Ad Alert

Safe Step Walk-In Bathtubs

Prepare to have your bubble burst if you think this bathtub can treat all it says it can.

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Ad Alert

Safe Step Walk-In Bathtubs

You’ve heard of magic beans. Now get ready for magic bubbles.

In the TV commercial above, Safe Step claims that its walk-in bathtubs, which it markets to senior citizens and the mobility impaired, feature a “dual hydrotherapy system” that spawns “bubbles so small they can penetrate pores.”

That caught the attention of a TINA.org reader who, after seeing the ad, had a Safe Step salesman come to his house for an estimate. The salesman took the ad a step further, claiming that the small bubbles not only penetrate pores but also “remove toxins that build up in the body,” the reader said. This struck the reader, who claimed to have a degree in chemistry, as “non-scientific.”

TINA.org followed up on the reader’s complaint by checking out Safe Step’s website. On a webpage titled “Therapeutic Advantages,” the company touted its walk-in tubs for a range of conditions, from colds and headaches to diabetes and insomnia. But Safe Step did not provide any supporting scientific evidence on its website.

TINA.org found another marketing bubble that burst upon closer review on the company’s homepage, which displayed the logo of the National Council on Aging (NCOA) under the words “It’s Safe to Say We’re Trusted. View Our Accreditation & Partners.” TINA.org called NCOA and a spokesperson said Safe Step has “no affiliation whatsoever” with the council.

The spokesperson said NCOA only accredits senior centers and that he would be contacting Safe Step to let them know the logo is in need of a good scrubbing.

Safe Step did not respond to TINA.org’s request for comment. Check back for updates.

UPDATE 11/3/16: The NCOA logo has been removed from the Safe Step homepage at the request of the council, the NCOA spokesperson said.

Find more of our coverage on ads that target seniors here.


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