eChipmunks

Have you become more skeptical of mail order products advertised on TV which claim to do amazing things?

I have generally not had many problems with products advertised on TV that I ordered via phone or internet. But I've had a string of several that delivered real disappointments lately, and I'm wondering if they are just not making things like they used to or if the rules for truth in advertising have somehow relaxed. I purchased the Infinity Razor which was supposed to stay sharp for a lifetime. I think I got only about 5 semi-decent shaves out of it and then gave up because I had to keep shaving the same area over and over to come away without stubble. I ordered the Riddex Ultrasonic Pest Control Units and thought those worked well in the beginning. Then mice started to appear right under the Riddex Unit as if it wasn't even there. I found out these things are a complete hoax, so that was another disappointment. Most recently, I ordered the Twin Draft Guard which is supposed to keep drafts from slipping in under the door. The TV ad claimed it fit any door and even over carpeted areas. That was complete BUNK! The door has to be a perfect height above the floor in order for this twin-sleve device to stay attached and it certainly does not glide easily over carpet. It was a total waste of my money. How about your experience? Have you gotten lured in by these supposedly great innovations advertised on TV, only to find out it was mostly just B.S. and the product didn't really work? I think these marketers COUNT on the average consumer not taking time to box up the product, go to the post office to weigh it, and apply sufficient postage to send it back. They COUNT on you not bothering if the ticket price is relatively low so they GET AWAY with exagerated claims and succeed at fooling most people. Buyer Beware! What has your experience been?

Public Comments

1. My experience is that PT Barnum may have been right back in his day, but that was when the world had a much smaller population. These days I figure there's more like a sucker born every second. Enough to keep these guys in business, too. :)
2. Of course, look at "shamwow"... looks great, probably is a decent product but if you watch the commercial carefully you can see how they deceive you intentionally. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwRISkyV_B8 Watch him pour the soda on the carpet at 0:40 - notice how it leaks out from under the carpet, there's no way he'd be able to cover the leak Then on to his example of how great the shamwow is at 0:47 - where's the rest of the liquid? The footprint of the cola is different too... Deceptive marketing at its finest... sucks, but its out there.
3. Yes for certain products arent all they seem to be sometimes!
4. i have an auntie who orders everrry thing from t.v infomercials and she will always send them back if they don't work. I have orded a few things (a towel that said it could dry your hair in like 5 mintues, but was no better than a fluffy new towel..and a little swivel sweeper vacumm that is the best vacum i have ever ownded!..plus a few other items) but never bothered to send the ones that were junk back just because of the hassle so I definatly agree that is who they target--the people that don't have the time its way easier just to say hmm it was only 25 dollars why go through all that and have to pay about 5 dollars for postage and then wait for my money.
5. My son ordered the Magic bullet and we did have to send it back once but it's a neat gadget. We ordered the spinney thing with the containers (fits in a foot of space) and we have been using them like crazy since we got them. They are REALLY good at heating things in the microwave - it gets hot fast. I've probably had more disappointments buying items in a store after seeing a commercial then through infomercials... My biggest problem with infomercials is that if you call in to order it they try to sell you a million other things - it's like trying to dodge bullets on a firing range so I either go to the website or just pass it by...
6. The only product that I really liked was Ron Popiels dehydrator. That worked great, but after about 2 years it got so dirty and you could not clean it. I did get my moneys worth from that though. Most of the products on TV are crap, like your shaver. It works good at first then they become garbage. Those vaccuums they sell, the new style(forget what they are called), they have more repair problems then any other. Again, they work at first, but then break. Thanks for an excellent question.