Fell for an infomercial!!!

[Mandarine]

Meaningful Beauty by Cindy Crawford. ...

This is the first time I ever buy anything I see on TV, but after seeing Cindy I couldn''t help myself!!!!....she had me right where she wanted me...dialing into the 1800 number within the next 15-minutes to get the special "one-time" only offer! hehe. Of course this made my BF laugh at me because afterwards I was trying to explain to him what a great deal I got....hehehe.

I haven''t received the products yet...has anyone here tried them?. Will I look like Cindy after I use them? hehe

And on another note....

Who else has fallen for an infomercial and was it worth it?

M~

 

[sumbride]

I bought a mop. Those purple mops... sweep and mop, I think they''re called. It''s ok, but not remotely as fabulous as it appeared on tv. And while the price was low, the "handling" charge was ridiculous! And it took MONTHS to arrive. UGH. Much prefer my microfiber pad mop from qvc.

QVC gets much more of my attention and cash than infomercials, but most of their products actually live up to the hype, and they have a good return policy.

And yes, I''m sure you''ll look exactly like Cindy!

 

[Mandarine]

hehe Sum....a mop!.

that''s pretty funny!...I bet it looked like it would almost do the job for you!

 

[Cailet]

oooo. I am SUCH a sucker for informercials. I ALWAYS want to order. I''ve been pretty good though.

Winsor Pilates -- Saw it on TV. REALLY wanted to order, but I managed to not call in and then found it on Ebay for way cheaper. Did the tapes maybe 4 times? It was too slow and boring for me....

Power 90 - it is an exercise video collection. It was kind of pricey when I bought it. But I have used it SOOO much that I might have to order the DVD cause my VHS is worn out! When I actually follow the program as directed it really works (the first time I used it I lost about 15 pounds and 12 inches in 90 days -- with barely any changes to my diet -- just cut out soda and drank a ton more water). Of course I have to actually follow it. Then once I like these tapes so much I ordered a whole bunch of other ones off their website.

I also have that one black rubber mop.broom thing. I got it at Linens N Things but I saw it on a TV infomercial and picked it up with one of my 20% off coupons. That way I didn''t have to pay for shipping or the crazy "special for TV" price! LOL. It works pretty good -- of course not as well as on TV but defintiely worth the $10 I spent.

Haven''t bought anything lately -- hopefully it will stay that way!!!

 

[cutes814]

I''ve never tried meaningful beauty Mandarine, but I bought the Bare Minerals from Bare Essentials. That works like a charm, but I stopped using it because I just don''t like to put makeup on. I''ll use it here and there, like when I get really dressed up and go out, etc.

I am such a laydown for informercials! I have purchased so many things and none of them work they way it works on TV...hee, but yet I continue to buy! I need help.

Let''s see what I''ve bought. The perfect pancake maker (does not make good pancakes at all), some sort of curling set that suppose to keep your curls the whole day (doesn''t even keep the curls in place for a few hours!), the vacuum thingy that looks like a swiffer but can trap dirt and is portable (sucks), ultimate chopper (works okay, but not as good as the informercial displayed), hrm...what else is there? There''s gotta be more stuff.

Anyhoo, yeah I''m a terrible sucker for them. And the thing is I love to watch ''em! Even if I''ve already purchased the item and it sucks, if the informercial comes on, I''ll watch it again.

LOL.

 

[Mandarine]

haha...that''s funny! you guys make me feel better!

Cailet - I''ve ordered exercise videos in the past, but mostly from Amazon.com after watching something about it on TV!...I do use those but admit I went a little overboard when I bought the belly dancing video!. Let''s just say we''ll leave those moves for Shakira

Milly - I can''t believe you watch re-runs of infomercials! hehe...they really are making them interesting these days. I usually flip right through them because I know if I stop to listen in I will end up watching the entire thing!. That''s what happenned with this product (it''s actually face lotions -day, night, eyes-, face cleanser and a mask thingy). We''ll see how it works...but I''m sure it will take more than that to make my face look like Cindy''s! hehehe

This is where they get you though. It works like a magazine subscription! If you don''t like it and don''t call to cancel they will charge your credit card and send you new supplies every 90 days!. So we''ll see. If I like them I''ll keep them since currently I spend more now on lotions, etc (and I don''t buy the fancy stuff anymore).

I''ll keep you guys posted and in the meantime I will stay away from infomercials!

M~

 

[poptart]

My friend fell for that Bare Minerals ad too, it worked wonders!! That one actually lives up to all the advertising. I was thinking of buying some for myself even... her skin looked SO good every time she put it on.

Marisa

 

[CaptAubrey]

Please--they''re not "infomercials"--they''re "Direct Response Television."

Have you ever noticed that it''s always a certain type of product they''re pitching? How it''s always the Exciting Invention That Will Revolutionize How You [fill in activity of choice]?

Now consider how many "new" consumer products are introduced, and succeed, through conventional marketing approaches. Why do some go the DRTV route and some don''t?

It''s pretty simple: The stuff you find in the department stores or wherever works; the stuff on DRTV doesn''t. If it worked, they wouldn''t need to pitch it the way they do.

The FTC regularly shuts down one DRTV product or another because it''s useless.

 

[Mandarine]

hmmm...agree and disagree....

Is it really that much different than buying online?. I think the main benefit for them is to not have the overhead of owing an actual store, thus the prices can be more competitive.

I do agree that a bunch of the stuff they sell just doesn''t work (or doesn''t work as well as it was shown!)....bu there are plenty of things you can buy at a store and they also don''t work.

I agree in the sense that if it worked, why would they need to go with the DRTV route?...and this is why I''ve always felt is "shady" and why I never had fallen for it...............

that''s until Cindy came along and convinced me to grab that phone! hehehe.

M~

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Date: 10/25/2006 10:09:31 AM
Author: poptart
My friend fell for that Bare Minerals ad too, it worked wonders!! That one actually lives up to all the advertising. I was thinking of buying some for myself even... her skin looked SO good every time she put it on.

Marisa

DITTO! I cannot live without my BareMinerals. I''ve converted quite a number of people to it.

 

[Allisonfaye]

The only thing I ever bought from an informercial was the Lori Davis hair products. You know, the ones that Cher pitched and then acted like it was the worst thing that ever happened to her?

I really loved the products but after a certain point, they cheapened the ingredients and started selling it in Target. I stopped using them at that point. I don''t even know if they still make them.
My husband bought some of that coral calcium stuff once. I laughed at him.

 

[Julian]

I fell for the ProActiv solution (for acne) and it TOTALLY cleared up a breakout I had before an important event!!!!

That stuff really works. I also tried Bare Minerals after seeing the infomercial. That also was a great product.

Any "lose weight without diet or exercise" informercial makes me laugh, though!

 

[MelissaSue]

I haven''t in a while.. When I was a kid though, I remember making my mom buy me this kit where you were supposed to be able to get pictures to transfer on to tshirts with this pasty type stuff.. Definitely did NOT work..

There is one info mercial, or actually its just a commercial where you have to call to buy the product.. for the thing where you just press it down and it chops up onions, veggies, whatever, instantly.. I always want it everytime I see it, but i''m sure it must not work.. it probably just squishes everything.

 

[cutes814]

Oh yeah, I also bought Windsor Pilates DVD. I used it 5 times and now I don''t even know where the DVD went....Heehee.

 

[sumbride]

Date: 10/25/2006 3:18:42 PM
Author: MelissaSue

There is one info mercial, or actually its just a commercial where you have to call to buy the product.. for the thing where you just press it down and it chops up onions, veggies, whatever, instantly.. I always want it everytime I see it, but i''m sure it must not work.. it probably just squishes everything.

I think they sell those at Bed Bath and Beyond. If you want it, buy it there and take it back if it doesn''t work!

 

[kcoursolle]

I haven''t fallen for one yet, but I almost did once. I am a sucker for decent quality makeup ever since I''ve noticed how much of a difference it can make. I was watching an infomercial about Lauren Hutton''s makeup collection...and I almost bought it...

 

[aprilcait]

I fell for the Bare Minerals infomercial. It was absolutely worth it. I love it!!! I ended up ordering online, though, so I could see the products in a little more detail. What I love the most, though, is the program I signed up for where they send you the make-up every couple months (with a free gift). I love not having to make an extra trip to the mall to pick up my Bare Minerals when I start to run out.

 

[FireGoddess]

Beware!

LOL. I actually have a good friend that turned into an infomercial junkie. Buying all sorts of stuff. She had to do an infomercial detox!!

 

[Matata]

Date: 10/26/2006 8:38:04 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Beware!

LOL. I actually have a good friend that turned into an infomercial junkie. Buying all sorts of stuff. She had to do an infomercial detox!!

Oh crap, FireGoddess, shame on you for giving me away

I confess to be an infomercial junkie and I refuse to be detoxed. I''ve purchased cosmetics, a steam cleaner, Total Gym, Wolfgang Puck''s stainless steel cookware, Rachael Ray knives, and hundreds of things I can no longer remember. I was getting 2-3 UPS deliveries a day -- the neighbors started kidding me about my relationship with various UPS drivers

. While not detoxed, I''m down to 3 packages a week.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 10/26/2006 11:10:07 PM
Author: Matata

Date: 10/26/2006 8:38:04 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Beware!

LOL. I actually have a good friend that turned into an infomercial junkie. Buying all sorts of stuff. She had to do an infomercial detox!!

Oh crap, FireGoddess, shame on you for giving me away

I confess to be an infomercial junkie and I refuse to be detoxed. I''ve purchased cosmetics, a steam cleaner, Total Gym, Wolfgang Puck''s stainless steel cookware, Rachael Ray knives, and hundreds of things I can no longer remember. I was getting 2-3 UPS deliveries a day -- the neighbors started kidding me about my relationship with various UPS drivers

. While not detoxed, I''m down to 3 packages a week.

Although I don''t shop infomercials, I do have sort of a "habit" with online shopping...DH is getting a little displeased with me after seeing 7-8 packages arriving for me in the last 2 weeks. I almost always get free shipping, though, and am not wasting gas driving to the mall!

 

[sumbride]

Date: 10/26/2006 11:49:36 PM
Author: monarch64
Although I don''t shop infomercials, I do have sort of a ''habit'' with online shopping...DH is getting a little displeased with me after seeing 7-8 packages arriving for me in the last 2 weeks. I almost always get free shipping, though, and am not wasting gas driving to the mall!

My habit is disturbing to my FI as well. We have a box at the UPS store because we live in a neighborhood where you wouldn''t want to leave packages on the front steps or with a neighbor, so he has to pick them up for me after work since they''re closed by the time I get there. He has threatened to place "parental controls" on qvc.com but every once in a while I buy something for him, so he hasn''t gone through with it yet!

I tell him it''s not that I ordered a lot, just that they ship in multiple packages!!! He almost believed me.

 

[suzi]

I saw one of those pasta cooker tubes on an infomercial, then I saw it in Linens-n-Things and I bought one. They don''t work. My pasta did not come out al dente like the infomercial said. It came out in a sticky glob. I also tried cooking asparagus in it, as the infomercial also said it was good for veggies. Didn''t cook the asparagus at all...it was still raw. I even left it in for over twice as long as the instructions said to, and it still came out raw.

I have also recently ordered some of those miracle hook fasteners. I don''t like to put nail holes in my walls, and these are supposed to support heavy objects and leave a hole no bigger than a pin hole. They probably won''t work, either, but I wanted to give them a try. I ordered them nearly a month ago, and they still haven''t arrived.

 

[sumbride]

Date: 10/27/2006 10:20:05 AM
Author: sipper
I have also recently ordered some of those miracle hook fasteners. I don''t like to put nail holes in my walls, and these are supposed to support heavy objects and leave a hole no bigger than a pin hole. They probably won''t work, either, but I wanted to give them a try. I ordered them nearly a month ago, and they still haven''t arrived.

I bought some of those drywall hooks off qvc last year and they work great! The one time I''ve had a problem with them is on a wall that backs up to another finished wall... sometimes there isn''t enough space to get it to go in right. But seriously, I have used them all over my house and they''re awesome. Small little hole, easily repositionable, and great holding strength. Love them!

 

[perry]

I have actually been perswaded twice to purchase items "related" to infomercials - and am leaning towards another.

Infomercial products fall into several catagories.

1) Junk, or things that don''t work, being marketed that way because it can only be marketed that way and make a profit (do you really think eating ground up dead coral reef is a cure all for all of your nutritional issues).

2) Low quality product that would not be carried in many stores.

3) High quality product that would not be carried in most stores - because they are carrying lower qualtiy products as most people buy the lower priced items.

I have purchased one item from the 2nd group - where I needed something that would work for a relatively short period of time, with plans of tossing it after that use (why pay for a really good item for a short term application).

I was intriqued enough in a Catagory 3 item (Total Gym) that I did a little research. The model they offer on TV is actually a light version model of what the professionals use; and then their is a mid level - "advanced home user" model. TV model, Advanced home user, Professional model. I purchased the Advanced Home User model. In over 2 years of use - It hasn''t broken (and I had broken a series of store exercise equipment - with an average lifespan of about 90 - 100 days of use. I have talked with several people who have used the TV version a lot - and it apperently is also very durable.

My next planned purchase is the Little Giant. I am familiar with these from the industrial market. They really are a high quality well built ladder system. But most people won''t buy them if they are sitting next to a 1/4 priced version from china that is not nearly as durable, problem free, and may not even safely hold the susposed rated weight (and is being sold by infringing on the Little Giant pattent).

For the catagory 3 items: Ya get what ya pay for applies... In some cases you may find that the pricing is a bit better through other channels for these items; and that their are other models available. The Little Giant ladder system does come in different sizes - but the one they do the infomercial is the most popular size. Any medium to large city would have a distributor - but often they only sell to commercial accounts. You can also buy Little Giants directly from the Mfr. (you can buy the Total Gym - all but the TV model - directly from the Mfr as well).

So - is it an "informercial" for low quality or junk - or direct marketing of a high quality product.

Perry

 

[lizz]

Sumbride, I''m glad you said those drywall hooks really work. I have been tempted to buy them.

I don''t buy from infomercials, but I have bought a lot of stuff from HSN and QVC. I love Miracle Clean jewelry cleaner. I have been tempted to buy other Joy Mangano products, like those thin, flat hangers. Does anyone have those?

 

[divergrrl]

I had to bump this thread because I am watching the Cindy Crawford Meaningful Beauty Infomercial...

So....did it work? Do you feel as lovely as Cindy? How is your skin?

As for infomercials, I love Bareminerals, but they also sell it at Sephora, Nordstrom, and Ulta, so its not like it''s exiled from reputable retailers, its a wonderful product!

And while Proactiv wasn''t the right cocktail for my skin, (I''m more of a salicylic acid girl) it did clear up my acne quite a bit, and the mask is amazing. I still buy the mask at the mall. Worth every penny. Will kill zits on contact.

I almost bought that dang mop.....but I still prefer to scrub on my hands and knees to get my floors clean. Oy.

Jeannine

 

[robbie3982]

I believe she posted in another thread that her face is breaking out in a rash from it.

ETA: Here's the link: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/how-do-i-not-think-about-it.53088/page-2

I never would've noticed anything from looking at the pictures.

 

[Mandarine]

Date: 11/13/2006 4:39:24 PM
Author: divergrrl
I had to bump this thread because I am watching the Cindy Crawford Meaningful Beauty Infomercial...

So....did it work? Do you feel as lovely as Cindy? How is your skin?

As for infomercials, I love Bareminerals, but they also sell it at Sephora, Nordstrom, and Ulta, so its not like it's exiled from reputable retailers, its a wonderful product!

And while Proactiv wasn't the right cocktail for my skin, (I'm more of a salicylic acid girl) it did clear up my acne quite a bit, and the mask is amazing. I still buy the mask at the mall. Worth every penny. Will kill zits on contact.

I almost bought that dang mop.....but I still prefer to scrub on my hands and knees to get my floors clean. Oy.

Jeannine

Didn't it look convincing!? Maybe it was just me, but after watching it I just had to have it!

It might just not be for me and my skin type. I do have somewhat sensitive skin, but have never had problems and have used many products (including stuff from the supermarket when I just don't have time to go to a nice store!)...

A rash sounds very drastic, but it is pretty bad!....hehehe. In those pictures I was wearing some make-up and it really got worse Sunday morning. Even at work a friend asked me if I had gone to the beach! and then I showed her my bumps

I stopped using it Saturday morning as I noticed the bumps on my forehead. I have never had any bumps or any problems with my skin...and right now it's still itchy, I have bumps (even on my eyelids)...and it's still read

I'm actually using Calendula Gel twice a day (an herbal/organic/natural gel that helps heal the skin). I took some allergy medicine and I'm also putting cold chamomile tea on my face at night with a cosmetic pad (it helps the immflamation).

Needless to say, I wrote their customer service department a long e-mail!. This is not for all skin types!!!. Their disclaimer says that you might experience redness but this should go away with continued use. I'm not about to try to find out! hehe...I stopped and I'm hoping my sking will heal soon

Yes, I learned my lesson. I won't be buying stuff I don't know about again...specially not for something as delicate as the face!....I'm not 15 anymore and healing takes a bit longer than what iy used to! hehe.