5 Second Fix

It’s not unusual for marketers to go a little overboard with exclamation points when pitching their product (and who among us hasn’t emailed or texted “thanks!” when we really weren’t that enthused). But the website for 5 Second Fix, a pocket-sized welding tool that uses a UV light to bond materials, takes it to another level. The site is awash in exclamation points, 28 to be exact, which are affixed to statements such as these:

• Fix, fill, repair and seal virtually anything in 5 seconds or less!
• Flawlessly bond everything from plastic to metal to split wood and broken glass!
• Bonds strong enough to pull a truck!

But a recent class-action lawsuit suggests that the question mark, not the exclamation point, might be a more suitable form of punctuation for these claims. It alleges that 5 Second Fix, a best-selling As Seen on TV product, fails to live up to its advertising:

Due to poor manufacturing and/or design, (5 Second Fix) is little more than an ineffective plastic compound that does not perform as advertised, yet sells at a premium over conventional super glues that provide superior performance.

The lawsuit points to negative reviews on Amazon where half of all customer reviews rate the product one out of five stars. Wrote one consumer (more exclamation points in 3…2…1…):

This does not last! I purchased it to fix a ring and it has come apart at least three times since ‘repairing’ with the 5 second fix. Also the tube of polymer was leaking when I removed it from the packaging. I have tried it on other things and it Does not last! Just a mess!!

That was the “top critical review.” But even the “top positive review” notes that the bonding compound must be fully exposed to the UV light in order to dry and for the product to perform as advertised, adding that it is not the best option for certain repairs:

If you are trying to bond a broken object and the parts fit perfectly together? USE SUPER GLUE, because the UV light will not penetrate into the perfect joint and the material will not dry.

The product is also not recommended for surfaces that come in direct contact with food because 5 Second Fix has not been tested for food safety, according to the product’s FAQ page. Yet the site and a looped video on the site features the image of a repaired glass of wine.

In addition, when it comes to the price of 5 Second Fix, the site gives visitors the option to upgrade the two units in its “double offer” to “deluxe” models for $10 more per unit. But a customer service representative told TINA.org that, as of six months ago, the deluxe model is the only one sold on the site so there’s no need to upgrade and pay more than $19.99 for the double offer if you want that model. In fact, the upgrade only gets you accessories such as sanding pads, he said.

Finally, while the site advertises a “60-Day Money Back Guarantee,” customers are on the hook for return shipping, the cost of which is not disclosed in the site’s return policy. Consumers must also must pay a non-refundable “web service fee” of $1, according to the representative.

Add it all up and you may find yourself in a sticky situation with 5 Second Fix.

Find more of our coverage on adhesives here.