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You don't have to be an idiot to be fooled by infomercials. Remember, these marketing guys are clever.

Of course, you DO feel like an idiot after you've purchased! I mean, if Brooke Burke's miracle secret to being a hottie is her Ball Exercise routine, then it should work for me, right? It sounded sooo good at the time

I think the number one deception to be aware of with T.V. Infomercials is the concept of "no risk". They will try to convince you that, with their "30 day return policy" and "100% money-back guarantee", there is NO WAY YOU CAN LOOSE. This is false.

For starters, most of us are too lazy to return the item if we are unhappy. It means waiting on the phone forever, getting the third degree from the tele-consultant and if it's excercise equipment you'll need to dismantle and re-package the item.

And here's the kicker: if you DO return the item, you have to pay postage expenses. Firstly, you have to pay the "postage and handling" fee original billed to you by the supplier (they will not refund this). On top of that, you have to pay for sending the item back to them. This can be especially hard on the hip pocket if you've purchased a heavy or large item.

So before you reach for the phone, calculate the postage expenses you'll have to fork out if the product is unsatisfactory. Is it worth it? Why not simply shop around in your local area, where you have the luxury of being able to closely examine the product before paying anything.

Household products sold via infomercials (especially vacuum cleaners and blenders) are often inferior - and even if you are happy to buy an inferior product in order to save money, go to your local discount store! They probably sell very similar products at the same price or cheaper.

Learn more about this author, Sarah Belle.
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