Have you ever watched an informercial and then decided that you just can't live without the "as seen on tv" product that you just saw? 

Yeah, I'm sort of ashamed to admit that I have a time or two. There are actually some cool things that really work on informercials, but you have to be careful when you place an order -take it from someone whose done it! 

First, when you call to place your order, the customer service rep will try to talk you into tons of different "free trial" items. They'll also offer free stuff if you just pay shipping & handling, which is often more than the product is worth.  

Instead of calling to place your order, take the time to get on the internet and read reviews about the as seen on tv product that you are thinking about buying. Just Google the name of the product and the word reviews. You should get plenty of results so you can check to see if it's even worth your money. Trust me, it can be pain to try to return the item once you've bought it.  

After you've read some reviews, if you still want the product, go directly to the website of the item that you are buying. The same offer that was available on television if you just called in 5 minutes will still be available - even on the internet!  

You'll still get all the upsale offers on the internet, but instead of getting them from a sales rep whose reading through the offers so fast you can't understand what they are trying to tell you, you'll get to read through each offer in full to see exactly what you might be getting and how much you'll be paying for it. Besides, it's much easier to check a box online than it is to argue with the sales rep about why you really don't want another set of knives! 

Ordering online also gives you a printable receipt for your purchase which you will not get from a phone call.  

Many WalMart stores also carry a whole "As Seen on TV" product section, so checking your local WalMart store is a good idea as well. If you buy it at WalMart and don't like it, you can also return it to WalMart.