Dragons' Den

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  • elite fileselite files Posts: 15,602
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    I don't know - Dragons' Den is a completely different (and just as good) show in my opinion. As for The Apprentice, it will depend on whether the BBC and SAS can come to some agreement to make another series. As far as I know, (although this is reported speculation) SAS will not do another one unless the quality of the candidates reverts back to those from series one. :)

    They put a contestant call out as soon as the series finished. I do know they will be showing the next american version soon. Pity I know who wins as have looked on american website :mad: :mad: . Still their version just as good :):)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,679
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    I've just remembered who Richard Farley reminds me of, it's a cross between Jack Lord [Hawaii Five 0 ] and George McFly
    :) I caught up with this episode last night, thought it was excellent and Richard really grew on me (helped by the fact I have noticed he's got a lovely smile). I liked the fact he was really polite to the exercise chair man - though I have to admit seeing Duncan crying with laughter was possibly the highlight of the show. Oh and what was it he said to Peter "When did you become Mr Sweetie Pie?" :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,679
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    I don't know - Dragons' Den is a completely different (and just as good) show in my opinion.
    I agree completely, it's not a filler show for me at all. It's one of my TV highlights.
  • Dante AmecheDante Ameche Posts: 20,692
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    The "KarDocktor" idea is a complete joke - and that guy had definitely lost the plot. Nobody will waste their money calling a premium rate number just to be told "get it MOT'd" or "take it to a garage" - or I certainly wouldn't! Like Duncan, I thought the Picnic Bag idea was great - a very useful product.

    I actually thought the exercise chair idea was great too, although I could see their reservations, I think it could have a place in the market - not everybody does, wants, or can afford to attend a gym on a frequent basis - and it does offer a good solution to that.

    The chair had a lot of a positives, but like the majority of home fitness equipment, I expect it would just be used as a chair before too long. Lastly, I thought the truck wash idea was great - and I hope everything works out for the guy running it. :)

    I remember thinking the get it MOT'd could be a tad premature, what if the car was only a couple of years old, 12 months off MOT and just out of manufacturer warranty?

    The chair could be useful and at least would end up being just a chair rather than a clothes horse but is he also gonna sell you a matching two or three seater because odd chairs in a living room is just tacky

    The picnic bag was a good idea but not for £55
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 15,059
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    :) I caught up with this episode last night, thought it was excellent and Richard really grew on me (helped by the fact I have noticed he's got a lovely smile). I liked the fact he was really polite to the exercise chair man - though I have to admit seeing Duncan crying with laughter was possibly the highlight of the show. Oh and what was it he said to Peter "When did you become Mr Sweetie Pie?" :D


    I agree - he was very kind towards the exercise chair man. As for Duncan and Peter's exchange, the strange thing was, Duncan said virtually the same thing before when Peter said forget it. :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 15,059
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    I agree completely, it's not a filler show for me at all. It's one of my TV highlights.


    Indeed so! Great minds think alike and (I think) we've agreed on everything we've posted in so far! :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 15,059
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    I remember thinking the get it MOT'd could be a tad premature, what if the car was only a couple of years old, 12 months off MOT and just out of manufacturer warranty?

    The chair could be useful and at least would end up being just a chair rather than a clothes horse but is he also gonna sell you a matching two or three seater because odd chairs in a living room is just tacky

    The picnic bag was a good idea but not for £55



    Indeed! :D You're right about the car - when I bought my (brand new) car if someone had told me to get it MOT'd before the end of the three years, I would've questioned their sanity. Although I think a "new" car is less likely to go wrong, an MOT would be inappropriate in that situation.

    I see no reason why he couldn't (or wouldn't) be able to expand the excercise equipment range into a sofa too. I wonder if he's now developing an exercise deck chair, for working out at the beach?! :D I also agree the picnic bag was way too expensive - £30 would've been better! :)
  • planetnokiaplanetnokia Posts: 15,023
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    The "KarDocktor" idea is a complete joke - and that guy had definitely lost the plot. Nobody will waste their money calling a premium rate number just to be told "get it MOT'd" or "take it to a garage" - or I certainly wouldn't! Like Duncan, I thought the Picnic Bag idea was great - a very useful product.

    I actually thought the exercise chair idea was great too, although I could see their reservations, I think it could have a place in the market - not everybody does, wants, or can afford to attend a gym on a frequent basis - and it does offer a good solution to that.

    The chair had a lot of a positives, but like the majority of home fitness equipment, I expect it would just be used as a chair before too long. Lastly, I thought the truck wash idea was great - and I hope everything works out for the guy running it. :)

    When you ring up NHS Direct you don't expect someone at the other end to talk you through a heart and lung transplant.....or do you.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 15,059
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    When you ring up NHS Direct you don't expect someone at the other end to talk you through a heart and lung transplant.....or do you.


    No, but there are still numerous differences between the two services. The biggest one is when people call NHS Direct, they are discussing something they know about, or can describe (the problem) in detail - their body. If you have a certain type of pain somewhere, you can tell them this, you can also say what type of pain it is and how long you've had it, etc, etc, etc. The nurse or doctor at the other end of the line can then form a reasonable diagnosis based on the confirmed facts. NHS Direct is also a local rate number, not a premium one and they offer more to a caller than "KarDocktor" can ever dream of.

    One of the many problems with "KarDocktor" is that if you call them up and don't know anything about cars, saying "I can hear this noise" or "this is a bit strange" they can (at best) guess what the problem could be - and they'll still tell you to take it to a garage, or get it MOT'd, according to that guy. He had no response to the majority of questions because his plan is flawed. The British public aren't going to use this service - if you have a problem with your car, you either read a Haynes manual and try to fix it yourself, take it to a garage/mechanic, or if you break down, you call a recovery service. :)
  • DemonLemonDemonLemon Posts: 902
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    Kardocktor were going to pay their staff around £7.50 an hour, and I can't see they could be employing anything other than call-centre staff, with no knowledge of cars. So, how would they find out what the caller wants to know? They might have technical staff in the background, but they would need to be on a one-to-one basis with the call staff, so more expense and delay during a premium-rate call.

    But when asked about costs, he said 20 staff at £7.50 an hour. No budget for technical staff. He's in a fairy tale.
  • Dante AmecheDante Ameche Posts: 20,692
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    DemonLemon wrote:
    Kardocktor were going to pay their staff around £7.50 an hour, and I can't see they could be employing anything other than call-centre staff, with no knowledge of cars. So, how would they find out what the caller wants to know? They might have technical staff in the background, but they would need to be on a one-to-one basis with the call staff, so more expense and delay during a premium-rate call.

    But when asked about costs, he said 20 staff at £7.50 an hour. No budget for technical staff. He's in a fairy tale.

    For 21 grand a year I think I'll ask him for a job, can't be anyworse than the helpful staff that man the PC helpline phones
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 15,059
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    DemonLemon wrote:
    Kardocktor were going to pay their staff around £7.50 an hour, and I can't see they could be employing anything other than call-centre staff, with no knowledge of cars. So, how would they find out what the caller wants to know? They might have technical staff in the background, but they would need to be on a one-to-one basis with the call staff, so more expense and delay during a premium-rate call.

    But when asked about costs, he said 20 staff at £7.50 an hour. No budget for technical staff. He's in a fairy tale.


    Indeed so - and the accountant guy said each call would last 10 minutes. However, the main problem with that, is how can they justify dragging the conversation out that long.

    I can see an example (but typical) call to them now;

    Caller: Hi, I've got a problem - the exhaust on my car has fallen off!
    Kar Docktor: Okay, you need to take it to a garage to get it fixed - and then you'd better put the car through an MOT just to be sure.

    That's more like thirty seconds! :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 15,059
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    For 21 grand a year I think I'll ask him for a job, can't be anyworse than the helpful staff that man the PC helpline phones



    I'm told that £21,000 per annum is quite a good salary for working in a call centre - most operators are (apparently) paid much less than that, so although "KarDocktor" would probably fold in the first year, you'd be paid well while you had a job with them. :D
  • planetnokiaplanetnokia Posts: 15,023
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    No, but there are still numerous differences between the two services. The biggest one is when people call NHS Direct, they are discussing something they know about, or can describe (the problem) in detail - their body. If you have a certain type of pain somewhere, you can tell them this, you can also say what type of pain it is and how long you've had it, etc, etc, etc. The nurse or doctor at the other end of the line can then form a reasonable diagnosis based on the confirmed facts. NHS Direct is also a local rate number, not a premium one and they offer more to a caller than "KarDocktor" can ever dream of.

    One of the many problems with "KarDocktor" is that if you call them up and don't know anything about cars, saying "I can hear this noise" or "this is a bit strange" they can at best guess what the problem could be - and they'll still tell you to take it to a garage, or get it MOT'd, according to that guy. He had no response to the majority of questions because his plan is flawed. The British public aren't going to use this service - if you have a problem with your car, you either read a Haynes manual and try to fix it yourself, take it to a garage/mechanic, or if you break down, you call a recovery service. :)

    The only difference between advice lines NHSDirect and KarDoctor is that NHSDirect is publicly funded.

    If you ring KarDoctor and say my car won't start they will ask you a number of pre-prepared questions at the end of which they will recommend you take it to a garage. If you ring NHSDirect and say I've got a headache they will at the end of a number of pre-prepared questions recommend you visit your local doctor.

    Having said that if I had been one of the dragons, and no matter how good an idea I thought it was, I would under no circumstances have invested in that guy because I would have considered backing Canute to stop the tide coming in a more viable proposition.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 15,059
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    The only difference between advice lines NHSDirect and KarDoctor is that NHSDirect is publicly funded.

    If you ring KarDoctor and say my car won't start they will ask you a number of pre-prepared questions at the end of which they will recommend you take it to a garage. If you ring NHSDirect and say I've got a headache they will at the end of a number of pre-prepared questions recommend you visit your local doctor.

    Having said that if I had been one of the dragons, and no matter how good an idea I thought it was, I would under no circumstances have invested in that guy because I would have considered backing Canute to stop the tide coming in a more viable proposition.


    I see your point about NHS Direct, but regardless of the questions they ask (I agree about what they'd say in the headache case) they might also advise you to visit the A & E department of your local hospital there and then if your symptoms fit a certain type of illness - I know this from previous experience.

    KarDocktor just doesn't have the same scope or (respective) knowledge that NHS Direct does - and it's still reached via a premium rate number. However, I also agree that I wouldn't have invested my own money in that venture. In fact, I wouldn't even invest a competitors money in it! :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,972
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    carpeni wrote:
    Interesting to note on the lorry washing web site that the boss states that he has got a loan from the bank and ditched the dragons!


    Thanks for that link - very interesting.

    40% did seem far too much for that stake - so glad he's pulled out - and in such a dignified way.

    Great show this week.

    Cardoctor - not a chance.

    Designer bag thing - you really can't hand over control of your own design business. Then again, you wouldn't want an expensive minority interest in a business run with seemingly very little real ambition.

    Exercise chair - looked uncommercial to me. People may pay £50 for an exercise aid that they'll use once and then stick in a cupboard - but not £500 on a great big heavy chair.

    Its a much better show than Apprentice. Its "real reality" rather than the pantomime of Apprentice - and features a range of diverse and interesting "contestants" rather than a bunch of atrocious young egoists.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 278
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    loved the Bonks. "this is bonk in a bath and quick bonk...." lol
  • Gemo52Gemo52 Posts: 128,039
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    akrigg wrote:
    Thanks for that link - very interesting.

    40% did seem far too much for that stake - so glad he's pulled out - and in such a dignified way.

    Great show this week.

    Cardoctor - not a chance.

    Designer bag thing - you really can't hand over control of your own design business. Then again, you wouldn't want an expensive minority interest in a business run with seemingly very little real ambition.

    Exercise chair - looked uncommercial to me. People may pay £50 for an exercise aid that they'll use once and then stick in a cupboard - but not £500 on a great big heavy chair.

    Its a much better show than Apprentice. Its "real reality" rather than the pantomime of Apprentice - and features a range of diverse and interesting "contestants" rather than a bunch of atrocious young egoists.


    Don't you just love the ad. when Alan Sugar comes on and says he doesn't like surprises. :D:D:D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,734
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    Shrike wrote:
    51% :eek:
    I swear the Dragons get greedier every series.
    .

    The people pitching in the Den shouldn't be so hung up on control...

    "Hi, my name's Lazlo, and I'm here to ask for £250,000 for 100% of my business, Ecocon."

    Duncan: "That's a pretty stunning statement, what does your business do?"

    Lazlo: "The beauty of this offer is that the business can do whatever you want it to do. You can turn it into a service, or you can decide to manufacture something, or even a combination of the two. The choice is entirely yours, you have complete control.
    I have here an attractive 'Ecocon' logo, which you can use with the business, though if you don't like it, with 100% control you can even change the logo.
    Or the name.
    This offers complete flexibility to run my business exactly as you want to, devoting as little or as much time to it as you see fit.
    And with your combined expertise, I know that you will get a huge return on your investment, running my business exactly the way you want to.
    So what do you say?...."

    Shame Rachel's left the show, think she might have gone along with it.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 15,059
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    Shame Rachel's left the show, think she might have gone along with it.



    Actually, that reminds me of something I read earlier in this thread. I wonder (if it's true) how someone with so much debt and no real business (now) could've actually afforded to invest in a venture? :confused::)
  • Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
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    Lazlo_St_Pierre maybe I'm a bit stupid, but what's the point you're trying to make?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,679
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    I think Lazlo belives he/she has come up with a cunning plan on how to get hold of £250,000 for very little work.

    Of course, Duncan would be out. ;)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 15,059
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    Of course, Duncan would be out. ;)



    Plus Deborah would want her 51%! :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,734
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    Lazlo_St_Pierre maybe I'm a bit stupid, but what's the point you're trying to make?

    I know nothing about investment in business, but I don't think I'm going to learn an awful lot about it watching a game show like Dragon's Den.
    If I was going to go into business with somebody, I'd want more than a half hour presentation and the chance to ask a few questions before handing over thousands of pounds.
    The time spent on each venture by the Dragons seems to be no longer than it takes a person of normal means to, say, buy a TV or book a holiday.
    The format of the show seems to be 'complete no hoper/no hoper/someone with a good idea but not willing to give up that much stake to the Dragons/no hoper/investment'.
    I almost wonder if, to make the show watchable with a bit of variety, having turned down so many of the pitchers, the Dragons almost feel obliged to offer an unnacceptible deal to any old rubbish that might prove an interesting diversion and make them look good on telly. It just seems a big ego trip for them all, and I'd love to see someone call their bluff. Did Deborah honestly think the girl would give up over half her picnic bag business, or was she taking a calculated risk and making an offer that she knew would be turned down to look good on the show?
    Are the Dragons so rich that they can afford to throw a few gobbits on risky investments to keep a fledgling TV career going? I never heard what became of Simon Woodruffe's truffle farming buisness...
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,734
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    I think Lazlo belives he/she has come up with a cunning plan on how to get hold of £250,000 for very little work.

    Of course, Duncan would be out. ;)

    It's not fae him :rolleyes:
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