Naturally, I wandered over to eBay to see if Focus Factor was selling and, no surprise, sales were brisk – they always are when any product is promoted on radio or TV. There weren't many auctions but sales were strong for the few auctions listed.

So, on to the World Wide Web to check out the product itself by going to google and typing in “focus factor”. Whew, what an education ...

Entry #1 is from ConsumerAffairs.com where I see a grisly collection of complaints from consumers who have endured rudeness, lies and unauthorized credit card charges from Vital Basics, the sellers of Focus Factor pills.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/nutrition/vital.html

Listed at #2 is the Wellness Letter from the University of California at Berkeley, which states that:

* Focus Factor is a cocktail of 40 ingredients, half of which are found in any basic multivitamin/mineral pill
* “Nothing in Focus Factor, which might well be called Hocus Pocus Factor, is new.”
* “The best thing to do about Focus Factor is forget it.”

http://www.berkeleywellness.com/html/ds/dsFocusFactor.php

#3 in google is a story from the FTC website that Vital Basics has been charged with false advertising claims, resulting in an agreement to pay a $1 million fine. It goes on to say, “The VBI respondents have agreed to a consent order containing provisions designed to prevent them from engaging in similar acts or practices in the future” - which is interesting since I heard this radio commercial only two days ago, seemingly making the same claims that resulted in the large fine!

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/03/vitalbasics.htm

Clearly, Focus Factor is a product I wish to avoid. When the Internet began it was as an information medium, and that is exactly how it functioned in this case. So, thank you WWW. In spite of all the problems, you are a great and mighty force for good in our culture.