OT: Scam electronics

N

N_Cook

Guest
I will be giving a talk on scam electronics, ie totally bogus devices sold
to the public. I have full details of a couple of such devices but would
like to know of a few others - particularly any giveaways or signatures to
them being scams , without having to open the boxes. Pointers etc to some
scam products would be appreciated - or www site specializing in exposing
them. Adverts appearing in the respectable press, for such items ,is no
guarantee of genuinness .
 
I will be giving a talk on scam electronics, totally bogus
devices sold to the public. I have full details of a couple
of such devices but would like to know of a few others --
particularly any giveaways or signatures to them being
scams, without having to open the boxes. Pointers, etc,
to some scam products would be appreciated -- or Web
sites specializing in exposing them. Adverts appearing
in the respectable press, for such items, is no guarantee
of genuinness.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what you mean by "scam", other than fraudulent medical devices,
or the E-meter.

Bose's claim that the Wave radio produces "natural, room-filling sound" is a
bald-faced lie, so I'd consider the product a scam. Does that fall into your
category as scamming?
 
In article <ie7kp0$vhv$1@news.eternal-september.org>,
"William Sommerwerck" <grizzledgeezer@comcast.net> wrote:


Bose's claim that the Wave radio produces "natural, room-filling sound" is a
bald-faced lie, so I'd consider the product a scam. Does that fall into your
category as scamming?
Click to expand...
Isn't this where you came into the SER movie?
 
In article <ie7geu$m5k$1@news.eternal-september.org>,
"N_Cook" <diverse@tcp.co.uk> wrote:

I will be giving a talk on scam electronics, ie totally bogus devices sold
to the public. I have full details of a couple of such devices but would
like to know of a few others - particularly any giveaways or signatures to
them being scams , without having to open the boxes. Pointers etc to some
scam products would be appreciated - or www site specializing in exposing
them. Adverts appearing in the respectable press, for such items ,is no
guarantee of genuinness .
Click to expand...
I don't think you'll find it on the market any more, but I had an
otherwise respectable friend marketing a biofeedback type gadget for a
while. Twiddling a knob adjusted the rate at which an LED flashed. Worn
on a lanyard around the neck, it was said to slow the heart rate and
deepen the breathing. I think you were supposed to reduce the flash rate
incrementally over time, to promote a yoga-like winning combination of
relaxation and energy.
 
On 14/12/2010 10:18, N_Cook wrote:
I will be giving a talk on scam electronics, ie totally bogus devices sold
to the public. I have full details of a couple of such devices but would
like to know of a few others - particularly any giveaways or signatures to
them being scams , without having to open the boxes. Pointers etc to some
scam products would be appreciated - or www site specializing in exposing
them. Adverts appearing in the respectable press, for such items ,is no
guarantee of genuinness .
Click to expand...
Shake Lights, and the rip-off 'Fake Lights' that hide batteries ...

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/features/fff.htm

--
Adrian C
 
Adrian C <email@here.invalid> wrote in message
news:8mp4c7FatcU1@mid.individual.net...
On 14/12/2010 10:18, N_Cook wrote:
I will be giving a talk on scam electronics, ie totally bogus devices
sold
to the public. I have full details of a couple of such devices but would
like to know of a few others - particularly any giveaways or signatures
to
them being scams , without having to open the boxes. Pointers etc to
some
scam products would be appreciated - or www site specializing in
exposing
them. Adverts appearing in the respectable press, for such items ,is no
guarantee of genuinness .



Shake Lights, and the rip-off 'Fake Lights' that hide batteries ...

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/features/fff.htm

--
Adrian C
Click to expand...
That the sort of thing I was interested in rather than "faith" type scams ,
it would be just my luck there would be a scientologist in the audience.

One of the scams that keeps resurfacing is this from 1994, when you crack
open the box there is in effect nothing inside, p40 and 43 of
http://www.skeptics.com.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/theskeptic/1994/1.pd
f
These scams work by the price they can set so purchasers cannot be bothered
sending back for a refund if not "satisfied with the product"

Of course with electronic smog around these days it would be possible to
grab energy from the ether and do some sort of short duration low energy
something
 
On 14/12/2010 12:12, N_Cook wrote:
Adrian C<email@here.invalid> wrote in message
news:8mp4c7FatcU1@mid.individual.net...
On 14/12/2010 10:18, N_Cook wrote:
I will be giving a talk on scam electronics, ie totally bogus devices
sold
to the public. I have full details of a couple of such devices but would
like to know of a few others - particularly any giveaways or signatures
to
them being scams , without having to open the boxes. Pointers etc to
some
scam products would be appreciated - or www site specializing in
exposing
them. Adverts appearing in the respectable press, for such items ,is no
guarantee of genuinness .



Shake Lights, and the rip-off 'Fake Lights' that hide batteries ...

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/features/fff.htm

--
Adrian C



That the sort of thing I was interested in rather than "faith" type scams ,
it would be just my luck there would be a scientologist in the audience.

One of the scams that keeps resurfacing is this from 1994, when you crack
open the box there is in effect nothing inside, p40 and 43 of
http://www.skeptics.com.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/theskeptic/1994/1.pd
f
These scams work by the price they can set so purchasers cannot be bothered
sending back for a refund if not "satisfied with the product"

Of course with electronic smog around these days it would be possible to
grab energy from the ether and do some sort of short duration low energy
something
Click to expand...
I`m sure you have heard about the electronic devices which fit around
your water pipes and claim to reduce limescale build up, and the miracle
petrol saver which simply clips to your fuel lines and saves you big
bucks by somehow energising the petrol.

Did you know that a great many beer cellars use a device which claims to
reduce the need for weekly line cleaning?

"By slowing the deposits of yeast, beer stone and other residue in
beer lines, cleaning intervals are extended to at least four weeks"

"it works by generating a pseudo random spread of low frequency RF
using a microprocessor, this signal is transmitted as an electrical
signal to a transducer placed around the outside of the beer line keg.
The electromagnetic field of varying frequency, which this arrangement
creates around the beer line, is what delivers the results."

http://www.cellarmiser.com/?gclid=CLKl_s3k66UCFVAf4QodbzXjng

Is it a scam? I don't know, I`ve spoken with people in the trade, and
those who use the system say it works. They say beer line cleaning is
one of the major expenses of running a bar, and reducing the frequency
of line cleaning saves an awful lot of money which far outweighs the
cost of renting the device.

Ron(UK)
 
On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:18:34 -0000 "N_Cook" <diverse@tcp.co.uk> wrote in
Message id: <ie7geu$m5k$1@news.eternal-september.org>:

I will be giving a talk on scam electronics, ie totally bogus devices sold
to the public. I have full details of a couple of such devices but would
like to know of a few others - particularly any giveaways or signatures to
them being scams , without having to open the boxes. Pointers etc to some
scam products would be appreciated - or www site specializing in exposing
them. Adverts appearing in the respectable press, for such items ,is no
guarantee of genuinness .
Click to expand...
USB drives.

http://reviews.ebay.com/FAKE-SanDisk-Cruzer-USB-Flash-Drives-Exposed_W0QQugidZ10000000001456613
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_flash_drive#Fake_products
 
On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:18:34 -0000, "N_Cook" <diverse@tcp.co.uk> wrote:

I will be giving a talk on scam electronics, ie totally bogus devices sold
to the public. I have full details of a couple of such devices but would
like to know of a few others - particularly any giveaways or signatures to
them being scams , without having to open the boxes. Pointers etc to some
scam products would be appreciated - or www site specializing in exposing
them. Adverts appearing in the respectable press, for such items ,is no
guarantee of genuinness .
Click to expand...
The IED "detectors" reportedly being used at bomb checkpoints in Iraq.
<http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/11/04/when-antiscience-kills-dowsing-edition/>
<http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/world/middleeast/04sensors.html?_r=3&hp#secondParagraph>

--
Rich Webb Norfolk, VA
 
...and the miracle petrol saver which simply clips to your
fuel lines and saves you big bucks by somehow energising
the petrol.
Click to expand...
There's a new one that simply plugs into the accessory outlet.

How about the devices that are supposed to drive away vermin by sending
special signals through the power line, and/or emitting ultrasonic sound?
 
On 12/14/2010 8:46 AM, William Sommerwerck wrote:
...and the miracle petrol saver which simply clips to your
fuel lines and saves you big bucks by somehow energising
the petrol.

There's a new one that simply plugs into the accessory outlet.
Click to expand...

http://gadgetsteria.com/2010/02/24/wonder-gadget-provides-18-fuel-mileage-increase-simply-by-plugging-metal-and-plastic-into-your-cigarette-lighter/
 
On 12/14/2010 5:18 AM, N_Cook wrote:
I will be giving a talk on scam electronics, ie totally bogus devices sold
to the public. I have full details of a couple of such devices but would
like to know of a few others - particularly any giveaways or signatures to
them being scams , without having to open the boxes. Pointers etc to some
scam products would be appreciated - or www site specializing in exposing
them. Adverts appearing in the respectable press, for such items ,is no
guarantee of genuinness .




I came across this guy on Ebay some time back, he's hawking this device
Click to expand...
on Ebay Indonesia now

http://buy.id.ebay.com/buying/id/display/250715961148_Ghost-Hunter-METER-ANALYZER--Spectra-101-metaphysics-

If the link doesn't work, search Ebay 250715961148

If you check out his earlier feedback some have rumbled this is crap,
others seem well taken in, or didn't want to admit to paying a large sum
for a box of junk.

JC
 
Rich Webb <bbew.ar@mapson.nozirev.ten> wrote in message
news:isqeg6d1me2hnlgafd0et79nuos9lnf1iv@4ax.com...
On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:18:34 -0000, "N_Cook" <diverse@tcp.co.uk> wrote:

I will be giving a talk on scam electronics, ie totally bogus devices
sold
to the public. I have full details of a couple of such devices but would
like to know of a few others - particularly any giveaways or signatures
to
them being scams , without having to open the boxes. Pointers etc to some
scam products would be appreciated - or www site specializing in exposing
them. Adverts appearing in the respectable press, for such items ,is no
guarantee of genuinness .

The IED "detectors" reportedly being used at bomb checkpoints in Iraq.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/11/04/when-antiscience-
Click to expand...
kills-dowsing-edition/>
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/world/middleeast/04sensors.html?_r=3&hp#s
Click to expand...
econdParagraph>
--
Rich Webb Norfolk, VA
Click to expand...

"costs from $16,500 to $60,000 each" can anyone better 60,000 for a scam
device?
 
In the early days of "wireless", there were devices claiming
to improve reception when plugged into your aerial (antenna)
socket, or even replace an outside long wire aerial. All they
had inside was a capacitor. I think I have one somewhere.
Click to expand...
How about "turn your house wiring into a giant antenna!". This might have
worked with LW, MW, and SW, but definitely not for TV.
 
Duh_OZ <ozzy.kopec@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:ae6f5878-a32e-47dc-8d0a-05ef7153e3a5@j3g2000vbp.googlegroups.com...
On Dec 14, 4:18 am, "N_Cook" <dive...@tcp.co.uk> wrote:
I will be giving a talk on scam electronics, ie totally bogus devices sold
to the public. I have full details of a couple of such devices but would
like to know of a few others - particularly any giveaways or signatures to
them being scams , without having to open the boxes. Pointers etc to some
scam products would be appreciated - or www site specializing in exposing
them. Adverts appearing in the respectable press, for such items ,is no
guarantee of genuinness .
=================
Click to expand...
This is a well known scam in the metal detecting world:

http://www.rangertell.com/

A nice 'breakdown' of it:
http://www.geotech1.com/cgi-bin/pages/common/index.pl?page=lrl&file=reports/
examiner/index.dat

&&&&&

I love the vero/perf board, what a give away
 
I came across this guy on eBay some time back,
he's hawking this device on eBay Indonesia now.

http://buy.id.ebay.com/buying/id/display/250715961148_Ghost-Hunter-METER-ANALYZER--Spectra-101-metaphysics-
Click to expand...

The seller's name wouldn't be Venkman, by any chance?
 
On 14/12/2010 13:53, Duh_OZ wrote:
This is a well known scam in the metal detecting world:

http://www.rangertell.com/

A nice 'breakdown' of it:
http://www.geotech1.com/cgi-bin/pages/common/index.pl?page=lrl&file=reports/examiner/index.dat
Click to expand...
A nice read, thanks for sharing :)

--
Adrian C
 
Any input on this aspect from around the world?
In the UK the consumer protection people, Trading Standards here, are not
pro-active, what about other countries? They are perfectly happy for such
scams to continue for years and will only act when someone complains to
them, then a double complaint because they do not get a refund going down
that route .
 
On 12/14/2010 9:25 AM, William Sommerwerck wrote:
I came across this guy on eBay some time back,
he's hawking this device on eBay Indonesia now.

http://buy.id.ebay.com/buying/id/display/250715961148_Ghost-Hunter-METER-ANALYZER--Spectra-101-metaphysics-

The seller's name wouldn't be Venkman, by any chance?


No, not Venkman, can't remember his name though, he lists some scopes
Click to expand...
that probably arn't worth a tenth of what he asks and has another Ebay
name "Uncle Deal" or similar. Same crap.
JC
 
On 14/12/2010 10:18, N_Cook wrote:
I will be giving a talk on scam electronics, ie totally bogus devices sold
to the public. I have full details of a couple of such devices but would
like to know of a few others - particularly any giveaways or signatures to
them being scams , without having to open the boxes. Pointers etc to some
scam products would be appreciated - or www site specializing in exposing
them.
Click to expand...
Big market in the supply of power factor correction devices to consumers
who due to bill measuring method (kWh instead of kVA) won't see much
difference in their electric bills. Some are proper kit sold in the
wrong market, others are bogus.

http://open4energy.com/forum/home/scam/energy_saving_scams

http://electricitysaver.com.au/home/index.php/how-does-it-work

--
Adrian C
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Welcome to EDABoard.com

Sponsor

Back
Top