Outrageous prices on "money saving" devices

[Flatland2D]

Why is it that every site that sells essentially a hydrogen generetor via electrolysis charges so much for their little contraption? So far it seems the going price for one of these things is about $500 to start, plus other "money saving" upgrades (that you of course have to pay more for). I don't mean to offend the people producing these hydro-boosters, but somebody isn't adding up the numbers right. It would take <i>at least</i> a year's worth of driving to pay for the unit assuming you're an average driver. If you want to think of it as an investment, you won't be seeing any return on it for at least that long. This is not an appealing picture to the consumer. You're in the hole for a long time. I think the producers are really quenching the demand for such a device by charging so much for it. They need to understand consumer utility and how much people are willing to pay for something like this. I think it's possible that one could make good money selling fuel saving devices that the average person could install, but no one has stepped into that market because they are afraid their profits will drop if they don't sell them for as much. I think someone selling a hydro-boost unit at no more than double the money put into it would easily own the market. eBay would be a perfect place to get started with some <i>affordable</i>.

Here's something to think about. The people producing these products are trying to save you from being ripped off by the big oil companies and rising gas prices. But aren't they just as guilty for charging such ridiculous prices for relatively simple devices? Even The Condensator, a professionally made PCV jar costs $200! I made one for at least 1/10th of that. Imagine their profit margin.

The number one reason most of us are here is to save money. Sure there's other reasons like enjoying hands on work, conducting meaningful research, or saving the environment, but mostly we just want to save money. That's the number one thing that goes through my head when thinking about a new idea. Is it practical from a monetary standpoint? Will it take more than a few months of driving just to break even?

Will these producers ever step out of the box and competitively price their unit at a fraction of their competition?

That's my rant for the day. Am I crazy, or does anyone agree with me?

[Matt Timion]

I agree...

This is one of the main motivations behind this website. I wanted a place that the average person could go to and see for themselves what the benefit would be of certain devices, or how to build their own for very cheap. I am considering selling kits for many of these devices (PCV catch can, vacuum switch to kill AC when accelerating, etc.) for a very small market. hell, if I charge $40 for a PCV catch can made from Home Depot parts I'm pretty convinced that I could sell a few a day.

back to the point.

With these devices, there is a certain ambiguity invovled that most people fall for. It's a car, it's a big mean machine, and it scares people. Even some of the racers I chat with on other websites (who you'd assume know just about everything there is to know about cars) get scared when it comes to their engines. A lot of them are afraid to do an engine swap, or change a clutch. I figure if guys who have cars as a hobby are afraid to do some of this stuff, how much more afraid will everyday people be of this stuff?

The sellers of these products are just doing what every other business has done in the past. They are taking advantage of people and letting greed rule them.

So basically, I understand your frustration :)

[Flatland2D]

Well I certainly hope this site grows and spreads the word about this stuff. I understand most people are afraid of everything under their hood. That's the point in producing devices simple enough the average person could do it. Sure you could heat your fuel lines to 700 degrees with a very elaborate setup, but who in their right mind is going to do that?

I think they are trying to take advantage of people, but they are just hurting themselves more buy not selling low enough to sell more units and generate more revenue. Sounds like these people need a few classes in economics. But hey, I've never seen their sales reports and maybe they are selling 10 units a day at that price. I just can't imagine that happening though.

Eh, it's not really frustration, just a realization I had today. There's nothing special about what these people make. Why should people be paying so much to run electricity through water? I bet most people don't understand how simple it is to do this. Sellers can add all the technical jargon to further confuse the buyer. Make it sound like you need a degree in chemistry just to engineer something like this. All it basically is is water and a battery.

Maybe someday I or someone here will create the hydro-boost device that surpasses them all and give the plans away for free or sell the completed units at a reasonable price.