Earseeds, Acuseeds

Discussion in 'Other treatments' started by Lou B Lou, Jan 18, 2024.

  1. Peter Trewhitt

    Peter Trewhitt Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Another excellent article.
     
  2. rvallee

    rvallee Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Pretty good, and right on that it's part of a broader problem. The author says they have more to pursue on it.

    I wonder at what point does this misleading advertising get countered by the growing use of "the treatment actually is the placebo" in biopsychosocial ideology, simply claiming that although they can't really point to a credible mechanism, they have reports and pragmatic trials where people report feeling better, that it "can be helpful to some", which is basically the standard that is applied to the model of psychosocial rehabilitation. Literally in those words, depending on where in the motte and bailey fallacy they currently stand in.

    It doesn't work for everyone. We don't know why it works. We're not saying that it works, we're just implying it (and definitely saying so in private and promoting it as such, including to MDs, even at professional conferences). But if it can be useful to some, how can it be denied to those it could help? This is the current biopsychosocial evidence-based medicine, and at some point someone has to actually use it as a defense of their own alternative medicine based on pseudoscience, by simply pointing to the vast mass of medically-validated and -promoted alternative medicine based on pseudoscience that explicitly aims, and fails, to induce a placebo response.
     
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  3. Dx Revision Watch

    Dx Revision Watch Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    11 more one star reviews of Acuseeds have been posted on Trustpilot in the last week:

    https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/acuseeds.co.uk

    (Select filter to display "Most recent")

    77% of reviewers have now left just one star for this product and customer service.
     
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  4. Ash

    Ash Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Yeah I can see this happening.
     
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  5. Dx Revision Watch

    Dx Revision Watch Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...000-orders-appearing-BBC-sold-three-days.html

    Dragons' Den entrepreneur who faced backlash over her 'snake oil' ear seeds that can 'cure ME' reveals she has received nearly 30,000 orders after appearing on BBC show and sold out of 'everything' within three days
    • Giselle Boxer also said she had received 'thousands of pre-orders' after the show
    By ARTHUR PARASHAR and MIRIAM KUEPPER

    PUBLISHED: 19:23, 12 February 2024 | UPDATED: 19:45, 12 February 2024

    A Dragons' Den entrepreneur who faced a backlash over her 'snake oil' ear seeds which she claimed could 'cure ME' has revealed that she had had nearly 30,000 orders since appearing on the BBC show.

    Giselle Boxer, 31, from Sheffield, also revealed that her company Acu Seeds 'sold out of everything' and had received 'thousands of pre-orders' just three days after the Dragon's Den episode she was featured in aired...

    ...Boxer wrote on her Instagram page: 'Wow, what a crazy four weeks it has been since my episode went live on Dragon's Den.[...] I had no idea of the impact that the episode would have on my business and I'm only just coming up for air.

    'In the last four weeks, we have received nearly 30,000 orders, 10,000+ customer emails and 50,000 new social media followers.'

    'I have been working closely with Steven Bartlett to put in place new processes and support to operate at this new level. I thank you all for your patience and understanding as the business grows,' the entrepreneur added...

    ----------------

    There are 216 comments, mostly negative. So if Giselle fulfils all 30,000 orders, she'll gross around £900,000 on a product she buys in at £3 a unit and resells for £30.
     
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  6. Trish

    Trish Moderator Staff Member

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    Perhaps someone could suggest to her that in recompense for the harm she has done she donate all the profit from the first week's sales after the program went out to biomedical ME research.
    Or alternatively that she close the company down and return everyone's money.
     
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  7. Dx Revision Watch

    Dx Revision Watch Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Have we got this one:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/...ns-Den-star-invests-lifestyle-businesses.html

    How Steven Bartlett's podcast became a platform for controversial health 'charlatans': Diary of a CEO slammed for championing misinformation - as Dragons' Den star invests in more lifestyle businesses
    By BRIDIE PEARSON-JONES FOR MAILONLINE

    PUBLISHED: 16:00, 7 February 2024 | UPDATED: 16:08, 7 February 2024

    A personal trainer has branded Steven Bartlett 'the biggest factor of nutrition misinformation on the planet' and slammed the businessman for 'platforming charlatans' on his podcast.

    Speaking on the Chat S*** Get Cancelled podcast, Cáelán Tierney, a Glasgow-based fitness expert said that Mr Bartlett has access to the 'best dietitians on the planet' but chooses instead to speak to 'conspiracy theorists'.

    It comes as Mr Bartlett invested in 'snake oil salesman' Giselle Boxer, who runs ear seed company AcuSeeds. Her appearance on Dragons' Den caused anger among the M.E. community as the product were marketed as helping to recover from the condition.

    He has also invested in a number of alternative health companies after making his millions in the digital space...
     
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  8. rvallee

    rvallee Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Regardless of how laughably bad this study is, and despite the claims of placebo being untested in conversion disorder, this is not the only one:

    Harnessing Placebo Effects for the Treatment of Functional Cognitive Disorder: A Feasibility Pilot Study 2024 Burke, Perez et al

    It's not as if the actual details matter one bit here. This is the same piss in the same bottles with the labels switched.

    Reasonably speaking, would any of the psychosomatic ideologues find this wrong here? On what basis? If sticking prickly things on your ears 'activates' the placebo effect, how could it be any wrong, or any different from their stuff? From looking at videos of forest walking? Or from talking in a group with some instructor BSing about mind-body crap? Or jumping on a circle and yelling STOP at your symptoms?

    I am once again reminded of Simon Wessely who said something like "there is only one functional disorder", the labels are irrelevant this is all ye old conversion disorder, and responded to someone asking him about placebo response from PACE being open label with subjective questionnaires saying something like "the placebo is one of the most powerful interventions we have".
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2024
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  9. Dx Revision Watch

    Dx Revision Watch Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Steven Bartlett's brother Jason has resigned as a director of Acuseeds:


    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ds-Steven-Bartlett-brother-quits-directo.html

    Mystery over Dragons' Den firm accused of selling 'snake oil ear seeds that can cure ME' as investor Steven Bartlett's brother quits as a director

    Dragon's Den star Stephen Bartlett appears to have withdrawn from the controversial 'ear seeds' company after the backlash which followed claims that they could 'cure' ME.

    His brother and business partner Jason joined the board of the company in January and in a recent social media post, Ms Boxer said she was 'working closely' with Stephen Bartlett, 31, as her business boomed.

    But following hundreds of complaints to the BBC and to Ofcom, Jason Bartlett has now quit as a director - with documents at Companies House showing he quit on February 14...


    https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/14332155/officers

    EAST HEALING LTD

    Company number 14332155

    2 officers / 1 resignation

    BOXER, Giselle Helene Elizabeth


    BARTLETT, Jason

    Role RESIGNED
    Director

    Appointed on
    19 January 2024

    Resigned on
    14 February 2024
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2024
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  10. Dx Revision Watch

    Dx Revision Watch Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Last edited: Feb 21, 2024
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  11. Dx Revision Watch

    Dx Revision Watch Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    This most recent Daily Mail report continues to includes information on ME from the NHS page:

    What is myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)?

    Also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), ME can affect anyone, but is most common in women in their mid 20s to mid
    40s.

    The most noticeable symptom is extreme tiredness, but others include problems sleeping, joint or muscle pain, headaches, flu-like symptoms, and a fast or irregular heartbeat.

    Treatments include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), specific exercises, or medication to target nausea, pain or issues with sleeping.

    Source: NHS​
     
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  12. Dx Revision Watch

    Dx Revision Watch Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I can't envisage her business weathering this publicity and mounting customer dissatisfaction with the product, refunds and unfulfilled orders.

    Perhaps in future the BBC will carry out due diligence over the companies it promotes via the Dragons' Den programme.
     
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  13. Trish

    Trish Moderator Staff Member

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    Some of the companies that get offers don't end up getting funding. The due diligence is left to the dragons to do after they make their televised offer. Perhaps the BBC should run a parallel series of 'these companies turned out to be duds once the dragons sent their accountants in, and these companies the dragons invested in ended up failing and losing the dragons money'. If they don't do that, the whole series is a sham and just pointless entertainment.
    But I also agree that the BBC has a responsibility not to include companies that make health claims, particularly those that claim to treat disease, not just 'wellness'.
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2024
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  14. Sean

    Sean Moderator Staff Member

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    Or just drop the the program completely. Leave that profiteering crap to the commercial networks.
     
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  15. Adam pwme

    Adam pwme Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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  16. rvallee

    rvallee Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Oh, hey, "fake news". Where have we heard that before?
     
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  17. Dx Revision Watch

    Dx Revision Watch Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    "But I am finally ready to tell MY truth."

    Will whichever rag she sells her "truth" to include the fact that Steven Bartlett's brother Jason resigned as a director of her company just 26 days after being listed as a director of East Healing Ltd on Companies House?
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2024
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  18. Sly Saint

    Sly Saint Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    BBC bosses issue warning to Dragons' Den stars over strict guidelines after on air breach

    BBC bosses issue warning to Dragons' Den stars over strict guidelines after on air breach (msn.com)
     
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  19. Mij

    Mij Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    She has deleted 'recovered from chronic fatigue syndrome' from her Instagram account but she continues to tell her campfire story on her website.
     
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  20. Mij

    Mij Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    In North America, a campfire story is a form of oral storytelling performed around an open fire at night, typically in the wilderness, largely connected with the telling of stories having supernatural motifs or elements of urban legend.
     
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