10.11.05
Infomercials
Isn’t the Internet great?
You know the late night infomercials for all the get rich quick schemes? They’ve been around forever, or at least since the cable networks realized they actually don’t have 24 hours of high advertising revenue content to show every day. I’ve watched them over the years. I find them amusing. They promise you quick and easy money in real estate or currency trading or online auctions or whatever the fad of the moment is. If you listen between the lines though, there’s usually always something rather “shakey” about the business premise they’re promoting.
As with everything in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And they never give you enough details to really judge whether the system is workable, since of course you are supposed to buy the books and DVDs or go to the workshops.
I’ve never been particularly inclined to order any of those systems, although I would like to get rich quick just like everyone else. I’ve always wondered why the guys selling their amazing systems were doing infomercials to sell the system rather than just using it themselves. If it’s that great wouldn’t they just keep using it for themselves? Well of course they would, and of course it’s not as foolproof and lucritive as they say.
Sometimes I’ll see a new infomercial that doesn’t fit the mold of the existing business schemes, and I’ll wonder what exactly the catch is. But I’m certainly not going to order their system just to find out what new and creative way I’m getting screwed. Ah, enter Google. Prior to the web revolution, you had to either laugh these infomercials off (as I do), or be the sucker and send them your money to find out the catch. But now, you can just Google for the name of the product, and sure enough there will be all sorts of reviews, critiques, etc. of what they’re selling you.
It’s somewhat surprising to me that these companies are still in business, since you can find out the details of what they’re selling you by searching online. For free. But I guess the people who buy into those systems aren’t necessarily big on due dilligence. Oh well. I love the Internet.
Tags: Infomercials
