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Old 05-16-12, 01:25 PM  
Artist of Eyes
 
Join Date: May 2011
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Quote:
Originally Posted by edensmom View Post
I agree with what you're saying here. I had the Shape Ups and I used them a lot for walking and at work, and I have no need for a refund.
However I think these kind of settlements could serve as a warning to other companies not to make outrageous claims. Because apparently some people will believe them!
Agreed. Some people think that the Shake Weight (guy's version included) will give you the Upper Body we only dream of. However, Just because a "claim" is made doesn't mean we need to buy into it. But on the flip side, there are a ton of people that do otherwise 3am infomercials wouldn't be popular I suppose. Unless I was seriously injured by the shoes, and FYI the Reeboks are like walking on clouds , I wouldn't opt into the refund program. I used my first pair until the treads were gone. Seems like gaming the system to get the money back.
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Old 05-16-12, 01:35 PM  
Artist of Eyes
 
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Originally Posted by Sarah-lara View Post
I respect that 100%, but I feel that if a company falsifies research (and lies about it being independently done) and then bases its whole ad campaign around that, then it deserves some heat. Otherwise one day there will be a claim you WILL fall for.

With the Reebok settlement-- and I assume this one-- the dollar figure was determined and then individuals who apply get a cut from that so it's not like filing makes a difference to Reebok or Sketchers one way or the other, just to the other buyers.
Nope. Sorry. I don't fall for claims. Never have nor will I ever. I am smart enough not to buy into ad campaigns. I know that companies are wanting to make money and they will make pretty much any claim they can to get my $. It takes a brain and a little research.

It might not take additional monies away from the companies, but it just goes to show that consumers are not required to be smart or savvy in anyway. They can go on auto-pilot and OOPs when something doesn't jive in the end, the consumer gets to take some money and the product all while saying "shame on you". No... shame on the consumer. It's like the old saying if someone told you to jump off a bridge would you? What if they said jumping off that said bridge would help you lose 10 pounds? That's up to you, Mr./Mrs Consumer to be a little wiser than their catchy claims. If I make a poor choice or a bad purchase it's on me, not the company and they shouldn't have to pay for my naivete. But in this day and age, society seems to want to point fingers elsewhere instead of self reflection. So the shoes didn't give you the butt of a gymnast, you use/used them just the same. You live, you learn, it's life, and your mistake. People learn from personal mistakes and hopefully won't buy into outrageous claims next time. If they do, then sucks to be their bank accounts and that's where the bottom line should end, not with a company giving mass refunds.

This is my personal opinion. Not everyone will agree and I respect that.
__________________
"Ladies put some full-fat ranch on your salad. Have that slice of cheesecake. Then go for a walk and kiss your loved ones and dance around your house in your underwear. Life is good." Anonymous

" We have to embrace who we are today. We have to say, this is me, and I can live a wonderful life today." FitBoop

"Walking is Man's Best Medicine for Life" Hippocrates

"Of all exercises walking is the best." Thomas Jefferson

"Thoughts come clearly while one walks." Thomas Mann
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Old 05-16-12, 01:45 PM  
roz
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
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Originally Posted by Artist of Eyes View Post
Nope. Sorry. I don't fall for claims. Never have nor will I ever. I am smart enough to buy into ad campaigns. I know that companies are wanting to make money and they will make pretty much any claim they can to get my $. It takes a brain and a little research.

It might not take additional monies away from the companies, but it just goes to show that consumers are not required to be smart or savvy in anyway. They can go on auto-pilot and OOPs when something doesn't jive in the end, the consumer gets to take some money and the product all while saying "shame on you". No... shame on the consumer. It's like the old saying if someone told you to jump off a bridge would you? What if they said jumping off that said bridge would help you lose 10 pounds? That's up to you, Mr./Mrs Consumer to be a little wiser than their catchy claims. If I make a poor choice or a bad purchase it's on me, not the company and they shouldn't have to pay for my naivete. But in this day and age, society seems to want to point fingers elsewhere instead of self reflection. So the shoes didn't give you the butt of a gymnast, you use/used them just the same. You live, you learn, it's life, and your mistake. People learn from personal mistakes and hopefully won't buy into outrageous claims next time. If they do, then sucks to be their bank accounts and that's where the bottom line should end, not with a company giving mass refunds.

This is my personal opinion. Not everyone will agree and I respect that.
wow. Just wow. So, are you against consumer protection laws in general. Do you realize that class action law suits serve the purpose of preventing things from happening in the future. They provide a check on shady behavior. What sort of stuff do you think you would be seeing advertised if companies knew they would absolutely never be punished for making outright false claims?
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Old 05-16-12, 01:56 PM  
roz
 
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Also, if the claims aren't meant to be taken seriously, then why make them in the first place? Why not build the ad campaign around something else?
I guess I do not like the message that it is OK to lie in the service of making a dollar.
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Old 05-16-12, 02:09 PM  
Sarah-lara
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Artist of Eyes View Post
Nope. Sorry. I don't fall for claims. Never have nor will I ever. I am smart enough to buy into ad campaigns. I know that companies are wanting to make money and they will make pretty much any claim they can to get my $. It takes a brain and a little research.

It might not take additional monies away from the companies, but it just goes to show that consumers are not required to be smart or savvy in anyway. They can go on auto-pilot and OOPs when something doesn't jive in the end, the consumer gets to take some money and the product all while saying "shame on you". No... shame on the consumer. It's like the old saying if someone told you to jump off a bridge would you? What if they said jumping off that said bridge would help you lose 10 pounds? That's up to you, Mr./Mrs Consumer to be a little wiser than their catchy claims. If I make a poor choice or a bad purchase it's on me, not the company and they shouldn't have to pay for my naivete. But in this day and age, society seems to want to point fingers elsewhere instead of self reflection. So the shoes didn't give you the butt of a gymnast, you use/used them just the same. You live, you learn, it's life, and your mistake. People learn from personal mistakes and hopefully won't buy into outrageous claims next time. If they do, then sucks to be their bank accounts and that's where the bottom line should end, not with a company giving mass refunds.

This is my personal opinion. Not everyone will agree and I respect that.
I don't think you do respect it considering in this thread alone you accused everyone who disagrees with you as crazy, system-gaming, un-savvy, and/or shameful.
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Old 05-16-12, 02:17 PM  
caligurl
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Artist of Eyes View Post
Nope. Sorry. I don't fall for claims. Never have nor will I ever. I am smart enough to buy into ad campaigns. I know that companies are wanting to make money and they will make pretty much any claim they can to get my $. It takes a brain and a little research.

It might not take additional monies away from the companies, but it just goes to show that consumers are not required to be smart or savvy in anyway. They can go on auto-pilot and OOPs when something doesn't jive in the end, the consumer gets to take some money and the product all while saying "shame on you". No... shame on the consumer. It's like the old saying if someone told you to jump off a bridge would you? What if they said jumping off that said bridge would help you lose 10 pounds? That's up to you, Mr./Mrs Consumer to be a little wiser than their catchy claims. If I make a poor choice or a bad purchase it's on me, not the company and they shouldn't have to pay for my naivete. But in this day and age, society seems to want to point fingers elsewhere instead of self reflection. So the shoes didn't give you the butt of a gymnast, you use/used them just the same. You live, you learn, it's life, and your mistake. People learn from personal mistakes and hopefully won't buy into outrageous claims next time. If they do, then sucks to be their bank accounts and that's where the bottom line should end, not with a company giving mass refunds.

This is my personal opinion. Not everyone will agree and I respect that.

wow....
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Old 05-16-12, 02:37 PM  
Artist of Eyes
 
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Originally Posted by Sarah-lara View Post
I don't think you do respect it considering in this thread alone you accused everyone who disagrees with you as crazy, system-gaming, un-savvy, and/or shameful.
Actually, I never called anyone crazy. I simply feel that it is gaming the system. That's my opinion and if others don't agree, that's ok and I respect it. I'm entitled to my opinion, as is everyone, regardless if others don't like it.

And yes. In general I am against consumer protection laws. Serious illness/injury aside, I think most of the laws complicate the system.
__________________
"Ladies put some full-fat ranch on your salad. Have that slice of cheesecake. Then go for a walk and kiss your loved ones and dance around your house in your underwear. Life is good." Anonymous

" We have to embrace who we are today. We have to say, this is me, and I can live a wonderful life today." FitBoop

"Walking is Man's Best Medicine for Life" Hippocrates

"Of all exercises walking is the best." Thomas Jefferson

"Thoughts come clearly while one walks." Thomas Mann
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Old 05-16-12, 02:40 PM  
roz
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Artist of Eyes View Post
Actually, I never called anyone crazy. I simply feel that it is gaming the system. That's my opinion and if others don't agree, that's ok and I respect it. I'm entitled to my opinion, as is everyone, regardless if others don't like it.

And yes. In general I am against consumer protection laws. Serious illness/injury aside, I think most of the laws complicate the system.
Do you think that companies that make false claims and use sketchy "research" (no pun intended!) are gaming the system?
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Old 05-16-12, 02:44 PM  
Artist of Eyes
 
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Originally Posted by roz View Post
Do you think that companies that make false claims and use sketchy "research" (no pun intended!) are gaming the system?
No. They are doing what they do. That is to draw a consumer in to purchase their products. They aren't making you buy the product. No one is taking your credit card from you or holding you at gun point. I think most people understand that the claims made in advertisements can be taken with a grain of salt. You (general use of the word) and you alone, have the choice to say "no thanks" or "oh I cannot live without that", the company can't make that choice for you, although they hope you'll decide to fork over your dough.
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"Ladies put some full-fat ranch on your salad. Have that slice of cheesecake. Then go for a walk and kiss your loved ones and dance around your house in your underwear. Life is good." Anonymous

" We have to embrace who we are today. We have to say, this is me, and I can live a wonderful life today." FitBoop

"Walking is Man's Best Medicine for Life" Hippocrates

"Of all exercises walking is the best." Thomas Jefferson

"Thoughts come clearly while one walks." Thomas Mann
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Old 05-16-12, 03:09 PM  
gradgirl
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
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Without consumer protection laws and penalties for companies who sell products based on dubious claims like these, Coca Cola would still have cocaine in it, lord knows how much worse the meat-packing industry would be (remember the Jungle?), etc. Yeah, there are problems with our regulatory systems, but my goodness, if there was NO oversight whatsoever, we'd be back in the 19th century. For there to be ANY credibility in science/medicine, there have to be bodies in place that make sure that false claims are investigated and that companies can't just write whatever in the heck they want to on a package.

I don't think we should be blaming the consumer. Yes, most of us who have made fitness somewhat of a priority perhaps know better than the average consumer, but a lot of folks are really busy with whatever that they have going on in their lives and maybe thought that these shoes would at least be a small change they could make and make a difference in their health/fitness.

I don't even know why I wasted my time typing out this, because most of the time I feel like it doesn't matter.
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