Many of you bods will know about the debacle surrounding Auction World last year.
You and Yours did a very interesting expose on them this afternoon. Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours and speed forward to around 30 minutes into the programme.
Shill bidding, selling stock that doesn't exist and the strangely-always-unavailable customer services department.
George, the MD of AuctionWorld, is subject to a Watchdog special tomorrow (Tuesday) on BBC1.
It poses a number of questions in my mind -
1) The barrier of entry must be very low to get into this type of business. I am 31, and George was 30 when AW was launched. Why can't I attract zillions in investment?,
2) What do you think of the shopping television genre in general?, and
3) What about Webby at http://www.shoppingtelly.com? Despite numerous warnings, he continued to take money from George. Can this fat bastard be trusted?
shoppingtelly.com, Auction World, George and a world of shit
I've never seen that site before.. it's like a pile of html and flashing gif's sick.johnnyboy wrote: 3) What about Webby at http://www.shoppingtelly.com? Despite numerous warnings, he continued to take money from George. Can this fat bastard be trusted?
"Webby" had a rather childish message on the front page of his website last week. Apparently QVC have (quite rightly IMO) told it's presenters not to have anything to do with the site. His message said this was a disgrace and an insult to all shopping telly fans, and that he was cancelling his QVC membership with immediate effect.
I'm not actually sure you *can* cancel a QVC membership.
I'm not actually sure you *can* cancel a QVC membership.
Shoppingtelly.com is an odd one.
It is an undoubtely popular site, despite the way in which it is run.
A quick look at the front page says it all:
Each individual yellow box is an area of the site given over to advertising of specific channels usually with some sort of naff 3d animation.
Half of the articles on the site seem nothing more than the channel's press release judging by the language used. No one is asking for election style impartial coverage - but at the same time who is interested in reading propaganda 'articles' such as "not only great guests and superb prices but FREE P&P on everything". If I wanted to read that sort of 'sell' I would have went to the channel's own site.
His behavior over the Auction-World scam was deplorable. He refused to report on ofcom outcomes that slated the channel. One of the management at sit-up got involved inviting him to explain why he was not reporting the facts on Auction-World. Webby's answer to this was to get into another strop over sit-up by having a winge on the site.
Webby is just too far connected with some of the channels. Insider connections are great, but there needs to be balance. TV Forum has aquired an array of insiders from various areas that are invaluable to the site, does that mean Asa fills the front page full of drivel listing how fabulous N24 is? Webby is won over by a few behind the scenes tours. Behind it all he just wants to be part of the gang and feel accepted. If he got up off his ass and done something with his life, I'm sure with his connections he could find himself a job in the industry. Better that than to sit on the other side of the fense desperately peeping over. Mind you, if I owned a channel starting out, I too would invite him along for a tour, I'd even give him the key to the executive washroom if it helps keep him sweet and continue to big-up the channel to the death. QVC obviously realised they don't need him as much as he clearly needs them. You can't blame them for having so much as a hint of business acumen.
It is an undoubtely popular site, despite the way in which it is run.
A quick look at the front page says it all:
Each individual yellow box is an area of the site given over to advertising of specific channels usually with some sort of naff 3d animation.
Half of the articles on the site seem nothing more than the channel's press release judging by the language used. No one is asking for election style impartial coverage - but at the same time who is interested in reading propaganda 'articles' such as "not only great guests and superb prices but FREE P&P on everything". If I wanted to read that sort of 'sell' I would have went to the channel's own site.
His behavior over the Auction-World scam was deplorable. He refused to report on ofcom outcomes that slated the channel. One of the management at sit-up got involved inviting him to explain why he was not reporting the facts on Auction-World. Webby's answer to this was to get into another strop over sit-up by having a winge on the site.
Webby is just too far connected with some of the channels. Insider connections are great, but there needs to be balance. TV Forum has aquired an array of insiders from various areas that are invaluable to the site, does that mean Asa fills the front page full of drivel listing how fabulous N24 is? Webby is won over by a few behind the scenes tours. Behind it all he just wants to be part of the gang and feel accepted. If he got up off his ass and done something with his life, I'm sure with his connections he could find himself a job in the industry. Better that than to sit on the other side of the fense desperately peeping over. Mind you, if I owned a channel starting out, I too would invite him along for a tour, I'd even give him the key to the executive washroom if it helps keep him sweet and continue to big-up the channel to the death. QVC obviously realised they don't need him as much as he clearly needs them. You can't blame them for having so much as a hint of business acumen.
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scottishtv
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Just an aside here, does anyone know who the 'voice' is at around 26mins 35secs? I've heard his voice on a number of radio stations but it's the first time on a telly promo. Just out of curiousity. Thanks in advance.johnnyboy wrote:You and Yours did a very interesting expose on them this afternoon. Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours and speed forward to around 30 minutes into the programme.
I used to be a member of shoppingtelly.com.
I made a post criticising AW and the way that their customers had been conned. It was a perfectly valid criticism. Unfortunately the Webmaster thought differently and my post was deleted and I was banned.
So much for free speech and an open forum.
I made a post criticising AW and the way that their customers had been conned. It was a perfectly valid criticism. Unfortunately the Webmaster thought differently and my post was deleted and I was banned.
So much for free speech and an open forum.
The great majority of people who I know at QVC think that website, it's members and it's owner are a laughing stock. They take notice of it to laugh at some of the ludicrous statements made. You can bet it was comedy time in the offices when they saw the rant about cancelling membership and boycotting for the day.marksi wrote:"Webby" had a rather childish message on the front page of his website last week. Apparently QVC have (quite rightly IMO) told it's presenters not to have anything to do with the site. His message said this was a disgrace and an insult to all shopping telly fans, and that he was cancelling his QVC membership with immediate effect.
I'm not actually sure you *can* cancel a QVC membership.
They take no inspiration from the site, they just use it to have a laugh in the canteen, albeit very quickly. 
Not to mention his rather childish aside with Jean. I mean, who the hell is she? And why should I care that he’s fallen out with her?. The guy is a loser and I refuse to visit his site now. All that crappy flash is more than my browser can take!johnnyboy wrote:Many of you bods will know about the debacle surrounding Auction World last year.
You and Yours did a very interesting expose on them this afternoon. Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours and speed forward to around 30 minutes into the programme.
Shill bidding, selling stock that doesn't exist and the strangely-always-unavailable customer services department.
George, the MD of AuctionWorld, is subject to a Watchdog special tomorrow (Tuesday) on BBC1.
It poses a number of questions in my mind -
1) The barrier of entry must be very low to get into this type of business. I am 31, and George was 30 when AW was launched. Why can't I attract zillions in investment?,
2) What do you think of the shopping television genre in general?, and
3) What about Webby at http://www.shoppingtelly.com? Despite numerous warnings, he continued to take money from George. Can this fat bastard be trusted?
Johnnyboy, in answer to your questions;
1.
You could have gotten millions in investment had you come up with a similar idea at the time. My guess is that business angels now would think twice before offering up equity for such ventures that in Auction Worlds case was so badly thought out. (or at least, you would hope)
2.
I think Shopping Telly in this country still has a long way to go in persuading the masses to believe that what they are shifting is real value. There is an ongoing interest in the genre. But it’s mostly through channels such as Bidup and price drop that do not advertise themselves as shopping channels per say. They’ve developed a cult following amongst a previously untapped shopping channel audience by producing very professional output. The fact that I and over 1 million others every day could watch it for pure entertainment value would seem to confirm this. I can’t watch ‘Snatch it’, it drives me mad, the cameras seem to be driven by retards and the presenters are plain irritating. That and all the other channels that seem to have awful sound and picture quality makes you wonder how they make any kind of profit.
3.
Webby is what is wrong with Shopping Telly. Okay not him on his own, but what he advocates. There are some out there that are trying to change the genre into something more accessible to all rather than the long term sick, or retired. But it falls on death ears with the introduction and quick subsequent flop of these awful infomercial channels that Webby often promotes as being the next best thing!
I say it only because I'm good looking...