As Seen on TV: Mighty Mendit not all Billy Mays says, but has some value

Filed under: Shopping, Failed Products, Retail, Consumer Ally

Failed product or not? We check out the Might Mendit

The product: Mighty Mendit
The price: Three tubes for $19.99 plus $8.95 for shipping and handling, bringing the total to $28.94.
The claims: Repairs almost any fabric, fast way to fix rips, make hems, leaves no stains
The Buy-o-meter rating: 3 out of 5

The late great Billy Mays just seemed so excited and sure about Mighty Mendit that it has to work. Right?

Mighty Mendit claims to be the miracle product for those who don’t want to sew or need a sturdy repair in a hurry. There is some validity to the claims.

A sneaker that split at a seam was ably repair by Mighty Mendit with barely a hint that anything was wrong with it. It didn’t do so great making a hem on denim jeans. After more than two hours — the amount of time the directions say a Mighty Mendit-repaired garment should be wearable — the hem failed. It seems to prefer textures like leather and thinner fabrics.

Mighty Mendit essentially is fabric glue, but seems to have an extra oomph, much like using epoxy. It smells very strong, like nail polish remover — which makes sense since acetone is one of the ingredient. The product is highly flammable and is covered with warnings.

For the direct ordering price of $28.94 for three tubes, it’s simply overkill. Too much to invest for too much product. But if you scale it back for the $10 you could drop at As Seen on TV displays in pharmacies and discount stores, it could be worth a go if you have a few projects that might fit the bill.

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As Seen on TV: Mighty Mendit not all Billy Mays says, but has some value

Filed under: Shopping, Failed Products, Retail, Consumer Ally

Failed product or not? We check out the Might Mendit

The product: Mighty Mendit
The price: Three tubes for $19.99 plus $8.95 for shipping and handling, bringing the total to $28.94.
The claims: Repairs almost any fabric, fast way to fix rips, make hems, leaves no stains
The Buy-o-meter rating: 3 out of 5

The late great Billy Mays just seemed so excited and sure about Mighty Mendit that it has to work. Right?

Mighty Mendit claims to be the miracle product for those who don’t want to sew or need a sturdy repair in a hurry. There is some validity to the claims.

A sneaker that split at a seam was ably repair by Mighty Mendit with barely a hint that anything was wrong with it. It didn’t do so great making a hem on denim jeans. After more than two hours — the amount of time the directions say a Mighty Mendit-repaired garment should be wearable — the hem failed. It seems to prefer textures like leather and thinner fabrics.

Mighty Mendit essentially is fabric glue, but seems to have an extra oomph, much like using epoxy. It smells very strong, like nail polish remover — which makes sense since acetone is one of the ingredient. The product is highly flammable and is covered with warnings.

For the direct ordering price of $28.94 for three tubes, it’s simply overkill. Too much to invest for too much product. But if you scale it back for the $10 you could drop at As Seen on TV displays in pharmacies and discount stores, it could be worth a go if you have a few projects that might fit the bill.

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Feds Deem Caffeinated Alcoholic Energy Drinks Unsafe, All But Banning Their Sale

Filed under: Health, Consumer Ally, Failed Products

The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission today warned four manufacturers of alcoholic energy drinks that the high levels of caffeine added to their products is unsafe, effectively banning their sale.

The action follows a series of state bans limiting distribution of the beverages, which have sickened dozens of consumers nationwide and lead to at least two deaths since August.

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10 Controversial Toys That Won’t Be on This Year’s Wish Lists

Filed under: Extracurriculars, Shopping, Black Friday, Failed Products, Holiday Shopping

‘Tis the season when toys come front-and-center in our consciousness. In the drive to produce thousands of new toys each year, the industry occasionally missteps, producing toys that anger rather than amuse the buying audience.

Here are ten toys that reached the market over the past few years that probably never should have seen the light of day.

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Why Is the U.S. Making Money Nobody Wants?

Filed under: Banking, Failed Products

A billion dollars in unwanted American dollar coins sits in specially-made vaults the size of soccer fields in Texas and Baltimore and other undisclosed locations. They’re heavily guarded — according to NPR’s Planet Money team, even journalists must be watched carefully as they check out the “clear plastic bags piled high on sturdy metal pallets that looked like baby cribs,” 1,000 coins per bag, about 35 pounds a piece.

But why are they just sitting there? A recent example from my own life illustrates the problem.

A few weeks ago, I got a dollar coin as change from a farmer’s market stand. “I’m sorry,” said the cashier. “It’s all we have.” It was special enough to keep, but one day I needed $2.05 for the bus and could only find a dollar’s worth of quarters in a rush. Dropping that gold coin into the fare box may have been the last time I’ll see one of those for weeks — or longer.

Even though I love them (“No apology necessary!” I had said to that cashier, taking the legal tender eagerly), I seem to be in the minority — the demand for dollar coins over the past several decades has continued to underwhelm experts in monetary policy. The fact is, people just don’t want them.

And the demand — or rather, the lack of it — is one half of the reason those coins are just sitting in vaults, collecting dust.

The other half of the equation — the supply side — goes like this: Congress passed a law.

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Holding a Borders Gift Card? Better Use It Now

Filed under: Shopping, Recession, Failed Products

It’s no secret that Internet book sales and the advent of digital books on dedicated readers like the Amazon Kindle has eaten into the business of book chains such as Borders. Now, it appears that Borders may have reached the final chapter in the tale of its corporate existence, and anyone holding a Borders gift card would be well advised to use it before the company goes belly up.

For the second month in a row, Borders is “delaying” paying its vendors and landlords its monthly debts, to conserve cash. It claims to be working to make new financing arrangements, which includes having publishers accept new terms that they would be highly unlikely to accept. The likely next step? According to Publishers Weekly, a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing or even a full liquidation of the corporation.

In that eventuality, if you are caught holding an unused Borders gift card, you will likely be left holding the bag. An empty bag.

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Sen. Charles Schumer Demands Investigation on Lead in Reusable Shopping Bags

Filed under: Health, Green, Consumer Ally, Failed Products

Reusable shopping bags made in China have drawn the ire of U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), who is calling for a federal investigation into how the bags found their way to consumers after a news report showed some of them contained dangerous levels of lead content.

Schumer is seeking to enlist the Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission to carry out the probe. At a press conference over the weekend, he cited an investigation by the Tampa Tribune, which found many of the reusable bags offered for sale by supermarket chains and discount stores had lead in their paint designs.

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Walgreens halts genetic test sales on FDA concerns

Filed under: Health, Failed Products

Earlier this week, Walgreens announced with great fanfare that it was selling a controversial over-the-counter genetics test. The drug store chain quickly changed its mind after the Food and Drug Administration objected, ending the bewildering episode as quickly as it started.

Testing your own DNA makes as much sense as do-it-yourself surgery or serving as your own lawyer. Experts argue that it is a spectacularly bad idea. Genetic results are often vague and raises many questions that can be best answered by a trained professional such as a genetics counselor. Moreover, scientists don’t yet fully understand the genetic aspects of Alzheimer’s disease and many other conditions.

Officials from the FDA are investigating whether the test’s maker, Pathway Genomics of San Diego, Calif., was improperly marketing them, according to the Chicago Tribune. Walgreens is holding off on selling the tests until the FDA’s concerns are resolved, media reports say. An FDA spokesperson could not be reached.

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Pennsylvania Pulls Wine Vending Machines Following Glitches

Filed under: Extracurriculars, Food, In the News, Failed Products

Earlier this year, the state of Pennsylvania announced plans to sell wine through vending machines, throwing an olive branch to residents who have complained for years about high prices and poor selection at the Keystone State’s 625 liquor stores. Unfortunately, though, the automated bottle purveyors have turned out to be a dismal failure.

The self-service wine kiosks, which were supposed to provide consumers safe, one-stop shopping, are not working properly and officials at the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) are not exactly sure why. On Dec. 21, the board was forced to temporarily shut down the 30 machines, which come equipped with their own breathalyzers, based at supermarkets around the state. Previously, Pennsylvania only allowed wine to be sold in State Stores.

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Cashmere toilet paper: The Wretched Excess Report

Filed under: Home, Failed Products

It’s good to see that, even as we claw our way out of the recession, wretched excess is making its way back into the market. The latest evidence? Cashmere toilet paper, offered for sale in the U.K. by the grocery vendor Waitrose.

In truth (and to obliterate the unfortunate mental image you no doubt now have in your mind), cashmere fibers are not woven into the TP. Instead, a moisturizing lotion with either extracts of cashmere, jojoba or aloe vera are added “for ultimate softness”. If you’re a fan of room scents (I’m not), you might be pleased to learn that the roll has another innovation, a scented center to add a layer of perfume to the funk of the bathroom.

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