What is price-drop tv?
price-drop tv is the 2nd shopping channel to have been launched by Sit-up Shopping Limited. Prior to the launch of price-drop tv in 2003, Sit-up shopping operated their only other shopping channel at the time, bid-up tv, which consisted of a rising price dynamic. Due to the overwhelming success of bid-up tv ( now bid tv) , sit-up shopping launched price-drop tv, in 2003. Since the launch of price-drop tv, sit-up tv have gone on to launch a further shopping channel, titled Speed Auction TV, although nowadays, the name is a little irrelevant - initially the channel was a rising price auction channel, with auctions lasting only 4 minutes, hence the use of the word SPEED in the title. This auction dynamic was scrapped to make way for a falling price style channel, making this the third of it's kind existing within the sit-up shopping company.The shopping channel group now advertise as being the 'UK's Biggest Discount Channels group' and have won many awards for their contribution to shopping television.
How to buy
Buying on price-drop tv is fairly easy. You have 2 main ways to buy.
To buy on your phone, all you have to do is dial the number which is shown on the screen, listen to the message on the phone which just simply tells you what it is your buying, and hit the 1 key to confirm your order. This is a relatively quick process. The only downside to this way of buying as it will set you back £1.50 due to the use of an 0904 number. The only downside to phoning, as you can't stay on the line and wait for the price you are willing to pay, as you only get roughly around 30 seconds to make your choice, or the line automatically cuts you off, thus, a wasted £1.50 - definitely not something you want to happen!
The first time you buy from the channel, you'll be classed as a NEW BUYER. Within an hour of purchasing, you'll be phoned back by a customer service agent, who'll gather your delivery and payment details. In addition to this, you'll be issued with a 4 digit no call back code, which you can enter on the phone next time you buy, saving you having to wait for a customer service agent to phone you back next time - they'll just use your existing credit and delivery detailsBuying online is most definitely the most convenient method, as you key in the price you are willing to pay maximumally. If your price becomes higher than the price the price-drop is currently at, the system will automatically ' drop you in', meaning you got the item, whilst avoiding the £1.50 phone call.
If you are successful, price-drop tv will send you a confirmation email, telling you the final price and of course a little reminder of what you've purchased... not that you'll need reminding I'm sure!!
The price-drop tv website in addition to the channel is like an online web store, which sells hundreds of other items, which aren't actually on tv, aswell as those due to come on tv, for you to place web bids.The categories on the website are :
- Beauty and Health
- Electrical
- Entertainment and Leisure
- Fashion
- Home and textiles
- Jewellery
- Toys
- Watches
How price-drop tv works
The way price-drop tv operates is fairly simple.
Between the hours of 7:45am and 1:30am when the channel is live, the channel will be fronted by a presenter, who'll demonstrate the items up for sale. Once the graphics appear, it'll begin to become clear. These consist of the phone number, which you'll have to dial to purchase ( if you use the phone option... see above), the price the item is currently at, the quantity of the item available, and a description which runs in the form of a ticker and the bottom of the screen. It is worth watching out at times though, as although the phone number is displayed, the phone lines may be closed .... a clear attempt to try and generate more interest in the item so do watch out for that. In addition to this, a new feature most recently, which isn't particularly appreciated is the use of clocks, which countdown to the end of the auction. This does slightly suck out the fun of the channel , and in a sense, makes the name a little irrelevant as it questions whether the channel really is price-DROP and whether everyone does really pay the lowest price, as with the clocks, it seems there is now a fixed price in which these items need to go for.
What do they sell?
To cut a long story short, they sell pretty much everything! When the channel first launched, they sold items randomly. With this, I mean one minute they could be selling a gemstone globe, then the next, a mountain bike, then the next curtains, then the next kitchenware ,and so on so forth. In recent times though, they have several themed hours during the day, such as Ladies Fashion, DVD Day, Electrical Hour, sound and vision, Homeware e.t.c meaning it is more easier for you to know what sort of items are coming up, saving you from having to sit and watch the channel for prolonged periods of time just to wait on something you might be interested in. As mentioned above, the categories are as follows :*Beauty and Health
- Items such as face creams, fragrance sets and personal care items( shavers e.t.c)
*Electrical
- pretty self explanitory here - TV's, DVD players and anything that requires electrictity to run.... funnily enough :P
*Entertainment and Leisure
- This is items which will take the level of boredum away - such as handheld games consoles, DVD's , CD's e.t.c
*Fashion
-Clothing items for men and women, jackets, tops, trousers, again, pretty self explanitary
*Home and textiles
-Curtains, duvet sets, kitchenware, livingroom ware e.t.c
*Jewellery
- I don't think I need to give an example for this one :)
*Toys
*Watches
When buying an item, do take into consideration the p&p charge which is usually about £8, and the phone call if you use that option, and then decide whether the item is still worth dropping in for..... don't take it just on the price of the item alone!!!
Delivery
Price-drop tv deliever anywhere in the GB mainland. Delivery charges of price-drop tv vary from £7.99 right up to £12.99 in some cases, so do check the delivery charge well before considering making a purchase. This is particularly important when they do their megadrop event, where items will go to a pound, because obviously, they items won't really be a pound.
Delivery with the channel is usually within 7 working days, and is delivered by a courier. If you're not completely satisfied with the item you've bought, you can return it to them within 14 working days, for a full refund of the cost of the item, not of the postage unfortunately.
Customer services
The customer service is good, but certainly not great. In times they are supposed to phone you back, mainly after your first purchase can be a little erratic at times, with some during the hour after the purchase, to some from as much as a day later. A few times we've had to contact them for various reasons, such as overcharged for delivery, they are a little slow at correcting the issue, although it did get sorted eventually.
So, would I recommend it
=
Although things are slightly changing for the worse in terms of the use of clocks e.t.c, I'd still recommend this channel, but do check prices online beforehand if you've spotted an item you might like to drop in for. The thing about the channel is it can become highly addictive and new viewers would most likely want to jump at the fact they see an item for £1, while they might not fully understand the delivery costs and phone call costs on top of that. At the end of the day, everyone wants a bargain, and there are ccertainly ones to be had here, but in some cases, price-drop tv have known to be a little more expensive than some places online, and most notably, it's the delivery charge which pushes the price up to that level. So with all that in mind, draw your own conclusions to whether on price-drop tv, everyone pays the lowest price??CONTACT DETAILS:
Customer Services
sit-up Ltd
PO Box 45981
London
W3 OWJ
0844 811 6611
this review was correct as of Sept, 2010
everyone pays the lowest price? 
