Q: How are they able to fool the consumer?

A: It is very easy

1st they request that a manufacturer such as Icon (who has purchased or licensed recognizable names such as Nordic Track, Gold’s Gym, etc…) to produce a product at a low price and low quality. However, these recognizable brand names are not really manufactured by REEBOK, Nordic Track, Weider, etc…. As a matter of fact Nordic Track the inventor of the skier has been out of business for over a decade. Reebok the shoe and clothing manufacturer to our knowledge has never produced any fitness equipment. Gold’s gym does not produce any fitness equipment and as a matter of fact you will never find a Gold’s gym brand at a Gold’s Gym location. This strategy has been very useful in confusing the consumer in thinking that these brand names are just as good (if not better) than some of other high quality and famous brands such as True, SportsArt, Diamondback, Tunturi. The consumer is then baffled by what appears to be “low pricing” at the big box brand by hundreds of dollars, not realinzing that they not getting the quality that they are thinking of getting.

2nd they state that the actual price of the unit is $1499 but it is on sale for $899 so you save $600. Since the product was specially made for them you will not be able to accurately determine the true market value.

3rd they use specific key words that invoke feelings of trust such as “Lifetime warranty” etc. Of course if you read the fine print which, is IN the box NOT ON the box you will find that the lifetime warranty is only on the frame or a part such as a motor that rarely breaks.

4th they use words like “Commercial Quality” to make you think you are bringing the gym quality equipment home. Of course, if that was possible, do you really think that all these gym owners around the world would be foolish enough to pay $6000 per treadmill when they could go to Costco and purchase the same quality treadmill for $899?

5th They combine the word quality with the actual model number, so instead of calling their product S500 the call it COMMERCIAL 1500 so the word “Commercial” is the model name not the quality.

6th they tell you that they will stand behind the product and will service you if you need repairs and they are telling the truth WOW what a shocker! They only thing that they fail to tell you is that they have a service provider that covers entire northern California for example. So the service provider is pretty far away (for example they are out of Sacramento or San Louis Obispo, even though you might be in Monterey ). Therefore the “service provider” only comes to your area once every two weeks (if at all) so just a diagnostics visit may take as much as one month to complete. Others stores like Costco will tell you to just bring it back no questions asked. Well this is easier said than done. Have you ever tried to take back a 300 lb. fully assembled treadmill? Well, let me tell you it is much harder to take back an assembled one than one in a box. (As if the one in a box was easy to move.)