scam-0-rama (iRrenew bracelet)

hbarcat · #1 08-01-2010, 07:50 PM

I just saw a commercial on TV for a bracelet that will give you instant energy, strength, balance, flexibility and "holistic wellness" when you wear it.

harness the natural frequencies which are everpresent in our environment and use them to tune and rebalance your biofield back to a more natural, coherent state IRENEW

What year is this - 1750?

stratovani · #2 08-01-2010, 08:07 PM

You know P.T. Barnum's old saying, "There's a sucker born every minute!"? Well, that's what they're banking on. And they're right, all you need is a glossy, hi-energy commercial, and some pseudo-celebrity or two and the suckers will come running to buy their product! But not you or me, right, hbarcat?

LiquidMidnight · #3 08-01-2010, 08:53 PM

I remember watching this television show years ago that had a segment on scam ads in the back of magizines. One of the scams they talked about was this super-duper product that was supposed to get rid of flys and other insects. It actually turned out to be two one-inch square pieces of wood. One of the pieces had a bullseye painted on it. The idea was to put a fly on the bulls eye and smash it with the other piece of wood. Maybe it was a supposed to be a joke like ex-ray glasses, but from what I remember, it was billed as a legitimate product.

Quote:

You know P.T. Barnum's old saying, "There's a sucker born every minute!"? Well, that's what they're banking on. And they're right, all you need is a glossy, hi-energy commercial, and some pseudo-celebrity or two and the suckers will come running to buy their product! But not you or me, right, hbarcat?

The eXetenze infomercials are my favorite. Everytime I see one, I have to scream at the TV, "The penis is not a muscle. You can not make it gain size!"

Jimmy Bones · #4 08-01-2010, 09:03 PM

You have obviously ignored Alice Cooper's song, Muscle of Love.

Simo98 · #5 08-01-2010, 09:56 PM

I have seen these things. They make a fortune on them if they are the thing I am thinking of.

You can buy them online for about 40 cents or less, then sell for about $40. 10,000% Markup sounds good to me.

T-Bird · #6 08-01-2010, 11:06 PM

Hi.

Things like that have always been around and always will.

The power of the mind is a strong thing, but sometimes even the strongest do fall

.

Regards
Sam

Kwesi · #7 08-01-2010, 11:44 PM

Scam ads I can stand because for the most part you can tell that they're BS. What I hate are the ads that look good but turn out to be crap. I remember when I saw the ColdHeat soldering iron (http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages...ering_set.html). The ideas implemented sounded great on paper: a light, replaceable tips, ran on batteries, and a very small area that the heat is distributed to. To me, a high schooler totally new to soldering this sounded like the end all be all or soldering irons. My Dad bought one for me and the tips broke seconds into splicing a wire! That's when I found out that a new tip would cost me $10... we junked it just as fast as we tore open the packaging.

beelzelboss · #8 08-02-2010, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kwesi

Scam ads I can stand because for the most part you can tell that they're BS. What I hate are the ads that look good but turn out to be crap. I remember when I saw the ColdHeat soldering iron (http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages...ering_set.html). The ideas implemented sounded great on paper: a light, replaceable tips, ran on batteries, and a very small area that the heat is distributed to. To me, a high schooler totally new to soldering this sounded like the end all be all or soldering irons. My Dad bought one for me and the tips broke seconds into splicing a wire! That's when I found out that a new tip would cost me $10... we junked it just as fast as we tore open the packaging.

Those things weren't legit? I thought they were.... they looked great! Billy Mays how could you lie to us?

hover · #9 08-02-2010, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beelzelboss

Those things weren't legit? I thought they were.... they looked great! Billy Mays how could you lie to us?

Billy Mays had nothing to do with that, that's why it didn't work.

Jim Nazium · #10 08-02-2010, 06:19 AM

I saw that infomercial while I was testing out my new $1000 oxygen-free power cord for my TV. What a load of BS! I can't beleive anyone falls for that. Oh, the TV looks and sounds a lot better with the new power cord though.

Lazylion · #11 08-02-2010, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hbarcat

harness the natural frequencies which are everpresent in our environment and use them to tune and rebalance your biofield back to a more natural, coherent state

That's my problem! My biofield is incoherent!

Also, I'm insufficiently exfoliated! I need a bracelet, STAT!

Or maybe I'm just hungry...

6jase5 · #12 08-02-2010, 11:13 AM

A guy was sued for using the following marketing program.

He posted a piece of paper all over with a website that enticed you to learn how to lose weight in 30 days or less and it was guaranteed or your money back, for only $19.95.

If you paid, you received a letter in the mail that simply said: Start running several times a week and eat less.

Genius.

DudeistMonk · #13 08-02-2010, 11:19 AM

I bought those fishing lures...The ones that where supposed to move like minnows, and net lots of fish.

They where cheap but the shipping was $45! My father screamed at random people on the phone till they charged him standard postage.

When the lures came we caught jack **** with them...for hours, switched to worms and then pulled in a few fish.

C.Linton · #14 08-02-2010, 11:21 AM

I remember a story about an ad placed in newspapers all over the USA that said, word for word, "Send your Dollar in today!!!" with an address. People supposedly sent the guy a ton of money. The thing is, if you sent in a dollar, you got nothing, and my understanding is the scammer could not be prosecuted, because he never promised in the ad that you would get anything. Yet folks were stupid enuff to send him their dollar.
And the bracelet thing, specifically, that is a very OLD scam that's pretty much been around since the 1800's

DudeistMonk · #15 08-02-2010, 11:23 AM

BTW what is the deal with these things??!

http://www.kinokifootpads.org/

Bob Lee (QSC) · #16 08-02-2010, 01:30 PM

Life is an IQ test.

Gard · #17 08-02-2010, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Lee (QSC)

Life is an IQ test.

...and so few of us pass.

LiquidMidnight · #18 08-02-2010, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C.Linton

I remember a story about an ad placed in newspapers all over the USA that said, word for word, "Send your Dollar in today!!!" with an address. People supposedly sent the guy a ton of money. The thing is, if you sent in a dollar, you got nothing, and my understanding is the scammer could not be prosecuted, because he never promised in the ad that you would get anything. Yet folks were stupid enuff to send him their dollar.
And the bracelet thing, specifically, that is a very OLD scam that's pretty much been around since the 1800's

Wasn't there a Simpsons episode with a similar premise? If I can remember correctly, Homer set up an Internet site asking for donations.

poorbassist15 · #19 08-02-2010, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiquidMidnight

Wasn't there a Simpsons episode with a similar premise? If I can remember correctly, Homer set up an Internet site asking for donations.

There was a Futurama movie made about scams, "Bender's Big Score."

Dirk Diggler · #20 08-02-2010, 06:08 PM

My Dad used to say you can convince about 30% of the people pretty much anything.

Dirk