CAVEAT EMPTOR: Let the BOUNCER Beware

First off, let me say that I'm *totally* happy with the bouncer we bought for the kids, which I discussed in my previous post. Because they love it. (If you didn't read that post yet, I give you permission to abandon this one to go read that one first.)

Now, having said that, let me point out that MANY COMPANIES CAN'T BE TRUSTED. I believe that it has something to do with the fact that they want you to buy their stuff.

Let me explain.

After I set up the bouncer while the kids were away, I went to the source of all information, the internet. I wanted to see if people had comments or concerns about the product.

What I did find was somewhat interesting.

Allow me to point out that when I purchased the bouncer, I was impressed with the photo of the item that was on the box. It looked pretty cool, and pretty fun.

However, I found some of the same pictures on the internet... but it turns out that they aren't *quite* the same.

Check this out. Here's a photo of the box that the bouncer came in:



Oh, you can't see it in the picture I took, but on one of the other sides of the box, there's a big sticker that says "NEW AND IMPROVED!!" (which itself is a contradiction, but let's not go there...).

Now, let's compare that picture on the box to some of the pictures I found on the internet, which I've come to believe were *earlier* promotional photos for this product:



This picture above, let's call it "a REAL photograph". Which is what it seems to be.

Let's call this next picture, "The Amazing Shrinking Bouncers." Because EVERY ONE of the people in this picture, the kids as well as the adult, have shrunk! Suddenly, the bouncer looks HUGE!! Oh, and they changed the trees in the background. Maybe people are offended by certain varieties of foliage? Who knows?



For comparison purposes, I laid these two side-by-side, adjusted so that the bouncer size is consistent:



Nice, eh? Why let a product stand on its own merits, when embellishing it works so much better?

In fact, did you notice that all these pictures I found have MORE kids in them than the picture on the actual box? Perhaps that's because the documentation recommends that a maximum of three kids play on the bouncer at the same time. Their photos, however, showed FIVE kids! They must have had a "whoops!" moment with that one.

Now, before anybody gets irritated by these blatant attempts to deceive a potential buyer, let me point out that this disclaimer appears on the box, in really tiny text of course:

"Contents and specifications may vary from those illustrated."

Whew. Well, NOW I feel better! See? I'm not SUPPOSED to use the image on the box to actually tell me what the product is like! That's just to make me want to BUY it!

Aargh.