General Banter and Random Musings

[Dr Quincy MkII]

Shop Extra made no money, quite literally - they had many shows that sold zero. The only reason it was created was because Paul Wright wanted a vehicle through which to bid for the late night airtime on ITV (which he did pitch for along with TJC and of course, Shop on TV). When he didn't get that airtime, he quickly wound up Shop Extra and tried to say it was because Ideal World had been acquired and he was happy for suppliers and staff to go there. Not long after this, he and Val "retired" as they were fed up of continue looses from HOCHANDA / Create & Craft. Those who are still at C&C feel the future is bleak.

As many will remember, Simon was one of the first guests on Shop Extra's launch night and although he had one of their better performing shows, it wasn't enough for him to go back and do another live show with them. It's anyones guess why he has tried to replicate one of the quickest failures in the history of shopping TV, even going so far as to employing people who were directly responsible for creating Shop Extra. His only point of difference is that he is live for more hours and broadcasting on Freeview - 2 of the biggest costs you will ever incur as a shopping channel.

Simon, Shona and Mark can make as many cheap digs as they like about IW but no one at IW / TJC / VGL is the least bit bothered about Seen on TV and I can guarantee they will be around long after Seen on TV either bites the dust or, it becomes a channel full of pre-recorded programming.

On Ideal World's launch night back in 2000, they received over 200 orders in 3 hours.

On Seen on TV's launch day, they received less than 40 orders in 12 hours.

Times are changing and I think Simon will come to regret ploughing all his TikTok Shop profits into a declining market.

As much as I am a critic of Ideal World, I want it to continue, I want people to use it as an industry training ground and keep people employed. I take issue with a lot of the tactics they use. The BS that flies around. That being said, as much as I don't like the continued amount of tat (I'm a tat purchaser too) I know that the wider TJC business is successful unlike HOCHANDA and Gemporia. Though I do think the Sewing Street/Hobbymaker side is a big plus, I just don't know how profitable it is

 

[Dr Quincy MkII]

Truth is Jazzy we all know each other. It’s a close family and I know that sounds corny but it’s true. I have some great friends at QVC, Shop on TV, IW both in front and behind the camera. Not many people sadly want to work in shopping TV because it’s long hours, all times of the day and there is no certainty on when you will be booked. So we can have a really busy month but then nothing for 2 months so I have always been grateful to any channel that has offered me the opportunity to learn about a product and come explain / describe it on air.

Alex, I know some people think you should go about your business but many of us on here appreciate the time you and anyone who comes on the forum such as Rob Locke under your own name and fielding questions and criticisms from people, so I just wanted to say thanks.

 

[PhaedrusR]

What's the difference between "Shop on TV" and "Seen on TV", is it the same company?

No. Shop on TV is Jamie Martin (formerly of an incarnation of Ideal Shopping Direct, I believe. With Rob Locke working as "manager/producer/presenter").

Seen on TV is Simon Iles' new vehicle.

 

[Old Man Steptoe]

24 rolls of Andrex is £12, so 3x that is 72 rolls = £36. And that's Andrex, plus p&p, so no great bargain, unless they're double super size rolls. Or super quality.

Shocking that you would consider selling toilet rolls,especially after the Mother Teresa fiasco.
Hang your heads in shame,new or not things don’t change

 

[Battiola73]

I think Boring Bradford has been on most Shopping Channels.

 

[Glen_C]

In my opinion, it would have been beneficial to include a further price comparison for the Hamilton Beach Visioncook 11L Air Fryer that you are selling. Studio was selling it for £249.99, but now it is currently being sold for £159.99. While your price is still cheaper, it might look better to display one for sale close to the price you are selling, or at least that's my impression.

 

[marky mark]

In my opinion, it would have been beneficial to include a further price comparison for the Hamilton Beach Visioncook 11L Air Fryer that you are selling. Studio was selling it for £249.99, but now it is currently being sold for £159.99. While your price is still cheaper, it might look better to display one for sale close to the price you are selling, or at least that's my impression.

I looked earlier and they were all £250. They truly were. So they’ve reduced their prices since this morning. Maybe they have web searches to monitor anyone else selling it online

 

[PhaedrusR]

I can only get one, I think it is on CH 94, can't get CH 79 even after a retune.

@stratobuddy ShoponTV is on 89

SeenonTV is on 94. Some old TVs may show it on 79 if not fully reset/retuned.

 

[PhaedrusR]

@Alex Knowles Earlier Alex said something new and different. What's new and different about SeenonTV?
A new channel. Some new products but many the same.

P.S. I thought Minky was a whale!

 

[The Insider]

In my opinion, it would have been beneficial to include a further price comparison for the Hamilton Beach Visioncook 11L Air Fryer that you are selling. Studio was selling it for £249.99, but now it is currently being sold for £159.99. While your price is still cheaper, it might look better to display one for sale close to the price you are selling, or at least that's my impression.

I noticed on the show with Tim (who looks like he should be working on the paint stirrer machine in B&Q) they were now price comparing with Hamilton Beach, Debenhams and B&Q. What do all 3 of these have in common? They are all the same marketplace retailer - "Sold & Delivered by EPE International". Feels somewhat dishonest and misleading.

 

[Alex Knowles]

@Alex Knowles Earlier Alex said something new and different. What's new and different about SeenonTV?
A new channel. Some new products but many the same.

P.S. I thought Minky was a whale!

Hi Phaedrus, by new and different we are trying to bring different products to shopping tv like the glue, and new brands that people haven’t seen before (we are launching a new shapewear company tomorrow for example) and we are trying not to be a hard sell. Let people know for example with the fans this morning - I’m not a fan expert, we got them in on Saturday and wanted to put them on the show today and we couldn’t get a guest in time, so I talked around the fan but made sure the audience knew this. We read our messages that come in and are trying to be more approachable. It’s only small changes granted. But it’s trying to do something different.
A lot of the products you see will also be the same as you have seen on other channels. That’s because it takes some
Time to fill 12 hours a day and just can’t do it with complete newness…so a mixture of the tried and tested that we know will bring in revenue allows us to experiment with new products that may or may not work.

 

[PhaedrusR]

I noticed on the show with Tim (who looks like he should be working on the paint stirrer machine in B&Q) they were now price comparing with Hamilton Beach, Debenhams and B&Q. What do all 3 of these have in common? They are all the same marketplace retailer - "Sold & Delivered by EPE International". Feels somewhat dishonest and misleading.

Something I've gleaned recently is that items purchased from SeenonTV currently are dispatched by the relevant 3rd party/agent supplier.

There is currently no SeoTV central stock or distribution warehouse, it all comes from the item suppliers.

This is why p&p is per item order and no deals on multiple item orders yet available.

Dunno' if they're planning a centralised operation to reduce costs. Presumably takes a large investment to set up stock, warehouse, distribution, so this slimline reseller (drop-shipping anyone?) SeoTV model is @Simon-Iles brainchild!

 

[Herring]

I noticed on the show with Tim (who looks like he should be working on the paint stirrer machine in B&Q) they were now price comparing with Hamilton Beach, Debenhams and B&Q. What do all 3 of these have in common? They are all the same marketplace retailer - "Sold & Delivered by EPE International". Feels somewhat dishonest and misleading.

Hot damn, Insider — I stan you and your burns! That is something I don't think I'd ever have picked up on. I've often called out TJC for their "we're cheaper than Amazon" price comparisons (which don't mention that the "Amazon" price they're often comparing against is from a marketplace seller called TJC , tsk), but that's arguably veering as close in the disingenuous stakes.

I can only assume Seen Before on TV aren't aware of that rather than a case of them being intentionally selective…

(Right? )

 

[PhaedrusR]

Hi Phaedrus, by new and different we are trying to bring different products to shopping tv like the glue, and new brands that people haven’t seen before (we are launching a new shapewear company tomorrow for example) and we are trying not to be a hard sell. Let people know for example with the fans this morning - I’m not a fan expert, we got them in on Saturday and wanted to put them on the show today and we couldn’t get a guest in time, so I talked around the fan but made sure the audience knew this. We read our messages that come in and are trying to be more approachable. It’s only small changes granted. But it’s trying to do something different.
A lot of the products you see will also be the same as you have seen on other channels. That’s because it takes some
Time to fill 12 hours a day and just can’t do it with complete newness…so a mixture of the tried and tested that we know will bring in revenue allows us to experiment with new products that may or may not work.

Fair enough @Alex Knowles Thanks.
New product ranges and new fresh 'honest' attitude. Hoping it's successful. Just need to filter or retrain some of the old-timers/BA guests who are stuck in their old ways of 'being less than economical with the truth".

 

[Herring]

Something I've gleaned recently is that items purchased from SeenonTV currently are dispatched by the relevant 3rd party/agent supplier.

There is currently no SeoTV central stock or distribution warehouse, it all comes from the item suppliers.

This is why p&p is per item order and no deals on multiple item orders yet available.

Dunno' if they're planning a centralised operation to reduce costs. Presumably takes a large investment to set up stock, warehouse, distribution, so this slimline reseller (drop-shipping anyone?) SeoTV model is @Simon-Iles brainchild!

I can understand no warehouse from a cost POV, but yeah… it's not a million miles away to turn into a drop-shipping outfit, especially since some of the items are regularly sold elsewhere.

So if anyone orders from Seen Before on TV and the goods arrive in an Amazon box, do let us know

 

[Dr Quincy MkII]

Shocking that you would consider selling toilet rolls,especially after the Mother Teresa fiasco.
Hang your heads in shame,new or not things don’t change

I never saw what happened with that. My friend buys toilet rolls in bulk online because she says she doesn't want to have to go the shops for it. So I can see there is a market

 

[Dr Quincy MkII]

I looked earlier and they were all £250. They truly were. So they’ve reduced their prices since this morning. Maybe they have web searches to monitor anyone else selling it online

Ideal World used to put the date and time of the price comparison check. Gone are those days of transparency

 

[Glen_C]

I noticed on the show with Tim (who looks like he should be working on the paint stirrer machine in B&Q) they were now price comparing with Hamilton Beach, Debenhams and B&Q. What do all 3 of these have in common? They are all the same marketplace retailer - "Sold & Delivered by EPE International". Feels somewhat dishonest and misleading.

I will give them the benefit of the doubt on this item because two of them are on the sponsored ad centre at top of the search engine and Hamilton Beach is right below that. I can't speak for them, but I assume they just did a quick search to see how much they were selling for.

 

[Glen_C]

Posted my message twice. I couldn't delete the full post, only the message.

 

[Alex Knowles]

I will give them the benefit of the doubt on this item because two of them are on the sponsored ad centre at top of the search engine and Hamilton Beach is right below that. I can't speak for them, but I assume they just did a quick search to see how much they were selling for.

Had no idea they were the same retailer. We just do a quick price check online and aim to be going out at a better price. Simple as that as we won’t sell much if we can’t show the price. We won’t get everything right I know that but on this occasion we had no idea the comparison sites all work with Hamilton Beach. We are just trying to sell and air fryer. Nothing more sinister and as you put Glen - we just did a quick search.