Marketing Atrocities

[DGS49]

I listen to a lot of "Conservative Talk Radio," and one of the most conspicuous advertisers on all of them is 'Relief Factor." It's apparently a powder or something that you take a couple times a day, and it eliminates general pain (back, knees, etc) "miraculously." I have a lot of leg pain that doesn't respond to Advil, stretching, massage, chiropractic therapy, or anything else (including a cortisone shot).

Their ad basically says, "Buy a 3-week trial supply for $19.95, with free S&H."

But this is bullshit. You can't buy a three-week trial supply for that price.

They want to take your credit card number, charge you the $20, then 15 days later, send you a MONTH's supply for $90, PLUS S&H, automatically.

First of all, the product is sold as something you take every day, forever, and I don't know about you, but I think $90/month is a lot of money - a lot more than implied by the ad.

So I called them up and said, hey, if it works, I'll buy more. No good. You HAVE to sign up for automatic re-supply in order to get the $20 "deal." If you don't sign up for automatic re-supply, then the three-week supply is $40 + $6 S&H.

I just wonder how many people go along with this. To me, it is so sleazy and misleading that I simply won't do business with a company that behaves this way. But they must be getting some considerable business, in order to keep advertising they way they do.

There is a razor blade company that is doing the same thing with a $3 offer for five blades - that you can't purchase without signing up for perpetual deliveries. Sleazy.

 

[candycorn]

Very informative.

What my favorite one is this.

Several “life lock” type services have sprung up where they will scan the “dark web” for your social security number.

A). Unless they are subscribing to sites on the dark web…how will they know if your SSN is listed?

B). Are they finding thousands of SSNs from non-subscribers and are just saying, “Oh well, Ms. Perry has her information for sale…BUT….since they didn’t buy our service, we’ll just let someone sell Ms. Perry’s SSN?”

C). And this is my favorite… Since I don’t understand this “dark web” thing; if your SSN is for sale, why in the world would someone who buys it still have it listed? In other words, if I buy your SSN and I’m going to open bank accounts in your name, credit cards in your name, and all of that stuff; why would your SSN still be listed? Once I buy it…shouldn’t it be removed?

Anyway, most stuff on the drive-time talk radio is tragically geared for people who don’t know any better I’m afraid. Bomba Socks, foam rubber mattresses, 800 dollar bed sheets…etc… And gold….the buying of gold…over the radio. LOL

I wonder who actually buys this crap.

 

[Cellblock2429]

I listen to a lot of "Conservative Talk Radio," and one of the most conspicuous advertisers on all of them is 'Relief Factor." It's apparently a powder or something that you take a couple times a day, and it eliminates general pain (back, knees, etc) "miraculously." I have a lot of leg pain that doesn't respond to Advil, stretching, massage, chiropractic therapy, or anything else (including a cortisone shot).

Their ad basically says, "Buy a 3-week trial supply for $19.95, with free S&H."

But this is bullshit. You can't buy a three-week trial supply for that price.

They want to take your credit card number, charge you the $20, then 15 days later, send you a MONTH's supply for $90, PLUS S&H, automatically.

First of all, the product is sold as something you take every day, forever, and I don't know about you, but I think $90/month is a lot of money - a lot more than implied by the ad.

So I called them up and said, hey, if it works, I'll buy more. No good. You HAVE to sign up for automatic re-supply in order to get the $20 "deal." If you don't sign up for automatic re-supply, then the three-week supply is $40 + $6 S&H.

I just wonder how many people go along with this. To me, it is so sleazy and misleading that I simply won't do business with a company that behaves this way. But they must be getting some considerable business, in order to keep advertising they way they do.

There is a razor blade company that is doing the same thing with a $3 offer for five blades - that you can't purchase without signing up for perpetual deliveries. Sleazy.

/----/ For that reason, if I can't buy it at the local Rx or on Amazon - I don't buy it.

 

[DGS49]

Well, another interesting tangent is what happens when you Google the stuff to see whether there are disinterested humans who will attest to its effectiveness. The first SEVERAL entries on google are bogus consumer protection organizations claiming that THEIR PRODUCT IS BETTER than Relief Factor!

It is a fucking LIE-ATHON!

 

[Ringel05]

I listen to a lot of "Conservative Talk Radio," and one of the most conspicuous advertisers on all of them is 'Relief Factor." It's apparently a powder or something that you take a couple times a day, and it eliminates general pain (back, knees, etc) "miraculously." I have a lot of leg pain that doesn't respond to Advil, stretching, massage, chiropractic therapy, or anything else (including a cortisone shot).

Their ad basically says, "Buy a 3-week trial supply for $19.95, with free S&H."

But this is bullshit. You can't buy a three-week trial supply for that price.

They want to take your credit card number, charge you the $20, then 15 days later, send you a MONTH's supply for $90, PLUS S&H, automatically.

First of all, the product is sold as something you take every day, forever, and I don't know about you, but I think $90/month is a lot of money - a lot more than implied by the ad.

So I called them up and said, hey, if it works, I'll buy more. No good. You HAVE to sign up for automatic re-supply in order to get the $20 "deal." If you don't sign up for automatic re-supply, then the three-week supply is $40 + $6 S&H.

I just wonder how many people go along with this. To me, it is so sleazy and misleading that I simply won't do business with a company that behaves this way. But they must be getting some considerable business, in order to keep advertising they way they do.

There is a razor blade company that is doing the same thing with a $3 offer for five blades - that you can't purchase without signing up for perpetual deliveries. Sleazy.

Here's a solution;
Stop listening to talk show radio and stop watching prime time TV, no more commercials and you might be able to reverse the brain rot.