As Seen on TV -- Do they work?
 

I tried doing a search for this subject but I couldn't find anything.

So...I'm sure we've all seen those TV informercials selling today's hot new product. Sometimes they work and people swear by them and sometimes they just don't live up to the hype.

Not too long ago, my local NBC affiliate had weekly segments called "Does It Work?" and they'd test out the different products on TV. They don't have it anymore, though. :( Some of the things that worked were the belt thing that kept you cool and those portable lights that light up when you press em like a button.

There's an AS SEEN ON TV store here, but I haven't checked it out yet.

Have any of you guys purchased infomercial products? Anything you would recommend? Avoid? I saw the infomercial for The Lens Doctor and I'm tempted to try it because my glasses are just so scratched up -- but I hesitate because I'm afraid that it won't work and I'll just be wasting my $$$.

As far as what I'd recommend, I've never used it, but I hear The Do Drops work just as advertised. You know them...put a few drops of these into your toilet just before you gotta #2 and it'll totally hide the smell.

Oxyclean works wonders for the house as well.

Anyway, I'm curious to see what you guys have tried!

So my father gets all the As Seen On crap, boxes of this junk, from the stuff that "falls off" the containers in Long Beach. Then that crap just gets sent as gifts to relatives all over the country.

Some of the stuff works, but some of the stuff, just has to be given away as "White Elephant Gifts".

my mom ordered some flexible travel pillows, and they work extremely well

i had the click lights (the ones that you can put up practically anywhere and they take a AA battery) and they were kinda crappy. they never stayed up anywhere i hung and werent even that bright.

ETA: on a positive note, my roommate has those luggage vacuum bags and they are amazing! she really does pack a LOT in her suitcases and duffels when she goes home!

MicroTouch. :o No, I don't have nosehair or anything, but use it trim somewhere a lot of girls trim or wax. (I think that sounded worse :o)

LOL can i rant a little? (this isnt towards you, Dionysus, just a pure rant)

i dont know why people make such a big deal about body hair! i mean, i will bust out a razor when needed, but sometimes its not that serious! nosehair is natural, so is leg hair, armpit hair, pubic hair... i dont know why people feel the need to do away with it all! its a little obsessive to me.

My Mom was sent the Showtime rotisserie as a gift a few years ago. Her Uncle was up really late, saw it and sent one to all her neices. It worked fine, but was a pain to clean up after use. Not to mention, no matter how small they say it is, it's a pain to store when not in use, and they only used it a few times a year.

1. always wanted a magic bullet (though they couldnt thought of a less-sex-toy-sounding name)
2. what are post toasties?

The Miracle Blade III knife set.... love it, very reasonable compared to other knife sets and works fabulous.

Those space saver bags= pieces of shit. I just saw a commercial for ones last night where they dipped it in a bathtub. These things do not fit nearly what they show they will fit comfortably. I have a bunch. Getting it to seal and not pop open is next to impossible- the ziploc bag like seal pops open constantly. Also does not shrink down to the size they show.

They're basically cornflakes.

My dad sent us that and we gave it away in one of those Christmas joke gift exchanges games...

I always saw Bare Minerals informercials on tv and thought it could never be as good as they say. I bought it last year and now I am addicted to it. It is the only makeup that I will let on my face. I love it.

Please tell me you're obsessed with that infomercial and drop everything you're doing to watch it and that I'm not the only one. I am a freak about the Magic Bullet, I really want one.

I especially like the fake cigarette hanging out of the old hag's mouth

not so much Magic Bullet, but i will stop what im doing for Ron Pompel (sp?) and his litle roast oven thing - "Set it and Forget it!"

I am a sucker for the 1 minute nachos and 10 second alfredo sauce. I don't believe it can do that but if it can, sign me up. The boy's parents had one and he said it broke quickly but that hasn't stopped me wanting it.

And yes, the cigarette and housecoat are super-classy! I hate that the british dude americanized some of his words though, he sounds dumb.

You should get one! They are so awesome. I don't have one for myself, but I remember a couple of years back my mom saying she wanted one, so I got her one for Xmas and she loves it. She buys frozen fruit and adds a little milk and makes a smoothie everyday for breakfast.

They are a lot less expensive than they used to be (I think they used to be $80)

Used the Magic Bullet. It was fun though I couldn't see myself using it for the 10 second guacamole or anything. Worked quite nicely if I didn't overfill it :)

Bare Minerals is great but I didn't get them via infomercial

Currently I have the Bacon Wave which is the best invention for the cook who doesn't want to have a pan full of bacon fat. Just cook your bacon in the microwave. Still tastes awesome :D

Ron Popeil hooked me way back with the food dehydrator. I was like 12 and I wanted one soooo bad to make my own jerky and fruit roll ups.

Pro-Active!!!

I usually have pretty good skin, but when I do get a breakout, I use Proactive once and it's gone the next day. I have sensative skin, and it doesn't bother it at all.

I haven't heard of The Lens Doctor -- how is it supposed to work? I got a scratch on a newish lens not too long ago, and I took it to the optician to see if they could fix it, and they said there's no way to do that without ruining the lens.

Yay for the internets because now I know that WE SHOULD NOT BUY IT. I knew it was too good to be true!

Have you all seen the Doggie Steps you can put next to your bed or couch? If your dog can't make it onto the couch by himself, it's time to start asking some tough questions. Why you would want him on furniture is another question.

My mom has a dehydrator, and she uses it maybe once a month or so to make jerky. It's so much better than stuff you buy in the stores! She also occasionally uses it to dry herbs, but they don't dry very well.

Gator Grip, it works pretty well, though I only used it sparingly.

I must SEE the bacon wave. As an English person, 2 of our main food groups consist of bacon.

I didn't get it from an infomercial, but I looooove my George Foreman grill. :)

haha, my aunt has one of these, but their dog is a corgie, so it has an excuse to need a little extra help, low to the ground and all.

Bacon Wave
Not sure the pic will work but here:
http://www.seenontv.com/prod-pages/i.../baconwave.jpg

We had a Super Slicer. It was useless. Such a shame, the commercial looked so cool!

I have bought 3 items from one of those infomercials.

1. Some steam-making contraption that was supposed to curl your hair. It had some chick from the soap "Another World". My curls came out limper than over-cooked spaghetti.

2. Winsor Pilates - I LOVE IT! It seriously tones up everywhere (I used several dfferent WP dvds.

3. Proactiv - women often develop skin problems in their late 20s, and this is the first thing that worked. You just have to use it faithfully. The cost - about 20 or 30 bucks a month - is reasonable because i easily pay that much for scrub, face wash, astringent, moisturizer, etc.

Other than that, I have flipped to an infomercial late at night when I can't sleep and nothing is on. It's quite entertaining.:D

I have purchased:

The Moving Men .. they work great. They are disks that you put under the corners of your heavy furniture and you can push the furniture around pretty easily *on carpet*. It's a hassle if you have to get the furniture over a threshold though.

The Popeil Pasta Maker and Sausage stuffer: I've made pasta with it, it's fun.

I have asked for a Magic Bullet every birthday and Christmas for 3 years now and nobody ever gets it for me <sigh> This year, I gave up on it. It's not a high enough priority to buy myself (cuz there are too many "needs" and that's just a "want"), but I sure wish someone would buy me one someday.

My boyfriend was obsessed with the Hercules Hooks, and I bought them for him...he rehung everything in our house with them, and thinks they're fantastic. I didn't really see the point, since everything had been hung on the walls already with simple nails...but they do leave a much smaller mark on the walls for if you were renting.

I have to say, I like Bed Bath and Beyond or Linens and Things for my As Seen on TV needs. I hear too many horror stories about the "protection plans" and the shipping and handling fees they set you up with to order via infomercial. Both stores sell Hercules Hooks, Magic Bullets, those furniture sliders, and pretty much every kitchen gadget out there. (Maybe not Ron Popeil but I've never looked)

The Bacon wave was the one thing my mom had to find at an "As Seen on TV" store in an outlet mall. I have no idea what it was called just that I want to visit :D

I ordered the Space Bags and they work great. Although my Dyson vacuum was a little overzealous with the suction on the bags. It's a pretty powerful beast so be careful if you have one to use with your Space Bags.

My boyfriend did some research on the Magic Bullet (b/c we were both very close to ordering one) and apparently they have horrible customer service. I guess there's this plastic part that breaks pretty quickly and cannot be replaced, but they do offer you the option of purchasing a new Magic Bullet for the low price of $40. Too bad, I was excited to make sorbet in my Magic Bullet. haha

Really, it worked for you? I used it when it first came out and it just burned like crazy, so I stopped using it, and changed to Murad. That worked really well for me, but I couldn't continue it cause it was so expensive (like $80 each...at the time). Well my acne got really bad recently so my mom sent me ProActiv, thinking it would work. I've been using it since january and nope, hasn't really helped at all. It just dries out my skin and nothing. Not even the stupid refining mask has helped. UGH!!

In terms of anything in informercials, I wait for it to come to QVC before I buy it. QVC has high standards, so if it makes on-air there, then it is probably pretty good. Customer Service there is pretty good as well--if its broken/breaks, they reimburse for postage, etc. Disclaimer: I used to work there, so I may be a little biased.

that sucks cause I really want one of these...:(

I know! I did too but I think i'll stick to the cuisinart.