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

[peacheslatour]

Sigh, Sero Vital lady. As a beauty expert always on the hunt for the next great breakthrough, because I have stringy hair and nasal voice that no amount of science, twenty years in the making can remedy.

[Jamoche]

12 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Sigh, Sero Vital lady. As a beauty expert always on the hunt for the next great breakthrough, because I have stringy hair and nasal voice that no amount of science, twenty years in the making can remedy.

Oh, yeah, that voice. It's running a lot on the Mythbusters marathon, and while I've gotten to the point where I've heard the same ads so many times I don't even notice, that one has me leaping for the remote.

Also, as a Captain America nerd, I keep twisting the product name to "Vita Serum".

[friendperidot]

I keep hearing Sero vinyl.

[theatremouse]

19 hours ago, Jamoche said:

Here's an "As Seen On TV" product that's supposed to make it easier to open plastic packaging.

Note the packaging it's in :D

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/open-it-package-opener/1014757910

Those. Are fucking gardening shears. Ugh, another "marketing genius" for the masses, whoever "invented" that shit.

[Broken Ox]

Amazon loves to ask me for packaging feedback on the items I ordered. Yesterday they asked me for my feedback on a package of cookies.

I admit to being tempted this morning (well, overnight, so that may explain a lot of it) by the water bottle for dogs with a built-in bowl on top.

Edited December 31, 2016 by Broken Ox

[theatremouse]

41 minutes ago, Broken Ox said:

Amazon loves to ask me for packaging feedback on the items I ordered. Yesterday they asked me for my feedback on a package of cookies.

I would like to discuss this with you in Small Talk.

[Prevailing Wind]

I open those pill bottles with the lined-up arrows with an old "church-key" type bottle opener.

[friendperidot]

Quote

I open those pill bottles with the lined-up arrows with an old "church-key" type bottle opener.

good idea! but I have to wait until I move and unpack everything. I think I've got an old fashioned "church key" somewhere.

[Brattinella]

I have several church keys.  They are a life-saver sometimes.

[Haleth]

I bet a paint can opener would work too.

[peacheslatour]

7 hours ago, Haleth said:

I bet a paint can opener would work too.

I've tried a paint can opener. You can't get enough leverage. The church key type opener has a over/under design that works really well.

[Prevailing Wind]

Speaking of Leverage, I can't get enough Tim Hutton.

[peacheslatour]

On 1/1/2017 at 7:59 AM, Prevailing Wind said:

Speaking of Leverage, I can't get enough Tim Hutton.

We get Leverage on ION TV. It's usually on all day on Sunday and I always watch it. This past month they've been running really hideous Christmas movies. I can't wait until this Sunday when I'll be back watching one of the best shows ever made!

[mmecorday]

Ugh! I hate that some channels halt their regular programming in favor of showing boring Christmas movies 24/7. They are all the same. A dog, a small town, a farm about to go bust, a star and ba da bing, you got yourself a Christmas movie. Probably starring Candace Cameron Bure.

Back on topic, I've been seeing these commercials for a thermos that essentially revolutionizes the way we drink hot and cold beverages! Keep a smoothie in a hot car all day and it stays nice and cold. Don't drink coffee out of a regular to-go mug. It tastes nasty! (And a woman is actually shown spitting her coffee out.) Put it in this mug and it's guaranteed to stay scalding hot! You can even punch it like Rocky and it won't fall over due to a special kind of seal that makes it stick to your table. Go ahead, punch it! It won't tip over! Similar mugs have sold for over $3000 on Gwyneth Paltrow's website, but you can have this one for $19.95. Better yet, have two!

This isn't actually a word-for-word transcription of the commercial, but you get the gist.

[peacheslatour]

Quote

Better yet, have two!

Just pay separate shipping and handling! (that's how we make our money)

[Prevailing Wind]

Quote

We get Leverage on ION TV. It's usually on all day on Sunday and I always watch it.

Taking to small talk...

[Prevailing Wind]

My, my, MyPillow!  http://www.wcnc.com/news/bbb-revokes-mypillow-accreditation/381352994

[ennui]

Considering the plethora of companies that violate rules without consequence, I think the BBB is losing credibility.

[peacheslatour]

The BBB is nothing more than an extortion racket.

[Brattinella]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

The BBB is nothing more than an extortion racket.

How so?  I'm genuinely curious, do they get paid for a better score?

[peacheslatour]

No, but you pay dues and they do nothing for you. You're better off just offering excellent services and goods and letting word of mouth take care of it. Paying for good word of mouth is not too smart.

[Brattinella]

I had NO idea you have to pay dues!  Thanks.

[Prevailing Wind]

My report on the Hurricane Spin Brush (from BB&Beyond, with 20% coupon):

Initial charge takes 20 hours, lasts 60 minutes, takes another 8 hours to recharge.  Doesn't take an hour to clean my shower, so that's OK.  Because the brush spins to the right, the whole dealio wants to travel to the right, so if you're trying for a back&forth thing on the shower walls, it's kind of hard. It took two hands to keep control of the wand. The flat brush has a tendency to tilt, so you don't get the benefit of the full surface of the brush, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of that with practice.

It did a great job cleaning all the scale off the glass shower doors. Rest of the shower spiffed up well, too.

4/5 stars. Recommended. But only if you get the 20% coupon at BB&B.  Ordering from Telebrands was weird. Turns out, they left the unit # off my address, so the package of the wand & brushes was sent back to them as undeliverable, yet, using the same address, no unit #, the envelope with the mesh bags to contain the brushes got here with no problem.  OK, since the one at BB&B didn't have the mesh bag.

[chessiegal]

@Prevailing Wind. I thought of you yesterday. I was at the mall mainly to walk, but also to shop, and went into the "As Seen On TV" store. They had the brush along with a video demonstrating it, and I thought, hmmm - wonder if we're getting a review? Thanks!

[Ubiquitous]

On ‎12‎/‎9‎/‎2016 at 2:29 PM, riley702 said:

I've been seeing ads for mattresses in a box (Casper, etc.) delivered by mail. Well, I got my Sealy Cocoon memeory foam/gel hybrid mattress yesterday in the mail and... I like it! I got the firm vs soft (my usual preference) and also went for the "chill" version with a top layer that is supposed to wick away body heat. I got a queen size, and it's about 11 inches deep. I got $100 off using the promo code OPRAH, as it is apparently one of her "favorite things". So it cost $750 with free shipping and a 100 night money-back guarantee. It comes vacuum-squished and rolled up in a 15x15x45 box and weighs about 75 pounds. I had some nigglings doubts I'd be able to set it up myself, and while it wasn't quite as easy as the demo below (I'm a 55 yr-old woman, not a fit young man), it was definitely doable without throwing my back out. I asked about that money-back guarantee: "Umm, how would I get it back in the box?" and they said they would donate it to a charity in my area and inform them to go pick it up. The charity would give me a receipt that I would then e-mail back to Sealy for a refund. Very nice way to handle things!

I've been wondering how they handled returns!

[friendperidot]

Riley702, because of you, I am seriously thinking about getting one of those mattresses, but probably not that particular one, don't think my pocket book can handle it. I have a very old mattress and box springs and since I moved into my sister's spare bedroom last summer, I've been on the floor, so I'm getting a new mattress and frame next week and getting off the floor. I didn't mind putting the bed on the floor for the last 6 months of life of one of my dogs several years ago (the things we do for love) but I'm 66 yrs old and can't handle this anymore. This is supposed to be a temporary stay but I don't know when I'm going to be able to move. My bed frame, headboard and foot board are in the garage, can't get to them and there's no room in here. 

And I heard one of the spin brush ads over the weekend, it was called Turbo Spin or something, the guy doing the commercial was British and I kept hearing Tub O' Spin Brush, thought it was an odd name, then finally realized he was saying Turbo.

[bad things are bad]

Prevailing Wind, have you found that after the initial use of the Turbo Brush that it doesn't hold a charge very well? That's been my experience...worked great the first time, but the last couple of uses it's run out of steam about 15 seconds in. It's going back to BBB. I'll try another one in case I have a lemon. 

[Prevailing Wind]

After I'm done, I just plug it back in for more charging and haven't used it long enough to have it bomb out on me. 15 seconds seems awfully short.

[Maverick]

 Haas anyone tried Navage?  It looks freaky, but effective.

[riley702]

A higher tech Neti pot? I haven't tried one - just about killed myself with the low-tech one. A slight exaggeration, but if you don't get the angle right, you're suddenly gagging on a bunch of warm salt water. And it was gross to begin with...

[Sandman87]

Someone sent me one of those Atomic Light Lanterns ("as seen on tv!") as a belated Christmas gift, and it arrived today. I can honestly report that that sucker is bright, so bright that it's painful to look at. The magnets on the base work as advertised, meaning that one can stick it to the side of a kitchen appliance or the underside of a car hood. I don't plan on testing the water resistance or the heat resistance claims, but I'm sure I'll have a chance to take it out in the rain while fetching firewood at some point in the near future.

[ennui]

On 1/17/2017 at 10:46 AM, bad things are bad said:

Prevailing Wind, have you found that after the initial use of the Turbo Brush that it doesn't hold a charge very well? That's been my experience...worked great the first time, but the last couple of uses it's run out of steam about 15 seconds in. It's going back to BBB. I'll try another one in case I have a lemon. 

Is it one of those batteries that has a memory? Years ago, some items had to be fully charged for 24-28 hours before the first use, otherwise the battery would never fully charge or hold a charge.

[friendperidot]

Jimmy from Zyppah needs to take a chill pill and tone it down about 10 notches. I'm not entirely sure what the Zyppah does, I've only glanced at the screen and never looked it up online, but it looks like something that fits in the mouth.

And the guy from Beach Body Fitness is a little too overconfident in his sense of his own importance. I don't watch infomercials, so I guess that's why he thinks everyone knows his products, but hurry so you can be one of the 3 million that get to use his service FREE for 30 days. Nah, I cannot do that stuff and I'm 66 so I really don't give a fig.

[peacheslatour]

On 1/18/2017 at 6:17 PM, riley702 said:

A higher tech Neti pot? I haven't tried one - just about killed myself with the low-tech one. A slight exaggeration, but if you don't get the angle right, you're suddenly gagging on a bunch of warm salt water. And it was gross to begin with...

I'll tell you what though, I once had a sinus infection that dragged on for two years. My doctor tried antibiotics of all descriptions and finally steroids. He kept telling me that I needed to run warm, salty water through there but I resisted (eew gross). Finally one night I was so sick of it I went ahead and did it. I did it the next day and the next. Voila! No more sinus infection. So yay?

[bad things are bad]

Quote

Is it one of those batteries that has a memory? Years ago, some items had to be fully charged for 24-28 hours before the first use, otherwise the battery would never fully charge or hold a charge.

I did charge it for at least 24 hours, might try going longer with the next one....can't hurt to give it a shot!

[Prevailing Wind]

I have a story about using a baby "bulb" syringe and warm, salty water and nasal passages, but it's entirely too gross to share.  <insert winky face here>  (It's about getting a deviated septum surgically repaired. Blood is involved.)

[riley702]

EEK!!!

[friendperidot]

Now there's a new red copper product I want to know about! Some kind of wire mesh insert. I'm probably going to have to break down and buy something red copper...or stop watching late night tv.

[Finagler]

On 1/5/2017 at 6:07 PM, peacheslatour said:

No, but you pay dues and they do nothing for you. You're better off just offering excellent services and goods and letting word of mouth take care of it. Paying for good word of mouth is not too smart.

The BBB helped resolve a complaint I filed against a mechanic.  He ended up paying me back $200 for work he said he did but didn't.  The business that the mechanic worked for was not even a member of the BBB!  Sometimes it helps to complain. 

[Prevailing Wind]

Those red copper ads are on in the daytime, too. It's some insert in a roasting pan that you can even melt a Solo cup on and it won't stick. Bake everything instead of frying for less fat!  I dunno, but it looks intriguing to me, too.

What I want to know is if anyone has any experience with either RainX or Rain Brella. THAT looks like a good idea, if it works the way they say it does.

[Mittengirl]

I have used Rain-x and it works great.  I first used it on a car that didn't have variable speed wipers.  When the rain wasn't quite heavy enough for wipers, the Rain-x would bead it up and it would roll right off.  When the rain was heavier, the wipers would work better.   It also helped the rain roll off back and side windows and mirrors.  It is easy to apply and lasted quite a while.

[Prevailing Wind]

Thanks!

[cynicat]

On 1/24/2017 at 11:38 AM, Prevailing Wind said:

What I want to know is if anyone has any experience with either RainX or Rain Brella. THAT looks like a good idea, if it works the way they say it does.

RainX is great stuff.  My contractor told me to use it on my glass shower doors and they have been free of water stains ever since I started that little trick.

[Brattinella]

RainX is great.  I used it on the windshield and the rain would run right off, even with the wipers off.

[OhioSongbird]

I'm thinking about buying the copper grill thingy Graham what's-his-name is advertising (used to be on Master Chef I think).  You get a skillet, too.  Sounds really cool.  Anybody tried these?

[riley702]

I have a red copper skillet and really like it.

[LoneHaranguer]

16 hours ago, OhioSongbird said:

 

I'm thinking about buying the copper grill thingy Graham what's-his-name is advertising (used to be on Master Chef I think).  You get a skillet, too.  Sounds really cool.  Anybody tried these?

 

Is that the one where they brag about it being non-stick and show somebody rinsing off the grill in a sink? As if rinsing grease down a drain is a good idea.

[friendperidot]

I have decided to buy some pots and pans or at least something to cook with as all my Corningware is packed and I don't even know for sure where. And as it seems I'm going to be at my sister's longer than I want, I am tired of washing up a pan or skillet so I can use it, but before I do, she comes in cooks and leaves it dirty. I wash up after I use things, I don't leave them sit out or in a sink filled with water for a week and then go on a 12 hour binge of cleaning once a month. Enough of my problems. I did a lot of reading reviews on the Red Copper stuff, I am inclined to give it a pass. I think I've decided on a 10 piece Farberware set, 2 skillets, 2 saucepans, a casserole and utensils, it's under $50, and I think it will serve my purposes better. I think it will be fine for the short term (I hope) use. I'm not a gourmet cook, I only cook because I have to eat. 

But, I will continue to watch the Red Copper ads with interest and maybe someday...

I also set up my memory foam mattress and slept on on it. It's going to take a few more nights and right now I still don't have the frame, it's out for delivery as I write this. But the mattress is a lot more comfortable than the wrapped spring, old style mattress that was about 8 yrs past use by date. 

Edited January 31, 2017 by friendperidot

[bmoore4026]

Well, I bought one of those Simply Fit Boards.  I haven't cracked it in two yet, in spite of my weight, however it's only been two days.

I've yet to bust my face wide open from falling from it or slip a disc while trying to do The Twist but that's because I haven't used it fully yet.  Also, in the few times I have tried to do The Twist on the thing, I keep thinking I'm doing it wrong.  Thankfully, there are other exercises I can do with it.  Plus, it does feel like it's helping my balance.

The down side is the food they tell you not to eat at the end of the booklet that comes with the board are foods I love to eat.  It's got me down.  I mean, I figured they'd add that bit considering the women how made this thing are personal trainers, but fruits and vegetables are expensive.  And I don't want to catch wild fish.  I have started drinking water more, starting yesterday, so that's something.

How many of you out there also have a Simply Fit Board and what are your experiences?

[Prevailing Wind]

I see the commercials for it and wonder what the hell the floor looks like after you're done twisting on it.