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What is it about modern TV advertising?

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fmw

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The TV pitch man says "order in the next 10 minutes and we'll send you a second one free. Just pay an additional fee."
What?
Another add says "Order now and we'll include XYZ for free."
No, it isn't free. It is included in the price. If it were free I could order the XYZ all by itself.

Is anyone else bothered by this second rate advertising? Obviously it isn't advertising that is aimed at me.
 
fmw said:
The TV pitch man says "order in the next 10 minutes and we'll send you a second one free. Just pay an additional fee."
What?
Another add says "Order now and we'll include XYZ for free."
No, it isn't free. It is included in the price. If it were free I could order the XYZ all by itself.

Is anyone else bothered by this second rate advertising? Obviously it isn't advertising that is aimed at me.
Click to expand...

It's not free. It's subject to a shipping and handling fee. I've never seen one that's completely free. And you don't have to take it. 'Course you have to be alert, because they're trying very hard to sell you two for that extra S&H fee. I think they all took lessons from that Popeil guy who always said, "AND THERE'S MORE!!!"
 
fmw said:
The TV pitch man says "order in the next 10 minutes and we'll send you a second one free. Just pay an additional fee."
What?
Another add says "Order now and we'll include XYZ for free."
No, it isn't free. It is included in the price. If it were free I could order the XYZ all by itself.

Is anyone else bothered by this second rate advertising? Obviously it isn't advertising that is aimed at me.
Click to expand...

That's one reason I gave away my TV more than five years ago...dumbass network TV programming is another.
 
Getting several reminders per hour about how stupid Americans are is one of the reasons I dont watch TV. I mean I always remember, we have to understand this, but constant reminders I do not need and they spoil my day.

So Bye-Bye...
 
fmw said:
The TV pitch man says "order in the next 10 minutes and we'll send you a second one free. Just pay an additional fee."
What?
Another add says "Order now and we'll include XYZ for free."
No, it isn't free. It is included in the price. If it were free I could order the XYZ all by itself.

Is anyone else bothered by this second rate advertising? Obviously it isn't advertising that is aimed at me.
Click to expand...

I hate deceivers. There's this commericial I hear on the radio quite often that grates me. It's a life insurance commercial and the guy is saying what he can do for you and the breaks for an anecdote. (paraphrasing of course) "I just got off the phone with Nancy and we were able to get her a ...."

Now I've heard this commercial for over a year now and he just got off the phone with her. You know, he may very well have talked to some lady named Nancy but the fact of the wording being deceptive like this is some hot commodity that just happened... makes me question every single thing he says. So I'd never be one of his customers.
 
As soon as any Ad 1) shows in Black and White film how it would be without the product they are advertising, and/or 2) says 'just pay additional processing and handling' you know it's BS and probably a con job.

About 10 years ago I worked with an older woman, during the magnetic bracelets that heal everything wrong with you fad she ordered 1 or them for $19.99. And of course it was buy 1 and get 1, ahem, 'free' with additional P and H.

By the time all was said and done that $19.99 tuned in $40+. And here's the kicker. The 2 bracelets came in a plain white envelope with 2 stamps on it. The 'shipping' and handling costs were actually about $1. But she was charged over $20. lol.

Anyone who orders from any of those Ads deserves to be taken.
 
SenorXm/Sirius said:
As soon as any Ad 1) shows in Black and White film how it would be without the product they are advertising, and/or 2) says 'just pay additional processing and handling' you know it's BS and probably a con job.

About 10 years ago I worked with an older woman, during the magnetic bracelets that heal everything wrong with you fad she ordered 1 or them for $19.99. And of course it was buy 1 and get 1, ahem, 'free' with additional P and H.

By the time all was said and done that $19.99 tuned in $40+. And here's the kicker. The 2 bracelets came in a plain white envelope with 2 stamps on it. The 'shipping' and handling costs were actually about $1. But she was charged over $20. lol.

Anyone who orders from any of those Ads deserves to be taken.
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I was with you until that last line. I can't blame people for being trusting. I blame the con artist ****ing them over. And I'm pissed that our FCC or whatever agency doesn't grow some fangs and rip these guys a new one.
 
poweRob said:
I was with you until that last line. I can't blame people for being trusting. I blame the con artist ****ing them over. And I'm pissed that our FCC or whatever agency doesn't grow some fangs and rip these guys a new one.
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Not after this many years of these Con Ads. I can't imagine anyone not knowing now that when an Ad says' get the 2nd one free, just pay an addition P and H fee' that they don't know by now that extra P and H fee is a scam and the 2nd product is in NO WAY FREE.

I agree I would think the FCC should step in, but obviously after all time time they are not going to. But this con has been going on for so long that by now consumers should know these Ads are nothing but a scam.
 
SenorXm/Sirius said:
Not after this many years of these Con Ads. I can't imagine anyone not knowing now that when an Ad says' get the 2nd one free, just pay an addition P and H fee' that they don't know by now that extra P and H fee is a scam and the 2nd product is in NO WAY FREE.

I agree I would think the FCC should step in, but obviously after all time time they are not going to. But this con has been going on for so long that by now consumers should know these Ads are nothing but a scam.
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I still can't get on board with that notion. People are all different. Some don't know because they haven't been exposed to it before no matter how long its been around. The guy who trusts shouldn't be burned by the peanunt gallery on top of having been burned by the con-man. Especially while the con man is laughing all the way to the bank.
 
poweRob said:
I still can't get on board with that notion. People are all different. Some don't know because they haven't been exposed to it before no matter how long its been around. The guy who trusts shouldn't be burned by the peanunt gallery on top of having been burned by the con-man. Especially while the con man is laughing all the way to the bank.
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Well, we'll disagree then. Christmas time especially, any TV watcher is bombarded with these Ads. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that as soon as they hear the words 'just pay separate P and H' that means the 2nd item is not free.

BTW IDK for sure. But because every single one of those Ads say those words, or prints them on the screen I'm guessing that is because the FCC orders them to. I doubt these con men would say that unless they were being forced to. I'm not sure though.
 
SenorXm/Sirius said:
As soon as any Ad 1) shows in Black and White film how it would be without the product they are advertising, and/or 2) says 'just pay additional processing and handling' you know it's BS and probably a con job.

About 10 years ago I worked with an older woman, during the magnetic bracelets that heal everything wrong with you fad she ordered 1 or them for $19.99. And of course it was buy 1 and get 1, ahem, 'free' with additional P and H.

By the time all was said and done that $19.99 tuned in $40+. And here's the kicker. The 2 bracelets came in a plain white envelope with 2 stamps on it. The 'shipping' and handling costs were actually about $1. But she was charged over $20. lol.

Anyone who orders from any of those Ads deserves to be taken.
Click to expand...

There's a commercial playing a lot recently for the Red Copper Coffee Mug, where they show how impossible it is to drink coffee without their brilliant mug. I lmao the first time I saw that, when it shows a woman spewing coffee across the room because it wasn't kept perfectly warm.

I think people have a point when they say American TV is pretty ridiculous.
 
Mycroft said:
That's one reason I gave away my TV more than five years ago...dumbass network TV programming is another.
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You are right.. advertising like this isn't new but its gotten progressively worse and worse.
I didn't give away my tv I still have an old crt one because when I considered buying new one I thought... why I never use it except to watch a movie once in awhile.
tv just sucks
 
People fail to understand that the majority of the price they pay is for the cost of the advertising, not the product. If you are interested in a product advertised on TV with one of pitch man ads, just use your search engine to find similar or comparable products. You will always find something less expensive and better. It is normal economics.
 
MaggieD said:
It's not free. It's subject to a shipping and handling fee. I've never seen one that's completely free. And you don't have to take it. 'Course you have to be alert, because they're trying very hard to sell you two for that extra S&H fee. I think they all took lessons from that Popeil guy who always said, "AND THERE'S MORE!!!"
Click to expand...

Maggie, you bring up an important point. People don't understand that "free shipping" is a way to boost profits. Shipping isn't free. Somebody has to pay for it. If the merchant pays for it, then he has to include the shipping cost in the price. Here's the problem. If you order more than one product, you are paying more than the actual cost of shipping because the shipping cost is built into the price of every item on the order. If those things can be shipped together, the cost of shipping the additional products would be lower, maybe zero.

If you just buy one thing, then it is a wash. You are paying the right amount for shipping either way. If you buy more than one thing you are paying more for shipping from any merchant that offers "free shipping." Free shipping is not consumer friendly. Yet consumers don't understand it and like it for some reason.
 
Now that we are on the subject, how about those car ads for new cars. They never tell you what is good about the car or why you should buy one. They just show videos of beauty shots of the car driving through beautiful terrain. I note that the Lincoln ads show that actor matthew what's his name. I'm supposed to feel that I would be more manly if I were to buy the car. It never occurred to me to buy a car for that reason. Again, they don't appear to aim advertising at people like me.
 
truthatallcost said:
There's a commercial playing a lot recently for the Red Copper Coffee Mug, where they show how impossible it is to drink coffee without their brilliant mug. I lmao the first time I saw that, when it shows a woman spewing coffee across the room because it wasn't kept perfectly warm.

I think people have a point when they say American TV is pretty ridiculous.
Click to expand...

That's what makes me laugh so hard. Some dork will come up with a new pencil and to sell it, they show someone struggling trying to use an old pencil.
 
fmw said:
Now that we are on the subject, how about those car ads for new cars. They never tell you what is good about the car or why you should buy one. They just show videos of beauty shots of the car driving through beautiful terrain. I note that the Lincoln ads show that actor matthew what's his name. I'm supposed to feel that I would be more manly if I were to buy the car. It never occurred to me to buy a car for that reason. Again, they don't appear to aim advertising at people like me.
Click to expand...

 
poweRob said:
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I have metered internet and can't watch on line videos. I'll assume that it was a skit slamming the ad. Probably hilarious.
 
fmw said:
I have metered internet and can't watch on line videos. I'll assume that it was a skit slamming the ad. Probably hilarious.
Click to expand...

Super hilarious. Jim Carrey was hosting Saturday Night Live. Definitely making fun of the obtuseness and overseriousness of those commercials.

He's rubbing his thumb and forefinger together the whole time like you can see in the still shot there and he says he get's to contemplate the more serious things in life... like how long is he going to roll this bugger and what he's going to do with it. And how it feels nice, like a little tennis ball.
 
fmw said:
The TV pitch man says "order in the next 10 minutes and we'll send you a second one free. Just pay an additional fee."
What?
Another add says "Order now and we'll include XYZ for free."
No, it isn't free. It is included in the price. If it were free I could order the XYZ all by itself.

Is anyone else bothered by this second rate advertising? Obviously it isn't advertising that is aimed at me.
Click to expand...

Well, there's a sucker born every minute.
 
poweRob said:
I was with you until that last line. I can't blame people for being trusting. I blame the con artist ****ing them over. And I'm pissed that our FCC or whatever agency doesn't grow some fangs and rip these guys a new one.
Click to expand...
I generally blame both, but I have begun to realize that something changes in the brains of people as they get older. I have personally known people that became easy targets of things that they never in a million years would have fallen for when they were younger. I don't have a source to link, but I tend to believe that there's a chemical imbalance or something that happens when people age, and that's why they are such easy... and common... targets.
 
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