Would Like Your Views, Please

Julie said:

I have only seen Rocks chat for about 15 mins, sum total for the whole week, but I know exactly who you mean.

I am a bit iffy naming anyone, as nobody has yet, but I am guessing it is a French name.

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Je ne speakez le Frenchais so I ain't none the wiser, ne'mind I'll 'ave a guess.
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This person has irritated me about a couple of comments she made to me about an item I wanted when she bought it before I could! But it wasnt the buying of the item that bothered me it was what she said.

Anyway I actually havent seen any of these advertising comments you have mentioned. I really must pay more attention lol

I cant believe she thinks the Songea Rubies are inferior! I think they are the best quality there are and I have some lovely earrings on the way! But if she things so many items are inferior why is she buying so many of them?

But at least she is keeping Rocks in profit!

She is really getting up my nose also :12: Any large kunsite stone or any large stone comes up she has bought before the price drop and before anyone can get their curser to the buy button, she has a "very good jeweller" who set's the stones for her. She wants the Bennetts to make jewellery in platinum now as it "sells better" :25: She was given a lesson the other day about how pearls are formed (as if none of us knew) and that she sells natural pearl necklaces in her "shops" for 8-10K :25:

Badlyworntoy said:

She is really getting up my nose also :12: Any large kunsite stone or any large stone comes up she has bought before the price drop and before anyone can get their curser to the buy button, :

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I have noticed this as well and it is very frustrating! I would love the presenter to say, one of these days 'OK, if you are so happy with the start price that you have pressed 'buy' already, and the auction is over, then I won't bother dropping it', which, when you consider the rules of the auction, Rocks would be perfectly within their rights to do!

I have to say that I haven't noticed any advertising of people's own businesses, but I HAVE noticed a few of the other things people have commented on. My thoughts though are:

1) Rocks are very inconsistent in letting people request items in chat (or not) as the case may be. Some presenters pretty much encourage chat requests, others say "please request via live chat". In this environment you can't blame people for requesting in chat as they get away with it. I know its frustrating for those that do request in the proper way, but really the only way to resolve this would be for Rocks to adopt a zero tolerance approach to requests via chat.

2) Although I agree that there has been some across the board buying of Kunzite going on, we do all have the same opportunity to click the button fast. It's been the same with the new Paraiba's that have been on over the weekend - you really do need to be "fastest finger first". I agree that it is perhaps a bit unethical for one person to snap up all Kunzite without giving others a chance, but really this is a moral decision for the person concerned - all the rest of us COULD do the same if we wanted to - we just choose not to. At the end of the day it IS an auction, and so it's first come, first served.

I do sympathise with a lot of the feelings that have been posted on here, but alas, fear there is little that can be done about it.:2:

I've not looked at Rocks for a bit now (had a couple of big purchases elsewhere so don't want to be tempted) but I've tuned in just now to see if I can spot the individual who's got you all talking

..................... so if I give in & can't resist temptation then you lot are to blame lol

stevebennett said:

Hi all

i am out of the country right now and therefore have not seen these comments in chat.

| am not suprised that the trade are buying from us, i even just sold some gems to a manufacuturer here in Bangkok this evening! Our prices are the best on the planet i have always promised you that.

What i will not stand for is people abusing the chat. Whilst i am happy to take any feedback in the chat including negative feedback (its a great way for us to learn), i will not stand for competitors of mine using i as an advertising medium.

goodness knows how hard we have to try to promote ourselves.

I also assure you that nobody, but nobody gets prioreties on request. Scorpio let me know what it is you need by email [email protected] and i will sort it for you

best wishes, i'll be back in 10 days with an even bigger haul of gems

al of our love

steve & sarah

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Steve, as always, many thanks for your swift response. It will definitely be worth your while reading back over some of the chat to see the comments that have been made.

I think the source of a good deal of concern has been because of firstly, how well we are taken care of by Rocks, both with regards to price and the Customer Services you offer and we don't like it that anyone is trying to 'rip you off' - a testament to your staff, your products, and your business as a whole - and secondly, we all enjoy the chat so much. It is very much a USP for Rocks, and we would hate to lose it because someones desire to increase their bottom line takes over their sense of ethics.

2) Although I agree that there has been some across the board buying of Kunzite going on, we do all have the same opportunity to click the button fast. It's been the same with the new Paraiba's that have been on over the weekend - you really do need to be "fastest finger first". I agree that it is perhaps a bit unethical for one person to snap up all Kunzite without giving others a chance, but really this is a moral decision for the person concerned - all the rest of us COULD do the same if we wanted to - we just choose not to. At the end of the day it IS an auction, and so it's first come, first served.



I do agree that it is an auction and "fastest finger first", but Rocks should have a policy that you can't bid untill the price has been dropped and if you do jump in as soon as it appears thats the price you pay. If you went to any other auction you don't bid and then wait for the price to drop, what you bid on is what you pay. A lot of this is the presenters fault as some do tell people who have requested an item to bid as soon as and that the price will be dropped to xyz

Le franc has dropped at last. Thanks Julie, now I can stop straining my brain out of sheer nosiness.

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Argey xx

Right....ok.....here's an idea......

The advertising thing....bloomin annoying, but nothing we can do. To talk about it in chat and tell people to shut the heck up is just gonna start a war, so best to let Steve deal with that...and now that he knows it is happening, I am CERTAIN that he will!!!

Requests...now I have had a wee bit of a brainwave that would make life a whole load easier, and wouldn't mean any extra cost or anything like that for Rocks..so here goes...

If a new email addy were set up that was [email protected] or something like that and was accessible by all the chaps and chapettes in the hot seat, we could email our requests directly to them....to take it a step further, because lets face it, they don't have time to go through a squillion emails...put the code of the piece you are requesting...1 per email to give everyone a chance of having their request on...and your log in name in the subject bar of the email. The presenter then doesn't even have to open the email to get all they need to show the request and can just delete the email as the request is done. eg (and I don't know if this is a genuine code or not!!!)

Subj: AB12345 - PrincessRacer

ooooo and if you would like it at a particular time, that can go there too, eg:

Subj: AB12345 - PrincessRacer, Wed 1300 - 1400

This would show to the presenter, and that's really all they need!!! They don't need to know that I want it for my dad's brothers dogs breeders sisters godson or anything else!!! It should also stop people from waiting for ever for a request too, because the date received would show the presenter how long the request has been sitting for and there would be no point in people putting requests in the chat because they would be ignored, and would soon peter out!

.......so what do we think????

I am not sure requests going direct to the presenter would work, wouldn't be giving the presenter too many things to juggle?

Sazza said:

I am not sure requests going direct to the presenter would work, wouldn't be giving the presenter too many things to juggle?

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Yeah, I see what you mean...at the moment though do they not go to whoever is in help, who passes them to the presenter to do???

Maybe instead of this, whoever is directing should be in control of requests and get the emails, in the same way as suggested, and it is then down to the director to decide how much of the current programming 'slot' is going to be dedicated to requests.

I don't know who has the control as to what piece is going to be on next at Rocks, but I always got the impression that the presenter picks, so thought it would be good to just whack everything straight to them.....

I agree with other people who have suggested that all requests made in chat should be ignored. I have been guilty on a number of occasions of requesting in chat, but this is because I find that my requested items always appear on screen much quicker if I request in chat, rather than by email. When I have lots of time to watch I always request by email and wait for my item to come on screen, and I know it can be a bit annoying when you see requests in the chat appearing on screen minutes after they were requested, while you're still waiting for a reply to an email you sent 20-30 mins ago. So apologies for all the times I have requested in chat! Hope this doesn't sound too critical as it really isn't meant to be. I have been moooooooooore than happy with the service I have received from rocks, and in general find the CS fantastic. I just think it would be fairer for all if this rule (or a similar one) was implemented constistently.

Hi All

I certainly know who you are talking about because I (stupidly) partly went to that person's defence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This caused a falling out with someone else in chat, which I was, and still am, very upset about. I was told that the 'nice' person was ok about it all, but I know that they weren't, in fact they haven't spoken to me since then.

To the people who have said that it is an auction and all's fair etc - the problem that MOST of us have, I would imagine, is that we don't have seemingly bottomless pits of pockets, or money trees at the bottom of the garden. It therefore makes a huge amount of difference what the price does fall to - when you see a starting price of £1,000 ish - you can have no idea where it might go to, and so lots of us just have to wait and see.

I think that making people pay the price that the come in on may well stop some of this jumping straight in. I admit that I have done it, but only out of total desperation, and after taking a deep breath.

Hopefully Steve will be able to sort something out to help us with this.

Dingbat

Your point about needing to wait to see where the price drops to is a good one - that is a majorly annoying point when someone "jumps straight in" as soon as an item appears.

I've not been around Rocks much recently, but I think I spotted who you mean yesterday when I dropped in briefly.
From reading this thread I see three issues:
1. They're posting in chat advertising their own rival business and insulting Rocks.
Not on, but I'm certain that now that Steve's been made aware of it, there will be a stop to it one way or another.
2. They're jumping in before the price drops on items they want. Sorry, but I really don't see an issue with that. They're obviously prepared to pay whatever the cost, and that's their choice. If you were prepared to do the same, you'd have the same chance to win. I know that Rocks will want to "shift product" and for the highest price they can get, if anyone thinks they're going to stop this practice, you must be mad! Annoying I know, but that's auctions and this is a business.
3. They're trying to buy things from people who've won them. This was what I saw yesterday. Frankly, it is cheeky and insulting IMO. I can't imagine anyone who's bought something wants to dump it that quickly either, what a waste of time. I don't know if it's something worth stamping on or not, from Rocks' point of view, but if it's annoying other customers I'd probably err on the side of stopping it.
Anyway, that's my thoughts on the matter, sorry I haven't been around Rocks recently, but my Credit Card has taken to hiding!

Dingbat said:

Hi All

I certainly know who you are talking about because I (stupidly) partly went to that person's defence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This caused a falling out with someone else in chat, which I was, and still am, very upset about. I was told that the 'nice' person was ok about it all, but I know that they weren't, in fact they haven't spoken to me since then.

To the people who have said that it is an auction and all's fair etc - the problem that MOST of us have, I would imagine, is that we don't have seemingly bottomless pits of pockets, or money trees at the bottom of the garden. It therefore makes a huge amount of difference what the price does fall to - when you see a starting price of £1,000 ish - you can have no idea where it might go to, and so lots of us just have to wait and see.

I think that making people pay the price that the come in on may well stop some of this jumping straight in. I admit that I have done it, but only out of total desperation, and after taking a deep breath.

Hopefully Steve will be able to sort something out to help us with this.

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Hi Dingbat,

I know just how this one feels, sad and uncomfortable, but I'm sure if you're patient and keep trying the other party will come round. Something like this happens to most of us sooner or later. The only bit of advice I'd offer, which you probably don't need now, is to stay out of other's arguments unless you are defending someone you really know. This is another service this forum provides, if you make a mistake, you can try and rectify it here which chat doesn't give you the opportunity to do.

As for the rest of it, to be honest I'm surprised this discussion is still continuing really. Although I understand everyone's points, it is after all a public auction, and I think all we can do with situations like this is take it on the chin and try again another time. Rocks is a business first, and it's really not for them to have to decide what is or isn't fair, so long as its within the law and rules of the site.

As for requests, easy peasy, as you all have said, all presenters should be advised to ignore chat requests. A separate address such as the screamingly obvious "requests@r........." could be set up and then dealt with by the designated/appropriate person. I think to start controlling numbers of items requested per post could unjustifiably complicate the issue, as I'm sure these multiple requests are not as many (in the grand scheme of things) as it may feel to us.

Argey xx

PearlyQueen said:

2. They're jumping in before the price drops on items they want. Sorry, but I really don't see an issue with that. They're obviously prepared to pay whatever the cost, and that's their choice. If you were prepared to do the same, you'd have the same chance to win. I know that Rocks will want to "shift product" and for the highest price they can get, if anyone thinks they're going to stop this practice, you must be mad! Annoying I know, but that's auctions and this is a business.

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I think what a lot of people object to, PQ, is the fact that when someone jumps in at the start price, which I agree is their choice and right to do, the presenter STILL drops the price even though someone has already technically bought the item at that high price! Perhaps, they should be made to buy the item at the price it was when they pressed the "buy" button.

I think most people feel more comfortable seeing what the price will drop to rather than gambling on what it might be in advance.

I see a certain person is back requesting in the chat again today

Rather blatant isn't it, Sazza?! And she didn't join in the chat, say hello to anyone as they came in or wish Emma all the best! Just arrived and started listing item codes!!!:52: