Have you been stung with this sham?? Yeah I know Bruce Irons etc etc all pushed the ‘miracle’ but when the game is up some sort of moral standards should stop scammers profiting further…not so it seems with at least one big player who swims in Sways backyard.
Seems a lot of surfers have, especially in Japan where one big brand Australian global surf accessory market leader was counting on selling about $5 million bucks worth of them to their unsuspecting customers and still appear on their web page.
Seems that even though they are aware the product is a sham our surfing brothers in Japan are still being sold them at about yen 4000 each (about $50) and as if they haven’t been through enough over there with Tsunami, thousands of quakes and radiation.
If you got stung you should demand a refund as highlighted in this news story from Australian Sydney Morning Herald in Dec last year…read on and make up your own mind as to who would do this?
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".
Illustration: Matt Golding.
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.
i skateboard pools.............the power balance bands didn't really seem to make a difference.
i did find a product that uses titanium technology that does work.
it looks more like a rope and it's worn around the neck.
it's called phiten.
now some might say it all psycho-babble-in your mind stuff.
but if it makes a difference in performance,especially for me 50+ years old skating in backyard pools................more power to it.
by the way.............you think you can out skate me in a pool...........we can meet up at west anaheim skatepark sometime...........and we'll see about that...........nothing like getting your ass kicked by a guy more than twice your age.
What’s funny to me is somebody actually ‘funded’ the research to see if they work. Probably funded by the tax payers. That and chippy’s dickiebird comment. Dang Herb, still doing pools at your age? That’s impressive. Hope your wearing all the safety equipment. The placebo effect is real and powerful. If it helps, keep doing it. Honestly, I could care less what people spend their money on. I do care what people spend my money on, ie, taxes. Mike
At least it is only $50. What about all the Japanese believing the hype put on the websites of board manufacturers. That stuff can cost them up to $1000.00 after the board, wetsuit, leash,fins, nose guard, and free wax/tee shirt. Go look and start with A and go to Z. Some are really funny and not on purpose.
Why would the surf industry care about this? Like the pot calling the kettle black.
My personal favorite these days are the “green” enviro-friendly epoxies.
I pay more and it makes me feel better?
Thank you power balance for making people feel better for right around fiddy dollars.
happy birthday Herb! mine was 2 days ago, same age bracket. I’m going skydiving later today with my oldest (27 yrs) son and a few friends (the non-scaredy cat ones).
You know what I always say, “Dsylexic Adrenaline Junkies, Untie!”
