Infomercial Items Sub-Par, Report Finds
If you're ever tempted to take a chance on that too-good-to-be-true rotisserie oven or a detergent that can remove every stain imaginable pitched on late-night television, think twice before whipping out you're your wallet.
Consumer Reports says you're better off switching the channel since the products are usually sub-par.
Actually, the magazine tells readers to follow these 8 steps before buying anything pitched on an infomercial:
- Pause 10 minutes before buying
- Slow Down the commercial with your DVR
- Ask yourself: "Would I buy this with cash?"
- Consider other options
- Listen for clues
- Calculate the real price
- Say no to upselling
- Avoid shipping and handling costs
"The magic of TV and film editing and shooting can make anything look good," Christian Holiday, CEO of Global Media Marketing, an infomercial producer in Santa Ana, Calif. tells the magazine.
And according to Larry Nusbaum, the CEO of Ronco, he says, "About half of infomercial products deliver on their promise, 30 percent do what they say but are a bit expensive, and the rest are junk."