Magic Mesh – A Marketing Review
It’s summertime, ladies and gentlemen!
It’s time to open those doors and windows and let Mother Nature fill your home with that fresh summer breeze. That is, let in the fresh air WITHOUT those damn bugs flying into your home.
Without taking the time to install a screen door, is there a way for you to open the front door (or back door or sliding door), and let it stay open, bringing in fresh air without letting in those pesky bugs?
Or if convenience is more of a concern, is there some kind of mesh product that lets you easily slip in and out of the house without bothering to manually open and close doors?
Perhaps, just perhaps, there is such a product in the market today.
Magic Mesh – www.MagicMesh.com
Say hello to the Magic Mesh!
– “Hello, Magic Mesh! It’s a pleasure to meet you. How are you today?”
Now that the salutation is out of the way, let’s take a look at the company’s TV commercial and try to comprehend if this seems like a worthwhile product.
Magic Mesh – TV commercial
So what exactly is Magic Mesh?
- Is this a “poor man’s” screen door to keep out the bugs?
- Is this a cheap way to have an easy opening, automatically closing door?
The Magic Mesh commercial is trying to market itself as two products in one, and one of those has a much better selling point than the other. The problem is that going by the stereotypical bad examples in these over-the-top TV commercials, it’s hard to distinguish the honest selling points and good features versus the complete crap.
Magic Mesh TV commercial — Too many bugs! Noooooooo!
The Magic Mesh TV commercial starts out trying to solve the problem of wanting to open a DOOR for fresh air without letting insects inside your home. You know, SOMETHING THAT A SCREEN DOOR COULD DO. Let’s close the screen door issue for now. The commercial starts out acting like you can only open your doors to bring in fresh outside door. Um, can’t these people open their windows? Why does the commercial act like the door is the only option when the weather is nice?
Personally, I don’t like it when commercials are flawed right off the start. An open door can let in a lot of air, but a series of open windows can do just as well, perhaps even better at catching breezes and ventilating rooms in your home.
Oh well.
Magic Mesh TV commercial — No hands needed!
The commercial then switches and addresses the problem of trying to open doors when your hands are full of stuff, such as carrying food outside for the family picnic. We see a woman with her hands full as she tries to open a sliding glass door. Perhaps she forgot that the door was closed while approaching it, or maybe nobody in her family can bother to lift a finger and open the door for her. Either way, I imagine that it would be handy if they door could automatically open and close, or if there was some kind of barrier you could use to pass through the doorway without letting the outdoor elements into your home.
We also see an example of a pathetic teenager who can’t remember to close the door behind him. He must have been raised in a barn, I suppose. Since Mr. Inconsiderate cannot be trusted to the simplest of tasks, perhaps a door that automatically closes behind him would be ideal for the household. Either that or maybe a little bit of discipline from the parents.
Between having your hands full and “. . . a forgetful family member” (read—people raised in barns), the commercial tells us that there IS a way to “. . . let fresh air in and keep annoying bugs out.” Hooray!
Magic Mesh TV commercial — Eighteen mother$@&%ing magnets! 18!
That’s where the Magic Mesh comes into play. Using a series of eighteen magnets the mesh screen opens with the lightest of touches and automatically closes once you pass through the barrier. As long as nothing holds back the screen, the magnets will attract their pairs and snap closed, closing the screen and shielding your home from the larger of insects.
When you look at the spacing of magnets in the TV commercial, I wonder if they really mean nine pairs of magnets, bringing the grand total to eighteen of them. I know it doesn’t sound as glamorous to say nine rather than eighteen, but when looking at the picture and watching the TV commercial, it looks like the magnets are spaced about 10-12 inches apart, which nine pairs of magnets would be adequate to have enough power to close the screen for an average size, single doorway.
The nine versus eighteen isn’t a game changer as long as it works consistently. It’s just an observation of the commercial.
The TV advertisement then shows how the Magic Mesh works, with seemingly normal people passing through the door with no difficulty, and the magnets quickly closing the mesh screen behind them. Take note that because of the magnets quickly snapping shut, the advertisement claims “. . . so bugs have little chance to enter.”
Speaking of bugs, one of the primary reasons to buy the product according to the Magic Mesh company website, I wonder just how well the screen closes to stop those little bastards. Flies, bees, mosquitoes, those and others are plenty of reasons why screens are so important when it comes to letting in fresh air without the other parts of nature. But just how well does the screen close to protect against those common insects? How about on the bottom of the screen? Are there any gaps there or even along the sides where it attaches to the house?
Does the screen also work when it comes to protecting against ants, small spiders, and even gnats? The real test would be to use the screen in the afternoon and at night with the lights on in the house, and sit there and see just how many insects pay you a visit. Let me tell you, if the Magic Mesh screen does not close quickly or seal the doorway completely, it’s almost guaranteed that the insects will come into your home. It’ll still stop most of the bigger ones, but the smaller insects will not have any problems at all.
Magic Mesh TV commercial – So easy a dog can use it!
After showing how well Magic Mesh works with campers and RVs, the commercial then claims that the product is great for pets, too.
There’s just one teeny, tiny detail with this part of the Magic Mesh’s features. When left unattended, it won’t be just the family pet easily passing through the doorway. Rats, squirrels, snakes, raccoons, possums, other people’s dogs & cats — expect to see other animals attempt to enter your home, especially if you have a pet. Other animals will smell the food in your home and also any scents left behind by the family pet. Be very careful when leaving the doorway unattended.
The commercial reaches far once again by claiming that it also “. . . puts an end to slamming doors because it closes gently every time.” Once again this is a problem with impolite, inconsiderate people with little to no respect or common sense. If a son or daughter cannot close a door without slamming it, then you’ve got bigger problems at hand.
Instead of doing the stupid teenager with lazy parents approach, it would have been more practical to target doors that swell in the summer, making them naturally harder to close. Elderly and handicap people could also benefit from such an easy to use doorway. Wouldn’t it be much easier for older people and those with disabilities to walk through a screen mesh rather than trying to close an already tough to close door?
Apparently not since we don’t see that valid selling point in the TV commercial. Almost everybody can relate to those lazy teenagers who leave doors open or slam them closed, so that’s what we instead see in the commercial. Grandma and grandpa can apparently close doors just fine, whether they’re frail or suffering from things like arthritis.
Magic Mesh TV commercial – Witness the power of fastening tape consisting of opposing, interlocking pieces of fabric.
Up next we see just how easy it is to install the Magic Mesh over a doorway. We don’t see the woman attaching part of the magical fastening tape to the house, but rather her attaching the opposite piece of fabric to its counterpart, making a strong connection and holding the weight of the unit. The commercial claims that the Magic Mesh is easy to install, not requiring any screws, nails, or tools. Just brainpower and effort. Some people may still have problems with that part.
I just wonder how well it stays pressed against the house after being used for a season*. Will it still protect against the insects just as well at the end of the season as it does on Day One?
*Seasons for using the Magic Mesh vary greatly across the country. Here in the southeast, such a product is pretty much only useful from mid-Spring to early Summer, and then from early to mid-Fall. The brutal heat AND humidity convince the majority of people to close the doors and windows, and let the air conditioner make life in the house more comfortable again. Of course, down here mid-Spring means AFTER pollen season.
After showing the easy install, the commercial reminds us again that Magic Mesh is great for letting in the fresh air and keeping out bugs. Again, this sales pitch is weak since many, many homes throughout the country have opening windows with screens.
Magic Mesh TV commercial — Can it REALLY save you money?
This whole “letting in fresh air” concept is played further when the TV commercial claims that the Magic Mesh can actually save you money. Believe it or not folks, but when it’s hot inside your home but cooler outside, you CAN open your doors and windows and circulate the air in your home, cooling it and the people inside. When you open the windows and let in the cooler air, it is not necessary to continue running the air conditioner. Yeah, I know, big whoop. But the commercial does make it a point of mentioning the bleeding obvious as a benefit of using something like the Magic Mesh.
After giving us that awesome tip of opening the doors and windows when it’s nice outside, we’re hit with a mini sales pitch and more examples of where to use the Magic Mesh. It’s the whole call-now-and-we’ll-double-the-offer-just-pay-extra-shipping-and-handling-fees. Yawn. At some point one of these companies will think of a useful add-on or promotion instead of dumping a second item on the buyer, whether they actually want it or not.
The commercial concludes with making us an offer for TWO of the Magic Mesh units for only $19.95. Don’t forget that when you add up all of the postage and handling fees in addition to the product itself ($19.95 + $7.95 (P&H) + $7.95 (P&H for “free” item)), you’re really paying $35.85. The company offers a 30-day money back guarantee, but of course that’s just for the $19.95 and NOT the $15.90 in postage and handling fees.
So after taking a close look at the TV commercial for Magic Mesh and asking a few questions, what do we really have here?
In essence, this is a lightweight screen door with a slit running down the middle, and it automatically closes itself with the help of eighteen magnets. The sales pitch for letting in fresh air is really weak, and I do question how well it really keeps out the bugs. However, the hands-free opening and closing of the mesh is fairly innovating, and this convenience factor alone can be worthwhile if you have family members constantly entering and leaving the house through a certain doorway. It’s important to note that other unwanted animals (and people) can just as easily enter your home if you’re not careful.
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All of the Magic Mesh commercial images were screenshots of a TV commercial currently available on Youtube. For more product information, please visit the company’s website at www.Magic Mesh.com.
Magic Mesh is a registered trademark.
RellimZone.com is not affiliated with Magic Mesh.
thank you for a well-thought-out piece – helped me to make a decision on purchasing this product
My sliding patio door is the only source of air in my tiny studio apt. The sliders in my Condo are not designed to accommodate screen doors, presumably because screen doors are not allowed. I keep the door open all year round, but the flies drive me nuts. Thus far my only option has been a Phantom screen, which is cost prohibitive. So I am considering a Magic Mesh. But I note they’re only approx. 84″ high; whereas my sliding door is 96″. Perhaps that’s where the “free” 2nd Magic Mesh might come in handy, along with cutters and a screen repair kit …
Magic Mesh is a scam. They advertise two for 19.95 + shipping at 7.95. I gave them my card info and before they even show you the invoice the order is in. My bill came to $70.71 and they will not refund your money. Check out several pages on Google before you get sucked in by this crowd of scum bags.
Thank you for taking the time to post this.
I liked the innovative magnetic closing, as you did … but you (and the commenters) have told me what I needed to know.
BTW … isn’t everyone sick of “It’s FRE!! (just pay shipping/processing)”. If you JUST have to pay something more, then it isn’t FREE, right?
ack … FRE = FREE in typospeak 🙂
What a crock! I ordered this product in May. Three weeks later, I called to see what was up.
The “customer service rep” told me it was back ordered until July 1.
On July 17 I called again. The girl said she was looking at my file and That the productwas back ordered until August 3. But it might be the end of August.
I told her that I wanted to cancel, as I had ordered at the beginning of summer, and being that I’m in Maine, summer would be over before the product got here.
She put me on hold and then came back on the line and told me that the order had been cancelled prior to this call.
So, if she was looking at my order to tell me that they were back-ordered until August, why didn’t she notice it had cancelled before this?
And, in fact, who cancelled it??
She did not answer but did tell me that if the money were taken from my account to call back and they would refund it to me.
I asked why, if it were cancelled a week prior, would the company take my money all this time later?
She did not answer.
I asked what state she is in because I was afraid I was being scammed and wanted to report it to the Attorney General. She told me Connecticut.
I posted about my unhappy experience on the MagicMesh website, and it was removed . That would have been fine, if I had gotten correspondence about it. I did not.
I WOULD BE WARY OF THIS PRODUCT.
I like the idea of the product, but the company seems shady. Luckily, mesh and magnets can be bought separately and combined at home.
I might just make my own for myself and my friends. (In custom sizes even!) I’ll probably still charge them S&H though. 😉
Be warned. I called the Canadian customer service because their website was confusing; it asked me how many sets I wanted — afterall, they were offering Buy One Get One free if I pay for the extra Shipping and Handling.
Customer Service said check quantity of 1 set. On the next page, it asked me how many free sets I wanted, so I checked 1 (1 is the default on both drop down menus). Upon checking out, I see they charged me 4x the shipping and double the cost?! Say what?!
I called customer service again to sort it out assuming I’ve been double charged. She did not even say uh-huh acknowledging my comments, prompting me to ask “are you still there?” I asked to speak with a manager but they were conveniently not available. I asked that my concerns about the confusing website be noted but was told there is no where to note my feedback in their system.
I was told it takes 4-48 hours for my info to download before they can access my order. Even still, they prefer that I go to their customerstatus dot com website to edit my order.
BTW – you are given the option to pay $5 more per unit to upgrade to a heavier grade mesh if you want.
Once I receive it, I’ll let you know how well it works. I’ll also let you know how easy it is to edit the order.
In the meantime, double check your charges upon check out to make sure this doesn’t happen to you.
DO NOT buy this product.. It is gargage.. The magnets are not powerful enough to keep the two sides together, and after the install the opening is not big enought o get thru.
This is JUNK
Update: Called customer service 24 hours after my double charge. Super competent guy helped me this time (yeah!) & knew the exact source of the double charge. He fixed it.
I received a cancellation email notice the next day that was a tad alarming — so I wondered if he had cancelled my order entirely versus just the erroneous double order.
Saw at customerstatus dot com that he did what he promised & I still had the one magic mesh plus the freebie. It even gave me an option to get notified when it ships.
Still dot your I’s and cross your T’s. Double check everything all the way through.
Will report on quality of product soon.
Great in theory, but poor quality makes this a piece of junk. Thrown away after a week
I received the magic mesh & freebie 2nd one within 2 weeks. First impression was that the material (not upgraded mesh) was super cheap/thin.
My standard 30×80″ door (non sliding) was tiny in comparison to the mesh so we had to use jumbo office butterfly clips to roll up the excess on the sides.
The adhesive velcro would not stay attached to the mesh; this caused the mesh to shred above the magnets within a couple days. We resorted to using a glue to hold mesh to velcro adhesive and voila! Now it works amazingly. What they really need is a second set of adhesives to hold it snug on both sides of the mesh (black duct tape would probably work on the back side & would probably be more attractive).
I am actually glad I have it, though, because we couldn’t get any Home Depot screen options to work for the door before. Plus I don’t have to make holes in the wall in my rental.
Still, I’m mad that it looks ugly with the butterfly clips but am afraid to cut it to fit the door seeing how easily the mesh shreds.
The stitching was a bit off which caused some rippling near the top which compromises its protection from bugs getting in.
We found that before we used the glue gun that wind would blow the magnets apart. Once we glued, it really does work & the magnets zip right up like the commercial.
When it’s windy we clipped butterfly clips to the bottom to weigh it down. If you put a pair of shoes in front of the base when it’s windy, it is just enough to keep it from blowing apart with strong winds. It would be better if they stitched tiny weights at the bottom.
Wasn’t nearly as easy to install as the commercial. It takes 2 people for installation.
It took 10 minutes of coaxing but the dog could easily go through it like the commercial (should youtube that one!). Hope the dog doesn’t try to tear through other people’s screens now! ha! I can open it with elbows/legs which is nice coming it with full hands from the BBQ.
Hope this detail helps you all :- )
ok heres a bad thing bout the BLACK COLOR magic mesh. The problem is that mosquitoes are attracted to dark color specially BLACK if you live on a tropical area or are familiar with the common mosquito you will notice how they get crowded on a dark spot or a dark curtain on a closet of something. Well when you install the black magic mesh it creates the same problem. IT will attract all mosquitoes in the area and you will see em all trying to pass the screen and when anyone tries to enter the room or getting out…voila! they are in.
try to find the white magic mesh. Thats all I have to say bout this product all other things works fine