Australian authorities say the California-based company behind the wildly popular wristbands and pendants “Power Balance” has no business claiming that they improve balance, strength and flexibility.And they have even got Power Balance to admit it.
The company released a statement saying; “We admit that there is no credible scientific evidence that supports our claims”, and "we have also agreed to give refunds to customers who believe they were cheated".
The company’s admission has now hopped across the globe since its agreement with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission was announced on December 22, and critics railed against the company on Twitter and those who had believed in the bracelet’s power.
It was an answer sought by many who had seen the advertisements and wondered if the colourful silicon bands actually worked.
The company began selling bracelets in 2007 embedded with holograms that were purportedly designed to interact with the body’s natural energy flow.
Since then, the colourful wristbands, have become omnipresent, donned by Los Angeles Lakers’ Lamar Odom, English soccer star David Beckham and many others.
Certified athletic trainer Ralph Reiff said of the bands, “I couldn’t look in the mirror and 100 percent say it’s a product I can put my brand reputation behind”.
Reiff said he believes there’s no reason to think the wristbands could produce a biological benefit, and that any benefit is purely psychological.
“It’s just like a pair of lucky socks”, Reiff said. “It’s a lucky charm, and if you believe in it, then it’s excellent”.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission took action after an independent review panel in September found that the Power Balance claims were misleading and breached the therapeutic goods advertising code.
The Therapeutic Goods Complaints Resolution Panel demanded that Power Balance drop claims from its website that the bands improved flexibility, balance and strength.
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