Beware the Wear and Tear
It is sure tempting to save a few bucks by buying a product that is mass produced and widely distributed, but, is it worth it?
If a consumer were to purchase a piece of equipment and use it occasionally in their home then the product may hold up for some time. However, If the consumer is serious about using the vibration trainer on a regular basis than he/she should consider the phrase ” you get what you pay for”.
This Power Plate Machine was used in a commercial setting for three weeks. The wear and tear is quite evident.
- The buttons started to cave in.
- The Anti- skid surface on the bottom plate was wearing off.
- The overall appearance of the machine looked old.
Of course this machine was used commercially and not in the home so accelerated wear and tear would be expected. However, this amount of damage was done in just three weeks. I imagine that under normal conditions ( the machine being used about once a day) this type of machine might last six months before it begins to exhibit similar damage.
In conclusion, we have all been tempted when making a purchase to save a few dollars and buy a mass produced product that in most cases has been advertised extensively, but we may need to stop and consider what we are actually getting for our money.
137 Comments
- John Weatherly
June 16th, 2008I just can’t understand why companies such as Power Plate in this example behave this way? Don’t they realize that it will (in the long-term) be their undoing? I guess is just must be greed etc. in the short-term that overrides any long-term thinking. And to think about the total lack of ethics of these types of people - how they cover it up etc. - eventually it will come back and bite them.
I mentioned the article above on a thread under the golf section on the forum at http://www.coreperformance.com about Power Plate. Nobody at Athletes’ Performance (who runs coreperformance.com) will ever respond to any questions about Power Plate’s ethics. Is this because Athletes’Performance (who trains some of the top athletes in the world) and Power Plate are “partners?” It’s very hard to get any type of true objective information when you have an inherent conflict of interest about what is said. Yet, Athletes’ Performance has even put Power Plate in a new lay book on Golf that Mark Verstegen wrote. It really makes me wonder? And NOBODY answers anything! If there’s nothing to hide - why not answer?
You are right, some people will not be in this industry long term , they understand this and hence act accordingly. With the zero responsability we see from most marketers.
Those who partner with these people now , who will want our help or access to real sports units in the future will not get it. And I for one will be very public about why .
So dont worry , what goes around comes around.
- John Weatherly
June 19th, 2008They will be adding one person to answer questions about Power Plate on the forum at http://www.coreperformance.com according to Ace B who helps oversee the site. This should be interesting. At least Athletes’ Performance seems to be listening and trying to address these issues. You have to give them credit for that.
That is good news , but I suspect they will be saying “no comment” more often than anything else.
You start with a question as you are less threatening than me , and I will jump in.
I put up a question that goes right to the heart of the matter.
http://www.coreperformance.com/cpBoard/showthread.php?p=5744#post5744
- Tim
June 20th, 2008Well done, Lloyd! Can´t wait to see their reply.
- John Weatherly
June 20th, 2008Yes, this is interesting. I can’t wait to see what Athletes’ Performance says about Power Plate on their site http://www.coreperformance.com in response to Lloyd’s question!
- Tim
June 26th, 2008Still no reply. Business as usual.
- John Weatherly
June 26th, 2008Yes, it’s been a week now and we still haven’t heard a peep from Athletes’ Performance. According to Ace, one person in particular will be answering questions about Power Plate/vibration at http://www.coreperformance.com. I wonder who this “expert” is?
I’d like to see Lloyd answer the questions for Athletes’ Performance. Who do they have that knows more than he does? On old vibration threads that were shut down on this site Lloyd “busted” Athletes’ Performance personnel talking out out their rear ends about hormonal responses etc. As Lloyd correctly pointed out, the ONE study showing large increases in GH, incresed T, and decreased cortisol on athletic subjects was done by Bosco et al. on Nemes and not on Power Plate. I could go on….. Anyway, Athletes’ Performance closed the threads. But, other threads on Power Plate/vibration popped up. So, there must be people at http://www.coreperformance.com that are either interested in vibration or “smellled a rat” and started new threads. Neither Lloyd or myself started any of the vibration or Power Plate threads that have appeared at http://www.coreperformance.com (4 or 5 total) and these threads always seem to get a lot of views. Yet, Athletes’ Performance shut down two of them apparently to save face when Lloyd “busted” them!
I suspect they may do something similar with a “relaunch” of the site that they are planning. We’ll see. Is Athletes’ Performance the real deal or will they avoid touching this one again and keep conducting “business as usual?”
And its not like they can say its all in the past , Power Plate have just been caught , claiming their machines to be Class 1 medical devices , only one problem…..
Both KEMA and TUV the organizations responsable for such listings say a Vibration platform has to be a class 2A , class 1 is only for low risk medical device like plasters and bandages.
It is obvious Power Plate are bending the truth again to fool the consumer.
Truly earning the title as the most unethical company our industry has witnessed.
- elizabeth connolly
June 27th, 2008I am looking for a high quality professional WBV machine for my studio and am very confused about what to get . From i have read lineal machine’s are best made of steel . Can you please advise on the various company’s that produces quality goods and also do you feel accessories will be needed to benefit my clients
To help to understand what are your choices , we first need to know what you need. Please make sure you read the articles on what units do what so we are speaking the same terms.
http://www.vibrationtraining.net/beginners-guide-to-vibration-training
(1) You said Pro but then mentioned a studio , studios tend to go for commercail units now they are available.
(2) Do you need training or support or both ?
(3) Where are you ?
I can say that if you have decent units and programs your customers dont need accessories.
- elizabeth connolly
June 27th, 2008Hi , i have a yoga studio which is used by advanced yoga teachers , so maybe it is a commercial unit i need .
Yes i will need training and support .
I am i Penzance, Cornwall ,UK
Hi Elizabeth, Do drop me a line: nick@pineapple.la - we have developed a unit the size of a large yoga mat, that is strongly used by the Yoga community in Los Angeles.
Yes , Elizabeth,
Nicks advice is not just a sales pitch, they have units designed especially for Yoga/Pilates to be performed on, increasing the effectiveness of any pose . I personally think that his systems are under-utilized at present due to the lack of understanding and comparision to other products.
The commercial vibration training units are strictly for king exercise poses to fatigue.
Caution…
Some companies put people in Yoga poses for advertising purposes , but most are unsafe to do those actual poses on.
- elizabeth
June 27th, 2008Hi Lloyd ,
Thanks’ for the advice . the will be doing yoga on the mat NOT on the machine , bodytone ,strength , building weak areas of the body is what is wanted also the cubby one’s want to reduce the fat, injury’s such as back , neck hip’s etc .
What made me so interested in these machine’s is meeting up with a friend who got all the above benefits doing king exercise poses over a 4 months period who now has a great practice and uses the machine to support her practice . She used a very expensive WVB made in China There are only 2 proper retail commercail Vibration Training machines on the market at present. HyperGravity and Evolution ( new VibroGym which is to release soon we hope ), Mine is commercail but an overkill for your situation.
QualityVibes runs a business around the sale of the machine, initial training on site ,5 yrs warranty , 5 yrs Q&A backup , for a set fee built into the sale price. Which is the kind of deal I think will be big in the future for small businesses.
Note: The Chinese dont make these systems yet , so it was probably a “Pro” unit your friend has , they are building some larger units that look nice out of fibraglass but they are lacking the upper functions needed to run a business, for any length of time that is. More like big therapy pads really.
- elizabeth
June 29th, 2008Hi Lloyd , Both Josh Hayon from Hypergravity and Nick Morris from Pineapple have got back to me and i will look into Evolution’s Vibrogym . QualityVibes in NZ sound great but are too far away for me in the UK . Do you know of any support and training in the UK ? . I have been reading all comments put on this site which i have found so informative . Thank you
I know VibroGym will give some training with the sale of its machines , but I dont know about ongoing support.
I spoke to Kevin-Barklay web last night and he sees the merit in it for businesses, so hopefully they start up the full package at some stage too.
Hi Elizabeth,
We are currently helping others in the UK and sending a trainer there very soon. If you wish you can contact me via Quality-Vibes web site for more details.
Regards
Mike- Philippa
June 29th, 2008Hi Elizabeth
Don’t know when you are intending to move forward on this but I am hoping to get some Hypergravity machines imported into the UK (from Quality Vibes hopefully!) If I do you would be welcome to come and have a try of them. I am near Bedford (about 40 miles North of London) Have you tried the Vibrogyms? I had someone come out to give me a demo - they were very good but are expensive compared to Hypergravity and I have to say not nearly as sexy looking!! If you girls get your heads together and do something at a similar time , you may find you can sqeeze Mike for a discount regarding the training fee. He will save on an air fair from N.Z. at least.
Just a thought.
- elizabeth
June 30th, 2008Hi Phillippa,
I have just sent e-mail to Mike Hair ,when are you putting your order in .
Elizabeth - elizabeth
June 30th, 2008Great idea Lloyd ,THANKS
- Philippa
June 30th, 2008Hi Elizabeth Not sure yet - am hoping to to know by the end of the week - when are you looking at? Are we allowed to give out emails on this site?
As long as you dont mind , we dont mind.
- elizabeth
June 30th, 2008Hi Phillippa,
I would like to order soon ,
my e-mail is yogafarm@yahoo.co.uk - John Weatherly
June 30th, 2008There are now 9 simple rules for http://www.coreperformance.com. See the performance section of the forum for this thread started by Ace. I wonder why this wasn’t done a long time ago? Is it a way to avoid answering questions about vibration and/or Power Plate?
John………
Its too late , the cats out of the bag and people know the question has been asked. Because of their profile they will be in a awkward position when the bigger performance machines are released and they are not involved.
I of course will be quite vocal as to why they are shut out.
- John Weatherly
July 5th, 2008Well, it’s over three weeks since Lloyd’s post on http://www.coreperformance.com on the golf section about Power Plate. We have yet to hear a “peep” out of Athletes’ Performance.
- Dawn
July 7th, 2008You should be ashamed for misrepresenting the truth when in fact you’re simply trying to market your own machine by taking shots at other equipment. I’ve seen multiple examples of Power Plates in commercial settings with far less wear and tear after five years of use!!! It is not possible to create that wear and tear in 3 weeks, even if it was used 24 hours a day.
If you want some feedback on golf and Power Plate, why not talk with Titleist Performance Institute who uses the equipment, and is actually doing research with it?
Again, facts and performance speak for themselves, and those who use this equipment know the truth.
- John Weatherly
July 7th, 2008Yes,facts do speak for themselves. It’s a fact that Athletes’ Performance personnel were shamelessly promoting Power Plate and misrepresenting facts on two threads that were shut down on http://www.coreperformance.com. Is talking about hormonal responses such as increased GH, T, and decreased cortisol from ONE STUDY by Bosco et al. that was done on NEMES (and not Power Plate) - and giving people the impression that it was done on Power Plate factual? Is using the name of Dr. Marco Cardinale in 2007 as a scientist on an advisory board for Power Plate ethical when Cardinale doesn’t have anything to do with Power Plate? I could go on and on…..
And why won’t Athletes’ Performance answer Lloyd’s questions on the forum at http://www.coreperformance.com? What’s to hide? Lloyd has stated Power Plate has tried to sue him (unsuccessfully) because he speaks the TRUTH. Where is the response from Power Plate and Athletes’ Performance? If Lloyd is a crock, you’d sure think they’d jump on the opportunity they have right now by responding to his questions. And “no response!”
- Tim
July 7th, 2008I am now in a position to compare Power Plate and VibroGym, so I know the truth. Whoa! Big difference! Out goes the plastic one!
Dawn, you need to read the other articles and replies about PowerPlate. They have admitted to lying about the place of manufacture and the componentry of their machines. And there’s much more!
I’ve tried their machines twice and then others to compare. I really didn’t like them. Later I looked into buying a PowerPlate branded business (and was going to immediately add in some other brand machines), decided not to for various reasons, one being that the machines and the program that was being used were way below the standards I’d become accustomed to just as a regular user of Vibration machines.
Dawn…
I am PROUD I turned down their money to keep quite , where others opened their palms , so it is not me who should be ashamed.
Those photos are real and testomony from another Power Plate employee was used to back it up . I can also get you in touch with Jakob the employee who had to fix all the machines as well if you really want.
But I suspect you do not want to know the truth about Power Plate as it will only make you feel bad for promoting them.
Dawn….
Since you obviously are on the side of the truth , answer this simple question.
Do you think Power plate are honest ?
If you say yes , and we manage to prove on here they are not, will you change your mind ?
A perfect example of misleading statements made by Power Plate staff.
Dawn states in her own words….
“I’ve seen multiple examples of Power Plates in commercial settings with far less wear and tear after five years of use!!!”
The Chinese machines that fall apart were not released until mid 2004. So the machines she mentions must be the older steel European made Power Plate/VibroGym.
Just like the awards , endorsements , research , engineering tests etc… Power Plate love to pass forward other machines good reputations to their bad machine.
Can you spell UNETHICAL Dawn ?
- Fred Lehman
July 8th, 2008“However, this amount of damage was done in just three weeks. ( the machine being used about once a day)” -Lloyd
Lloyd,
I’m just an impartial onlooker that knows enough about this to realize that you have a personal issue with Power Plate and that is between you and them…but if we agree with the quote above, then you’re saying that a Power Plate should/could only last you 3 weeks’ worth of being used once a day so about 21 sessions…?? Lol…come on buddy. Let’s be real. I have seen those machines being used at my health club on a daily basis by many personal trainers and everyday users and do not show any wear and tear. This is after all supposed to be an impartial website, right? I think articles like this actually take away from the value that this website might provide to those looking to know a little more about vibration machines.
Oh, and spare me the Power Plate hating replies…I really dont care. I’m just adding a little balance with some simple facts.
- Wayne Campbell
July 8th, 2008Fred, ok accepting what you say is the truth, no reason to doubt your personal experiences regarding the machines.
What balance do you have to add regarding Power Plates unethical and downright dishonest business practices, both historical,ongoing and proven in courts of law.
May 29th, 2008
The fact a machine breaks is not the main concern , as all companies can have issues with quality at some stage. It is the unwillingness to face up to the probelem and fix it that gives our industry a bad name .
Power Plate did their best to cover up the issue of faulty products and even tried legal means to shut people up or accused them of mistreating the machines.
When the machines were also shown to not operate to full function by an engineer , they then accused people of tampering with the units.
No apology was ever given when it was found out the product was indeed so under-rated and of low quality they pulled the factory down.