3 On Your Side: 'As Seen On TV' Products
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- We've all seen the TV infomercials for those products that promise to change our everyday lives, and now those As Seen On TV items crowd store shelves too.
How can consumers sort out the products that save time, from the ones that waste money? 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter has some advice.
The Magic Mesh, the perfect meatloaf, the Trendy Top, Lisa Kaplan Gordon has reviewed dozens of As Seen On TV items for websites like AOL and HouseLogic.com. She believes consumers can sort out the winners by looking for certain qualities.
According to Lisa, "The ones that become blockbusters are the ones that work. The ones that are usually under $20, and the ones that solve a problem that you either didn't know you had, or you've had for a long time but always wanted to solve."
While a TV ad will tell you to order now, resist impulse buys, and do some homework first.
Lisa says, "Find a reviewer you trust and see if you can find their videos or their reviews and then take it from there."
Think about other solutions, items already in your home that might solve the same problem.
Calculate the real cost. Don't forget about shipping and handling fees when you order by phone or internet. You can cut those costs entirely by looking for the most popular items at major retailers.
