I have no idea what the advertising campaign costs, although I'd bet it's running at cut rates, filling otherwise empty space where newspapers normally would have filler, or simply need to balance out an odd-number of pages.But the question, of course, is not whether the newspapers are making any money here -- assuredly, they are; rather it's whether this "miracle heater" (wrapped in a wood box allegedly made by an Amish craftsman) is something you should buy for the advertised price of $298 ... or is it just another fast-buck hoax foisted on you by a newspaper advertising department with limited scruples and/or unreasonable monthly goals. I know what I concluded the first time the ad appeared in The Journal Times: I tsk-tsk-ed, and turned the page. Not my job any more, as my wife reminds me.
But when the ad appeared again today I did something else: I Googled "miracle heater Amish," which produced 41,100 hits. Um... do we really have to go into the details? Here are some excerpts from just the first few screens:
"The "miracle heater," touted in the ads is essentially a dressed up electric space heater... The heater was designed in China and the claim that it uses less electricity than a coffee maker sounds good until you realize the same can be said for any electric space heater." --The Real Deal, WSYR-TV, Syracuse
"Consumer Reports magazine says you can get a good space heater for less than $100. As for these heaters that appear to be built by honest Amish Americans? Nope…they are made in China." -- WCPO-TV, Cincinnati
"Occasionally, I run across an ad that causes me to pull out my hair. The most recent hair-puller, which appeared in my own Chronicle on Jan. 24, promotes a Heat Surge Roll-n-Glow Amish Fireplace... The ad, written like a newspaper article, implies that the heater is the "miracle idea" of an Amish man. According to the ad, you just plug them in...Plug in? That's correct: As in plug the heater into an electrical outlet. Anybody see the irony here?" --Consumer Watch, Houston Chronicle
The most complete dissection of the ad's claims was found on Yahoo! Answers, which pointed out: "The way the heater saves you money is if you turn off your central heat, buy one heater, use it to heat one room at a time, and move the heater from room to room as you move around. This is called "zone heating." This is true, but it's also true for any electric heater.
"If you want to get one heater and move it around with you, that would be cheaper than central heat, but you can get a lightweight 1,500 watt / 5,119 BTU electric heater with a fan for under $100 at your local hardware store, while the "miracle" heater costs $350 including shipping." --Yahoo! Answers
More HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE and all over the web.
'Nuff said?
Thanks for checking that out for us. A guy I work with was actually talking about getting one. My first reaction was, "I thought the Amish didn't like having their pictures taken". I also enjoyed the irony of an Amish man and an electrical appliance. You go Jacob!
ReplyDeleteI thought this was sketchy too. I mean, what? Don't the Amish typically work with hard woods and fibers? These heaters just appeared a bit too Walmart-ish for the typical Amish craftsmen.
ReplyDeleteAs of 11-08-08 The Heat Surge Roll-N-Glow Fireplace has earned the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval!
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