Betterware Catalogue > Reviews (18)

The Betterware catalogue came flying through the letterbox. Sometimes I picked it up and had a nosey through and sometimes I just never got around to it. If I had a nosey through I would often think, Now, there's a good idea. I could do with one of those. But rarely did I ever get around to actually putting pen to paper and ordering.

A couple of days later the Catalogue would be picked up, devoid of order. Or I would just forget to put it on the doorstep for collection.

Then a couple of months back I took on the role of Betterware distributor. Boy do I feel bad now, and so I have decided to write this review from the other side of things.

~~~The Delivery~~~

The Catalogues come out every five weeks. As most distributors don't last more than that, it means a new distributor may re deliver to some houses. This gives the impression that the Catalogues either come very frequently, or you may go months without seeing one if a new distributor cannot be found for some time.

~~~~The Catalogues~~~

Each Catalogue is around 100 pages and covers everything from personal hygiene to storage solutions. The Catalogues change each time with some products added or omitted but here is a rough idea of what to expect.

KITCHEN. This is a collection of gadgets and gizmos and storage ideas along with cookware items for both oven and microwave. Betterware have a good selection of microwave products that allow you to cook things such as rice, potatoes or even pies with ease and in a fraction of the normal time. They also have a number of items designed to allow you to steam your food which helps keep the flavour and nutrients in whilst also being healthier for you.

HOME STORAGE. Pretty self explanatory. This is a collection of boxes and baskets suitable for most rooms in the house. You can also find covers for suits and dresses for use in the wardrobe.

HOME ESSENTIALS. All the items that you did not realise you couldn't live without. From a front door mat to a recycling organiser, and from a disposable hair trap to a days of the week clothes organiser for children. You will find it all in here. One of the items I have purchased in the past and find useful is the drawer dividers. was actually bought for our 'anything and everything' drawer. You know the one that accumulates all the things that can't find a home elsewhere. But the drawers we had were not deep enough, so it has now been used in the underwear drawer to keep everything under control.

CLEANING AND LAUNDRY. Betterware have their own range of cleaning products available. You can also get the cleaning products needed to go with them such as clothes and brushes. Most of the cleaning agents in bottles also come with a trigger which makes life much easier.

HEALTH AND BEAUTY. Whether it's your feet, your hair or your bosy there is a product sure to suit you here. It might be tweezers, it might be combs. It could be straighteners or even a soft gel separator especially to ease your bunions. Granted most people wouldn't be interested in the latter but if you are housebound then this is probably the most ideal way to get hold of all the equipment to make your life less painful.

GARDENING AND OUTDOORS. Do you have a problem with slugs, or would you rather just be feeding the birds? Perhaps you have an unsightly drain to cover or you just want to relax at your patio table that is beautifully adorner with flowers in your table planter that neatly fits around the parasol base? Maybe you would rather take a trip out in the car, so the folding travel mirror or car waste bin could come in handy. And if you just want to wash it, how about the wheel brush and car wash and polish?

SEASONAL. Not found in all brochures (Clearly!) but Betterware can supply a good range of items and gifts needed at various times of the year. If you fancy making your own cards for any occasion how about delving into the Arts and Crafts section.

As I said not all items always appear in the catalogues, however, it appears that you can order items not in the catalogue by going to the website and obtaining an item code. You can either order online and pay for p&p or add the code to the order form and it will be delivered free of charge.

Replacement parts and refils are also available, just ask your distributor for more information.

~~~Collection~~~

So now you have browsed through the catalogue and decided whether you wish to order or not. Inside the plastic bag that the catalogue comes in should be an order form. It is easy to fill out, you just need to make a note of page number, item code, item price, quantity and total price and then add it all up at the end. The only information required by the distributor is the code and quantity but I guess the others are added as it helps to identify a product if the customer accidentally make a mistake when filling in the code. Customers keep the bottom half as a record of order and return the upper half to the distributor when they call.

On the back of this form there is a section that tells the customer when the distributor will call back. It is normally around two or three days after delivery. This is where the distributors get most of their hassle. There are of course some very good and thoughtful people who put their catalogue out on the day of collection. Making sure it is secure and in bad weather also waterproof. But there are others who will chuck it out as soon as it arrives so that is spends days open to the elements, others who forget or don't bother to leave it out, which means the distributor must call on each of those homes to reclaim the catalogue, or worse still those that throw it straight into the paper recycling. I know as I said myself, that I have forgotten on many occasions to put it out in the past, so we do appreciate it does happen, but when the distributor leaves a note saying they will call back, try to remember on that occasion as they do need to be passed on to other potential customers.
If you don't want the catalogue then simply just say so. It will be one less house to deliver to!

~~~Delivery of goods~~~

This is the point that many people complain. They make an order and then expect the items to be with them within the week.

Unfortunately it does not work like that. The distributor passes all orders on to an area manager once a week. If your order was collected on say a Tuesday and they come on a Monday it will already be a week before your order has reached the first point. After collecting the orders from each distributor the managers then send an email order to head office. The order is sorted and all being well it will be given to the distributor the following week. In our case we then get the orders out as soon as possible, but it may be that the distributor can only work certain days so it could be up to another week before they can deliver to you. It should in theory be no more than three weeks from order to delivery, with the average being around 10 days. If you compare this to if you had say ordered online you would probably be expected to wait up to 28 days, or pay extra for a speedy delivery. Betterware delivery is free, and you do not need to leave your home to either order or receive so there will be some compensation somewhere.

~~~Paying~~~

The items can be paid for in cash or cheque (with guarantee card). Distributors cannot accept credit cards, and in order to pay this way you will have to order online. The distributor receives 20%

~~~Overall~~~

Betterware has been around for years and most likely will be for some few years more. They may not be to everyone's taste but they do have a large number of regular customers so must be doing something right. Chances are if you live in a built up area with lots of supermarkets and pound shops then you will get the same type of items for around the same price or slightly less. But if you are housebound or work all the hours under the sun it may be the only way you can get those slightly unusual products. And that is really how I would sum up the items to be found in the Betterware catalogue. They can be slightly quirky and not your everyday items but they will be things that you never knew you needed till you saw them on the page.

I have purchased a few items in the past and have bought a couple since we have started delivering ourselves. All the items have been of good quality and I have found them to do the job they claimed, though I have not personally tried the cleaning agents and these seem to be the items under debate the most. I have heard mixed thoughts on these products. Some say they work others don't. However many buy the products on a regular basis so they can't be all that bad.

So next time a catalogue comes flying through your letterbox, perhaps just take a few minutes to glance through. It may have the very item you have never been looking for!