Back in work for 18 months now! must get reading and writing soon, if only I had more time!!!!!
Back in work for 18 months now! must get reading and writing soon, if only I had more time!!!!!
Member since:27.05.2002
Reviews:64
Members who trust:88
What is it that makes these programmes so addictive? As if there aren’t enough places to shop already without having it blazoned across our TV screens. You have shopping centres, city centres, supermarkets, electrical outlets, warehouses, corner shops and of course online retailers to name a few. Shopping is big business and they all want our money and our custom.
--------- INTRODCUTION ---------
bid-up.tv is slightly different to conventional shopping in the fact that you pay ‘what you want to pay’ for the goods and not an actual asking price. It sounds interesting doesn’t it? So what’s the catch?
Well they only have a certain number of the specified items for auction per day and if you’re not one of the highest bidders, you don’t get one.
For those of you that weren’t fully awake during my last sentence, I’ll say this again.
bid-up.tv is an auction channel and not a regular shopping channel, this is where the majority of its appeal comes in and it is unique. There are no other auction channels at the moment (at least not with NTL anyway) that are broadcast on TV as well as having the opportunity to bid online. Even the online auction sites like www.ebay.co.uk sell predominantly second hand goods. Those goods that are new, are often sold by traders that you have never dealt with before and may never hear of again. bid-up.tv is different, you know where and whom you bought the goods from and you can actually return the item if there’s a problem or even if you simply don’t like it.
~~~~~~~~~~ Now that I’ve introduced you to bid-up.tv I hope you’ll stay with me for the rest of the opinion as I talk you through how to join and get the most from the fascinating world of this live interactive auction channel ~~~~~~~~~
--------- HOW TO ACCESS THE CHANNEL AND PLACE A BID ---------
Anyone can watch bid-up.tv if you have Sky Digital (channel 347) NTL: Home (channel 647) or Telewest broadband (channel 745) form 8.00 a.m. in the morning until midnight.
You can of course access bid-up.tv from the Internet at www.bid-up.tv; it will be live and interactive whichever method you choose. As we are
concentrating here on the TV channel I will tell you about the registration procedure for this.
You simply start to watch bid-up.tv like you would any other channel. You don’t have to pre-register first. This enables you to get used to howit works and what type of items are available. If you spot an item you would like to bid on then initially you make the bid by phone. Each item offered for auction will have a unique telephone number for you to call. There will be no mistake in sending you the wrong item, as the number will be specific to that item only for that particular day.
You dial the number and you will be given instructions on how to place your bid. If you wish to place a bid of £20 for example you will enter 20 and then the hash key to confirm. It really is very simple and the instructions are simple to follow. You do not need to give any address or credit card details initially. This allows you to place your bid quickly as the required minimum bid amount will be changing all the time.
You will be charged 60 pence per minute for the call so if you hang on the line this could add a considerable amount to the cost. The best thing to do is wait until there are a couple of minutes left to place your bid and if it’s still within your price range you can place your bid. You are best to enter the maximum amount that you are prepared to pay for the item. Please bear in mind that if everyone else has bid £20 but you are prepared to pay a maximum of £60 don’t go rushing in and placing a bet for the £60 otherwise you will have paid £40 more than everyone else. You see, you pay what you actually bid and not the final auction price. You can of course increase your bid if you need to by re-dialling the number, just be aware of how much time is left as you could miss out. If you stay on the line until the auction finishes you will hear the auctioneer while you are on the phone and you will of course still be able to see what’s happening on your TV screen (providing your phone is in the same room) but at 60 pence per minute this is not my preferred option. If you phone up and place one bid, the call will last around 40 seconds and will cost you about 40 pence.
If your bid is successful you will receive a call back, how soon depends on how busy they are. It can be anything from 20 minutes to an hour so if you want to go to bed or go out, be warned! You will then be asked for all your details, address, credit card etc. and you will be given a 4-digit pin code. Eventually you can use this pin code the next time you place a bid so that you don’t have to wait around for a call back.
There is an easier way to place your bids if you have Internet access and it is the one that I use. It is called proxy bidding and for those of you that are not familiar with this I will try to explain.
Proxy bidding works in a way that allows you to enter the maximum amount that you are prepared to pay. As the minimum bid increase so does your bid, without you having to do anything. bid-up.tv bid on your behalf up to your maximum. If the final bid was £20 and your maximum was £60 you only pay the £20! This works far better than having to stay on the line or phone up to change your bid if you get outbid. It also means that you won’t spend more than you were prepared to as if you hang on the phone you may get tempted to place higher bids than you would have liked.
If you do register for the Internet you will have a 4-digit pin code and a 10-digit security number. The Internet also offers you online auctions in the web warehouse that won’t be broadcast on the TV.
--------- WHAT CAN YOU BID ON ---------
Well, there is quite a wide range of goods available but you will find that they are mainly jewellery and household. Many of the lots will be repeated, especially the jewellery ones but you will find that some are one off’s.
They have different lots throughout the day and many start from just £1, that doesn’t mean you will get it for a pound, but it is possible. Each lot will have a certain quantity available for auction. If there are 60 bracelets for example the top 60 bidders will get one. If 80 people bid the same amount they will go to who bid first. The top bidders are displayed on screen and the minimum bid amount is also displayed.
Jewellery is the main seller and you can make some fantastic savings. I bought my stepdaughter a 9ct Gold Celtic Style Bracelet that weighed 17.5gr for £65.00! They estimated the high street cost of this to be over £300 but that is not necessarily what you would pay. Even if you use £10 per gr rule that’s a big saving, but the design was very unusual indeed.
I bought myself a 9ct gold curb chain that weighed 11gr for £45.00 and a more lightweight one for my stepson for £28.00. Most of the expensive items come with an insurance certificate to save you having it valued for insurance purposes.
I have seen some fantastic mountain bikes for auction for men, ladies and children. The prices have been very competitive and some of them have gone for as little as £60. It is a good idea to keep a catalogue handy when you’re watching so that you can compare the prices. I am forever flicking through the Argos or Index to see if it’s a bargain or not. You won’t find all the items in catalogues so you will have to use your judgement and common sense.
Perfumes and aftershaves are often sold in sets, again there are some massive savings to be made but if you are looking for something in particular it’s always better to have a rough idea of price in mind first. The thing with auctions is there is no limit to how much you can pay, so set your self a limit and don’t go above it.
They also auction collectable items, these range from TY beanies to sports and film memorabilia. I have seen signed football shirts and film cells for sale on a regular basis. The thing to bear in mind here is that these items may have an estimated retail value but what they are worth to one person is different to another. There is likely to be a small number of these lots available and you can get many bidders bidding against one another pushing the price up. For example a signed Manchester United Shirt may be worth £2000 to you but only worth £10 to the guy next door who supports Leads UTD (ok then they would probably burn it) but you get my drift. Any collector will know that things can go up or down in value so buy it because you like it not because you think it might be an investment.
--------- DELIVERY AND RETURNS ---------
All items will be charged a delivery fee on top of the final bid price. I think the charge is quite high, as it seems to be £6 or more. This is more than the likes of Argos and Index and should be taken in to consideration when placing a bid. If you are bidding on a low value item for say £20 the delivery charge makes it less attractive. Fair enough you get it delivered to your door and this is something they plug time and time again but it is an important factor. Many of us will go in to town to do shopping on a weekly basis anyway. If you’re buying a large item like a mountain bike then £6 or £7 is worth paying! Delivery should take no more than 5 working days.
You must remember that when you place a bid it is a legally binding contract and bids cannot be cancelled. If you received goods that you simply don’t like you can return them within 14 days for a full refund. You will not get the postage costs refunded for delivery or returning the item. If the goods are faulty or damaged then bid-up.tv will offer a refund or replacement and they will pay the cost for returning the item. Instructions for returning the goods will be included in the parcel.
I’m glad to say that I have been happy with all my orders and have not had to return anything for any reason. They once went over the specified delivery time and I asked them to refund the charge, which they did.
--------- Everything Else ---------
There are currently 8 presenters, some of which I like more than others. I find one girl in particular (Sophia Raafat) to have a really irritating deep husky voice. She is very beautiful however and was previously a model.
Some of you who used to watch ‘Shop’ the shopping channel before it was taken off air will remember Andy Sheldon. Now he really makes me laugh and is very entertaining.
Peter Simon is another favourite and you will probably recognise him form various BBC shows that he has done in the past. Two of those being ‘Double Dare’ and ‘Run The Risk’
I think one of the things I like most about the last 2 presenters is their ability to make the auction fun and interesting. I have to admit that the best bit is when they make cock up’s; with being live you get to see quite a few. I think that adds to the character of the show and makes the whole package more appealing.
I really hope that you can get bid-up.tv as it is an exiting way to do your shopping, just be warned that it can become quite addictive. At one time it was never off my TV and the credit card bill went sky high. It’s great for Christmas as I found they had an excellent selection of gifts and decorations.
So, I think I’ve said enough for now and it’s about time you experienced the thrill for yourself. Go and switch on the TV and check it out. If this is your first time keep your eyes on the auctioneers hammer. When he travels to the Gavel (yes you read it right) he is about to bash his hammer. You will hear him (or her) say, going once! And it will go once for about 2 minutes! Going twice! And at this point get those fingers dialling quickly if you’re not already on the phone, as it will soon be going three times! You break out in a sweat now wondering if you will be outbid in the final seconds, and then it’s gone!
Good luck with your future bidding and I hope you bag some bargains but remember they do actually have to be paid for!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
I was wanting more information about the quality and value of the goods not how it works and who is on it.
I will happily upgrade if you can tell me this.
danielbaron 01.10.2003 11:13
What a comprehensive opinion! I've been considering giving them a go, and you've persuaded me!
Justine 08.11.2002 10:48
Phew! What a detailed op! nice one. I've used them several times - it is as easy as you say.
Advantages: Cheap, different, fun, helpful, fast, reliable, novel, exciting, funny, useful and easy to get addicted! Disadvantages: I honestly can't think of any!!!
stepearce 20.11.2002 (21.11.2002)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Bid-up.tv
Advantages: There are SOME bargains to be had, mildly entertaining Disadvantages: Can be addictive, You could end up buying things you don't really need.
averagepunter 29.10.2002 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Bid-up.tv
Aug 3rd, 2002
very helpful by (97%):
helpful by (1%):
somewhat helpful by (1%):
