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2/10/2008 - Cyndi writes:
I bought the abdoer several years ago and was initially happy with the whole idea that it promised; working on your midsection and love handles in the comfort of your own home. I had twins in 1997 and gained a significant amnount of weight. I needed to do something to help me get back into shape. I used the abdoer faithfully and according ot the manufacturers directions. Then in 2001 I kept feeling significant weakness in my lower back, almost like I needed to crack my lower back. I would sit on the abdoer and perform the exercises as suggested. The thing was that I needed to repeat those movements on the abdoer and when I wouldn't do them I would feel strange. In either case, my back kept feeling increasingly weaker and I needed alot of time getting dressed in the morning, needing to sit in a tub for about an hour just ot be able to get out of the house in the morning. I was due to beging work in a day camp in the summer of 2001 and felt weakness in my left knee. I went ot a doctor who sent me for an MRI which showed a bulging disk. I went about my normal activities, working and taking care of my children. I would still have episodes of weakness and pain in my back, but I would just take extra time and try to go about my life. Last year, January 2007, my back tensed up after trying to get dressed. I then experienced the most horrible feelings of intense pain and couldn't move. I was out of work for 5 days and spent most of my time in bed, with a heating pad. I had a massage, accupuncture. I felt better and went to a neurologist. I thought I would lose my mind. I had been living like this for years and was concerned about never feeling better. (I hadn't had this pain before using the abdoer, that I was certain of.) The neurologist told me to take another MRI and said to see a physical therapist. I had been feeling a bit better since staying in bed and went back to work. I also went for the MRI. The following week I received a phone call from the neurologist as I was heading out of my office to accompany some children on a trip. The neurologist told me I needed to come into his office as soon as possible as I was at risk for paralysis and incontinence due to the problem in my lower back. I had herniation between the L4 andL5 disks. I told the doctor I would come in later that day or the next day. He kept calling me repeatedly throughout the day trying to get me to understand just how serious my situation was. I couldn't comprehend just what he was saying. I ended up coming into his office later that day. He showed me the latest MRI and it was so obvious that the disk was compromised. I needed surgery to repair the damage that had built up over the years. I had a very great surgeon, and the surgery (microdiscectomy) was done the next day. The physical therapist I saw some weeks after the surgery told me that the abdoer could have caused this as it is a very dangerous piece of equipment, it's design can weaken your lower back, and no one should be using it! You decide whether it is worth if for you to invest in this. I say to stay away from it!
1/21/2008 - Dan writes:
My cousin bought the Abdoer "system" from an infomercial she saw late night and after it arrived (5 full weeks later!) and my cousin had a chance to use it for about a week, I decided to try it at her home even though I had a feeling that it wouldn't perform as advertised (the typical 'pie-in-the-sky' promises of late-night TV!). After looking through the instruction booklet that came with the machine, I made sure to follow all instructions as to perform everything properly but as expected the machine was very flimsy, the side arms felt awkward and after the many crunch-movements I performed (per abdoer's instructions) I did not feel "it" in my abss as much as I usually do when doing regular crunches...in my opinion, this machine is a pure piece of junk! For one, it's one of the biggest myths in fitness that one can 'spot-reduce' (but like everyone else I chose to hope the abdoer might be different...how wrong!!)...that is why with these advertised machines, a reduced-calorie diet & cardio exercise is always included as pretty much a requirement (in very small print so people find it hard to notice on the screen!) and then the testimonial proclaims "I lost 5 inches from using abdoer" when in reality it was the diet & cardio!! thankfully I didn't spend my money on this product as I think they would be better spent at getting a rubber ball to work my abs on! My cousin's opinion of this junk of a machine is no better than mine...unfortunately, she couldn't return the package back to the company (even though it was within the money-back period!!) as all she heard when she called (30 times in one week!!!) was a machine recording! Please do yourself a favor and stay away from this product!!!
1/17/2008 - Ron writes:
I bought an original AbDoer Pro and enjoyed it. Have tried to order videos and other parts from []. After 4 months of trying disconnected phone numbers I finally got through to a service person through the updated website. According to the e-mail "Unfortunately, the fulfillment company we were using unexpectedly went out of <br />
business and we lost all our inventory. Thanks". Would it not be nice for them to let us know and stop taking orders?
10/24/2007 - Norma writes:
I purchased the abdoer from an infomercial. I have now been charged $250 for a $150 product with free shipping. The numbers on the website are no longer valid. I am stuck and my bank won't help because I have received no paperwork. I can't send it back because I have no number to get hold of anyone. I am frustrated. Do not buy this item.
10/9/2007 - Angela writes:
i brought the ab doer it did not show any results.they charge me to much plus they kept on hassleing me about ther payments and when i am going to send in my money.
8/3/2007 - Geoff writes:
Well, I would like to at least be able to say that I actually used the product and liked it or hated it, but I can't even get that far. I placed an order, received a fairly prompt notification that it had been shipped (complete with tracking number) and have been waiting ever since. Ab Doer tells me that a certain multi-billion dollar corporation has the order and it just hasn't entered their system; while the proven, efficient, multi-billion dollar, helpful, brown shipping corporation actually assured me that all they have received is the billing information, no physical parcel. So, I'm about to enter into my second week of not even being able to get the manufacturer to do anything more than blame a company that efficiently moves 240 packages a second or 15 million on an average day. Who do I trust, not Ab doer............
8/3/2007 - Leslie writes:
I have been trying to lose my flabby stomach for a long time and wanted to try a different approach than floor exercises. I had a choice to choose between the Ab-Doer and some other more popular product, and I chose the Ab-Doer because it seemed more structurally stable. I was DEAD wrong! The minute I started putting it together after I brought it home from the store, I realized I bought a piece of Shit. Not only did the handle bars move, but the so-called "back comfort" roller only hurt my back rather than soothe it. I returned it the next day, pissed. I should have known that any AB machine designed by a guy named "AB-DO" was probably gonna be ABsolutely ABsurd.
5/20/2007 - Ashley writes:
I begged my husband for the so called "ab'doer". The bars you put your arms on, never stayed in one position. Every time I used it, it seemed to only make my "love handles" hurt. It's a croc and I don't think anyone should waste their money on it! I have used it for about 3 months and I haven't seen any changes yet, besides being severely sore on my back from the roller. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY ON THIS PRODUCT!
4/15/2007 - Michelle writes:
I ordered & received the Abdoer. Opened the box, the foam sleeve on the arm was ripped up. After assembling the machine, the "moveable arms" would not rotate as described on the video. Initially, I emailed them from their website to get a replacement arm. No response, just emails to buy more accessories from Abdoer. After using the product for a few days, my spine was bruised as there is a design flaw--the unadjustable pads protrude out too far which makes exercising uncomfortable. I sent at least 4 additional email letters with no response. I telephoned at least 18 times over a week-long period. A recorded message played saying that all the lines were busy, call back later. It didn't matter when I called, the message always played, and there was no way to leave a message.I even called an order operator after seeing another infomercial...she gave me the phone number I'd been calling all week. Finally, I called my credit card company and told them that I would not pay for the Abdoer, giving them all the communication documentation. The credit card company contacted them with my complaints and it was removed from my statement. I still have the Abdoer as no one has contacted me with any return instructions. The item is made in China...that should tell you what a piece of sh*t it is. The customer service is non-responsive. What a scam.
4/5/2007 - Mike writes:
I tried the AB Doer Extreme and it is a peach of Sh*t. It's a chair which has handles that don’t stay in the position they are supposed to and you are supposed to move around with those. Beware Don’t buy!!!
3/3/2007 - Elliott writes:
My girlfriend ordered the Ab Doer a few months ago. Better name for it would be the Ab Don'ter. We tried it immediately upon recieving it, and we can echo some of the other negative comments that we've seen posted here. The ranges of motion offered by the device are not well- thought-out or adjustable enough, so that (at least for my body, 150lbs/5'10") it is physically impossible to lean forward or backward in the "correct" manner. The handlebars do not stay in the desired position once adjusted, and the back support "roller" does not adjust so as to be helpful or comfortable--I can actually see it being rather harmful if the machine is used for many workouts continuously. The machine does not hit all of the abdominal muscle areas equally or effectively--I didn't get any real oblique workout at all, which should be this machine's strength. And other other ab areas weren't noticeably sore the next day. I definitely feel that I excercised the machine through the full ranges of motion. Finally, the resistance offered by the machine is not adjustable, and in my opinion not really enough to justify using it--and I'm not exactly super-fit.
12/29/2006 - Jaleh writes:
Like many other consumers, I was suckered in by the infomercial promising "Free 30 day trial, even the shiopping is free". After a month, I noticed a $13.18 charge on my account. Turns out they had charged a "non-refundable Calfiornia sales tax" before the item was even shipped. The phone numbers listed on website were incorrect. When I finally reached someone, I was informed that per Abdoer policy, they charge a sales tax even before "free trial" and that orders can not be cancelled "once processed". I disputed the fee with my bank and refused the UPS delivery they attempted some 7 weeks after initial order. They couldn't explain how non-refundable sales taxe could be collected when no purchase has effectively been made, a free trial is supposed to be exactly that! Free trial to decide if one wants to Make a purchase! This company is running a fraud upon people.
Melanie writes:
The Ab-Doer looked like a great way to get the exercise of sit-ups, 360 degrees around one's midsection, without having to get on the floor. Since I have lower back problems, it looked great. I ordered it online, but not through Thane Fitness, so I have no complaints about my payments/ordering process. However, the device is nearly totally ineffectual. It assembles easily; however, the handlebars do not stay where they're bolted; the tightening knob that holds them in position loosens after only a few seconds of exercising, and the handlebars eventually fall down. You can actually feel some resistance moving from side to side, while trying to exercise obliques; but there's absolutely no resistance for exercising upper and lower abdominals. The tension spring in the product's spine that is intended to provide resistance provides very little in side-to-side movements, and virtually none for forward movements.
Emma writes:
I purchased the Ab-Doer after being sucked in by the infomercials claims of losing inches in weeks. I have a word for that, but it's not appropriate to write here, so I'll just use BULL! My abs were had the mildest of soreness the next day, and that vanished by noon! Needless to say I didn't lost a single bit off of my waistline, the little "spine massager" hurt my back more than helped it, and I paid well over a hundred dollars for a hunk of metal. Please don't buy this product! Traditional crunches and oblique work cost you nothing and are so much more beneficial!
Joe writes:
I paid around $100 for this product, and have to say it was money "waisted"! Yeah, I did feel resistance, however, it KILLED my lower back. Not so much a muscular problem as just it rubbed the skin off of it! I followed the regimen faithfully for 6 months and did NOT notice any results, and would have kept at it longer but the spring broke on the hunk of JUNK!
Robert writes:
I ordered this filth because I wanted to get rid of the spare tire around my midsection. Instead, after using it for several weeks, I began to develop chronic lower back pain. I went to my chiropractor with this miserable product and he told me that the design was improper and thus was conducive to spine damage!!!! I raced to get an MRI and was told my spine was indeed strained but without any serious damage. I called the 800 number and was put on hold for 45 minutes and was unable to get anybody on the phone to address my concern. I called again and ranted and raved until some man came on the phone and said I was wrong and perhaps I used the product incorrectly. I told him I followed the instructions (as I did) and that this product was garbage and that I wanted my money back. He hung up on me!!! After that I called time and time again and was told that the money back was a special offer and that I no longer qualified for it. So, as you all can see, this Ab Doer is absolute trash and should be used to knock these scammers over the head. Ironically, the anger and frustration I went through with this crap actually helped me to lose like 15 pounds.
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