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Power Balance bracelets are a SHAM |
Kenny_Naboo
Marshal
Pitch Black
Joined: January 11, 2010
Posts: 3823
From: LobsterTown
|  Posted: 2010-12-25 20:56
http://www.theage.com.au/executive-style/fitness/power-balance-bracelets-exposed-as-a-sham-20101223-195u7.html
Power Balance bracelets exposed as a sham
Georgina Robinson
December 23, 2010 - 12:20PM
A bracelet worn by high profile sports stars that claims to improve athletic performance has been exposed as a sham by the consumer watchdog.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has ordered Power Balance Australia to refund all customers who feel they were misled by the supposed benefits of Power Balance bracelets.
The wristbands were touted as providing better balance, strength and flexibility by working with the wearer's "natural energy field".
English cricketers Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss, AFL bad boy Brendan Fevola, St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt and NRL star Benji Marshall have all been known to wear the bracelets.
But ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel said in a statement: “Power Balance has admitted that there is no credible scientific basis for the claims and therefore no reasonable grounds for making representations about the benefits of the product.
“Its conduct may have contravened the misleading and deceptive conduction section of the Trade Practices Act 1974," Mr Samuel said.
"When a product is heavily promoted, sold at major sporting stores and worn by celebrities, consumers tend to give a certain legitimacy to the product and the representations being made."
The bracelets sell for $60 on the company's website.
Mr Samuel also warned that retailers that continue to sell the products with misleading advertising or packaging would be open to action from the ACCC.
Last month an independent review panel that deals with complaints about breaches of the therapeutic goods advertising code found that powerbalance.com.au violated the code.
Power Balance acknowledged it had breached the code and said the relevant claims had been removed from its website.
The company was also named in this year's Shonky awards.
Consumer advocate group Choice found the bracelets were just rubber bands with plastic holograms.
"The band was tested at CHOICE under controlled lab conditions which showed it did little else than empty purchasers' wallets," Choice said in October.
Edited: For correct title
[ This Message was edited by: Kenny_Naboo[+R] on 2010-12-27 21:37 ]
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Kenny_Naboo
Marshal
Pitch Black
Joined: January 11, 2010
Posts: 3823
From: LobsterTown
| Posted: 2010-12-25 20:58
I've tried to tell several friends this some time back. They didn't believe a word I said. Told me they felt 'empowered'.
LOL. Fools. Placebo effect anyone?
Endorsed by athletes?
Pro athletes are amongst the most superstitious and stupidest ppl living. They'd buy into anything that promises them a game changing advantage, even if it's all just all in their mind and nothing but a complete sham.
Do ppl need a damned lab test shoved down their throats before they can see through the crap? (And even then, some still believe that Power Balance works... LOL)
What do YOU think, fellow scientific minded (I hope) Darkspacers?
ROFL.
[ This Message was edited by: Kenny_Naboo[+R] on 2010-12-25 20:59 ]
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Reznor
Marshal
Joined: March 29, 2010
Posts: 316
| Posted: 2010-12-25 21:18
Saw this when it came out as a sham.
The reason people feel an effect is because they believe in an effect. It's a mind over matter thing. Placebo effect is what the article calls it, and that's exactly what it is.
Although, I read an article on placebo effect a couple days ago that was interesting:
Link to article on BoingBoing.
[ This Message was edited by: Reznor on 2010-12-25 21:19 ]
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Drafell
Grand Admiral
Mythica
Joined: May 30, 2003
Posts: 2449
From: United Kingdom
| Posted: 2010-12-25 21:52
In the US this product is also known as IRenew and has been heavily promoted with similar claims.
Let me just say that I am hardly suprised that the claims made in the adverts are false without any scientific basis.
This just goes to show that scams are not just limited to your email inbox, and that they are still alive and well in the mainstream media.
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Painfulangel
Grand Admiral
Joined: December 26, 2009
Posts: 188
From: Exathra
| Posted: 2010-12-25 22:46
TBH maybe they are ment to make the wearer feel as if 'they have the power' to make them feel stronger and increase personal stelfasteam.
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Deth *CO2*
Chief Marshal
Army Of Darkness
Joined: March 22, 2010
Posts: 193
| Posted: 2010-12-25 22:48
Its tha [SHAM] WOW!
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jamesbob
Grand Admiral
Joined: August 22, 2009
Posts: 410
| Posted: 2010-12-25 22:56
Quote:
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On 2010-12-25 22:46, Accension wrote:
TBH maybe they are ment to make the wearer feel as if 'they have the power' to make them feel stronger and increase personal stelfasteam.
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yeah and something says it will allow you to fly.
does not mean that your self esteme will make you fly if anything it will make you fall LIKE A ROCK.
do not even bother with even attempting to provide anything postive.
and what happens when said user finds out they do not have power their confidence falls like a rock.
that what makes a sham a sham the ablility to do major harm and the only real fuction it serves is to empty your pocket (i should know i told my friend that the only thing that band would do is to cause him to kill him self when his self esteme droped to rock buttom)
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Reznor
Marshal
Joined: March 29, 2010
Posts: 316
| Posted: 2010-12-25 23:13
Quote:
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On 2010-12-25 22:56, jamesbob wrote:
Quote:
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On 2010-12-25 22:46, Accension wrote:
TBH maybe they are ment to make the wearer feel as if 'they have the power' to make them feel stronger and increase personal stelfasteam.
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yeah and something says it will allow you to fly.
does not mean that your self esteme will make you fly if anything it will make you fall LIKE A ROCK.
do not even bother with even attempting to provide anything postive.
and what happens when said user finds out they do not have power their confidence falls like a rock.
that what makes a sham a sham the ablility to do major harm and the only real fuction it serves is to empty your pocket (i should know i told my friend that the only thing that band would do is to cause him to kill him self when his self esteme droped to rock buttom)
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Well that's the thing. People actually think it works, and start to see things they never noticed before. A person can push themselves further than they think they ever could if the situation demands it.
There are many stories of people who get themselves out of life-threatening situations through sheer will. This bracelet makes you think you're better, but it's just tricking your mind into seeing what's already there.
Same thing with sugar pills in studies. It's not an actual drug and yet it makes people feel better. Mind over matter.
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Kenny_Naboo
Marshal
Pitch Black
Joined: January 11, 2010
Posts: 3823
From: LobsterTown
| Posted: 2010-12-26 11:15
The point of this whole thing isn't the placebo effect.
It's false advertising, and the fact that it costs $60 for a damned rubber band.
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Leonide
Grand Admiral
Templar Knights
Joined: October 01, 2005
Posts: 1553
From: Newport News, Virginia
| Posted: 2010-12-26 12:32
anything that is sold like that is a fake. that's why i don't buy from the TV. 
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Max Kepler
Fleet Admiral
Templar Knights
Joined: March 08, 2002
Posts: 589
From: ICS Victory
| Posted: 2010-12-26 15:05
When I first saw this commercial, I thought maybe they were marketing toward Buddhists or Taoists, or some of the other beliefs that involve cosmic 'energies' or at the very least, superstitious people. I just assumed that the people who bought these didn't really think the effect was scientifically sound in the first place (though a few will always surprise you). If you DID buy it thinking that, then perhaps you deserve a refund. Not that it will do any good, because they'll probably buy any product who advertises with hokey scientific claims.
What IS interesting, though, is that things like that can have a real psychological effect and in a sense still do what the product advertises.
[ This Message was edited by: Max Kepler on 2010-12-26 15:07 ]
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Sops
Marshal
Galactic Navy
Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 490
| Posted: 2010-12-26 18:09
This comes as a surprise?
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Sardaukar
Admiral
Raven Warriors
Joined: October 08, 2002
Posts: 1656
| Posted: 2010-12-26 20:19
I have to sell the iRenew bands; I really wish I could punch consumers who talk idly about how great they are. All I can do is answer the question "does it work?" with a paraphrase of the writing on the package: It may or may not.
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Doran
Chief Marshal
Galactic Navy
Joined: March 29, 2003
Posts: 4032
From: The Gideon Unit
| Posted: 2010-12-26 21:05
Quote:
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On 2010-12-25 20:56, Kenny_Naboo[+R] wrote:
Power Balance bracelets are a FLUKE
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fluke
2 /fluk/ –noun
1.
an accidental advantage; stroke of good luck: He got the job by a fluke.
2.
an accident or chance happening.
i dont think that means what you think it means
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0stego
Fleet Admiral
United Armed Corps
Joined: October 04, 2008
Posts: 153
From: Sol System, Earth, Canada, AB.
| Posted: 2010-12-26 22:47
The same was said for the 'popular' Q-Ray bracelet.
Magical healing powers....in a bracelet made of steel cable.
/me Laughs.
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