# Deceptive advertising practices you hate! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2002, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055 "2002-09-22T00:28:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/61 "2002-09-26T20:43:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Torque \* > **Would she really have been wearing that magic button device in the shower, or even put it somewhere she could reach if she fell?** I used to live above an elderly lady with the Lifeline pendant and was the second call they would make after trying her on the speakerphone in her apartment. She did wear the pendant all the time (waterproof) so I guess it would have helped in a true emergency. Unfortunately she would inadvertantly set it off and not hear the speakerphone so I would get the call at 6 AM asking me to check on her and reset the phone. I love my new living situation. **Ethilrist** said “New can! Same great soda! Umm, hello? If I already like the soda, I’m going to buy it no matter what the can looks like. If I don’t like it, I’m not going to start drinking it because the can looks cool.” Actually, this was helpful in the recent white Diet Pepsi becomes blue while Pepsi One took over the whiteness. But you’re right, I could have figured this out without ads. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/62 "2002-09-26T21:47:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fornit \* > \*\*The use of scientific sounding terms without explainations… > > now with drixolomical!!! > or > now contains 15% more zernbrite \*\* That’s like the “recommended by the Swiss Vitamin Institute” type commercials. I mean really, who the hell are they??? It doesn’t say if they are scientists, consumer advocates, two guys who grind up orange peels in their garage to make Vitamin C tablets, or cousing Humphry who lives in Zurich and takes some Vitamin E every morning. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/63 "2002-09-29T05:14:44Z")
1. In the United States, at least, a company will often use the prefix “Euro” in naming a product, even if it was designed and manufactured in China or South Korea, to give it a certain cachet. This marketing technique also takes advantage of a low collective self-esteem by Americans in general; French food is gourmet, German cars and Swiss watches are considered the world’s best, most renouned classical music and art comes from Europe, so a product named “Euro” _must_ be better than the mere American equivalent. 2. Computer program installation, in Windows OS-based PCs at least. Let’s say a company called “Computing Solutions” has only one program called “JargonMaster 2000.” The default installation directory will probably be … c:\ \> Program Files \> Computing Solutions \> JargonMaster 2000 The shortcut to the program will be Start \> Programs \> Computing Solutions \> JargonMaster 2000 \> JargonMaster 2000 Why the unnecessary “Computing Solutions” subfolder under “Program Files” and the Start menu? I’m convinced that it’s just an ad for the company; if you don’t change the default installation settings, you’ll see the company name every time you start the program or muck around in the “Program Files” subdirectory. Very, very sneaky. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/64 "2002-09-29T05:49:41Z")
> [@](#): > > The worst for me are the companies which send what appear to be checks but which are actually lures for you to purchase something Excellent [story](http://www.dnai.com/~pcombs/%24%24tablecontents.html) about someone who got his revenge on a company like this - sort of. I hate in general that for every smart person (like us Dopers) that boycotts a product or manufacturer because of deceptive advertising, there are 10, or 100 or a thousand schmucks who will fall for it, meaning that statistically our boycott is meaningless: advertising is a percentages game. Didn’t an American businessman once say, “Noone ever went broke overestimating the stupidity of the American people”, or something similar? I too hate spammers that try to disguise their spam - with subject lines like “Here’s that $10 I owe you!” or “Re: your inquiry” or “hey, why haven’t you replied?” These are the ones that I actually take the trouble to track down and report to their ISP, just on principle. I actually enjoy infomercials just for the entertainment value - I love the “perfect world” they live in. Sort of like “Pleasantville” - stains come off immediately leaving no trace; tomatoes and other vegetables get chopped perfectly first time, no mess. I have never bought and would never buy anything from one, but they’re sort of soothing to watch late at night 🙂 OTOH, one that I do take exception to is the latest “Bowflex” ad. “Get the results you want in 6 weeks, with just 3 sessions per week of 20 minutes per session.” They show a guy with rippling muscles-on-muscles and about minus 5% body fat, implying that’s what your average couch potato watching the ad on TechTV will turn into after 6 weeks of casual use. Yeah, right. Maybe after 6 weeks of carrying the whole machine around on his back, he might see some kind of improvement… > [@](#): > > “Nothing tastes better!” > “Nothing else is more effective than…” > “Nothing gets your clothes cleaner than…” When I hear this type of claim, I always think, then why not use _nothing_ ?! ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/65 "2002-09-29T05:52:59Z")
A product advertised as “healthy,” when it is anything but. Kellog’s Nutri-Grain bars are a case in point. I checked out the label, and found they are actually 1/3 SUGAR by weight, the same as licorice. I don’t eat them anymore. I figured, if I’m going to eat that much sugar, licorice is a hell of a lot cheaper than Nutri-Grain bars. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/66 "2002-09-29T05:53:22Z")
elmwood - interesting comment about the abused “Euro-” prefix. While living in Europe, I saw infomercials for similar or identical products to the ones advertised here - but there they are touted as “Just arrived from America…” The grass is always greener. Regarding programs setting up the company name in shortcuts: I’m willing to believe this is because most software companies don’t write their own installers. They use off-the-shelf installers like InstallShield. There is probably a place when you’re creating the install program where you can specify your company name; the installer creation program then sets up the default directories and shortcuts as you described. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/67 "2002-09-29T08:24:43Z")
I can’t stand the creepy nebbish who shouts, “At Sit’N’Sleep we’ll beat _anyone’s_ advertised price or your mattress is _ **FREE!** _” Of course, he never gave away a mattress, because the schmuck only has to beat a competitor by one cent to fulfill his promise. I wonder how many people actually fall for that dodge. I wouldn’t buy anything from his company even if his prices were good because the twerp irritates the hell out of me. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![scotth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@scotth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotth)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/68 "2002-09-29T15:10:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DarrenS \* > \*\* OTOH, one that I do take exception to is the latest “Bowflex” ad. “Get the results you want in 6 weeks, with just 3 sessions per week of 20 minutes per session.” They show a guy with rippling muscles-on-muscles and about minus 5% body fat, implying that’s what your average couch potato watching the ad on TechTV will turn into after 6 weeks of casual use. Yeah, right. Maybe after 6 weeks of carrying the whole machine around on his back, he might see some kind of improvement… > > \*\* Surprisingly enough, Bow Flex is actually a well made product. And more importantly… Most people would probably be quite thrilled will the results they see if they actually did use the product for six weeks as advertised. Granted, most people would not make it as far as the models in the ad, but a surprising amount of change can take place doing just what they say in the ad for six weeks. I think many people would look at their own results and agree that it was obvious to them that they significantly moved in the right direction during that time and be pretty happy about it. ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/69 "2002-09-29T20:08:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Melandry \* > \*\*I despise that “All calls up to twenty minutes for only 99 cents” bullshit. That means they charge you 99 cents even if you get the answering machine and hang up! This is only a good deal in selected situations! Don’t listen to them! Don’t use it all the time! > \*\* I hate these ads as well, but mainly because they didn’t even get the original Alf voice. Listen to it – that’s not Alf! ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/70 "2002-09-30T01:23:30Z")
I hate rebates. You see an ad for something that interests you and the price listed is $14.99. Of course, in the small print, it will say $59.99 - $20 instant rebate - $25.00 mail in rebate. What most folks don’t realize is that they are entitled to the sales tax to be refunded too. If I do buy something with a rebate, I always included a copy of my state law requiring the return of sales tax for refunds and rebates. I even got a $20 gift certificate from a national chain office supply retailer over the return of sales tax for a purchase made that included an instant rebate. The local outlet was collecting sales tax on the full amount then deducting the rebate. The clerk and manager would not give in so a strongly worded letter to the corporate legal office did the trick. I was arguing over 45 cents on a $5 instant rebate too. ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/71 "2002-09-30T21:00:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Torque \* > \*\*Many juices have white grape, apple, or pear juice concentrate as the first ingredient, and technically that’s what’s in there. But before the juice is added, it’s not uncommon for them to first pass the juice through ion exchange columns. One column replaces positively charged minerals with hydrogen atoms, and one replaces the acids, fruit flavors, and nutrient compounds with OH ions. The Hs combine with the OHs, and what you get out the other side is basically sugar water. \*\* Not to get off on a tangent, but do you have a cite for this, or could you explain it further? Because H + OH gives water. And “acids, frut flavors, and nutrient compounds,” have many varying structures, and I’m sure they don’t all have the same charge. Where is the sugar coming from? ---
**Author:** ![Copper\_Pin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Copper\_Pin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Copper_Pin)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/72 "2002-10-01T02:33:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jet Jaguar \* > Anyway, I hate the Macintosh ads with some idiot going on about all the problems they had with PCs. I don’t know anyone who has ever had as many problems as they claim to have. Even my technically illiterate parents managed to install a scanner and digital camera themselves. :mad: That’s a lie and you know it. We can finish this discussion in the BBQ Pit! ---
**Author:** ![l1I235](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@l1I235](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/l1I235)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/73 "2002-10-01T06:55:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by An Arky \* > \*\*Ads that use snips of songs out of context to advertise their products, when the rest of the song means anything but what the ad is trying to convey. > > One is a blue jean ad that uses CCR’s Fortunate Son “Some folks are born made to wave the flag, ooh they’re red white and blue” like it’s some patriotic song, while the next line is “And when the band plays “Hail to the chief”, ooh they point the cannon at you”. > \*\* Indeed! I love that song - and everytime I see that jeans commercial I cringe. Come now, listen to the song! I also don’t like those that advertise a lifestyle. Or those latest ones that are meant to gross you out. (Dial, I’m looking in your direction). Finally, those so-called “manly” commercials that potray women to be mindless pawns, such as those for Maxim hair color (it’s _dye!_ Nothing more!) and some sort of body deorderant which name I cannot recall. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/74 "2002-10-01T07:20:48Z")
In Hawaii, some networks occasionally run ads for places that aren’t in Hawaii, like Olive Garden. Not to say that Olive Garden is particularly good and that I envy states that actually have Olive Gardens, but it’s quite vexing to see ads for yummy foods and neat stuff that I can’t have. I also don’t like commercials that offer discounts on stuff but the offer is void or the conditions are different in Hawaii (and Alaska). Pizza places are the best example I can think of now. They’re a complete waste of air time. And it’s not really an advertising practice, but I hate how mail order companies charge $10+ extra to ship to Hawaii. I understand the reasons why they do it, but it’s still annoying. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/75 "2002-10-01T09:41:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mademoiselle \* > \*\* > Finally, those so-called “manly” commercials that potray women to be mindless pawns, such as those for Maxim hair color (it’s _dye!_ Nothing more!) and some sort of body deorderant which name I cannot recall. \*\* I always thought those were a joke…please tell me they are a joke… ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/76 "2002-10-01T12:06:04Z")
Which did you think was the joke, Karl? The Maxim coloring? 'Tain’t no joke, son. Bummer that women don’t actually lick your hair, though. ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/77 "2002-10-01T12:06:54Z")
My favorite one was the telemarketer who called me to offer me a service to get rid of those annoying telemarketer calls… I did get the service but not from her. We havent had a telemarketer call since. (It is a phone company thing that if there is no caller id then the caller has to leave their name before it will ring to my phone) I worked in a supermarket and what always got me were that the pretty little end displays were just crap they had to much of and needed to get rid of but they made it look like people were getting a great deal! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/78 "2002-10-01T14:46:20Z")
Having been in retail, I can tell you that “2 for $5.00” ads (at least in the store) work wonders. I used to work in a grocery store that carried imported candy. We had some very unpleasant chocolate bars priced at 49¢ each. They just sat there. We changed the price to 2/$1.00 and they were gone in two days. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/79 "2002-10-01T16:08:21Z")
The new Ford Crapia is the only car in its class with SuperDooperInsertProprietaryNameHere… Crown Gasoline is the only gasoline formulated with UltraCleanInsertProprietaryNameHere… Only Pert Plus has FlakeBGoneInsertProprietaryNameHere… Well, duh! Of course the new Ford Crapia is the only car in its class with SuperDooperwhatever. Only Ford makes SuperDooperwhatever! ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055/80 "2002-10-01T18:42:52Z")
Years ago a Dutch gasoline manufacturer, which I shall call “Scallop,” advertised their gas as “Scallop, with ‘platform-ate’” as if "platformate were an ingredient that nobody else had that made your car run better. Turned out “platform-ate” was a platinum cracking process that was used in the manufacture of all gasoline, including that made by Scallop’s cheaper competitors. Since then I suspect all claims made by gasoline makers for “ingredients” added to their gas. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deceptive-advertising-practices-you-hate/129055.md?page=5)