As Seen On TV: Does ANY of this crap work?

[Jaded]

[peacheslatour]

I love Vivian.

[riley702]

Me, too. I want those now.

Edited February 16, 2018 by riley702

[Jaded]

I would have liked her review more if she had tried the eggs after making them. Instead she kind of brushed that off and made fun of the fact that she wasn't going to taste them. 

Her reviews are usually a fun watch though. 

[Prevailing Wind]

But, jeez, they're not THAT cute.

[Maharincess]

@funky-rat, regarding the Angry Mama microwave cleaner thing. For years and years, I've cleaned my microwaves by putting a bowl of lemon juice and water in the microwave on high for 3 minutes then let it sit for another 3 minutes and it works perfectly.  The grime just wiped right out.  

I don't understand buying all of these gadgets when there are easier and much cheaper ways. 

[Browncoat]

I admit to buying the Hurricane Spin Scrubber for the tub.  It works, and has saved my knees!  But I bought it at a brick-and-mortar store, not via the commercial.

[SuprSuprElevated]

On 2/16/2018 at 9:19 AM, Prevailing Wind said:

But, jeez, they're not THAT cute.

Thank you.  I nearly got stabby over that.

[Haleth]

I saw the Drain Strain on some show and thought it was a good solution to cleaning out disgusting bathroom drains.  Apparently it was on Shark Tank but that's not where I saw it.  When it arrived I discovered it didn't fit the drain.  I emailed the company asking if I could exchange it for a different size.  Their solution?  They'd sell me a new drain kit to install in the sink so the Drain Strain would fit.  Or I could give it to a friend.  Not exactly customer friendly.

[SuprSuprElevated]

3 hours ago, Haleth said:

I saw the Drain Strain on some show and thought it was a good solution to cleaning out disgusting bathroom drains.  Apparently it was on Shark Tank but that's not where I saw it.  When it arrived I discovered it didn't fit the drain.  I emailed the company asking if I could exchange it for a different size.  Their solution?  They'd sell me a new drain kit to install in the sink so the Drain Strain would fit.  Or I could give it to a friend.  Not exactly customer friendly.

I had never heard of this nor seen it before, so I went to the website.  The only verbiage that has anything to do with size is this: "INSTALLS IN YOUR BATHROOM SINK IN 60 SECONDS - Tested to fit in over 90% of the drains in households today."  Vague much?

Since they didn't provide any size info that I could see (which IMO would be stupid simple to do), I would take to social media, ala Facebook and Twitter, tag them and Robert Herjavec specifically, and explain how dissatisfied you are with you purchase experience.  If they don't respond positively for you (meaning offer a refund), I'd burn 'em on said social media.  This method has been successful for me and others on a couple of occasions.  $20 bux is $20 bux, right?  Good luck!

[funky-rat]

22 hours ago, Maharincess said:

@funky-rat, regarding the Angry Mama microwave cleaner thing. For years and years, I've cleaned my microwaves by putting a bowl of lemon juice and water in the microwave on high for 3 minutes then let it sit for another 3 minutes and it works perfectly.  The grime just wiped right out.  

I don't understand buying all of these gadgets when there are easier and much cheaper ways. 

I didn't pay much for the Angry Mama (I think $3), so it wasn't a huge investment.  : )

[peacheslatour]

On 2/23/2018 at 3:41 PM, Maharincess said:

@funky-rat, regarding the Angry Mama microwave cleaner thing. For years and years, I've cleaned my microwaves by putting a bowl of lemon juice and water in the microwave on high for 3 minutes then let it sit for another 3 minutes and it works perfectly.  The grime just wiped right out.  

I don't understand buying all of these gadgets when there are easier and much cheaper ways. 

Lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda are all great cleaning products.

[QQQQ]

What is with the weird sex sounds in the My Foldaway Mirror commercial?  It's like I'm listening to Rocket Queen outtakes. 

[Amethyst]

Surprised that I haven’t seen this one mentioned here: Oxyclean.  The commercials for this one are definitely tempting.  Any fans?  

[AuntiePam]

47 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

Surprised that I haven’t seen this one mentioned here: Oxyclean.  The commercials for this one are definitely tempting.  Any fans?  

[raises hand]  I can recommend the Max Force Gel Stain Pre-Treater Stick.  So far, no failures, and that includes stains that have set.

[LoneHaranguer]

On 2/24/2018 at 12:13 PM, SuprSuprElevated said:

I had never heard of this nor seen it before, so I went to the website.  The only verbiage that has anything to do with size is this: "INSTALLS IN YOUR BATHROOM SINK IN 60 SECONDS - Tested to fit in over 90% of the drains in households today."  Vague much?

All they're saying is that it fits a standard drain. They probably figure that most people will know if what they have isn't, or can check easily.

[Amethyst]

On 2/25/2018 at 9:22 PM, AuntiePam said:

[raises hand]  I can recommend the Max Force Gel Stain Pre-Treater Stick.  So far, no failures, and that includes stains that have set.

Thank you!  My clothes are looking really dingy and I think I might give it a try.

[funky-rat]

On ‎2‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 10:22 PM, AuntiePam said:

[raises hand]  I can recommend the Max Force Gel Stain Pre-Treater Stick.  So far, no failures, and that includes stains that have set.

Agreed. That stick works well.  The only time I had issues with OxyClean was when I put a relatively inexpensive bedspread I had that brightly colored prints on it in with some OxyClean and let it soak for several hours (cat had a puking spree on it).  It faded out the colors, badly, but I don't know if I can put that solely at OxyClean's feet or not.  It might have faded out after a standard wash (had a comforter that did that once - bought it at K-Mart on one of those sets that had a bed ruffle and sheets).  I got a tub of the odor eating OxyClean on clearance at Target.  It works pretty good.

[Ubiquitous]

On 1/26/2018 at 9:54 PM, riley702 said:

I bought one for my Mom and felt obligated to try it first. And I liked it! I'm keeping this one and will order Mom another one.

ETA: Has anyone tried that reusable pet hair remover? The one where you clean it by inserting it back into its base? And then dump the hair out of the base? It looks good, but I wonder if it really is.

I have a version of that pet hair brush, but to clean it, you have to rub it the opposite direction that you used the brush.

 

I keep meaning to ask but haven't bother to investigate it, but I see ads for little tubes you drop into your sink drain to freshen it. Do the tubes dissolve, or are you eventually going to require a plumber to clean out the blocked elbow pipe under the sink?

[SuprSuprElevated]

3 hours ago, Ubiquitous said:

I keep meaning to ask but haven't bother to investigate it, but I see ads for little tubes you drop into your sink drain to freshen it. Do the tubes dissolve, or are you eventually going to require a plumber to clean out the blocked elbow pipe under the sink?

I would imagine that they would have to dissolve.  As a general rule, I stay away from products that are placed into plumbing parts, toilets, etc.   Seems like asking for trouble IMO.

[Silver Raven]

4 hours ago, Ubiquitous said:

I keep meaning to ask but haven't bother to investigate it, but I see ads for little tubes you drop into your sink drain to freshen it. Do the tubes dissolve, or are you eventually going to require a plumber to clean out the blocked elbow pipe under the sink?

We use some little orange scented gel capsules that smell really nice.

[janie jones]

16 hours ago, Ubiquitous said:

I keep meaning to ask but haven't bother to investigate it, but I see ads for little tubes you drop into your sink drain to freshen it. Do the tubes dissolve, or are you eventually going to require a plumber to clean out the blocked elbow pipe under the sink?

Are you supposed to chop them up in the garbage disposal?

[SuprSuprElevated]

7 minutes ago, janie jones said:

Are you supposed to chop them up in the garbage disposal?

The ad looks to me like you drop them down into the drain hold of a sink, not a disposal.  They sort of sit at the bottom of the P trap.  I think.

[Browncoat]

Toasty Tootsies, for which I just saw a commercial, are right up there with Snuggies for damn stupidest thing ever.  You put both feet in one giant electric house slipper -- great!  Keep your feet nice and warm!  Until you have to stand up and walk somewhere. 

[Jaded]

The last review of these things I'll post hopefully. His is more through then Vivian's was. I like Vivian but as I've mentioned before I think some of her reviews are more fluff then actual trial and error to show people watching how well things may or may not work. It makes me frustrated at times. The way she kept going on about these Egglettes being "so cute" was annoying.
 

 

[smittykins]

2 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Toasty Tootsies, for which I just saw a commercial, are right up there with Snuggies for damn stupidest thing ever.  You put both feet in one giant electric house slipper -- great!  Keep your feet nice and warm!  Until you have to stand up and walk somewhere. 

Socks.  Look into them.

[Browncoat]

31 minutes ago, smittykins said:

Socks.  Look into them.

Or even regular house slippers -- you know, one for each foot.

[AuntiePam]

4 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Toasty Tootsies, for which I just saw a commercial, are right up there with Snuggies for damn stupidest thing ever.  You put both feet in one giant electric house slipper -- great!  Keep your feet nice and warm!  Until you have to stand up and walk somewhere. 

Stupid, indeed.  I haven't seen this one.  Electric -- you mean with a cord and a plug-in? 

[Browncoat]

Just now, AuntiePam said:

Electric -- you mean with a cord and a plug-in? 

Yep.  And if you take them to work with you, you can connect them to your computer with the convenient USB connector instead of having to search for another outlet!  The ad actually showed a woman doing just that.

[Silver Raven]

On 3/8/2018 at 7:52 AM, janie jones said:

Are you supposed to chop them up in the garbage disposal?

Yes.

3 hours ago, smittykins said:

Socks.  Look into them.

What are these socks of which you speak?

[Prevailing Wind]

2 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Yep.  And if you take them to work with you, you can connect them to your computer with the convenient USB connector instead of having to search for another outlet!  The ad actually showed a woman doing just that.

I found a product once called Toasty Toes - they were inserts for your shoes. Heat 'em up in the microwave. I thought they'd be good for my mom, who always had cold feet. AFTER I bought them, I read the entire label. Oops. No diabetics, please.  I ended up giving them to my hiking nephew. He never said if he ever used them.

[ABay]

In winter, a lot of hunters wear socks with battery-powered warmers, but, you know, one per foot not both feet in one. That's just bizarre.

[peacheslatour]

On 3/9/2018 at 6:05 AM, Jaded said:

The last review of these things I'll post hopefully. His is more through then Vivian's was. I like Vivian but as I've mentioned before I think some of her reviews are more fluff then actual trial and error to show people watching how well things may or may not work. It makes me frustrated at times. The way she kept going on about these Egglettes being "so cute" was annoying.
 

 

 

Yeah, he is much more thorough. The thing that Vivian does that bugs the shit out of me is she takes forever to get to the actual testing of the product. Like today I watched the one where she tests spray on nail polish. She must have pantomimed spraying her nails forty bazillion times before she actually did it. It got to the point where I was screaming at the screen "Just do it godammit!"

[SuprSuprElevated]

22 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Yeah, he is much more thorough. The thing that Vivian does that bugs the shit out of me is she takes forever to get to the actual testing of the product. Like today I watched the one where she tests spray on nail polish. She must have pantomimed spraying her nails forty bazillion times before she actually did it. It got to the point where I was screaming at the screen "Just do it godammit!"

Stretching for more ad revenue?  I'm guessing, don't know a thing about it.  I have the same complaints about food blogs with recipes.  They spend 1,000 words romancing the idea of the recipe, posting photos of each ingredient, cooking implement, etc., before they actually get to the damn recipe.  Scrolling is my friend.

Edited March 11, 2018 by SuprSuprElevated

[peacheslatour]

Check it out:

 

NBC -

A company that promised “buy one, get one free” deals to entice people to buy Snuggies on TV commercials is now paying out refunds to customers. And it's not because the full-length, wearable blankets were faulty.

The refunds are part of a settlement Allstar Marketing Group reached with the Federal Trade Commission, which accused the company of duping customers into paying more than they expected through hidden processing and handling fees.

The FTC is now mailing out 218,254 refund checks totaling more than $7.2 million to people who bought various “buy one get one free” products marketed by Allstar. The average check will be for about $33 and is funded from the money Allstar paid to the FTC.

But wait, there’s more! The settlement also compensates some customers of the Perfect Bacon Bowl, Magic Mesh Door, Perfect Brownie Pan, Cat’s Meow, and Roto Punch products.

I remember wanting a cat toy that was advertised as "buy one, get one free". I went to the website and tried to find a way to buy only one. But they wouldn't let me. Nope I had to buy 2 and have 2 s/h fees which would have pushed the price tag from $19.95 to well over $40.00. I hope this settlement will make these crooks stop this practice.

[Prevailing Wind]

I love that "But wait, there's more!"

[xaxat]

3 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

A company that promised “buy one, get one free” deals to entice people to buy Snuggies on TV commercials is now paying out refunds to customers. And it's not because the full-length, wearable blankets were faulty.

How do you make a faulty folded over blanket?

[Haleth]

12 hours ago, xaxat said:

How do you make a faulty folded over blanket?

Film it in black and white.

[meep.meep]

This is not for a product like what most of you are talking about.  However....it is commercial related.

For years the Mucinex commercials have grossed me out.  I muted them, I fast forwarded through them, I had a big cone of Mucinex commercial avoidance around me.  This year, I managed to get the flu twice, and was coughing my lungs out.  And taking lots of cough syrup of different types.  Finally went to the doctor, and she gave me a prescription  for Mucinex.  So I took it.  That stuff works!  And, you only have to take it twice a day.

[CoderLady]

@meep.meep, how much stronger is the prescription strength than the over-the-counter stuff?

[meep.meep]

It's all over the counter - she just wrote it in my orders so I could get reimbursed from my HSA.  It's not cheap, even over the counter.

[Bort]

Mucinex DM, my doctor always tells me to take that.  Stupid commercials, but that shit works.

[AuntiePam]

21 hours ago, kariyaki said:

Mucinex DM, my doctor always tells me to take that.  Stupid commercials, but that shit works.

Indeed it does.  $16, which isn't bad for something that works.

I had tried Robitussin and Delsum (sp?) but it was the Mucinex DM that did the trick.

[peacheslatour]

Has anyone done the Bath Fitter thing? It looks kind of cool but I wonder if it really is as easy to keep clean as they say.

[funky-rat]

22 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Has anyone done the Bath Fitter thing? It looks kind of cool but I wonder if it really is as easy to keep clean as they say.

I know one person who did it.  It's extremely expensive.  I didn't get a verdict on keeping it clean.  I'd love to do something like that with my current shower.  It was installed for the prior owner incorrectly, and the floor of the shower keeps sagging, and then I get a crack by the drain.  Two years ago, I had it repaired - someone drilled holes in the floor and pumped it full of foam, but it's sagging again down by the drain, and a surface crack has formed again.  I'm not down with spending another $300 for them to come and pump up the floor again.  I would love to have something like Bath Fitters create a new shower pan, and install it over the old one, but I can't imagine how expensive it is.

[Browncoat]

Are you talking about the Bath Fitter tub/shower insert that just fits down over your existing tub?  If so, I can't speak to that specifically, but I do have an insert from a big box store, and it is far far easier to keep clean than tile with all that annoying grout.  And of course, my Hurricane Spin Scrubber makes it even easier.  :)

But yes, actual Bath Fitter is terribly expensive.

[bad things are bad]

Quote

 

Has anyone done the Bath Fitter thing? 

 

I did a local version of it about 13 years ago. IIRC it was a couple thousand bucks. Looked great for a couple of years but it lost its glossiness, and the caulk started deteriorating . They tell you not to use any strong cleaners but it wasn't coming clean. 

It was OK, we couldn't afford to really remodel and the tub and walls underneath were in terrible shape, but the bathroom's getting redone this week. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

I've been bombarded with commercials for this item, and so I wanted to ask if any of you have used it, and if it works? It's the Soda Streamer. I've read the reviews where some say the orange, whatever flavor drops are "nasty," while the "fruit" shown in the commercials look fake as to be unbelievable. Now, with my coupons, I can get it for like, $6, So, anyone here have it? Tried it? What's the verdict?

[funky-rat]

12 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I've been bombarded with commercials for this item, and so I wanted to ask if any of you have used it, and if it works? It's the Soda Streamer. I've read the reviews where some say the orange, whatever flavor drops are "nasty," while the "fruit" shown in the commercials look fake as to be unbelievable. Now, with my coupons, I can get it for like, $6, So, anyone here have it? Tried it? What's the verdict?

I've not seen a "Soda Streamer".  I have a "Sodastream".  Had it for a few years and I love it.  I mostly use the syrups they put out (Diet Cola, Diet Ginger Ale, etc), but I did once buy the little glass bottles of fruit flavor.  I didn't think they were too bad.  If you're expecting it to taste just like name brand soda, you will likely be disappointed, but if you're ok with drinking off brands, you probably won't mind it.  Make sure you get one that comes with a gas cartridge.  It's much cheaper to exchange them than to have to buy one (and Bed Bath and Beyond will let you use coupons on exchanges).  We bought the pumps for the bottles of syrup.  It helps from putting too much syrup in.  They're a bit of a pain to clean, but it helps keep the flavor balanced.

ETA: Full Sized gas cartridge.  Some come with a "sample size" and they're useless.  Most take the 70 size, but mine does both 70 and 130.  I traded up from the 70 to the 130 when my bottle was empty.  To buy a new 70 is like $50, but to exchange is like $15.

Edited March 29, 2018 by funky-rat

[GHScorpiosRule]

12 minutes ago, funky-rat said:

I've not seen a "Soda Streamer".  I have a "Sodastream".  Had it for a few years and I love it.  I mostly use the syrups they put out (Diet Cola, Diet Ginger Ale, etc), but I did once buy the little glass bottles of fruit flavor.  I didn't think they were too bad.  If you're expecting it to taste just like name brand soda, you will likely be disappointed, but if you're ok with drinking off brands, you probably won't mind it.  Make sure you get one that comes with a gas cartridge.  It's much cheaper to exchange them than to have to buy one (and Bed Bath and Beyond will let you use coupons on exchanges).  We bought the pumps for the bottles of syrup.  It helps from putting too much syrup in.  They're a bit of a pain to clean, but it helps keep the flavor balanced.

ETA: Full Sized gas cartridge.  Some come with a "sample size" and they're useless.  Most take the 70 size, but mine does both 70 and 130.  I traded up from the 70 to the 130 when my bottle was empty.  To buy a new 70 is like $50, but to exchange is like $15.

D'OH! Yes, that's what I mean. SodaStream. I'd probably use it for just having the bubbly/carbonated water, and can just add fresh lime or lemon. The commercial I've been seeing is of some woman body builder, but all she shows is to carbonate water. And the one scene of fakey ass rasberries.  No mention of syrups for colas, though.  Thanks!