What's New
Off Topix: Embrace the Unexpected in Every Discussion

Off Topix is a well established general discussion forum that originally opened to the public way back in 2009! We provide a laid back atmosphere and our members are down to earth. We have a ton of content and fresh stuff is constantly being added. We cover all sorts of topics, so there's bound to be something inside to pique your interest. We welcome anyone and everyone to register & become a member of our awesome community.

Twenty "As Seen on TV" Items That Were Actually Scams

Webster

Retired Snark Master
Administrator
Joined
May 11, 2013
Posts
25,863
OT Bucks
71,204

In the 1980s, TV wasn’t just for sitcoms and game shows—it was a battleground of outrageous promises. You’d be sitting on your couch when suddenly, a wild-eyed pitchman would appear, swearing that his product could change your life forever.

Some of these inventions looked futuristic. Some seemed too good to be true. And well… most of them were. From miracle health cures to financial "secrets" that emptied wallets instead of filling them, these were the scams that TV didn’t just promote—it practically blessed.

So grab your cordless phone, and let's rewind to the golden age of late-night lies.

00:00 Intro
00:56 The White-Van Speaker Scam
01:48 Tom Vu’s “Get Rich” Scheme
02:57 Kevin Trudeau’s Mega Memory Tapes
04:03 Carleton Sheets and the “No Money Down” Dream
05:09 Don Lapre’s “Tiny Classified Ad” Fortune
06:24 Mega Memory and “Hair Farming” Tapes
07:34 Coral Calcium Supreme
08:42 Natural Cures “They” Don’t Want You To Know About
09:47 The One-Minute Addiction Cure Gadget
10:58 The Action Reading System
12:02 The Mega Reading Course
13:20 The “They” Weight-Loss Cure
14:23 Biotape: The Miracle Pain Patch
15:36 The Memory Improvement Tapes
16:51 The Fake Bomb Detector That Was a Toy (ADE 651)
18:00 Distressed Property DVD Scams
19:01 Generic Miracle Gadgets
20:01 The ThighMaster Knockoffs
21:11 “Fat-Burning” Apple Cider Vinegar Tonics
22:20 “Wrinkle Erasers” and Electric Facelift Wands
 
only twenty?
But they were focused on the eighties.

Remember this one?

Hey Doc. What in the hell is Head On "Apply Directly to the Forehead"? I know you've seen the commercial, all you watch is the Weather and History channels.
-Chris
 
Back
Top Bottom