After having to take court action to obtain collection and refund of faulty goods would think carefully before repeat experience. However still look at the one remaining on Freeview. Sometimes tempted although I too have noticed standard of goods on offer has declined, recently emphasis on jewellry, gold only 9 carats and tiny stones of dubious value. Most noticeable are electrical items, TV, Cameras etc. they look cheap until the final price proves dearer than in Netto, Lidl or Aldi who have similar, sometimes identical goods. Suggest if you really are aiiming to buy particular equipment, look at the 'cut price' supermarkets weekly offers first.

Lauriemac.

Hi

I agree, bid tv do over charge for delivery and the cost of the phone call is far too much.

You can get a really good bargain on there, however in recent months they have sold a lot of rubbish items, not really top quality like they used to.

Still I expect thats the recesssion for you!

I love the bid tv channels and i have bought a few items from them, but on one occassion i bought some electrical toobrushes, when i received them they were not working, i was very disappointed that i had to pay for them to be returned, has it was a electrical fault, not mine fault they were faulty so i dont think we should have to pay for them to be returned, its cost me around £2.00 to send back yet it cost me £7.99, i know they are there to make money at the end of the day, if there postage was combined or varied depending on weight etc i would buy more of them, also they charge you £1.50 if you order by phone which i think is very very expensive, you can do it online which wont cost you a penny. I think more people should complain about the postage and they might do something about it. I think QVC have the best policy out of all the shopping channels that there is. Thank you!!!!

conmankiller:

Nothing more to say other than, if you don't like their terms then don't deal with them.

Exactly what I was about to say, or more to the point, what these companies would say. There's plenty of people using and paying for these services, and as long as people are using it, and paying for it, they aren't going to drop their prices.

shoppinmad:

I love all the bid channels and have bought some really great items at great prices. I think you have to consider the postage and packing charge as part of the whole amount paid for the item and then decide if it is still a good deal. However, I do feel that £7.99 for anything you order, from a ring which weighs nothing and lets say a dustbin which is bulkier and heavier is a bit unreasonable. Plus, they also charge £1.50 if you order by telephone. I find QVC a great deal fairer in their postage prices which is based on the item's weight and of course if you order more than one item, postage costs are reduced accordingly. {They do not charge for telephone orders either].

I do feel that if the bid channels offered combined postage costs if more than one item is ordered, customers would be encouraged to order more from them. However, I suppose, this is how they make up their profit on the items sold and in the end it is the decision of the consumer and I think if you use shop with them you have to think that the cost of the item is £7.99 to start with plus whatever price you bid. Probably still a bargain!! Of course, how many people actually decide to return the item knowing that if they do, they have still lost the £7.99 plus the cost of posting it back. These companies have a very clever logic behind them!

I love all the bid channels and have bought some really great items at great prices. I think you have to consider the postage and packing charge as part of the whole amount paid for the item and then decide if it is still a good deal. However, I do feel that £7.99 for anything you order, from a ring which weighs nothing and lets say a dustbin which is bulkier and heavier is a bit unreasonable. Plus, they also charge £1.50 if you order by telephone. I find QVC a great deal fairer in their postage prices which is based on the item's weight and of course if you order more than one item, postage costs are reduced accordingly. {They do not charge for telephone orders either].

I do feel that if the bid channels offered combined postage costs if more than one item is ordered, customers would be encouraged to order more from them. However, I suppose, this is how they make up their profit on the items sold and in the end it is the decision of the consumer and I think if you use shop with them you have to think that the cost of the item is £7.99 to start with plus whatever price you bid. Probably still a bargain!! Of course, how many people actually decide to return the item knowing that if they do, they have still lost the £7.99 plus the cost of posting it back. These companies have a very clever logic behind them!

I have already made a post about Virgin's desire to extract as much money from the buying public as possible. Now they have gone a step foreward by changing their terms and conditions without notifying their public. They make great play on their no quibble money back guarantee. However, their receipt now states that the extortionate postage will only be refunded if the goods returned are faulty. So much for a no quibble guarantee!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

I, for one, will not be purchasing any further items from this source no matter what a good deal it appears. It is time that Richard Branson ceased to be held up as an example of what is best in the UK and show himself in his true colours as a Robber Baron of the wrost type. The richer get richer while the rest get poorer

Can any one tell me the legalities of changing the terms and condions in such a way that the buying public are not notified until they try too exercise their right to return an item

CML500

I agree with the general concensus - but nobody forces you to spend your money - you can find spectacular bargains

But the postage can be a little expensive - why can't they combine items if they are bought together - they should be posted together to save costs.....

i used to buy of both channels but they have now banned me and when i asked why there managers reply was that when they had the mega drops on that went for one pound that i was getting to many of them at that price of £1.00+postage.

it seems strange to me that i am banned for getting 5 products in 1 day @ £1.00+postage and dont forget the £1.50 that is for the telephone call as well,

and back to your question yes it is especially when they send most of the items by normal post and if you phone or write you often get fobbed of its nothing to do with them its the managers or im sorry i cannot access your account at the moment the computers are down call back later.

sounds familiar

I agree that they charge too much for the post, it would help if some of their smaller items were charged less on the postage

just like some of their larger items are charged more for post. When considering buying an item I think the price is good until I add on the postage and then it puts me off. Also would be nice if they sent you a return sticker so you didnt have to pay for the return. When I have returned something it is always less than the 7.99 I had to pay to get it.

You have to know your prices, but if you add the postage (usually £7.99) to the bid price and find it still good value, then go ahead. Bear in mind, you will pay that £7.99 whether you are buying a ring or a set of linen or a hoover, so they are gaining on some items and losing on others. It's not bad. Have had no trouble with returning items, but you do have to remember that the postage charges are (a) not refundable and (b) double if you return the item.

Beware, I have suspected extra charges in the past, so tracked carefully over last 2 months. Found an item charged for twice, when only bid once and delivered once. Also an item never ordered or delivered was charged for 4 weeks after ordered.

If anyone else notices same, we should collectively raise with Office of Fair Trading.

Good luck.

Note: This post has been moderated. Please ensure you read the travelsupermarket.com Community Standards and Terms of Service before posting. Thanks.

The postage charges used by Bid.Tv and its sister companies reflect the attitude of most Virgin Companies Fleece the public in the most subtle way but above all fleece them. I agree entirely with the first post. If they were using the same system on Ebay they would have been banned years ago

CML 500

Small purchases have been satisfactory if not spectacular bargains. Until tempted to a DVD Recorder, unfortunately a shade below the £100 where a Credit Card would have helped if the item was unsatisfactory. Within a few days I had problems programming, the Owners Manual scarcely intelligible. Wrote letter to the agents in Stockport, 23rd Jan for assistance. No answer. Enquiry to agents web site 28th, ignored. Letter to Bid TV 5th Feb asked for pressure to be put on agents and warning of possibility of item being returned, ignored. Further letter to Bid TV 12th Feb, ignored Letter to agents on same date also ignored. FAX to agents 15th Feb with copies of previous correspondence. Reply by email from agents "Agree unit is faulty contact suppliers for refund or replacement". Wrote to Bid TV with copy of email asking for advice, offering to return faulty unit to their Acton Offices. Letter unacknowledged. Contacted Office of Fair Trading, advised to write considering breach of contract under Sale of Goods Act 1979. Letter posted 28th February, unacknowledged. Advised by Office of Fair Trading to write by Recorded Delivery, giving 7 days notice of County Court action, letter posted 11th March not answered. Willesden County Court Summons issued 31st March giving Bid TV until 21st April to reply. At last I receive telephone call from Bid TV that item would be collected 21st April. Email from BidTV 23rd April informed me that refund of £99.71 which included the P&P was being made to my Credit Card. The £32 for summons and recorded costs have so far been ignored. Would not recommend purchasing without seeing any items of value over a few pounds from any source

binwr

Hi

I have bought a reasonable amount from both Bid TV and Price Drop. I find that there Postal charges are very unfair and over the top most of the time. Per example; I bought a Ring, Bag and a Duvet Set all in the same day they charged me £7.99 for each time and posted them all out on the same day. All together the Items would have cost £7.89 to post (I weighed them all together and found the Postal cost on the Royal Mail Site).
I emailed them (No Reply) Wrote a Letter (No reply) Phoned them They passed the Buck! to point out that there postal charges are extortionate and hadn't they heard of combined postage. I also pointed out that customers who use other company's regularly ket a discount or a Loyalty card or something.

I have found there Customer Service Dept one of the worst. I have never written to a customer Service Dept and not got a written reply back. I didn't get any response from Bid Tv. My letter was polite, to the point and fair. I also would like to say that they say there silver jewellery does not have a Hallmark and looks cheap. I have sent back three jewellery items because they don't look as they did on the TV. The quality isn't what they say it is be warned.

I think that more people should complain.