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Filed under: Accc, Marketing, Power Bands

76 comments

In a shock move today, the makers of Power Balance wristbands have been forced to say they do not actually work.

By the power of Greyskull! Pic: Michael Marschall.

Since the bands exploded on to the market, compelling evidence has justified the makers’ claims that they help sportspeople focus and perform better.

Some doubters attributed the obvious benefits to the mystical placebo effect, but believers say the bands can increase core strength by up to 10 million per cent using something called “performance technology”.

The bands use the science of holograms, the power of which has been well accepted since Princess Leia employed one to call for Obi-Wan Kenobi’s help.

The holograms emit a frequency that utilises the body’s natural energy field, a theory closely linked with proven laws such as gravity and proven therapies such as reiki.

Their credibility has been bolstered by their popularity with footballers (including, reportedly, St Kilda players who clearly have impeccable judgement) and their appearance on the popular ‘Things Bogans Like’ website.

They are also endorsed by renowned Punch journalist Ant Sharwood, who argued conclusively that even a simpler rubber-band version gave his journalism extra balance.

While the science can be overwhelming for the non-nerds out there, there is further proof of the bands’ efficacy in the form of actual anecdotes.

Many sporting individuals gave convincing testimonials to the power of the bands.

US basketballer Shaquille O’Neal said:

I don’t really do a lot of testimonials, but this really works! I came across Power Balance when someone did the test on me. That night, while playing for the Phoenix Suns, there were about three of my teammates with the product on and we won that game by 57 points! I kept feeling something when I wore the bracelet, so I kept wearing it.

While it is clear that the bands are responsible for those 57 points, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, in a glaring display of overregulation, has called the claims “misleading” and demanded Power Balance Australia withdraw them.

Power Balance Australia, meanwhile, are bending like the proverbial reed, saying there is no credible scientific basis for their claims.

Customers can now get a refund on their bands. The refund should be just enough to buy some magnets guaranteed to have the exact same effect as the bands.

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76 comments

Show oldest | newest first

- stephen says:
  
  11:38am | 23/12/10
  
  I kept finding the things on the kid’s bus. (used to drive’em to school.)
  ‘See if they float in the fish tank. Nup.
  See if they can travel in the flushed dunny. Nup.
  See if they return like as in a boomerang. Nup.
  Can they crack ? Yep, sure do.
  Well crack a few more.
  There as useless, yet harmful,
  as an absentee as a swimming carnival.
  
  Reply
chris says:

03:48pm | 23/12/10

i think this is what the twilight zone must feel like
acotrel says:

07:33am | 24/12/10

This wrist band thingy sounds like the gadget Peter Brock used to sell. You attached it to your car and it absorbed all the bad energy or something? Have you seen the ads for the biomagnetic underlay? You put on your bed, and when you sleep on it, it absorbs all your pain or something!
- Steely Dan says:
  
  11:50am | 23/12/10
  
  Oh no, The Man got to Tory too! If only she’d bought the Tinfoil OptiVisor 3000 (just $49.99 plus shipping), she’d have seen through the mind control scam that is Big Science.
  
  “Science is whatever we want it to be!” (Dr Leo Spaceman, 30 Rock)
  
  Reply
Zeta says:

01:11pm | 23/12/10

“Is bread dangerous Dr. Spaceman?”

“Well Tracy we’ll never know. Because the powerful bread lobby keeps blocking my research!”
Tombowler says:

02:32pm | 23/12/10

“Can’t you just give him a shot of adrenaline to the heart or something?”

“Well I’d like to Jack but we have no way of knowing exactly where the heart is!”
- Tim says:
  
  12:03pm | 23/12/10
  
  They have the amazing ability to decrease the weight of your wallet.
  If you listen to the advertising (Akka sprukes for them on the radio) they have been clever by having him say that he thinks they have improved his performance, not that they actually increase performance. Of course he doesn’t mention the side-effect - they can turn your hair a ridiculous colour.
  Evidently there is still a sucker born every minute.
  
  Reply
Shifter says:

05:29pm | 23/12/10

Not sure about your second claim there Tim, the four chaps above seem to be alright with their hair colour. However they do seem to be trying to invoke a cartoon environmentalist, or morph into their power suits.

Actually, Captain Planet would probably do better than Fev at full forward for the Lions.
- Mr AJ Power says:
  
  12:09pm | 23/12/10
  
  I’m not sure if you were trying to be funny calling it over-regulation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. I say its about bloody time and I hope the entire health and diet industry are next! They prey on the injured weak and sick with false promises just like these robbers did ... About time and good on the ACCC for hitting them with the big stick! Made my day.
  
  Reply
Adele says:

05:23pm | 23/12/10

I think you missed the point of the article dude!
- TR says:
  
  12:18pm | 23/12/10
  
  Oh no!! I’ve just order 8 boxes of the things, my logical was, if 1 band increases you’re core strength by 10 million percent, imagine what 30 bands all up my arms and legs could do!!
  
  Reply
Flying Kingswood says:

12:24pm | 23/12/10

Haha. TR you made my morning.

Also imagine if the ‘adult film’ got hold of these things. Scary.
michael j says:

01:36pm | 23/12/10

Tell the Truth ya got them from China for a $1 a box,
didn’t ya,nice profit,,
sounds a bit like copper easeing my old broken bones,,
which i can say doesn’t work anywhere as good as olde fashsion rum,,
feel a bit sorry for peter foster though,,did all those years in
a pommy pen 4 sliming tea,,now sliming tea is a top
Queensland export,,
James says:

07:00pm | 23/12/10

TR, I wear mine as a Dennis Lillee headband, I just completed my Medicine degree in 5 minutes and Einstein keeps trying to sue me but he just can’t win the argument. Oh, and BTW: it looks really cool on me too when I wear my Speedos, calf high tennis socks and sandles.
- braunman says:
  
  12:40pm | 23/12/10
  
  This is a victory for consumers! If more products like this are recalled then maybe people will be more skeptical of their claims. Knowing humans though this is unlikely…
  
  Reply
ibast says:

01:27pm | 23/12/10

The people that bought these deserve to have their money taken from them. I just need to come up with a plan for taking money from idiots. How about some face cream that reduces the signs of aging?
hot tub political machine says:

02:31pm | 23/12/10

ibast, I’ll even give you the same recipie as most of the cosmetics companies use: Flour, Sorbelene….anything that smells nice
Gerard says:

03:11pm | 23/12/10

No, it’s a victory for idiots. You know, the people that are actually wasting their money on this crap. I’m more concerned about how much money the ACCC wasted on investigating and acting on this obvious scam. Surely there are real problems out there that they could be dealing with?
- Tripper Smurf says:
  
  01:03pm | 23/12/10
  
  Anyone who didnt realise a piece of rubber on the wrist was not increasing your core strength is a bit of a fool.
  
  Reply
- kerrie o'rourke says:
  
  01:07pm | 23/12/10
  
  the liberals use holograms to show the real depth of their leaders
  
  Reply
marley says:

02:08pm | 23/12/10

but the ALP’s leaders ARE holograms.
hot tub political machine says:

02:32pm | 23/12/10

Reinier Wolfcastle: “I like the human touch”
- hot tub political machine says:
  
  01:09pm | 23/12/10
  
  I was just about to judge anyone who bought the things. Then I remembered that I left my bank card out of my wallet for the second time in 48 hours and have to waste an hour going home to get it before I can shop tonight…...so hey we all do silly things.
  
  Reply
Steely Dan says:

01:55pm | 23/12/10

Unless you left your card at home because you actually believed that would produce a better outcome than keeping it in your pocket would… I think it’s safe to say you can judge to your heart’s content on this one.
Stevo says:

01:57pm | 23/12/10

Judge away…being forgetful and being a foolishly gullible idiot are slightly different.
cRook says:

10:18am | 25/12/10

ha ha. That reminded me of a spell book that a friend gave me once. There was a ‘spell’ in it for increasing wealth which involved placing a magnet in your wallet. (yes, I did try it before I realised).
- AdamC says:
  
  01:11pm | 23/12/10
  
  See, to me the problem is that the claims made by the promoters of these bands are so outlandish that they cannot reasonably be expected to be accurate. How can a bit of plastic worn around the wrist possibly improve athletic performance?
  
  At some point, consumer regulators have to accept there are a class of kooky products and services that people like to think work, but just don’t. For example, the ACC doesn’t investigate the bona fides of telephone clairvoyants or the supposed benefits of different types of crystal hung next to the bed. It is assumed, sensibly, that people like to consume these products in spite of the fact that they obviously do F all.
  
  The power balance bands are the same. Why not let the superstitious and credulous have their silly trinkets and talismans (it isn’t like these wrist bands actually hurt anyone) and go after some real offenders?
  
  Reply
- Pleasure O'Reilly says:
  
  01:14pm | 23/12/10
  
  I saw these for sale at Caribbean market yesterday, I had no idea they had these kinds of powers! This is gonna look so good with my mood ring, and red string bracelet.
  It’s all very well for the ACCC to say these claims are “misleading”, but I think I know why the quote marks are around the word. The holograms, the natural energy field, reiki, the proven laws,the gravity, the performance technology, the fairies at the bottom of the garden, my god the sheer weight of testimonials of this astounding product lays waste to any half assed wishy washy judgement by the ACCC. This watch clearly requires the wearer to have incredible self and spiritual belief, and to be able to look deep into your psyche to find the power to get the full benefit, but people are just so lazy today. No wonder they don’t work.
  
  Reply
- James1 says:
  
  01:22pm | 23/12/10
  
  I really hope someone makes a post defending them.
  
  Reply
- iansand says:
  
  01:24pm | 23/12/10
  
  Why pay $20 for one of those crappy wrist band things when for a measly $8,000 you can get one of these http://www.trinfinity8.com
  
  Reply
James1 says:

02:06pm | 23/12/10

“A tool for awakening positive vibrational change”. Someone please kill me now.
Jimmy Bond says:

04:54am | 24/12/10

I have a DVD that I watch when I want to awaken positive vibrational change, just don’t let my girlfriend know!
- Shane says:
  
  01:24pm | 23/12/10
  
  Good to see the ACCC has it’s priorities straight. No-one is even remotely interested in petrol prices or how they’ve magically jumped from $1 a litre to $1.30 just in time for Christmas, but we’re glad the government is taking on the evil rubber manufacturers.
  
  Reply
James1 says:

02:08pm | 23/12/10

Those selling petrol are not making misleading claims about it though Shane. If they put the price up, and said the more expensive fuel would turn you car into a rocket ship that you could use to fly to Mars, that would be another matter. But a business trying to maximise its profit is by no means a case for the ACCC. It is business as usual.
acotrel says:

07:37am | 24/12/10

Petrol price increases are all part of the ‘free market economy’! Scams are different!
- St. Michael says:
  
  01:26pm | 23/12/10
  
  Woohoo for the ACCC.
  
  Now if they’d only get a similar strike rate with opposition big enough to fight back, for example petrol companies, banks…
  
  Reply
- Fluz says:
  
  01:32pm | 23/12/10
  
  I personally don’t believe Powerbands do anything for you, but if people want to believe that wearing them helps them in whatever they are doing - why not let them keep buying and wearing them. Sure there is no creditble proof they do anything to help, but also there is nothing to show they hurt or hinder either.
  
  Reply
Steely Dan says:

02:03pm | 23/12/10

@ Fluz

If I took $60 off you you’d probably consider it a hindrance to your goal of keeping your hard-earned money for things you derive utility or entertainment from.

They’re not actually being removed. They’ve just been done for false advertising and ordered to give refunds to anybody who says they felt they were duped.
iansand says:

02:08pm | 23/12/10

They aren’t banned. All that will happen is that the importers will not be able to make unverified claims about their efficacy.
Flutz says:

10:15am | 24/12/10

Yes Steely Dan if you TOOK $60 off me, that would be a hinderance; but in this case people are weighing up the claims and WILLINGLY GIVING over their $60 and they truly believe the Power Balance Bands work for them, so no hurt or hinderance caused.
Steely Dan says:

06:56pm | 27/12/10

@ Flutz

They can truly believe it all they want. It’s just not true.
- Kika says:
  
  01:35pm | 23/12/10
  
  I think the health and fitness market is FLOODED with crocks. Like seriously, we’re all told one day that protein is great for post gym workouts, next time they’re saying you don’t need protein but glucose etc etc. Exercise science? Please.
  
  Reply
- Zeta says:
  
  01:41pm | 23/12/10
  
  Reminded of the inspirational rallying call for rationalism issued by Insane Clown Posse in their 2010 hit single ‘Miracles’ or ‘Magnets? How do they work?!?’ I decided to test the Power Balance band myself and discovered they truly are the stuff of miracles.
  
  For centuries man has pondered just how magnets really do work. Holograms are no different. What is a hologram? It’s a type of sticker you put on your school books or maybe a credit card. Do we know why they have such power over the tiny human mind? No. It’s a mystery. Like microwaves. Or tampons. Let’s be real here - aliens are probably among us, and probably gifting us with this hyper advanced technology. Let’s kick the ballistics shall we? Inside the human body, everything is red. We know this, because of x-rays (how do they work?) but we also know that on the advertisements, the fluid that tampons are designed to absorb is blue. That’s right. There is an alien fluid inside women and we don’t know how it got there and we don’t even know what tampons are for. Miracles. Science. It’s all coming together now.
  
  So armed with that information, I strapped 9 power bands to my face and felt their power flow through me. Using logic, which clearly the ACCC lacks, I calculated that if 1 power band would increase my power by 500 per cent, that 9 power bands would increase my power by a whopping 4500 per cent.
  
  Because I am a man of science, I decided I’d do an experiment with a control mechanism. By a punching a wall I punched several months ago and never repaired, I could compare wether or not the Power Bands were working. And you know what? I was able to punch that wall 4500 times. Last time, I could only punch it once.
  
  Even more evidence - last time I punched the wall, I only wanted to punch it once because my hand hurt afterwards. But the power of the power balance band inspired me to punch the wall softly, and a couple of times, just slap it a little. The result? I could punch a lot more. For the last 1000 punches, I drank a beer and just imagined myself punching the wall really fast. Could I have done that without the power balance band? No. The power is your imagination. The balance, is your mind.
  
  So if you need the power of punching, or the power of imagination, you need the power of power balance bands. You can put them on your face, or your limbs, or you can even swallow them and increase your digestive power. Ever since I swallowed a power balance band, my stomach is so powerful the force of my digestion causes me physical pain. Your every day digestion without the aid of Power must be feeling pretty weak if you can’t feel it, huh?
  
  The ultimate test - I strapped a Power Balance band to my genitals. And you know what happened? My girlfriend didn’t want to have sex with me. That’s right. The band was so powerful it repelled her like a magnet, or a magnetised hologram. My power balance was so powerful she just left the house and hasn’t even come back. Power. Imagination. Balance. Power. Magnets. Holomagnets. Energy.
  
  Who knows if holograms are real science? Is science even real? That’s why I’m wearing Power Balance bands over my eyes so I can see in the holographic spectrum the Government doesn’t want you to see in. It’s dark right now, but pretty soon I’m going to see the blinding light of Power Balance and my power will be over 9000.
  
  Power. Balance. Mind. Holominds. Balance Magnets. Energy Imaginations. Magnergrams. Holobalance.
  
  Reply
James1 says:

02:14pm | 23/12/10

Once again Zeta, you win the internet.
Steely Dan says:

02:17pm | 23/12/10

@ Zeta

“Do we know why they have such power over the tiny human mind? No. It’s a mystery. Like microwaves. Or tampons.”
I’m going to kick myself for writing this, but here goes. ROFL.

ICP references, 30 Rock references… I think I have feelings for you. I’ll have to break this to my wife, but when she reads this she’ll probably have feelings for you too. I don’t care if you’re male or female, I can adjust. Human sexuality, how does that work? Who knows. But don’t ask a scientist. They’ll just lie.
St. Michael says:

02:32pm | 23/12/10

That’s it, Punch, you need to propose Zeta gets a regular column. The combined wellbeing of the Internet demands it.
Tombowler says:

02:38pm | 23/12/10

“Power. Balance. Mind. Holominds. Balance Magnets. Energy Imaginations. Magnergrams. Holobalance.”

Classic. Actually doesn’t sound that far off. I’m gonna start a mega-balance bundle consisting of a copy of “The Secret” (Holographic edition), Power Balance Band and a “AbSwing (Holograph). This will mean that you can tone your abs with little to no effort at 500% the strength simply by sitting in your chair and imagining it.

Or some shit like that. Anyways. That shit will sell, point being I need you to write the copy for it. (Have you by any chanced worked on Madison Ave for “Big-Kabalah?” or “Big-Faux-Buddhism?”
hot tub political machine says:

02:51pm | 23/12/10

I just did the “laugh out loud for no apparent reason at your computer and earn weird looks from those around you”
Elphaba says:

03:18pm | 23/12/10

I was all geared to say that you must have accidently swallowed one but you covered that 3/4 of the way into your post.

You will need to let us know at some stage if the Power Balance band on your genitals has made you sterile…
Syl says:

03:56pm | 23/12/10

“The ultimate test - I strapped a Power Balance band to my genitals. And you know what happened? My girlfriend didn’t want to have sex with me. That’s right. The band was so powerful it repelled her like a magnet, or a magnetised hologram.”

Best thing I have ever read on the Punch!
AnthonyG says:

07:25am | 24/12/10

st Michael speak for yourself. I think if Zeta and Tchongs bosses new what they did all day they would be sacked in the blink of an eye. I don’t think they would survive on the punches salary of nothing, and not all of us like or bother to read there self righteous dribble. Merry Christmas to all the tossers out there.
Cassandra says:

09:41am | 24/12/10

Zeta. Excellent. 10/10. FWIW, this gets my post of the year

Editors. Why not a once a week (or whatever) debating piece with Zeta in one corner, Eric in the other? Seriously. Even if they both agree, who cares. It’d be a drawcard. Potentially very amusing whether for the wit or the “reasoned sensibility” of it.

Would you be up for it folks?

@AnthonyG. Why so serious?

Happy Christmas everyone

I
- Nameste Miles Heffernan says:
  
  01:41pm | 23/12/10
  
  My Tarot card reader told me this would happen. I am so hurt by this cheating, when I take my powerband back, buy my magnet blanket, I am then going to vent at my spiritual healer about why there is just not more love. Man.
  
  Reply
- Eskimo says:
  
  01:48pm | 23/12/10
  
  Next you will be saying astrology isn’t real.
  
  Reply
- john says:
  
  02:05pm | 23/12/10
  
  Thanks to life dishing out a sum of experiences that created a hardcore cynic & skeptic, with a twist of perhaps, I went out and bought one of these things so I can change and be a better positive person so I could be proved wrong for once, that its OK to trust again.
  
  I went out and bought one of these power balance wrist bands and decided to see for myself if it works, so I placed one on my penis and one on my wrist, I can report it did help me focus and perform better. Initially I felt silly, I learned to relax with feeling and looking like an idiot & doing it on in front of the mirror.
  
  However it took a turn for the worst when I realised it was all in the mind and I was taken for a ride once again. I am happy to report I’m back to normal being a skeptic & cynic. The bands now have a happy home as decrations on the Xmas tree.
  
  Reply
- Dave-o says:
  
  02:12pm | 23/12/10
  
  Brendan Fevola was one of the first players to get one and he is the least balanced person I know.
  
  Now excuse me, my Brock Falcon needs an energy polarizer service.
  
  Reply
Pleasure O'Reilly says:

02:30pm | 23/12/10

I was hoping someone would remember that one. That was particularly special because it had CRYSTALS in it which we all know, make cars more economical to run, while making them go faster too. Amazing. Brock Falcon *snigger*
A Bob says:

04:22pm | 23/12/10

It was a Brock Holden , not a Falcon. What’s more, you could let the air out of your tyres and the car would handle better if it had one of his devices installed.
- bec says:
  
  02:41pm | 23/12/10
  
  Some of the students at my school are in the habit of buying a box of 100 of them in Bali during their school holidays. This sets them back $200. They then sell these on at school and various kid hang-outs for $10 each. They usually sell out of these within a month or two of returning from their holiday.
  
  Despite what their school marks might be, these kids are damn smart.
  
  Reply
- Eric says:
  
  02:49pm | 23/12/10
  
  Ooooo ... shiny!
  
  *buys*
  
  Reply
fairsfair says:

03:43pm | 23/12/10

you sexist pig!

Sorry Eric, couldn’t help myself, wanted to make things seem normal for you. Merry Christmas!
Eric says:

03:56pm | 23/12/10

Hahahahaha!

Thanks, fairsfair, I feel better now.

Merry Christmas to you too!
- Amy Sturt says:
  
  03:09pm | 23/12/10
  
  After having to tell so many teenage boys to take the bands off because they are banned in local competition, I took to saying this at the beginning of the match, worked every single time. “Fellas, wearing a ‘Powerband’ indicates that you feel uneasy about your stamina. No one will ever find that to be an attractive quality.” These bands are popular because they pray on the insecurities of teenage boys and sports stars who suffer from issues with supersition. Play on the same insecurity and they will take them right off…
  
  Reply
- guy lee hanlon says:
  
  03:43pm | 23/12/10
  
  Holograms are better than christmas cards from Christmas island
  
  Reply
- Ben Woolven says:
  
  05:29pm | 23/12/10
  
  Evil government indeed. The dangers of their progressive invasion of the private realm represent a far greater danger than a elastic band that fleeces the occasional bogan of $30. People need to take some responsibility for their actions. Let the buyer beware. If you are stupid enough to buy a hologram bracelet to boost your performance you deserve exactly what you get. This never would have happened under John Howard.
  
  Reply
- majid says:
  
  06:46pm | 23/12/10
  
  By the way, I’ve heard that a specific brand of shoes makes run much faster!!!!
  
  Reply
- Noddy says:
  
  07:06pm | 23/12/10
  
  10 million percent?? Seriously people, start reading more books or at least turn the TV off once in a while. What next, selling ice to eskimos? Selling water to first world countries who can get it out of the tap for free? How dumb are people?
  
  Reply
- thatmosis says:
  
  04:26am | 24/12/10
  
  I’ll bet the same people that buy these items also voted Labor?greens at the last election and look how well thats working,not. By the way i have this bridge in Sydney, going real cheap…..........
  
  Reply
- GaryQ says:
  
  08:10am | 24/12/10
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRuNxHqwazs
  
  Reply
- Colleen A says:
  
  08:42am | 24/12/10
  
  I’m trying my own version today with my “I survived the EDGE” yellow plastic bracelet (compliments of Eureka Tower). I figure it has about as many ‘medicinal’ properties as a powerband
  
  Reply
- Cassandra says:
  
  09:44am | 24/12/10
  
  BTW that photo is a classic candidate for a captioning competition. Any suggestions?
  
  Reply
- Fred Firth says:
  
  02:45pm | 24/12/10
  
  By Their Power Balance hologram wristbands We Shall Know Them.
  
  IMHO, the promoters big mistake was to bow to pressure from the ACCC who are known plastic wrist band sceptics. Everyone knows the ACCC is in the pocket of “Big Rubber”
  
  If only the makers had donated a few thousand Power Balance wrist bands to the climate scientists at Cancun and Copenhagen. They could have dropped the word “balance” and changed the name to Power hologram wrist band. I bet that before the climate change conference was over, the plastic hologram wrist-band science debate would be decided. If the price was right there could even be a consensus.
  
  Just think of the opportunities for new market channels, After finding a word, similar to anthropogenic, to make the wrist bands sound super scientific, (hologram is a bit 1970’s), Climate Change minister, Greg Combet, could set-up a Power Hologram Wrist-Band Committee to spearhead an Aussie, Low-Carbon Power Hologram (insert super scientific word here) Wrist Band Legislation Commission.
  
  The , Low-Carbon Power Hologram (insert super scientific word similar to anthropogenic here) Wrist-Band Legislation Commission, the day after consuming their hundred million dollar allocated budget, move to elevate Greg Combet’s decision for Wrist-Band legislation to the status of Community Consensus decision, to make a Low Carbon Hologram version mandatory wear under a new billion dollar Power Hologram Wrist Band Scheme called The PHWBS. Makes one’s lips tremble doesn’t it.
  
  If “Big Rubber” and their supporters hold back progress, it may cost another hundred million or more to change the words Community Consensus to Multilateral Community Consensus.
  If that didn’t work, we could use the “big gun” Multi-Party Community Consensus but it is very expensive and anyway, the Multi-Party Community Consensus is being used at the moment to elevate Greg Combet’s and Malcolm Turnbull’s decision to bankrupt Australia with an Emissions Trading Scheme.
  
  Of course another commission would need to be set-up to find ways of keeping “cowboys” out. (should that be cow persons?) but that should cost less than a hundred million dollars and will be a bargain compared with the five hundred million dollars being spent to shut-up the people who are being electrocuted or having their homes burnt down because of insulation made from shiny glad-wrap.
  
  Just think of the benefits. Now that most of the smokers have starved to death or committed suicide, the Low Carbon Power (new fancy word) Hologram Wrist Band deniers would be easy to single out for marginalisation by their bare wrists.
  To protect the “bare wristers” from hate crimes, the new Carbon Cops could, in the middle of the night, take them (for their own protection from the mob) to one of the new Building Education Revolution halls, where they can be re-educated, before the kid’s morning lessons start, or if that fails, lobotomised. Most of the Power Balance Wrist-Band deniers I have met, said they would actually prefer the second option.
  
  If only these wrist band promoters had called in a Nobel Prize winning science expert like Al Gore, Power Balance Hologram Wrist-Band science could be guiding mankind (oops people-kind) to a better future.
  Instead we are going back to the bad old days of Elements, Relativity, DNA and all the other old stuff with easy to pronounce words.
  
  Fred Firth
  
  Reply
- Seano says:
  
  07:12am | 25/12/10
  
  Great work from the ACCC.
  
  Now can the they work on “psychics” and their false advertising? “Know the future” “psychics” claim! Bollocks! The only thing a “psychic” could tell you about the future is how much they’re likely to lift from your wallet for their bogus services.
  
  After “psychics” they should quickly move on to homeopathy.
  
  Reply
- Iam Havinachundah says:
  
  08:05am | 27/12/10
  
  You people are all so wrong….....Ricky Ponting and his team did NOT wear them on Boxing Day. I am 30million% positive that if they went out to do it again…but this time wearing their Power Bands…..they would easily pass their measly 98 runs….maybe even DOUBLE the score!! That would prove they work and silence all you cynics!!
  
  Reply
Seano says:

02:45pm | 27/12/10

If you’re joking, good one! If you’re not, seek help.
- UFO believer says:
  
  10:36am | 27/12/10
  
  I love these bands, they’ve turned all my clothes into hyper colour wonders!
  
  Reply

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