When you see infomercials or commercials that demonstrate their products and then say something like "All of this is a $60.00 value and you can get if for only $14.99 if you call now!", do you find this suspicious or interesting or possibly misleading in any way?

yeah its def hokey. I really dunno who falls for that ploy. Like do people really buy it after they say that, and then brag to their friends later like. “Dude get this, I ordered this on tv, it was orginally 60 bucks but I only paid 15. what a deal.” I can see that as a cut scene from zoolander or something.

I’m thinking there is a lot of inflating the ‘value’ of these things going on. I suppose, if you make a product you can declare it’s value to be anything you’d like! People must buy them, or this practice wouldn’t still be in use, right?

You must be having trouble sleeping. Too bad there’s nothing else to watch on T.V.

i have never considered buying anything like that untill today, there was this cool infomertial about a fabric that would dry better than anything out there :P I sound pretty annoying there huh, but it seemed pretty functional, and worthy of having. I don’t think I agree about the price being cheap. There is always a catch, either its 3 low payments of a (low number) or PLUS $19.99 shipping and handling. Either way its not cheap.

btw I like your new picture augustian!

@krose. Actually, I work from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. so I see quite a lot of those commercials during the week on t.v. at work (more than I’d like to really) and it finally inspired me to ask this question. And you’re right, there is some really bad programming in the early hours of the morning. It sucks! :o)

Very suspicious…..

I just wait for some time and then those “rare” products “not sold anywhere” are readily available in the markets.They definitely sound too good to be true.

Completely suspicious. Value is subjective anyway – they may like to think someone’ll buy it for $60 but obviously no one does, that’s why they’re selling 2/3/4 products for the “price” of one.

I’m always wary of such “deals”. Same with “limited time offers” – it’s a ploy to increase the chances of an impulse purchase. Remember, all they want is your money – they’ll do and say anything to get it.

How does the commercial know when its going to go on that the viewer has 30 seconds to call. How do they monitor that?? Do they have people on standby all day long checking every channel of every day??!!

I never buy from infomercials. It’s true, but there are so many other fees that they secretly mention. For example: shipping & handling. That might just bring you to $20 already! Stick with walmart instead of those infomercials.

I’m not really sure what anyone is suspicious about. Sure Billy Mays is overly excited, but come on, he has a lot of sweet deals!

@90’s kid, I wouldn’t buy at wal-mart, I despise places like that. When I have a customer out right tell me they want to go to Wal-Mart to price out what they’re shopping for with me, I cringe and tell them, “don’t waste your time, I’ll just go ahead and match them to save you the time”.

And as far as telling them what it originally was in price like that….was 60 now it’s only 15 dollars….its perception of value. They can now see they’re getting a good deal. Just like when I’m at work, I have a price tag on a TV box, but it’s being listed for 800 dollars less than what it was originally. My customers is like “Whoa, I need to get that”.

Also, a lot of those items might have suggested retail prices. But when they cutt out a store to buy from, you save money from all sorts of things, shipping, handling, inventory maintenance, and then the associate’s paycheck in the store trying to sell it to you. It’s how they can seemingly slash a price on TV without all these extra expenses now (it’s why you’re now going to pay shipping too, most cases).

@ randommrdan

I know, actually I personally think that the prices are high at walmart. I was just using it as a saying.

and OK then sorry for adding my opinion…..

@90’s kid, did I somehow offend you? It was certainly not my intention.

WEll you avalanched me with crap about the contrary of what I said. Its all cool tho

Edit: what you said after that.

@90’s kid, you did just say stick with wal-mart. I said I depise them. how is that contrary to what you said?

Edit- The whole price match them part? Yeah, I don’t shop at Wal-Mart because most their associates are dim wits, and I’d sooner have another store price match them.

removed

The whole price match them part? Yeah, I don’t shop at Wal-Mart because most their associates are dim wits, and I’d sooner have another store price match them.

I totally agree!!

@90’s kid, well then, in the future you should probably say something like, buy at any other store and have them match wal-mart =)

Stop being so sassy, it makes people frustrated (like me).

ah yes, time to find that “stop following” button

I called once. They make up for it in the shipping and handling. Now I won’t even consider it unless their willing to advertise their shipping and handling fees on TV too.
By the way, My husband and I were in an infomercial for Tempurpedic a few months ago. I never saw it, but they said it would be run regionally. (Didn’t say what region.) If anyone sees my smiling face where you live will you let me know?

@90s kid:
If hearing someone else’s opinion frustrates you then maybe Fluther isn’t the right website for you. And I also agree that the Wal-Mart employees are dim wits. I also can’t help but cringe when I hear the ignorant things that go on at Wal-Mart. What kind of crazy deals can cause a riot of people to trample someone to death at Wal-Mart—Seriously?!

@90’s kid, well then, in the future you should probably say something like, buy at any other store and have them match wal-mart =)

that issassy

@90’s kid:
Agreed…BUT Some might find it sassy that someone who is only 14 thinks they know everything about the 90’s considering you haven’t been alive for half of the 90’s. (Like me)

I looked up info and my parents introduced me to it. I watch all those vh1 and mtv shows I was so interested and eventually gained a lot of knowledge. How dare you! Test my knowledge!!!! Go Ahead——try! >:-(

Man Randomradam you are pushing it.

I hate Walmart too….cheap chinese crap…...

It’s their product. They can sell it for whatever price they want. They could start at $4,000,000,000 and mark it down to $9.99 if they want to. No one is forced to buy.

The idea behind lowering the price multiple times in the span of 45 seconds is that people are more likely to buy if they see better and better deals presented, even if they would initially reject the final offer if given no offers before it.

sweat-shop products you can be proud of!

Suspicious.

big eye roll! all the time! that is one reason i am glad we don’t get cable anymore! it is made for those people like my mother (may she RIP) who would believe it and buy 10— just in case

noooo not at all

Act fast and you can have my real answer, normally five hundred thousand dollars for a mere two hundred dollars—a savings of nearly half a million dollars

hurry before operators take a coffee break