Consumer Education: Scams you should know about

[cotjones 10+ year member]

This thread is for posting scams you've come to know about or experienced first hand from marketing and/or products.

I hope this thread ends up saving you money, time, and frustration.

I'll start one off:

"Vitamin-C will speed up your cold recovery"

Many products offer a speedy recovery by the means of high dosages of vitamin C. such products include Emergen-C and Airborn. In recent studies, vitamin C intake was shown not to effect the severity or duration of cold symptoms, however, in certain demographics, individuals who had a high vitamin C intake were as much as 50% less likely to catch a cold. The vast majority of those included in this demographic were those under high daily physical stress such as marathon runners or construction workers.

Click to read more...

 

[CRXBMPN 5,000+ posts]

kinda like Ester-C?

 

[CRXBMPN 5,000+ posts]

anything you have to call in to buy really doesnt work, I did the call center thing for a few years and the stupid crap people called in about was just that - stupid... but when you hear the credit cards bouncing off the desk in anticipation you forget that stuff and think of commission //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

 

[MANTI5 10+ year member]

Nigerian princes wanting to do business with you. They won't get me a third time!

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

This thread is for posting scams you've come to know about or experienced first hand from marketing and/or products.
I hope this thread ends up saving you money, time, and frustration.

I'll start one off:

"Vitamin-C will speed up your cold recovery"

Many products offer a speedy recovery by the means of high dosages of vitamin C. such products include Emergen-C and Airborn. In recent studies, vitamin C intake was shown not to effect the severity or duration of cold symptoms, however, in certain demographics, individuals who had a high vitamin C intake were as much as 50% less likely to catch a cold. The vast majority of those included in this demographic were those under high daily physical stress such as marathon runners or construction workers.

A general biology class will teach you that Vitamin C reduces the severity of symptoms, but doesnt affect recovery. Colds are viral and as such there is nothing that cures them or gets rid of them including Vitamin C preventing them by 50%.

 

[cotjones 10+ year member]

Here's another:

"You need to pay more money for the "best" HDMI cables"

If you look at the cables at bestbuy, walmart, or any super retailer, you'll find upwards of $80.00 cables with specs on them such as 240hz. Here are some extreme cases of this.

A 10' HDMI cable for $900.00:

AudioQuest - Coffee 9.8' HDMI Cable - Brown/Black - 65-081-04

An 8' HDMI cable for $130.00:

Monster Cable - THX 1000 8' HDMI A/V Cable - 114015-00

These cables are a SHAM!!!

First of all when the salesman tells you that because you are buying a 240Hz TV, you need a 240Hz cable, hit him with this little fact: ALL SOURCE CONTENT is at a maximum of 60 Hz. Blueray, PS3, Xbox, 3D, reguardless... you'll never see more than 60 Hz, the 240 Hz of LCD is your TV up-scaling the 60 Hz signal by the interpolation of frames. The "600 Hz" common with plasma is simply "sub-field drive" Meaning that there are 10 subfields refreshing at 60 Hz, for an effective 60 Hz total. Thus as long as you have a 60 Hz cable you are good.

HDMI technology isn't specified by individual specs, it is broken into technology standards.

Meaning, if your cable meets the standard, you are gravy.

The current latest standard is HDMI 1.4a This enables you to have a 1080p 3D source, transmit 7.1 dolby, use an Ethernet connection and a return audio channel. If you have this standard, you have the best. Additional shielding and plated connections are simply scams to get you to buy more expensive cables. Digital signals are typically not as prone to interference and the interference they do incur is normally negligible.

Here is a link on amazon to a cable that meets the 1.4a standard in 6' for $4.00

Amazon.com: Fanatic Digital® High Speed Imperial Series 6ft V1.4 240hz+ Hdmi Cable- 24K Gold Plated, Double Insulated 1080p blu-ray: Electronics

So don't be fooled, by your cables online at places like amazon or newegg and use the money to buy yourself a few blurays instead.

 

[cotjones 10+ year member]

A general biology class will teach you that Vitamin C reduces the severity of symptoms, but doesnt affect recovery. Colds are viral and as such there is nothing that cures them or gets rid of them including Vitamin C preventing them by 50%.

Actually i'm a biology major, and i don't recall anything about Colds and C correlation. Strictly speaking Viruses are not considered "LIVING" and thus are not in the purest sense, included in the field of biology. However, they fall under this category still, as they are most closely associated with living things.

Regardless, studies HAVE shown that among a certain demographic of athletic people, vitamin C intake can reduce the likelihood of catching the cold.

(Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University)

Additionally, the vitamin C does not reduce the severity of the symptoms but instead reduces the patient's perception of the severity of the symptoms. via the placebo effect and feeling of increased energy.

Do a little more research

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

Actually i'm a biology major, and i don't recall anything about Colds and C correlation. Strictly speaking Viruses are not considered "LIVING" and thus are not in the purest sense, included in the field of biology. However, they fall under this category still, as they are most closely associated with living things.
Regardless, studies HAVE shown that among a certain demographic of athletic people, vitamin C intake can reduce the likelihood of catching the cold.

(Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University)

Additionally, the vitamin C does not reduce the severity of the symptoms but instead reduces the patient's perception of the severity of the symptoms. via the placebo effect and feeling of increased energy.

Do a little more research

Ive done plenty of research. It has nothing to do with the Vitamin C. It has everything to do with the activity which has been proven in study after study. You really think that sports players are the only ones that take Vitamin C and it helps their cold while everyone else doesnt? Regardless carry on.

 

[cotjones 10+ year member]

Ive done plenty of research. It has nothing to do with the Vitamin C. It has everything to do with the activity which has been proven in study after study. You really think that sports players are the only ones that take Vitamin C and it helps their cold while everyone else doesnt? Regardless carry on.

2 complementary variables acting corroboratively does not necessitate that each of the variables did not effect the dependent variable.

You may have done the biology research, but your statistics research is lacking.

Yes, in fact,Endurance oriented athletes in cold climates who took 200mg of vitamin C daily were 50% less likely to catch a cold than those who took the recommended daily dosage.

The fact that the effectiveness of the Vitamin C at reducing cold risk was only observed in cold climates among endurance athletes does not negate the fact that the vitamin c intake was the effective variable in those studies.

 

[thevic24 5,000+ posts]

Bose...

 

[cotjones 10+ year member]

Bose...

inorite?