The Info Pool

“But Wait - There’s More!” - What’s the deal with those As Seen on TV products?

January 15th, 2007

So you’re lounging on the sofa or recliner again; just another moment of relaxation in a typical day. Suddenly one of those ads or infomercials pops on, rambling about some wonderful gimmicky product. Wow, what a surprise! My personal favorite is the Oxy Clean one. The bearded man always comes out screaming. He must assume that his microphone is broken, the way he yells into the camera. Or, maybe he’s just that enthused about the product? You’ve got to love these “as seen on TV products.” I’ll even bet that you’ve caved in and purchased one at some point or another. You know, just to see if the hype was legitimate. I know I have.

It’s sort of funny, but I’ve actually seen “as seen on TV” stores that only sell as seen on TV products. What a business they must have going on. As I stepped back to examine this bizarre store, I was in amazed. Everything looked like a bunch of boxed up junk. In no way did I want to enter and purchase anything. Now I fully understand why everything is only 19.95. One has to wonder about the profit percentage they make. This is the key to all these infomercial products. Most of them are so easily produced and packaged, that the company makes a quick killing. Imagine the potential customers. We all have televisions and most people are sitting in front of them on a daily basis. How many of us snatch the phone when we see these “miracle solution” products for a mere 20 bucks? I’m guessing quite a few.

The business of as seen on TV products is huge to say the least. Whether it’s some new grinder/mincer/dicer, or maybe a perfect tool that slices an entire pizza in one whack, folks around the world over are intrigued. They get excited by the notion of convenience at a low cost. After all, most of these products offer a money back guarantee. I can’t really argue with that logic. If you truly despise the as seen on TV products, you can apparently send them back for your cash. Just don’t go too crazy with these gimmicks, or pretty soon you won’t have any cash left in the bank.

Entry Filed under: General, TV