If someone told me they’ve never been tempted late at night to pick up the phone and order whatever unbelievably innovative product they saw on TV, I would have a hard time believing it. The infomercials are so convincing in presenting a product that will literally change your life, I don’t think I have ever met anyone who hasn’t been sucked in at one point or another. The problem though is it seems so risky. I’m sure we’ve all heard the horror stories of the hidden $30 shipping and handling fees or worse yet reoccurring billing only disclosed in extremely small print. Even more, what if the product doesn’t work? To return something purchased on TV you usually have to pay the shipping charges to you and back, so no matter what it always ends up costing you something. To be an educated buyer and save ourselves time and money, we must do our research.

Just the other night I saw an infomercial for a product called the Shake Weight. Now this product is a little suggestive and borderline inappropriate for television so I wasn’t so much tempted to buy it as I was intrigued to know if it really works. Like the millions of other young people in America, I turned to the internet to do a little research. I quickly discovered there are dozens of websites that claim to objectively review these kinds of products. However, when you read between the lines you can hear the tone of a sales person. Usually these types of reviews are sneakily written by the product owner or someone working for them disguised as a regular Joe Shmoe, and it’s highly unlikely they will say their product is a piece of junk if it is.

After a little more searching I found a decent website that rates and reviews As Seen on TV products called TVTopTen. Not only do they have actual customer reviews, but they also have a slew of different videos including product demonstrations and the actual commercial. They post real customer reviews, both positive and negative. Using websites like these and taking the information objectively, you can avoid making costly investments into products that suck. Doing this kind of research will save time and money, and who doesn’t need more of both these days?

About the Author:

S. Sparks is a writer for small businesses and online stores with an emphasis on health and beauty. Some of her most recent work includes articles for Ace Carpet Cleaning San Diego.