Do Infomercial Products Really Work?
Did you know that a lot of As Seen on TV and infomercial products work fairly well? If this is the case though, why do they seem to have such generally poor reputations? Based on our research, most customers seem ticked off by how these products are sold. In other words, less-than-stellar business practices. Like what, exactly? We'll talk more about this and dozens of other important things you should know before buying an ASOTV product.
While almost two-thirds of HighYa readers rated their ASOTV experience as 1 star, it's not all bad news. Based on our numbers, cookware and kitchenware products tend to come with higher ratings, since many customers claim they work as advertised. On the flip side, electronics often come with the lowest feedback, which customers complain don't live up to their expectations. Health, beauty, and cleaning products tend to fall somewhere in the middle.
Poor quality/failure to work as advertised. In many instances, these products aren't built to withstand years of regular use, or don't live up to the hype in their infomercials.
Unsavory business practices. This can include high and non-refundable S&H charges, orders processed without the customer's consent, unwanted items added to orders, long shipping times, and poor customer service.
There are 3 ways to purchase As Seen on TV or infomercial products: in store, online or over the phone. According to some sources, the majority are sold in retail stores. After all, the ultimate goal of any ASOTV product is to make it to store shelves at national retailers like Walmart, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and more.
What's this mean for you? Except for quality concerns, purchasing locally (or even through a retailer that operates differently, such as Amazon) can help you avoid pretty much every common ASOTV complaint.
The HighYa team has spent years crafting hundreds of ASOTV reviews and dozens of buying guides and articles, all aimed at helping you shop smarter. When buying your next infomercial product, make sure to research here first.
Why Are Infomercials on Late at Night? Why Are They So Darn Effective?
Infomercials might come with cheesy scripts and overzealous sales pitches, but the reality is that they're lean, mean selling machines. These companies have perfected the art of selling by using psychology—specifically, making you feel confident that the product can solve some common problem in your life—to rake in millions.
What You Can Do: Set up some baseline expectations in advance. This includes understanding that the product might not live up to the hype and that you'll probably pay a lot (sometimes more than the product itself!) in S&H. Also, remember that if you call the company, you'll likely be subjected to numerous upsells.
Think That Second Item Is Really Free? Think Again!
Psychology doesn't just help sell products through infomercials; it can also make you think you're getting a better deal than you actually are. For example an As Seen on TV product is advertised at $9.99, and if you place your order now, you'll get a second one absolutely free. What they fail to mention is that you'll pay $5.99 S&H for each item, meaning that you'll ultimately pay more in shipping than you will for the actual product. You'll also have to pay return shipping if you request a refund, which means you could lose money by the time it's all said and done!
What You Can Do: As mentioned above, buying locally, or through Amazon, can provide many benefits, including eliminating high, non-refundable S&H charges!
We talked above about the number of products As Seen on TV and infomercial companies have to churn out in order to keep the hits coming (and the money flowing). Often times, this means that they're more focused on making as many sales as possible—and squeezing as much money as they can out of every transaction—than they are about helping customers have positive experiences.
What You Can Do: Getting what you want from customer service could take some forethought. As soon as you recognize there's an issue, don't wait to reach out to the company. When you do, make sure you clearly express what you want, be respectful, and dutifully note the content of your call. If all else fails, file a dispute with your bank—just make sure you have all the documentation you need to support your case!
Founded in 1983 by A.J. Khubani, Telebrands started out advertising only on late night TV. Today, the company has grown to become the largest ASOTV company in existence, with a presence in over 70 countries.
Also founded by A.J. Khubani in 1999, IdeaVillage has had a string of popular hits over the past few years with products like Micro Touch razors, Finishing Touch, and the Copper Fit line of compression wear.
Another long-time player of 20+ years, Tristar is currently the second largest As Seen on TV company, boasting more than a billion dollars in sales to date, as well as a media presence in over 100 countries.
Currently piloted by CEO Scott Boilen, Allstar Products Group is a big player within the ASOTV industry, launching some of the most successful direct response television campaigns in history.
The Khubani family runs deep within the ASOTV industry, as A.J.'s brother, Chuck, also runs OnTel Products Corp, who has been in business since 1994. Today, OnTel's products are sold in over 80,000 stores in 30+ countries.
While the SAS Group has created some big ASOTV hits over the past several years, they're a bit different from most other companies in that they also focus on credit card syndication and direct response print advertising.