Power Balance Bracelet Black/White Letters size: MEDIUM
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Product Reviews of Power Balance Bracelet Black/White Letters size: MEDIUM
Product Review: Sales rep... Busted! *READ IT*
Summary: 1 Stars
Allow me to relay an experience I had with a sales rep at the local fair recently, which may be illuminating.
I was wandering through the sales tent with my girlfriend, and paused in front of a booth with stacks of these wristbands, official PB sales material, and photos of star athletes with PB bling on their wrists.
"Have you heard of the PB wristband?" Salesman (as of then) asked.
"No, what is it?"
"It's embedded with a positively charged hologram that reacts with certain frequencies in the Earth to improve balance, strength and flexibility".
My GF rolled her eyes and wandered on. "So it has a battery?", I asked.
"No, no battery, it's built in, and lasts forever. A lot of pro athletes are wearing them [drops some names]. We demonstrate how it works through some simple kinesthetic tests".
[Knowing something how electricity works, I was skeptical to say the least. Charged ions do not stay put when touched by a person, this is why we get static shocks, lightning, and functional household appliances, but I humored the man].
"Stand on one foot and hold your arms out, and resist and hold your balance when I push down on your arm."
I did so, attempting not to jab any passersby. He pushed, and I fell over. [No, not all the way]. One more time (to make sure it's not muscle memory, he says), and same result. Then I put on a PB band, and wouldn't you know it, he's practically hanging off my arm and I'm still standing!
"Well, that's pretty nifty, I'll go read up on them and might be back."
So we walked the fair that night, and a day or two later I read up on PB. I read amazing testimonials, saw the same test being performed on astounded people on YT vids. Then I watched the YT video put out by the Australian Skeptic organization and also saw the early Board Riders Review of PB, where you can clearly see that yes, those skeptical Australians are in fact on to something. I also learned that to receive the electro-magnetic frequency PB claims it does, because of the wavelengths involved the bracelet would need to be 12,000 miles long or so. But -
Here's how the "tests" work, try it and amaze your friends with any prop! I have... [But don't stop now, the story continues below]! Without bracelet, the salesman errr conman rather, pushes down, and while maintaining pressure pulls off balance ever so slightly. With band on, he pushes straight down and can even push in slightly if the target starts to tip. With correct downward pressure, it's very difficult to notice being pulled, esp when you're focusing on balancing. Next test is similar, your hands on one side, he pulls down and out first time, and straight down next time. And lastly, when the target is completely amazed (and thus also utilizing the basic sales principle of "commitment and consistency", where a person will go to great lengths to uphold a previously conceived notion, even fooling themselves subconsciously) comes the flexibilty "test" where you point, twist, and hold (thus also stretching), put on the band and point, and lo! You point further!
So I practiced up, amazed friends and family and sold them all worthless pieces of gravel for $50 [Only kidding about the last part! Had to clarify since I know there are probably a few gullible people reading this...] Then I went back to the fair days later, intending only to go on the rides which we missed before. Well, just maybe looking for a confrontation as a bonus...
We happened to walk by the conman in action, joined by an accomplice this time. Fearing a scene, my lady moved along. I stood off to the side, a naive observer who he didn't recognize, and made small talk with his brother-in-scammetry while Conman One finished with his target. This guy was sold, and as he was picking out what color he wanted I stepped up.
"Excuse me, don't you think an independent observer should do the pushing down, you know, since he IS the salesman?"
Well sure, the guy agreed, and the conman, well what choice did he really have? Besides with Commitment and Consistency on his side, the target would probably make it work on his own. So he thought. Heheh!
Well wouldn't you know it, I was completely unable to topple the man when he didn't have the bracelet on, using two fingers.
"Two fingers!" said the conman. "What does that prove!?"
"Yeah yeah, now give him the gizmo" I requested, and under protest he turned it over.
Same two fingers, and boy. The positive charge must have grounded out, because the target toppled over quicker than a drunk on the midway rides, bracelet and all!
"You're pulling him over! You pulled him over!" yells the conman.
"And you're not?"
Not even a denial, just "Well, OK, how do explain the flexibility tests then! I wasn't even touching him!"
I did, we exchanged a few more unpleasantries, and I turned to the target, suggesting that whatever he decided to do, he look up PB and applied kinesiology when he got home. Then I turned to leave.
As I walked by Conman One, he snarled under his breath, "Don't try to ruin our sale!" And I smiled.
Oh Conman, I will. And happy ending, the would be target ran up behind us moments later, sans bracelet with words of appreciation.
Now you know, and since you do, the next time YOU see one of these sleazies in action, do what I did and spoil just one sale. What are they really going to do? It kills me that these shiny pieces of rubber are #4 in "sports and fitness" right now! They are completely unrelated to either! You want fitness, you gotta work for it, you want self help, buy some Tony Robbins. Don't enrich a scam company [who incidentally don't make any claims of increased power or balance on their website, thus passing the threat of a lawsuit, and an a-- whooping, on to their MLM minions, while they make bank from the safety of their offices]. We all want a magic bullet for every area of our life that needs improvement, but improvement is hard work. That's what makes it worthwhile and satisfying.
If you found this "helpful", vote it, let's stop this madness!
Product Review: Scam
Summary: 1 Stars
My girl bought me one (for my birthday) as well as one for her. She spent $65 for the two. She was so excited... but when she gave them to me the first thing I asked for was if she kept the receipt. As many have said, this is a scam... and at sometimes $60 a piece it is pretty sad how much someone is probably making from these bands that likely cost $1 to make. I showed her how all the "tricks" the salesman pulled on her worked (balance, flexibility, etc) and she was completely stunned. I'm posting here, as an Amazon user, because I want more people to not be ripped off by this scam. It's a plastic band with a holographic sticker mixed with a bit of mindful trickery and placebo. That's all.Product Review: Short life span!
Summary: 2 Stars
It's only been a few weeks and the hologram has disappeared and has almost turned black!!!Product Review: Sleazy scam fraud giving people false hope! FTC WAKE UP AND DO SOMETHING!!
Summary: 1 Stars
This is an amazingly sleazy scam giving people in need false hope. If anyone really thinks this does anything it is purely coincidental or a placebo effect where one really believes it is helping but it really itself is not helping.
I don't know if some of the people who sell these things really believe them or are scam artists too who realize these are BS but it is wrong.
I am totally for free market capitalism but this is a straight up fraud that should be banned. If Power Balance and the other scammers want to sell these 30 cent pieces for a couple of bucks, that's bad enough but some sell these worthless things for $35 and up! I am an engineer and can tell you that the claims are completely untrue. I read some BS about this thing from Power Balance where they claim this thing has some sort of database which is impossible short of having some sort of actual battery to power it along with some sort of memory chip or means of storage. IT IS A PLASTIC PIECE WITH A HOLLOGRAM STICKER, CUT ONE OPEN AND SEE FOR YOURSELF! This BS makes the Nikken Magnet healing thing seem wonderful, least you get a piece of magnetic material, which can actually be debated whether or not it does help but this thing has NOTHING not even a magnet.
I heard some country is suing Power Balance for fraud, WHY IN THE HELL ARE OTHER COUNTRIES SUING BEFORE OUR OWN FTC IS TAKING ACTION AGAINST THIS FRAUD COMPANY!!?? Power Balance is out of control, now they have millions of dollars, are buying arenas to be named after them and are able to expand their deceptive fraud.
The sad thing is that they are praying on people in need, some really in need who are hanging onto false hope that this thing would help them.
Again, not that it would still necessarily be right but if these 30 cent pieces were being sold for $2.50ea then OK, if people fall for it, it's on them, especially for that price but for Power Balance to sell these for $35 and up is criminal. This is one of the biggest forms of snake oil on the market and again I cannot believe the Federal Trade Commission is not doing anything about it!
Consumers who know what's up, spread the word about Power Balance!
Product Review: Snake Oil for the Gullible
Summary: 1 Stars
Extra Ordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence
This is from their site, my comments are in quotes.
Written by Administrator
Saturday, 25 October 2008 03:41
POWER BALANCE Performance Technology has been embedded with naturally occurring frequencies found in nature that have been known to react positively with the body's energy field. This helps to promote balance, flexibility, strength and overall wellness.
"What frequencies are they talking about? What is a naturally occurring frequency? I would like to see a list of `naturally occurring frequencies' and how they were measured. What evidence is there for frequencies "that have been known to react positively with the bodies energy field'. I need to see empirical data that would then link those alleged frequencies with the claim of improved `balance, flexibility etc.' Just saying it does not make it so. You need evidence."
For thousands of years, eastern medicine has been using the same techniques for personal wellness through finding things in nature that react positively with your body, such as rocks, minerals, crystals, etc. Through kinesiology we have learned that certain foods cause the body to react either positively or negatively as well (not really, see definition below). Although not all substances found in nature work the same on everyone, we have narrowed it down to a few that we believe are highly beneficial and have put them together to create Power Balance Performance Technology.
"Kinesiology - Study of the mechanics and anatomy of human movement and their roles in promoting health and reducing disease. Kinesiology has direct applications to fitness and health, including developing exercise programs for people with and without disabilities, preserving the independence of older people, preventing disease due to trauma and neglect, and rehabilitating people after disease or injury. Kinesiologists also develop more accessible furniture and environments for people with limited movement and find ways to enhance individual and team efficiency. Kinesiology research encompasses the biochemistry of muscle contraction and tissue fluids, bone mineralization, responses to, how physical skills are developed, work efficiency, and the anthropology of play.
Please show evidence that shows crystals are anything but a New Age Fruit Loop phenomenon.
Eastern Medicine - A recent study concluded that acupuncture was no more effective than random needle sticks. For more details on the sham of acupuncture please follow the link.
[...]
If eastern medicine were so good how come the Chinese government sends doctors to study in the US?"
It's hard to argue with nature (you CAN'T argue with nature, it is not sentient nor does it have a voice or a body or a mouth) and the fact is that everything in nature resonates at a particular frequency. That is what keeps it all together. We react with frequency because we are a frequency.
"This is nonsense. We may generate frequencies but we are not `a frequency'."
Most simply, we are a bunch of cells held together by frequency. If you hold processed sugar or a cell phone in your hand and hold your arm straight out to your side and have someone push your arm down while you resist, it goes down pretty easily because processed sugar and cellular telephones do not react positively with the human body "(Proof?)".
Basically, the frequencies in sugar and cell phones create a reaction that makes your body weaker (?). Adversely, if you put certain vitamins or minerals in your hand and do the same test with your arm, you will find it is much harder for that person to push your arm down
"(WTF?). They're making this up."
Your body's energy field likes things that are good for it and craves to be around those things They're making this up too. At Power Balance, we have taken a few of those items and through advances in technology.
"What technology?", have been able to duplicate those positive energies (what energies? Please list the frequencies and the source of this energy) and imprint them onto our holographic media.
"Can we take one apart to see the imprinting?"
Why Holograms? "Because you'll buy anything especially if it sounds cool."
We use holograms because they are composed of Mylar--a polyester film used for imprinting music, movies, pictures, and other data. Thus, it was a natural fit (Mylar is natural?) In fact, the hologram is so complex with such infinite depth and minimal surface area, that many companies are now using them as hard drives. "So what? Don't be misled or confused by meaningless comparisons. Also as of May 2009 no companies have developed a commercial HVD hard drive (you can look it up)"
Along those same lines, we felt that it would be a lot easier to get someone to put a hologram in there SP(their) shoe rather then a Power Balance equipped rock or apple.
"Can you put it in a rock? I thought a rock or an apple would have those naturally occurring frequencies anyway."
Another blurb from their site.
Where did the idea for POWER BALANCE come from?
A primitive form of this technology was discovered when someone, somewhere along the line, picked up a rock (rocks unless radioactive have no frequencies, they are inanimate) and felt something that reacted positively with his body. While it may sound strange (nonsense is more like it), the truth is that all naturally organic substances have different frequencies that resonate in them that are inherently found within the earth (do you mine them?). At POWER BALANCE, we have found a few of those positive vibrations and put them together to create POWER BALANCE performance technology. So, instead of having a bunch of rocks in your pocket (cheaper but just as effective), we have taken our understanding of holographic media to a new level. By embedding these beneficial frequencies onto a hologram, it is now possible to apply this technology to almost anything.
A few comments.
Frequency - The Wikipedia definition
[...]
In short frequencies can be measured and observed over a period of time. No frequency is self generated. Whether it be generated by a biological function or a mechanical function there is an explainable and measurable process. For the Power Balance claims to hold up they must first say what is generating the `embedded frequencies'. You can't just reach out and grab a frequency. They can be measured but you can't actually hold one. And even then where is the evidence that a `frequency' will do what they say. Is this a longstanding field of study or something they just made up?
They have no evidence other than their own claims, anecdotal evidence and parlor tricks. If it worked they would be waving a peer reviewed journal up with the results of testing that could be replicated. They are not.
I have requested their scientific, peer reviewed, double blind testing but have received nothing. If I do I will forward it to you but since there are no peer reviewed articles I don't think thy will be citing any studies.
Also remember that celebrity or athlete endorsements mean only that said athlete or celebrity is being paid to endorse that product not that it actually works.