Bottomline Books........Buyer Beware.

Ok, I admit it. I finally fell for the tv ad and the mail ads touting this fabulous book that offered cures for everything imaginable. You know, those two sisters on the imfomercial who seem so cute and funny who've done all this research and come up with all these home remedies for what ails ya? The book that costs only $39.95 and if you don't like it, you can send it back and owe nothing? I took the bait and ordered it.

A week or two later, the book arrived and it came as promised with all the little free side goodies. Problem was, the book did not contain only researched material, but was full of "We didn't try this cure for "whosawhatchamacallit", but it might work". Say what? " This might work " is the result of years of careful research? But when they actually quoted a so called "gem therapist", I knew the book supposedly full of wonderful cures was a complete crock. Trust me, I dig gemstones as much as any woman and I'm all for natural remedies, but I do not believe amethysts or any other rocks channel cosmic healing powers to the wearer. As for the free side goodies? Worth almost as much as the paper they're printed on. The old axion still applies. Free is generally worth what you pay for it.

Oh, btw, you can send the book back and "owe nothing", but they make it as difficult as possible to do so. I searched through all the paperwork for the instructions on how to return the book and found NOTHING definitive. Only after scrutinizing the invoice did I finally find an address in small type on the bottom of the form for "sending packages". And, yes, if you order one of these books and decide you don't want it, you're stuck with the return shipping costs. Granted, media rate isn't a lot compared to standard postage, but who needs to make a special trip to the post office at the price of gas right now? Intentional? Oh, you best believe it. They want you to pay for this book even if it means you only do so to avoid spoiling your credit rating.

Lesson learned? Just don't. Not even if Hugh Downs is on the imformercial. Anything that you sense is being over-hyped IS being overhyped.