Grading the Infomercial Products

Aug. 13, 2008 — -- Those TV infomercial ads promise products to change your life, but do they really deliver?

"Good Morning America" technology contributor Becky Worley tested five infomercial products to find out if they work and if they're worth the money.

Debbie Meyer Green Bags, $9.95

The Promise: The commercial claims the bags will save you hundreds of dollars by helping preserve your food and produce.

Becky's Grade: B-

Becky says: "I gave these a B- because it does what it says it will in terms of preserving your fruit and vegetables a little longer, but it didn't make that much of a difference. These bags kept my bananas fresh for about four to five days longer than a traditional bag (and for about a week longer than no bag at all). The strawberries made it three days longer in the green bags than with the plastic carton they came in. After two weeks, I noticed no real difference in my lettuce or tomatoes. They do keep things fresher, but not by such a huge margin that it's worth my extra money for the bags."

The company responded: "Debbie Meyer firmly stands by her product. DEBBIE MEYER GreenBags™ have been independently lab tested and shown to produce the results claimed, when used according to the instructions provided. The product has been successfully used by millions of consumers for over three years and they continue to purchase her product and save money. "

Dryer Max Dryer Balls, $9.95

The Promise: Dryer Balls are a safe, all-natural way to soften laundry without harsh chemicals. No need to use fabric softeners and dryer sheets anymore, and clothes dry faster.

Becky's Grade: A-

Becky says: "I gave these an A-. They do make your clothes pretty soft, but they didn't make my towels markedly fluffier. They did reduce drying time by about 10 minutes, so this could save you about $55. By my computations you'd save about $31 a year in dryer electricity and $24 a year in fabric softener sheets. "

Mighty Putty, $19.99

The Promise: The easy way to fix, fill and seal almost any surface, and make it last. Mighty Putty is a powerful bonding epoxy stick that you can mold to any shape and can apply to any surface for an everlasting bond.

Becky's Grade: C+

Becky says: "I ended up giving this a C+ because they said you could make a coffee handle, so I tried that and it broke right off. It did a good job in terms of connecting two irrigation pipes and it worked and prevented water seepage, but it didn't give me a lot of confidence. It didn't seem to be a money saver for me. I used the putty to make a handle for my coffee cup, but even after allowing the putty to harden completely, the handle came off the cup and my mug broke."

The company responded: "Mighty Putty is an effective and powerful bonding epoxy stick. The formula has been used successfully for over 10 years. The instructions state that the product must be mixed for two minutes until it is a white color and must be allowed to fully cure for up to 24 hours. When the instructions on the package are followed, Mighty Putty is effective as advertised."

Moving Men $12.95

The Promise: Want to rearrange the living room? Dust behind that chest? Move that king-size bed? Just slip a Moving Man under each leg [of the furniture] and even the heaviest piece slides along effortlessly. The infomercial even shows the Moving Men moving a car.

Becky's Grade: C

Becky says: "I gave them a C. The reason being there's a logic issue here. It didn't really work on heavy objects. It only worked on light objects. And you don't really need the help for light objects. I couldn't move a heavy chest of drawers on it at all. And I tried to move my old Jeep and it did not budge at all. These make moving furniture on carpet easier. For smaller items, the Moving Men coasters did seem to reduce friction and make it easier for me to push or pull items into place. But for really heavy things on hardwood floors, I didn't get much help from the Moving Men -- and the whole point is that they're supposed to help you move heavy things."

The company did not respond to requests for a comment.