MicroForce Electric Razor – A Marketing Review

Just when you think that a certain product is gone from the marketplace, a TV commercial brings it back to life.

That was my impression when I recently saw another commercial for the MicroForce, a small and dirt cheap electric razor that supposedly gives you “a close, comfortable shave.”  By watching the commercial, this little razor is the greatest thing to happen to grooming facial hair.

But when I watch the commercial, a different impression comes to me.  It can be summed up in one word:  CRAP!

All of the evidence is present in the TV commercial and sale’s page, both available at the above website.

Let’s take a look and examine it now.

The commercial starts out telling us that if we want a close shave, then we need to use a razor blade.  Duh!  But if we want “comfort and convenience,” then we need an electric shaver (complete with a video clip of an office worker shaving while reviewing a document.)

Hmmm.  What if I want a shave that is both close and convenient?  What should I do?  Is there such a product for my high demands?

Wait, what’s this?  The MicroForce???  Wow!  Holy crap!  That looks awesome!  I can use it wet or dry “for the closest, most comfortable shave ever[!]”

Okay, now where is the evidence to back up this statement?

Showing me clips of guys using the MicroShaver isn’t enough to convince me that it shaves close and is comfortable.  For me, the comfort of the shaver isn’t a big deal.  I’ve been using disposable razors and a rotary razor since the days of high school.  Staying neat and trim was just a part of life in the high school JROTC and college ROTC programs.  Today, I’ll use either my double-edge safety razor or rotary razor depending on how long I go between shaves.

Merkur double-edge safety razor

Merkur double-edge safety razor

Comfort is not a big deal to me.  What I want to know is, does it shave close enough to even challenge a razor blade or any other foil razor, and how long can the hair grow without it being an issue for the electric razor?

Does the TV commercial or sales page answer those questions?

No.

The commercial instead shows us that the electric razor is small and it works wet or dry.  It even goes as far as showing some guy using the shaver underwater in a pool (who already looks shaved and just taps the MicroForce against his face, by the way.)  That was just ridiculous!

To vouch for the electric razor’s ability to cut close, the only thing the commercial does is show a woman smiling as she touches the guy’s face.  Yeah, that’s really convincing right there.

The commercial also shows us that the MircoForce has twice the shaving area as a conventional blade.  I wonder how many other foil razors can make a similar statement?  Probably most if not all of them.  Disposable blades commonly have multiple blades, but through its compact design, it’ll always have a smaller cutting area despite running multiple blades simultaneously across the skin.

multiple blades but a small cutting surface

multiple blades but a small cutting area

The claim about the MicroForce have 9,000 RPMs and being “more powerful than a full-size shaver” isn’t exactly accurate.  I’ve seen online stores selling electric razors with 13,000-14,000 RPMs. 9,000 RPMs is still good enough for those with very small facial hair and shave every few hours or once a day minimum.

One of the misleading parts of the commercial shows guys with perfectly trimmed sideburns.  Neither the TV commercial nor sales page ever mention the MicroForce having a trimmer.  A few negative reviews of the product claimed that there is no trimmer.  It’s assumed that you can shave that exact with the MicroForce, but you know what they say about assumptions . . .

Despite having a really cheesy and misleading commercial, is the MicroForce electric razor a scam?

Not necessarily.

First of all, they’ve been running commercials for the MircoForce for over a year, possibly two.  Scams don’t last that long before either everybody knows to avoid the product, or the government steps in and shuts down the company.

The MicroForce does sell and there are people who like using the product.  If my memory is right, the older commercial for the product originally sold it for $19.99 about a year or two ago.  The lower price today suggests that perhaps not enough people were satisfied enough to spread the good word.

The general consensus from people’s reviews is that the MircoForce works best when you use it frequently with extremely short facial hair.  If you shave at least once or twice a day, then you probably won’t have any major issues with the shaver as a whole.  It may be a cheap piece of crap, but it’ll still work.  One person even suggested giving it to a child as a toy electric razor.

Those people who tend to grow facial hair quickly or wait day or two between shaves, the MicroForce will most likely not work as advertised.  A lot of people have been complaining that it won’t cut worth crap if you have any stubble or minor hair growth.

Remember that cheap pieces of junk resembling real products will generally sell rather well at first.

Why is this?

It’s because of the incredibly low price and people searching for cheap alternatives, especially during hard times.  Spending $10 +$5.99 for S&H is a relatively low gamble for a product that might solve their needs.  At that low of a price they’re willing to overlook flaws and performance issues, especially if it involves paying to ship an item back for a refund.  Why spend an extra four or five dollars to ship an item back and fight with customer service reps for your $10 refund?  Strangely enough, people still do that.  I saw it at one of my previous places of employment.  After spending five bucks for a cheap set of brake pads and an extra three in shipping, some of them paid to send them back to us and demand a refund for one reason or another.  Then again, many of them assumed that their original shipping fee was going to be part of the refund, which they were extremely disappointed to learn that it didn’t work that way.  People commonly don’t read the fine print on order forms and return/exchange statements before or after they make a purchase.

TV commercials can bring in big business, especially for products like the MicroForce electric razor.  There will always be people willing to give it a try, and some of those people will be happy enough to write positive reviews.

To me, this commercial screams SCAM right from the start.  The product never establishes credibility when you only see people with no visible facial hair using the electric razor.  It doesn’t show how well it cuts stubby facial hair, nor how short it can cut.  Showing us people using it over and over (and smiling afterward — gotta have that smile!) only further emphasizes the fact that this is complete junk.  A realistic comparison to other foil razors (not rotary or disposable razors) would help establish consumer confidence.

The biggest warning sign to stay away from this product is its low price.  It only costs $10 for it now (have you ever found a decent electric razor for under $25?) plus $5.99 for S&H, and you can get a free ten-piece personal grooming set after paying an extra $5.99 S&H.  I love those “free” extras that involve paying extra shipping and handling fees.

The problem is that when ordering online, you will be receiving that “free” grooming kit whether you want it or not.  The website order form doesn’t have an option to exclude it from your order.  All of a sudden that $10 product is up to $21.98.  What kind of a cheap electric razor can you get for that much or a few dollars more at a retail store?  A real store where you receive the product instantly and can make a return or exchange if there are any immediate problems.

Always do your research before buying a product you see advertised for an ultra-low price!

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For more information about the MicroForce Electric Razor, please visit the company’s website.

RellimZone.com is not affiliated with MicroForce Electric Razor.