Acupuncture and other traditional Chinese medicine news and discussion thread

Yeah I can see this happening.

 

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.

 

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

• Cáelán Tierney's comments come after Bartlett invested in Giselle Boxer
• READ MORE: The Dragons' Den pitches from wellness brands accused of peddling 'extravagant claims'

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...

 

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".

 

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

• Jason Bartlett has stepped down from his role with Acu Seeds, records show
• Entrepreneur Giselle Boxer has faced controversy over her company's claims

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

 

On Trustpilot, 82% out of the 54 reviews for the Acuseeds product and customer service have given just one star:

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/acuseeds.co.uk?sort=recency

 

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​

 

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.

 

Statement posted on Instagram

https://twitter.com/user/status/1760289193710772566

 

Oh, hey, "fake news". Where have we heard that before?

 

"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?

 

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)

 

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

 

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.

 

Steve Topple has put out a statement re the response of the BBC complaints unit to the Dragon Den/ Acu Seeds programme as follows.


"The BBC Executive Complaints Unit (which looks at complaints that BBC editors have not dealt with to people's satisfaction) has said "no case to answer" over Dragon's Den and Acu Seeds.

The Canary will be putting out a template complaint form to Ofcom people can quickly fill out tomorrow, as this cannot be dropped. Media coverage is a major part of why we have #SaveCarlasLife and #BringMillieHome right now. "