When QVC, the Shopping Channel, started broadcasting in October 1992 I did not think that home television shopping would catch on.
There was a lot of negative press at the time of its launch. Even Judy Finnegan on 'This Morning' made some critical comments.
Nowadays a day does not go past in our household without the TV being tuned to QVC. It is quite addictive. Even if you do not want to buy anything your knowledge will be improved.
Basically QVC is a home shopping channel available via Digital Satellite or Cable TV. It transmits live for 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. The remaining time is taken up with the day's highlights.
The programming is broken down into specialist hours. A resident QVC presenter accompanied sometimes by a salesperson of a specific product presents each hour. A QVC presenter may be on air for a couple of hours before reappearing after a rest.
QVC stands for Quality, Value and Convenience.
The quality of the QVC products has improved over the years. Some of the products in the early years were a little naff. Nowadays most of the QVC products match the quality of goods in the High Street.
The value of QVC products is very good. They consistently beat the prices of corresponding items on the High Street. This is because QVC buys its products in bulk and so gets its items at the cheapest possible price. Even QVC presenters have to pay the same price as viewers. There is no discount for them.
Any QVC products purchased are conveniently delivered to your home. There is no carrying home any items as with purchases from the High Street. If you are not happy with your purchase then a refund service is available. This service is available within 30 days of purchase.
At the beginning of each hour the items to be demonstrated are briefly shown. These items are then reprised at the end of the hour.
In fact QVC sells everything found in an Argos catalogue. No category is left out.
The best way I can explain the modus operandi of QVC is to look at the programming schedule for today (June 14th):
4 p.m. Beauty Workshop Here QVC's resident beauty consultant Alison Young demonstrates a range of cosmetics products on models. You can learn about which product is best for each skin tone.
5 p.m. Make Life Easier In this hour a QVC presenter demonstrates items around the home which can save time eg a portable travel iron which irons quicker than usual.
6 p.m. Italian Crystal In this hour a QVC presenter describes various crystal items from the Vicenza region of Italy. Inexpensive and expensive products are sold to reflect the budget of the QVC viewer. I personally mentally switch
off when an item over £200 is being demonstrated.
7 p.m. In The Kitchen In this hour several kitchen products are demonstrated. This is often done against the background of a meal being cooked. Saucepans, can openers, chopping machines, juicers, popcorn makers, candy floss makers, bread machines, cutlery, microwave rice cookers etc are often sold here.
8 p.m. Feel Good Factors This hour caters for those people involved in keep-fit, aerobics and Pilates etc. Gym equipment, aerobics and Pilates videos, abdomenizers etc are demonstrated. Often the hunky looking Yankee Tony Little demonstrates the effectiveness of various gym equipment on one's cardio-vascular system, body-fat ratio etc. I am lucky as I am grossly overweight and have no need for this keep-fit lark.
9 p.m. to 11 p.m. In the Salon with Gatineau This hour shows various Gatineau cosmetic products. A Gatineau beauty consultant gives the background behind a product and she is quite tasty to look at. Alison Young applies the product to a couple of delectable models. If you are female then these couple of Gatineau hours must be heaven for you.
11 p.m. QVC Selection The final hour of the day shows items from a great number of categories. Often certain items are not completely sold out during that day but do sell out after appearing on QVC Selection.
Midnight Today's Special Value Every day beginning at midnight an item is sold at a ridiculously low price. This is known as Today's Special Value or TSV. The QVC presenters heavily plug this item. The TSV is broadcast several times during the following day's transmission. Often a TSV will sell out before the following midday. My wife and I sometimes never go to bed until we know that day's TSV.
Sometimes I will often buy a product from QVC depending upon the sales pitch of the QVC presenter. After viewing for a few weeks you get to know the foibles of the various QVC presenters. This makes it easier to determine if an item is overhyped or not.
Here are my descriptions of some of my favourite QVC presenters:
Kara Tritton Kara used to be my favourite QVC presenter in the mid 1990s. She could easily pass herself off as a supermodel. I must admit that I used to tune in just to look at her face. In the toy hour her comic timing was magnificent. I lost interest in Kara after she got pregnant and had to leave QVC for a couple of years. Her main fault is that she really overhypes products over £300. You can feel it in her voice that since this item is expensive I must say extra nice things about it.
Julia Roberts Julia has been with QVC since day 1. She is chatty and gives honest opinions about products. She is a Crystal Palace football supporter. It is noticeable that if Julia is on QVC after a Crystal Palace defeat the sadness of the defeat comes out in her voice. She is forever talking about her husband and 2 children. It can be difficult to be enthusiastic about every product. But Julia brings her family into the sales pitch and this works really well. Julia has also appeared on Denis Norden's 'It will be Alright on the Night' when she unleashed a swear word after handling a very hot cooking saucepan.
Kara Baker Kara is lovely and chatty. It lifts up your mood just by listening to her. She is a vegetarian. She also imparts on TV the various boyfriends in and out of her life.
Jilly Halliday Jilly is the daughter of Syd Halliday, the bigband leader. My wife says that with makeup Jilly can be transformed from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan. Jilly usually has a smile on her face. She litters her sentences with the phrase 'for you' constantly. Her boyfriend proposed to her in New York. Her subsequent wedding and photos were televised on QVC.
Ali Paton Ali is my favourite QVC presenter. I even tune in if she is presenting an hour on women's clothing or something equally obscure. Ali has got a lovely soft Scottish accent and explains the QVC products perfectly. A few weeks ago she was presenting a programme on astrological bric-a-brac items. She managed to weave in members of her family, friends, and ex-boyfriends to fit all 12 star signs. Apparently she used to be in 'Gladiators'. Ali can beat me up anytime she wants to.
Alison Young Alison is the resident beauty expert. Her background in beauty therapy is impeccable. She knows everything there is to know about the beauty industry. On air she is very chatty and may talk too fast. Her main hobby is horses. She can be stumped by double-entendres though. About 6 months ago someone mentioned that the weather outside was windy and Alison collapsed into hysterics. How she got through that hour I will never know. Over the past 4 months Alison has been smiling more than usual. Perhaps she has found love.
Julian Ballantyne Julian has a lovely personality. He is forever making mistakes. He is at his best when in a childish mood. Most of the time he has a lovely smile on his face. More recently he has appeared on the BBC 'Holiday' programme.
Dale Franklin Dale is the QVC presenter who hypes everything up as if his life depended on it. He even hypes up ordinary products, which can be quite funny to view. If you have seen the American infomercials you will know about hype.
Other presenters include Claire Sutton, Debbie Greenwood, Kathy Tayler, Alison Keenan and Anna Dawson.
Ordering an item is simple. After your first order you are given a QVC membership number. You simply dial the QVC ordering number, speak to a QVC operator, quote this membership number, the item number of the item to be purchased and the quantity of items required. You can pay via credit or debit cards or cheque. Postage and packing is extra but rarely exceeds £7.
If you are in a hurry then you can use the Q-Cut service. This simply involves ordering an item via your telephone keypad without speaking to an operator.
You can also buy items online via the web site at www.qvcuk.com.
Items are usually delivered within 5-7 days. If you are not in then another attempt at delivery is made a week later.
QVC is an American company. It began broadcasting in the USA in the mid 1980s. It has become so huge that it bought its nearest rival the Home Shopping Network a few years ago.
The American QVC presenters are widely known in the States. A couple of them even married each other.
QVC is also broadcast in Germany. I quite like the female German presenter Barbara.
QVC is addictive and provides retail therapy from the comfort of your TV.
I once asked my wife to come to bed but she said that she wanted to see a couple of items on QVC first. When she did eventually come to bed a couple of hours later I was already in the land of nod.
The film actress Elizabeth Taylor is a massive QVC fan. She is rich enough to order every item she likes but her house is filled with unopened QVC parcels.
TV Home Shopping is here to stay. Other rivals such as Ideal World have begun broadcasting. But QVC is the best around.
UPDATED January 2006
HOW TIMES CHANGE
In my childhood I used to go shopping in Hull most Saturdays. We always used to go to Hammonds, Thornton Varley, Willis Ludlow, M&S etc. My highlight was visiting the toy department on the top floor of Hammonds. Whatever happened to Picadish?
I felt at the time that shopping would always be like this. Nowadays you can do your shopping from the comfort of your TV.
EVOLUTION
QVC has evolved and improved over the years. Now you can order items via the telephone, Internet or TV. This is far better than trudging up the High Street on a rainy day.
The QVC channel (Sky Channel 630) is on every day in our household. Even if nothing is purchased I always learn something new.
I regard the QVC presenters as pseudo friends/family as I see them so often. My wife likes Dale Franklin while I like Claire Sutton. I also receive e-mail updates from qvcuk.com about future shows.
MEETING ANNETTE
One of my favourite cooking segments is 'In the Kitchen with Tefal.' The Tefal expert is the cuddly Annette Baker-Malpas. She always puts a lot of effort into her cooking. I feel that she works best with Julian Ballantine. Thanks to Annette I know all about the Tefal hot spot.
We usually attend the Ideal Home Show and its Autumn equivalent at Earls Court in March and October. It is excellent for retail therapy. In March 2005 we walked past the Tefal stand on the upper floor. I just happened to notice Annette and went over for a chat.
We chatted for a few minutes. She was extremely friendly and quite human for someone off the TV. She came down to London via the M1. When working at QVC she stays at a hotel. Meeting Annette is my claim to fame.
IN THE SALON WITH ALISON
For most of my life I have been oblivious to make-up. But about 14 years ago my aunty in Kolkata put make-up on me and dressed me in a sari. Now there's a sight for sore eyes! After that I began to take an interest in cosmetics.
Most of my cosmetics knowledge has been gleaned from Alison Young on QVC. She really is a fount of knowledge. I learn something from her every time I watch her. A few years ago a presenter made a comment about the windy weather and Alison just cracked up in laughter on the screen. It made great viewing. Alison apparently hates washing her car.
Alison is married to Steve who is a professional footballer for Brighton FC. So she is a real footballer's wife. My favourite footballer's wife is Amber. I always turn red whenever I see her!
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL
One of my favourite beauty shows is Simply Beautiful Products or SBC for short. There are a variety of skin care gels on offer which are all affordable. Gels are more easily absorbed than creams and are healthier to the body. We use the following gels:
Arnica gel: for aches, pains, sprains etc.
Aloe vera gel: as an aftershave balm. It can also be used to soothe irritation from insect bites.
Body firming gel: for firming and toning the skin.
Collagen gel: for reducing facial lines.
Leg soothing gel: for relieving and moisturising aching and tired legs and feet.
Vitamin E gel: for hands.
Echinacea gel: as a natural decongestant. A small amount placed under the nose really relieves sniffling. There are no side-effects as opposed to over-the-counter medication.
Lee Sands sells affordable fashion jewellery from Hawaii. Until a couple of years ago Lee himself used to come in person into the studio. His colourful shirts were always very loud. Nowadays he is busier than ever and delegates a female colleague to come on the show. She is the main reason why I watch this segment.
I went on a family holiday to Hawaii in 1982 which was memorable. My abiding memory is being chatted up by a very pretty salesgirl at the Kaanapaali shopping resort, Maui. She certainly is my idea of a fantasy woman.
I must admit that my parents did everything for me regarding expensive foreign holidays and financial help. But it was their arrogant behaviour which put me off e.g constant lies, verbal abuse, not imparting any family gossip, treating me as a doormat etc. I certainly don't feel part of the family. It does not bother me if I never see any family members ever again.
The main rival to Lee Sands is Butler & Wilson.. The Butler & Wilson range is far more expensive than Lee Sands. Amazingly the Butler & Wilson products sell out quite quickly. But I prefer Lee Sands myself if only to ogle at the salesgirl.
TODAY'S SPECIAL VALUE
Every day at midnight a new product is introduced at a discounted price. This is known as today's special value or tsv. The reduced price is only valid for one day. The variety of tsvs on offer means that there is something for everybody. Over the years we have bought a lot of tsvs. But some of the purchases have been impulse buys.
WASH BALLS
One of my best purchases over the years has been Wash-it wash balls. A couple of wash balls and a stain remover stick came in the box. It cost just under GBP 14.
A wash ball comprises of a plastic sphere containing several miniature pellets. The wash ball is simply placed on top of the washing in the washing machine. In effect it takes the place of conventional washing powder. Whatever happened to Omo?
The beauty of wash balls is that they do not leave a soapy scum on clothes, towels etc. unlike washing powders. One wash ball has lasted almost 2 years where a wash has been done at least once a week.
The cost savings made has been astronomical. Just think how many boxes of conventional washing powder a typical family gets through in 4 years?
The stain remover stick is an excellent complement to the wash balls. It removes tough and stubborn stains, contains no harmful chemicals and is environmentally friendly and hypo-allergenic. The stick is simply applied to stains before the wash. I am quite a messy eater and food alwasy dribbles on my chest. Perhaps I should wear a bib. The stain remover stick really does work and all the stains are removed. But I don't know how this compares with other stain removers such as Stain Devils.
When I got married, we lived with my parents for the first 17 months. During all of that time my mother never washed my wife's clothes in the washing machine. My father also subjected my wife to cruel mental abuse. If we had not moved out when we did our marriage would have been over. Bloody Bengalis!
I feel that arranged marriages are now backdated and should be banned. The Bengalis who come here are generally freeloaders.
A couple of girls rejected me as I was not a vegetarian. The rest thought that I was too weird and fat. It was a shame that Abi Titmuss did not reply to my marital advert.
The British Bengali male has evolved sufficiently to hunt for his own mate.
ZILO KILLERS
The miracle of science produces some wonderful inventions. The zilo killer sold on QVC is a recent example. It is an inexpensive smell destroyer. We have zilo killers in the bathroom, sitting room, kitchen and formerly in the car.
After a day's preparation the zilo is ready to be used. It is a circular steel ellipsoid which is kept on a black plastic bowl. When water is added to the bowl it causes the zilo to kill any smell which disappears after a couple of minutes. The zilo is made of a special grade stainless steel.
The zilo is more effective than conventional air fresheners. The zilo destroys the smell molecules completely. The fragrance from the air fresheners surround the smell molecules which only mask the smell.
The cost savings are tremendous. The zilo killer lasts for life. We have not purchased any air fresheners since. After a few months use a white scum does appear in the plastic bowl. This is easily removed by soaking in vinegar. I must admit that the more infamous I get, the worse the bathroom smells become!
I just want to digress about air fresheners. In the late 1980s and the early 1990s my illness was quite acute. I used to use the local newsagents as a soapbox for my views. I used to rant and rave at the top of my voice and made a name for myself as the local nutter. I hate to think what the customers thought of me?
About 9 years ago I went in to buy a can of air freshener. When I got home it was empty and I was livid. I visited the newsagents again a month later and purchased another air freshener can. Again this time it was nearly empty. The newsagents had used the cans as a fragnance for the shop.
I should have simply returned the cans to the shop for a refund. But I let the psychotic anger fester inside me. Also around that time my wife and I had just moved into the area. She told me that I was spending too much time at the newsagents and would be better off at home. So Mike and Pete, I hope that you are both well.
REFUNDS
All QVC products come with a 30-day no quibble guarantee. The products can be returned via the Post Office. Unfortunately a small postal charge has to be made. It would be great if the refunds applied to postage and packing as well.
ORDERING
Ordering items can be carried out in a number of ways:
Online via www.qvcuk.com
Freephone via 0800 50 40 30 (check out the Scouse accents!)
Customer services via 0800 51 41 31
Qcut via 0800 52 42 32 (automated telephone ordering)
Satellite TV via QVC Active.
I am now off to model Jasmine Di Milo on the catwalk!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
When I first saw it I wondered how anyone could watch the programme! But I have bought some items myself but am not addicted. Jo
sienna501 13.08.2001 16:04
Nice Op, ive never used QVC before and rarely watch it (tad too boring for me!!) Really good detailed review, and you've pursuaded me now to give this a try sometime. Thanx for the very helpful read. Sien ;)
Advantages: Cheaper than on the high street. At least, that's what they say. Disadvantages: You will lose those valuable funds and whatever else that has a price.
Mopemaster 09.12.2000 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of QVC
Advantages: No queues or crowds, products demonstrated,entertaining to watch, prompt delivery Disadvantages: high p&p charges, some shows long winded and boring
scribbelle 31.08.2002 (01.09.2002)
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Review of QVC - QVC
Jun 15th, 2001
(Jan 10th, 2006)
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