Hoodia on Ebay...The Good the Bad and the Down Right Ugly
April 1, 2006 -- If one wants to see the full spectrum of what Hoodia marketing madness is all about, all that need be done is to read though the listings for the Hoodia products on Ebay. There is virtually every "con" in the book represented there. There are some legitimately good deals, and even some exceptional products on Ebay. In an effort to help others avoid plowing though a plethora of nonsense to find them, here are some "tip offs" that can save a lot of time, when sifting though the 1400 Hoodia listings that one can find on any given day, at the marketplace to the world.
One of the more obvious "cons" on Ebay, is the guy selling the 20:1 "extract", then misleading the already confused and ill informed consumer, with claims that his product is 20 times MORE potent than it is. These products are often very low dosage, but claim to contain large amounts of pure Hoodia. For example, the manufacturer will advertise that their product is 1200 mgs strong, when the label's fine print reads, 60 mgs 20:1 extract. They use the 20:1 ratio to rationalize the obvious discrepancy in the advertising. After all, it isn't a hard "sell". The consumer is easily convinced. He is delighted to find he can this great "deal" and credits Ebay.
A brand called Dytrexil is guilty of this, as is a product called Hoodia Elite 2000. The name alone is misleading. Anyone would assume that a product with "2000" in the name, would have 2000 mgs of Hoodia in it. Even though it has only 100 mgs of extract per tablet, and the recommended use is 1 per day, (which is not enough to suppress the appetite of a mouse) they are selling this to uninformed consumers. Believe it or not, these are big sellers on Ebay.
Another place for easy prey, is in the "per serving" fine print. The advertisement will read as if the consumer will get a large dosage of Hoodia with a product. The consumer is happy to order, thinking what good deal he has just found. When the item is received in the mail, and can be inspected more closely, it becomes apparent, that the large dosage is achievable only with a large number of tablets. This is a common error people make when buying supplements of any kind. Always check to see how many capsules or tablets are in a "serving". The label may read 1200 mgs "per serving", but the real question is, how many tablets does it take to get that "serving". On Ebay, where sellers are responsible for their own listings or advertisements, it is up to the buyer to take the initiative to look for this information before buying. If there is no clear statement of this information, email the seller, or skip it all together. Large doses (1000 +) are obtained with multiple caps or tablets.
Then there is the Hoodia Patch. Can a patch that claims to have but 500 mgs of Hoodia Gordonii (the technology for trans-dermal delivery of ingredients is expensive) really work. These patches sell for about 20.00. The oral dosage of Hoodia is upwards of 750 mgs per day. Usually, the average is 1500 mgs spaced out over the day in divided doses. The effectiveness of these patches is questionable at best. The San Tribes of South African did not use "patches". They used the Hoodia plant as a food stuff.
Ah yes, not to be overlooked is the "whole plant" deception. Many manufacturers proudly advertise that their products contain 100% WHOLE Hoodia plant . Well, this sounds good to the uniformed consumer. Whole is usually a good thing, except when talking about Hoodia gordonii supplements. The outer skin, spines, flowers, roots and a lot of excess water do NOT contain any P57, and therefore should be removed before drying and manufacturing into supplements for the highest quality and potency. The inner "core" or heart of the stems is the only part that contains active ingredients.
It can take up to 20 lbs of raw whole Hoodia to make 1 lb of dried Hoodia "core" powder. This process is best referred to as concentration. The existence of true extracts is questionable as Phytopharm Pharmaceuticals hold the patent on the extract. The supplement that is closest to the way the San Tribe used it, is one made from the "core" of the aerial parts. They peeled the Hoodia stems and ate only the heart of the plant. So, look for a product that is dried, powdered Hoodia "core". There are a few of these on Ebay, also sold on the Internet, that fit this description. Hoodia Diet Sense is one them and one of the best deals on Ebay. Reasonably priced and marketed by a reputable company, Advanced Dietary Formulas. Search for it by name on Ebay or the Internet at www.hoodia-gordonii-750.com.
What is hard to understand, is that there is plenty of reliable information about Hoodia, on the Internet now. There is also plenty of warnings about the Hoodia scams. What's bad is, the consumers, are sometimes paying MORE for the worthless products than real dried Hoodia "core" powder products. How is it, that there are people willing to spend their money on these worthless products. It must be, that there still needs to be more consumer education done. Always read the fine print and Happy Bidding.
One of the more obvious "cons" on Ebay, is the guy selling the 20:1 "extract", then misleading the already confused and ill informed consumer, with claims that his product is 20 times MORE potent than it is. These products are often very low dosage, but claim to contain large amounts of pure Hoodia. For example, the manufacturer will advertise that their product is 1200 mgs strong, when the label's fine print reads, 60 mgs 20:1 extract. They use the 20:1 ratio to rationalize the obvious discrepancy in the advertising. After all, it isn't a hard "sell". The consumer is easily convinced. He is delighted to find he can this great "deal" and credits Ebay.
A brand called Dytrexil is guilty of this, as is a product called Hoodia Elite 2000. The name alone is misleading. Anyone would assume that a product with "2000" in the name, would have 2000 mgs of Hoodia in it. Even though it has only 100 mgs of extract per tablet, and the recommended use is 1 per day, (which is not enough to suppress the appetite of a mouse) they are selling this to uninformed consumers. Believe it or not, these are big sellers on Ebay.
Another place for easy prey, is in the "per serving" fine print. The advertisement will read as if the consumer will get a large dosage of Hoodia with a product. The consumer is happy to order, thinking what good deal he has just found. When the item is received in the mail, and can be inspected more closely, it becomes apparent, that the large dosage is achievable only with a large number of tablets. This is a common error people make when buying supplements of any kind. Always check to see how many capsules or tablets are in a "serving". The label may read 1200 mgs "per serving", but the real question is, how many tablets does it take to get that "serving". On Ebay, where sellers are responsible for their own listings or advertisements, it is up to the buyer to take the initiative to look for this information before buying. If there is no clear statement of this information, email the seller, or skip it all together. Large doses (1000 +) are obtained with multiple caps or tablets.
Then there is the Hoodia Patch. Can a patch that claims to have but 500 mgs of Hoodia Gordonii (the technology for trans-dermal delivery of ingredients is expensive) really work. These patches sell for about 20.00. The oral dosage of Hoodia is upwards of 750 mgs per day. Usually, the average is 1500 mgs spaced out over the day in divided doses. The effectiveness of these patches is questionable at best. The San Tribes of South African did not use "patches". They used the Hoodia plant as a food stuff.
Ah yes, not to be overlooked is the "whole plant" deception. Many manufacturers proudly advertise that their products contain 100% WHOLE Hoodia plant . Well, this sounds good to the uniformed consumer. Whole is usually a good thing, except when talking about Hoodia gordonii supplements. The outer skin, spines, flowers, roots and a lot of excess water do NOT contain any P57, and therefore should be removed before drying and manufacturing into supplements for the highest quality and potency. The inner "core" or heart of the stems is the only part that contains active ingredients.
It can take up to 20 lbs of raw whole Hoodia to make 1 lb of dried Hoodia "core" powder. This process is best referred to as concentration. The existence of true extracts is questionable as Phytopharm Pharmaceuticals hold the patent on the extract. The supplement that is closest to the way the San Tribe used it, is one made from the "core" of the aerial parts. They peeled the Hoodia stems and ate only the heart of the plant. So, look for a product that is dried, powdered Hoodia "core". There are a few of these on Ebay, also sold on the Internet, that fit this description. Hoodia Diet Sense is one them and one of the best deals on Ebay. Reasonably priced and marketed by a reputable company, Advanced Dietary Formulas. Search for it by name on Ebay or the Internet at www.hoodia-gordonii-750.com.
What is hard to understand, is that there is plenty of reliable information about Hoodia, on the Internet now. There is also plenty of warnings about the Hoodia scams. What's bad is, the consumers, are sometimes paying MORE for the worthless products than real dried Hoodia "core" powder products. How is it, that there are people willing to spend their money on these worthless products. It must be, that there still needs to be more consumer education done. Always read the fine print and Happy Bidding.
1 Comments:
Great article about hoodia! Hoodia works in 87% http://www.hoodia-hq.com - weight loss, hoodia, diet news.
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