How to tell my friend that he spent $4,500 poorly?

[Alaezae]

Hello,

I was speaking with a friend at work today, and I feel bad for him. He seems to have been duped into buying one of these “alkaline water” machines. He’s a nice guy, so I feel bad about him wasting 4500 bucks on the thing. I don’t want to offend him, but how do I tell him he made a poor purchase? Let me expand on this machine:

He described the machine as an “electric water purifier”, and that it has a whole of 12 filter stages which use 800 watts to purify the water (or something like that, I don’t remember the exact numbers). He says it makes the water alkaline, not only making it taste better but adding antioxidants and neutralizing harmful acids in his stomach (if his stomach can’t handle acid I wonder how he made it this long...)

I know this is all bullshit, but I feel bad! I looked up the website for the thing and it’s crazy expensive! We don’t make that much money to be blowing on shit like this! I just want to tell him so he doesn’t fall for this in the future, but I don’t want to offend him!

Here’s the site, looks pretty legitimate:
https://www.lifeionizers.com/

I don’t know which one specifically he got, but he said it cost him thousands.

[pickle9000]

Don't offend him, don't tell him. At most tell him what you do for health (exercise and eat less whatever).

[Johnny10]

There are so many of this type story anymore.
My advice would be to keep this guy away from your family.
You certainly don't want him infecting your wife and children with this type of non-critical thinking!

LOL

[Haenk]

As they offer a free water analysis, suggest that he sends in a sample of his water *after* being purified.
They will certainly reply with "OMFG That water is soooooo bad, you need a purifier immediatly or you will die!". This might give him to think.
(Aka "Beat them with their own weapons.")
But then he has to self-justify the money spent, so it might not help at all.

[Ed.Kloonk]

I have fiddled around under too many kitchen sinks to know what a forgotten water filtration device looks like when opened after years of sitting there, um, filtering.

[MrMobodies]

Reminds me of that EEVblog #29 - Audiophile Audiophoolery video

youtube.com/watch?v=m7ERMu825m4

09:32 sucker born every minute
and you want to know what the most
ridiculous and sad thing about all these
all these audio fool products are that they do
kind of work they work for the person
who buys it I guarantee you if you pay a
thousand dollars for one of these cables
you're gonna hear the difference just
don't expect your friends to but you
will think about it

Maybe in this case "it is only him who can hear taste the difference"

But did you try a cup of water from it and noticed a difference?

[Siwastaja]

As they offer a free water analysis, suggest that he sends in a sample of his water *after* being purified.
They will certainly reply with "OMFG That water is soooooo bad, you need a purifier immediatly or you will die!". This might give him to think.

A good one, but it might backfire: OMG, my water is SO bad that it's still bad after one round of treatment; I need to buy a second machine!

[Halcyon]

Try and educate him and if he doesn't listen, move on and forget about it. Some people will never learn.

[schmitt trigger]

Some of the testimonial’s names and credentials that appear on their website, reminds me of the fake names and credentials that appear on The Onion.
For instance: Lois Alonso, Navel lint remover.

But to your question: If by the slightest chance you talk to him and manage to convince him of his error, you will have embarrassed him. His response will be anything but gratitude.
Say nothing. Allow him to find the hard truth.

[Siwastaja]

Allow him to find the hard truth.

Oh, but it usually doesn't work that way. If they are fallible enough to fall on that trap to begin with, why would they question it later? The biggest leap in faith, paying $4500, has been already done. You see, the water was likely originally just fine; after the filter, it's still just fine. So even with a small placebo effect, they are clearly seeing an improvement. And most people, even those who never fall in such scams, are prone to placebo. Besides, such $4500 filter may have some actual filtering (which a $50 unit would similarly provide) making the water actually look or taste better!

Seeing their water is OK everyday only strengthens their feeling of having found a good deal.

This could be different if the scam product turned perfectly good water into gooey brown mess, then they could question it.

[BravoV]

Sometimes, having a different paradigm or perspective does help, both sides, such as see/treat them as milking cow, ended you got milk, the cow feels relief, both parties are happy.