Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

As Seen On TV.Info, Inc., is the website (www.asotv.info) that provides objective 3rd party reviews of Direct Response TV (As Seen on TV) products.

There are really only two kinds of online product review websites: subscription-based websites like Consumer Reports, lots of consumer opinion sites, and user comment sections offered by many online retailers. The problem with subscription-based sites is that it isn’t likely that low cost As Seen on TV products will be reviewed there. Does it make sense to pay $26 a year for an annual subscription to investigate a $19.95 product? With respect to opinion sites, the problem there is there is no way to regulate whose opinion you’re reading. The As Seen on TV Vendors themselves are free to praise their products, and their competitors or disgruntled users are free to trash them. How can you really trust them?

Only As Seen On TV.info offers a true, patent-pending, objective 3rd party review of each As Seen on TV product on this site, not offering one person’s opinion, but examining specific vendor claims and documenting a product’s actual functionality and performance with video evidence, contrasting each Vendor’s TV commercial with our own internally produced video demonstrating exactly what a product can do and what it can’t. When you ask, “Can it really do that?”, we say, “Well, look for yourself before you buy, and believe you own eyes.”

It sure does – but only AFTER a Vendor’s product has been reviewed and determined to “work as advertised.” Any products that do not work as advertised are not eligible to purchase As Seen On TV.info advertising campaigns. As Seen On TV.info also generates revenues from other non-As Seen on TV advertisers who don’t offer products or services that we’ve reviewed on this website.

Part of As Seen On TV.info’s mission is to not only help inform consumers as an advocate, but also to help distinguish those legitimate As Seen on TV Vendors with great, innovative products from those less ethical vendors making false or exaggerated claims and/or offering low-quality products. For those legitimate Vendors out there, we absolutely wish to help them promote their products and services and encourage more entrepreneurs to continue to come up with creative new ideas to make our lives better.

It sure does – but only AFTER a Vendor’s product has been reviewed and determined to “work as advertised.” Any products that do not work as advertised are not eligible to purchase As Seen On TV.info advertising campaigns. As Seen On TV.info also generates revenues from other non-As Seen on TV advertisers who don’t offer products or services that we’ve reviewed on this website.

Part of As Seen On TV.info’s mission is to not only help inform consumers as an advocate, but also to help distinguish those legitimate As Seen on TV Vendors with great, innovative products from those less ethical vendors making false or exaggerated claims and/or offering low-quality products. For those legitimate Vendors out there, we absolutely wish to help them promote their products and services and encourage more entrepreneurs to continue to come up with creative new ideas to make our lives better

As Seen on TV Vendors simply need to go to our prospective Advertiser’s page to find out information about product submission for testing. Vendors submitting products are not under any obligation to purchase advertising programs even if their product is reviewed; however, they must acknowledge that their product must work as advertised in order to be eligible for advertising campaigns from ASOTVI if they are interested in advertising with us.

Furthermore, if a product submitted for review is found NOT work as advertised, it is at ASOTVI’s sole discretion whether or not to publish its review.  
 

• It is ASOTVI’s policy that upon review of all products, draft reviews are provided to the submitting Vendor prior to review publication specifically in order to give them an opportunity to clarify any issues, correct any mistakes, and generally to make sure we did everything right. It is not ASOTVI’s intention to disparage any product at any time, simply to confirm or dispute vendor claims. Our evaluators are human, and if a mistake is ever made, we want to correct the record to get it right, and will do everything within our power to do so prior to making any public statements about a product, and promptly thereafter.
• In addition, we also understand that products don’t always remain static over their entire lifecycle. Vendors come out with “new and improved” versions of their products all the time. Vendors are free to submit updates to us at their discretion to advise us of improvements, corrections of prior issues, additional capabilities, and any other relevant information that consumers need to know.

It’s a two-fold process. It’s on a first-come first-serve basis for Vendors submitting products for review. Secondarily, we may select products of interest or popularity that we deem of greatest interest to retail consumers. We are certainly under no obligation to review every single As Seen on TV product in existence, make no claims to do so, and practically speaking, with so many new ones coming out all the time, in all likelihood could never do so.

We also are open to consumer input and suggestions. If there is a specific product that you would like to see us review, please submit your suggestions at info@asotv.info.

The As Seen on TV products get stored for future reference or update and eventually will go into the As Seen On TV.info As Seen on TV Product Museum (future project) for future generations to see the amazing gadgets in use at this point in history.

Probably the most important element of As Seen on TV products that the average consumer needs to be very careful about are shipping and handling charges. Some of the more unscrupulous vendors out there may have a very compelling pitch about a perfectly fine product that works well, but then charge many times the cost of the product for shipping and handling, unbeknownst to the buyer until they get their credit card bill. Never buy a product that the shipping and handling charges aren’t disclosed in advance, prior to completion of a sale, and certainly before providing any credit card information. If a product only costs $9.99, but the vendor wants to charge you over $40 for shipping (actual cases of this have been observed), you might want to think twice about that purchase.

Furthermore, many As Seen on TV products can be found in traditional retailers such as Walgreens, Bed Bath & Beyond, and other fine retail stores. Some of these stores have special sections just for these products. And best of all, buying them at a local retailer means no hidden shipping and handling charges, and usually fall under the store’s return policy if you ever have a problem.

They all should—if they don’t want to get in trouble with their respective state Secretary of State’s offices. But beware. As Seen on TV Vendors may range from a single entrepreneurial individual working out of their garage or home office to major corporate firms (e.g. Westinghouse makes the StickUp Bulb). So you’re going to encounter a spectrum of support capabilities. Don’t assume they are all the same. They’re not. That’s why coming to As Seen On TV.info and reading our reviews is so important before you buy. We’ll advise you as to the quality and workmanship of a product, whether it meets its claims, and then you can decide for yourself if a particular purchase is worth the risk.

Also be aware that some As Seen on TV vendors may only refund your costs of the actual product, but will claim that shipping and handling charges are not refundable, and some even want to charge restocking fees. If you are calling a 1-800 number to order a product, be sure to ask about these things before you buy. And certainly don’t think that any refunds will come quickly. If it took weeks to get the product to you in the first place, you can bet on it taking even longer to give you your money back.

Contact As Seen On TV.info immediately via help@asotv.info. We want to know if we missed something, or if you missed something, or whether the instructions were clear or misleading—basically to help you figure out what the problem is. If the problem is with the product itself, we will help you contact the vendor and get the problem resolved. If we missed something in our review that needs to be corrected, we’ll correct it. If you are just having trouble figuring something out, we’ll try to point you in the right direction. Ultimately, if we review a product and believe it works, and that turns out to be incorrect, we want to get it right and will correct or update any review accordingly.

Now please note that there is no such thing as product perfection, and if that is your standard of judgment, then at some point you’re going to be disappointed. Product defects do occur with any vendor, no matter how good the product. So if you get a product, and it doesn’t work (e.g. the motor doesn’t come on), it doesn’t necessarily mean that all of them have the same problem. It could just mean that you got a “lemon.” That’s what warranties and guarantees are for. Use it.

Of course not! They’re human beings just like you, bringing normal life experience, intelligence, and common sense to the table to try each and every product the way you would to see how it functions. If a rocket scientist can figure out how to make an especially complicated product work, but you can’t, what good is their opinion to you? What sense does it make to see Olympian athletes using exercise equipment, while you’re thinking, “They don’t need to work out.” You want regular folks checking these products out. Now do we have professional photographers, film editors, web design and support people—absolutely.

The As Seen On TV.info video reviews themselves are as “unvarnished” and “warts and all” as we can make them. It’s our goal to show you what the products really look like, not portraying them as the vendors would surely prefer to do in perfect lighting, from perfect angles, always working perfectly. We open the boxes just like you would, put in the batteries, turn it on, and see what it does. And all that is captured on our videos for you to see firsthand. Our intent is for our videos to be roughly along the same lines as a Highway State Trooper’s “Dashboard Cam,” giving you “Just the Facts, Ma’am.” And while you might think that some Vendors wouldn’t want their products shown in that light, you’d be wrong—or at least half wrong. That is, the vendor’s who make good products that work have nothing to worry about. The ones that don’t are the ones who would prefer you not see our reviews.

This is the only implicit endorsement As Seen On TV.info gives to any product. It is a function of editorial consensus predicated on the product not only working as advertised, but demonstrating capabilities that we deem uniquely useful for common necessary tasks, and moreover a product that is likely to be needed on a regular basis, if not used daily.

Otherwise, our goal is never to tell you to buy a product or not. That’s your decision. Our task is to simply note a vendor’s major claims about a product and then verify them. If they are true, we tell you that. If not, we tell you that, too. It’s up to you to decide whether any particular product might meet a specific need you have. For example, a person with two good strong hands might not see much of a need for the One Touch Jar Opener, but someone with arthritis might find it a godsend. You decide what’s right for you—we just tell you whether the thing works or not.

Actually you can. However, please understand that we will never use one of yours as one of ours. All As Seen On TV.info videos are internally produced to ensure quality control and validity of results. But if you have a product demonstration of a As Seen on TV product that we’ve reviewed that you’d like to submit, one that you think would be helpful to other consumers, then simply upload it to YouTube or an equivalent site and provide us with the URL to view it. Email the URL to uservideos@asotv.info, and we’ll review it. If we believe it’s helpful and valid, we’ll offer the URL link on the product’s review page for users to investigate. You won’t receive any compensation for your submission, and links may be deleted if they are in any way determined to be fraudulent. And in all cases they will be clearly marked to be user submitted information and not As Seen On TV.info videos.

The main reason for the extended delivery period is that some vendors wish to avoid manufacturing a lot of excess inventory. A lot of these products are made off-shore and take a while to produce and then to ship to the United States. So it makes sense for the vendor to run an infomercial or Ad campaign on TV for several weeks to accumulate orders and then have that exact number of products produced and shipped to fulfill the orders. It removes a lot of the guesswork and logistical costs from the vendors.

Of course, such lead times don’t help you, the consumer, with any instant gratification and getting to use it right away. Your alternatives are to see if the vendor has any expedited shipping options. Some vendors do maintain in-house inventories and can get you the products sooner. You also might want to check out your local retailer that carries “As Seen On TV” products and see if they have the one you want in stock. That’s probably your fastest and safest option.

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