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Previous: LinkedIn account cancellation policy | Main | Next: U.S. Marshal scanned stamp
April 8, 2006 09:01 AM
Broken: Many infomercials
Many infomercials are scams. (Shocking, I know.)
From Words to Live By in Infomercial World: Caveat Emptor - New York Times:
Somehow the producers of infomercials make it work. Those trying to warn consumers about the possible pitfalls have a much harder time of it. The Federal Trade Commission issues a constant stream of warnings at www.ftc.gov/ftc/consumer.htm against belts that twitch your abdominal muscles and no-money-down real estate seminars that promise riches. Of course, hundreds of people have to be duped before a product is cited there.
some of them are so bad its funny to watch. anyone see the ET thing on the 'natural cures' guy? what a crook.
Wait... you mean that advertizements aren't always true?
Dang, and here I was thinking that I would get a 20 incher, a set of DDs, fifteen houses to sell at a profit, ab muscles that come with no work and a friendly nigerian prince who I just found out I was related to is going to give me ten million dollars.
Call me crazy but I find infomercials entertaining I don't buy the stuff but I will watch for 5-10 minutes while channel surfing.
I am always amazed at the claims how great my life will be if I buy ------(fill in the blank).
I especially love 'but wait there's more' & call within the next 2 minutes.
Cracks me up!
Unfortunatly there wouldn't be so many of them if there wern't enough gullable people around to buy the stuff they are hawking. I don't blame the people trying to sell the stuff I blame the people who buy it.
It's true. Like so many things, you have to use your common sense.
On the other hand, I have bought three things that I first saw on an informercial. One was a knife set, one was a dehydrator, and one was a rotisserie oven. All three of these have lived up to our expectations of them, and the rotisserie has exceeded expections by a long shot.
That said, there is a LOT of crap being advertised, too. As someone else already said, caveat emptor.
Fuzzy:
There is!
Have you seen that pop-up, pop-up "blocker"?
the one that says "want to block annoying pop-ups like this one?"
I think it's posted under Web/Tech
It's very broken (the ad not the Web/Tech)
Don't forget the question mark guy. He's going to rupture an aneurysm and just drop dead right there on TV one day. There should be an infomercial about making money making infomercials.
_@_v - general guideline for one of those "miracle cures" advertised - write down the phone number, wait a year or two, then call the number. if they've lasted the year or two it might be worth at least considering.
What I don't understand is why they're called "infomercials", since they provide very little actual information.
Way back when, they used to be just called "program length commercials" because that's what they were and still are.
You must be talking about the chicken thing where they said "Stick it and Forget it" (I can't remember the actual name...) I remember wanting to order one of those things!
This site is very entertaining.
So lets make a commercial about infomercials.. maybe we could get a gov't grant to air it over and over again... we could make several versions and get the people doing the truth / anti-cigarette commercials in on it.. that would be a fun project!
THey are called infomercials for the same reason garbagemen are called waste technicians.
and I think it was "Set it and forget it" wasn't it?
As long as there is no origanization of the outrage that does exist, that outrage will not grow; It will diminish.
I find them funny too but wish I had other universes in which to look for fun.
I remember well how selling crap and being dishonest was the exception. It will remain the opposite and propell itself further until finally we group and protest in significant numbers.
How long are you willing to take this, consumers?
You know I'm right. Even the regular dealings in life are having menus to dissuade you from help at all. "They," which means those who can get away with it, will and do. And it will get worse proportionately to the degree of no opposition.
Please, let's all fertilize the disgust.
Sincerely,
Mike
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Previous: LinkedIn account cancellation policy | Main | Next: U.S. Marshal scanned stamp
First! Just had to do it. Never get the chance.
Posted by: Julo at April 8, 2006 10:53 AM