supposed 'luxury' expert, surely he should be the first to put his money where his mouth is, and proclaim that he has at least one of these chairs at home. But no. It's clearly; do as I say, not as I do. I imagine, if his years as a luxury 'expert' have taught him anything, it is to avoid pleather carp like the plague, and I'm sure he does. With a passion.

I understand these presenters have got a job to do, but there's something distinctly unpleasant about such blatant shysterism, especially when they're selling a product that they wouldn't touch with a barge-pole, and when that particular product might appeal to a more vulnerable audience.

Dirty cash I want you, dirty cash I need you, springs to mind for some reason:down:



PS. Greg's right, Ideal World is pants!

 

[adam82uk]

I wouldn't waste my money on them now.

 

[Wirral70]

You're absolutely on the money, Wirral. The reviews tell their own story.

Not once have I heard any presenter say that they actually OWN one of these chairs themselves, or that they're at least intending to purchase one: I've heard Shreque talking about a (real) leather sofa he's had for around ten years; I've heard Sally Jacks talking about a sofa she'd bought from a high street furniture retailer; and I've heard Peter Simon talking about his uncomfortable chair at home--which, if true, is still clearly a better option than one of those pleather monstrosities.

As for Crawley, the supposed 'luxury' expert, surely he should be the first to put his money where his mouth is, and proclaim that he has at least one of these chairs at home. But no. It's clearly; do as I say, not as I do. I imagine, if his years as a luxury 'expert' have taught him anything, it is to avoid pleather carp like the plague, and I'm sure he does. With a passion.

I understand these presenters have got a job to do, but there's something distinctly unpleasant about such blatant shysterism, especially when they're selling a product that they wouldn't touch with a barge-pole, and when that particular product might appeal to a more vulnerable audience.

Dirty cash I want you, dirty cash I need you, springs to mind for some reason:down:

View attachment 13449 View attachment 13450

PS. Greg's right, Ideal World is pants!

Of course you're absolutely right Desert, the sales pitches can now be so misleading that maybe it's time to call them on the more gratuitous examples of 'salesmanship'.

But those reviews, and the way they are so sneakily presented, perhaps sum up the state of this once decent channel.

It's black and white, there for everyone to see. So sly, like many of the highly disingenuous presentations.

Perhaps the Private Equity owners are bleeding it dry while they can. No decent, thriving retailer behaves like this.

The Vax Slim Vac demo said it all for me, it was a load of old tosh. It was plain dishonest, in my opinion :mysmilie_59:

 

[Greg]

It's why these **** products end up on selly telly. They can't be phyically examined by customers before being purchased.

 

[Wirral70]

It's why these **** products end up on selly telly. They can't be phyically examined by customers before being purchased.

That's part of it, I'm sure.

And also offering items like furniture (albeit poor quality, overpriced furniture) to seemingly anyone on 'terms' that ordinarily may not have access to scored credit for such expensive items. Surely only a desperate retailer would do this, no doubt to generate cash to bleed off.

But it cannot continue indefinitely and that's the rub I guess. I doubt the owners care much about the long term anyway, Private Equity firms are all about the now, taking as much cash from sinking ships as they can before they jettison them.

It's pretty desperate stuff, obviously when the Bid Shysters turned up en masse we knew something was up and now it's glaringly obvious that Ideal World is a basket case.

Déjà vu :mysmilie_59:

 

[Greg]

Yup Bid TV all over again...

 

[Wirral70]

Yup Bid TV all over again...

You see Greg, I keep telling myself that despite having hired most of their Goons, Ideal World isn't like Bid.

I keep trying to remind myself of just how utterly dishonest Bid was and that Ideal World, while certainly stretching 'salesmanship' to the permitted limits, just isn't in the same category of shystery.

And then I see those awful Furniture sales, and the utterly grotesque Shaun Crawley, talking utter cack about the Luxurious Luxury Deluxe 'Bonded Leather' yet never, not once, explaining what Bonded Leather actually is (or perhaps more importantly, what it isn't, which is Leather).

And then I read those awful reviews of said Furniture, seemingly hidden away at the very back end of the review pages.

And then I see a product being demonstrated, a Vax Slim Vac, a product that WE have got, and simply not recognising the product on display. I wish it was like the product on display, but it isn't. And Trusted Reviews say so too.

So, regrettably, I'm afraid I have now come to the conclusion that Ideal World IS very much like Bid, just in an ever so slightly different way.

And I fully expect it to end up like Bid too, if it continues. I have no doubt of that :mysmilie_59:

 

[desertranger]

Of course you're absolutely right Desert, the sales pitches can now be so misleading that maybe it's time to call them on the more gratuitous examples of 'salesmanship'.

But those reviews, and the way they are so sneakily presented, perhaps sum up the state of this once decent channel.

It's black and white, there for everyone to see. So sly, like many of the highly disingenuous presentations.

Perhaps the Private Equity owners are bleeding it dry while they can. No decent, thriving retailer behaves like this.

The Vax Slim Vac demo said it all for me, it was a load of old tosh. It was plain dishonest, in my opinion :mysmilie_59:

The Elvis impersonator chap who sells the Vax Slim describes himself as a 'Vax Ambassador'. Personally, I'd be a little embarrassed if that was my official title. Moving vacuums and carpet cleaners around is hardly a specialist or grand profession. I suppose it's quite fitting that Ideal have got an Elvis tribute act and the jobbing actor, Peter Vollebregt, as their cleaning specialists: the Emerald Isle's 'King of Rock & Roll' and 'King of Clean', respectively. As credible as all the other 'experts' at Ideal, I suppose.

Getting back to the Vax Slim, it certainly seemed like a good deal, but as you show Wirral, it proves just how important it is to do your own research. You really can't trust anything they say. Perhaps there will be more than a few "Suspicious Minds" and "Return to Sender" responses after the buyers have their expectations "All Shook Up" (I know, that's quite enough Elvis song references):mysmilie_59:

 

[Wirral70]

The Elvis impersonator chap who sells the Vax Slim describes himself as a 'Vax Ambassador'. Personally, I'd be a little embarrassed if that was my official title. Moving vacuums and carpet cleaners around is hardly a specialist or grand profession. I suppose it's quite fitting that Ideal have got an Elvis tribute act and the jobbing actor, Peter Vollebregt, as their cleaning specialists: the Emerald Isle's 'King of Rock & Roll' and 'King of Clean', respectively. As credible as all the other 'experts' at Ideal, I suppose.

Getting back to the Vax Slim, it certainly seemed like a good deal, but as you show Wirral, it proves just how important it is to do your own research. You really can't trust anything they say. Perhaps there will be more than a few "Suspicious Minds" and "Return to Sender" responses after the buyers have their expectations "All Shook Up" (I know, that's quite enough Elvis song references):mysmilie_59:

Ha Ha :mysmilie_19:

Don't get me wrong, for what we use it for it the Vax Slim Vac is OK (we paid about £20 more including delivery than Ideal World's price but that included a complete Tool set which we are yet to use). We now know we paid too much, it isn't really worth £100. It is not a great piece of kit but it's fine for light messes and is very convenient to use regularly on stairs.

We'd never had a Cordless Vacuum before so when we first got it we thought it was great but it didn't take too long for it's shortcomings to become obvious. It's quite heavy and awkward to use so you wouldn't want to use it for any length of time but honestly, it's edge cleaning is derisory.

When we use it on the hard kitchen floor we inevitably have to resort to the good old dustpan and brush to get the bits around the edges that Jimmy Cricket's Slim Vac seemed to miraculously pick up with ease (or should I say push under the gap of the skirting board!)

It's no surprise that the Slim Vac has been superseded by a new Vax model which is no doubt why Ideal World are selling it off now.

But the demo was unbelievable, literally unbelievable, it was a load of bull :mysmilie_59: