It is rubber spray paint and I purchased it to give it a try. The TV commercials showed someone promising that FlexSeal will help seal any cracks, breaks or anything especially in rain gutters to prevent water leakage.
I purchased two cans. Click here to read my story. But I learned that for $39.98, thw two cans are a rip-off. Don't buy Flex Seal.
Why?
It's not that the product doesn't work. It does work. But, the manufacturers are greedy. It's about money, not service. They give you a large spray can but it is only filled with 10 ounces of spray. I'm not even sure if it is really 10 ounces. It's probably less. Each can will barely cover 12 inches of a standard rain gutter before it runs out of spray.
Seriously. Flex Seal is that cheap. I sprayed the seal on one gutter bend where I had a small drip leak. Inside and on the corner. The can emptied out in seconds. Seconds! For $19 a can.
It's a serious rip-off. Don't buy it.
They offer you two cans, but you have to pay the handling and processing fee for the second can which they say is Free. But the cost of the processing and handling is equal to the cost of one, useless can of Flex Seal.
Then, they call you and try to sign you up for $100 in coupons that are worthless, which requires a subscription cost of $39 a month. You can say NO but they will sign you up anyway.
It's a scam. Don't waste your money. I waste my money to help you save yours.
These people are serious scammers. The product is not worth it. They don't lie, but they mislead.
The spray works. But they don't give you enough to do a good job. To fix a rain gutter with lots of problems, you would have to buy $3,990 worth of the Flex Seal. For that price, get yourself new rain gutters.
-- Ray Hanania
Subscribe to Ray's
Join Ray Hanania on the LinkedIN network today
Follow Ray Hanania's Suburban Chicago Blog
60 comments:
Hey Ray...
I'm surprised you didn't notice that the guy in the commercial says "a second can free!!" and then quickly, in a low voice, adds "just pay shipping and handling". The same ploy is repeated on commercial after commercial where you hear, "But wait. There's more!" Pay attention!
Sir, you are certainly right right down to the second...10 sec and it's gone...Damn ripoff for the money
Sir, you are certainly right..right down to the second, 10 sec and it's gone. Boy what what a damn ripoff for the money
The "Quantity" option on the Flex Seal website is misleading and that is how they make money. The offer says 2 Flex Seal sprays for $30 (including shipping) so if select mitiple quantities its quantity into $30.
The product itself soes not work you are better buying a similar product at hardware store.
They're liars. The one can is $19.95 and the shipping and processing is listed on TV as $9.95. But they don't say they also charge S&P for the second can so the total bill comes out to almost $40 or more ... and just a note on their gimmick fishing boat screen door bottom: they had to have used 30 cans of their FlexSeal crap to cover the screen. There is no way one can can cover more than 12 inches or so of surface. It's THAT BAD folks.
Ray Hanania
www.hanania.com
I purchased Two 16 ounce cans.
What arrived were two 10 ounce cans. When I called to complain, the had the nerve to tell me that 16 ounces was the weight of the can not the contents. Yes that seriously tried to tell me that!
I purchased Two 16 ounce cans.
What arrived were two 10 ounce cans. When I called to complain, the had the nerve to tell me that 16 ounces was the weight of the can not the contents. Yes that seriously tried to tell me that!
Glad I read these comments after I placed my order! I canceled my order immediately but was told it would take 24 to 48 hours for the order to "come through the internet". Seriously, this company reeks of RIPOFF. My invoice ended up being almost $150.00 as i said yes to every offer thinking I would have the opportunity to edit before purchasing. NOT SO! I absolutely hate these kinds of businesses. I will keep you posted as to the status of my cancellation since the representative from customer service couldn't guarantee that my order would be cancelled.
Thanks for the review. I'll look in the hardware store first before buying from these bozos. I had a bad intuition when I tried to leave their website and a pop up came up telling me not to leave. I immediately closed the entire window so they wouldn't be able to add cookies to my browser. These guys SUCK!!
Forget this product , you will get 2 cans half full and forget trying to contact them all you get is a recorded message and no real person to talk to 40.00 lost RIP OFF thats what this company is.
Wow. I Googled flexseal and found this forum. I'm glad I did. I will not be purchasing flexseal at all. I will result to something similar at homedepot.
Wow, so glad I did some digging before ordering and found this site. How do companies get away with this crap! Thanks to all of you posters, you saved me some serious money. Obviously, if we could afford a new boat or new gutters, we wouldn't consider buying a product like this. I work hard for my money, thank you again posters for the info!
Yeah, wow, thanks for all the insight! I gave some serious thought to trying this product to seal portions of the underside of a roof that appears to be leaking. But when I hear these horror stories about only 10oz cans, getting lassoed into $150 purchases of other useless crap, etc....After a bit of research, I'm leaning toward trying Permatex 81833, which you can buy at any AutoZone, PepBoys, etc.
I was double billed as most of you were. I emailed the Better Business Bureau, and they got me my refund. Just some good info
Thanks for the heads up on this "product". I will not be ordering this garbage.
I was going to order flex seal but after reading these comments i have decide not to. thanks everyone for the input
Glad I googled this forum before I ordered. Was suspicious when I saw there was $10 handling charge. Then from reading this forum realized quantity was a ripoff.
I wonder if they are violating the law with false advertising?
Thank you for sharing.
I'm so glad I got on this site. I knew this was another (BUT WAIT)B.S.! Second can FREE? Then follow it up in the same breath with (JUST PAY) extra P&H. The word free is self explanatory. How the hell much more can these rip off companies continue to be allowed to screw over and insult the publics inteligence. So whenever you hear, (BUT WAIT) from any of these people,change the channel! any
Go to your local auto parts store and pick up a can of car body undercoat for $5.00 same thing.
Thank God I read your link before buying from these scam artist. . .I'll just go to home depot and buy something similar there. Thank you :)
You can buy the same stuff for 5 dollars a can at home depot.
http://www.homedepot.com/Paint-Spray-Paint/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xilZapz5/R-100131010/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051
I learned the hard way - NEVER fill out the information/billing section before you see the TOTAL charges.
A lot of companies work this way, and then it's impossible to contact them to reverse your order - even 15 minutes later.
One other thing I learned was to ask to speak to someone in the U.S. - these companies are legally suppose to let you do that.
Thank you for taking the time to give us all a heads up. I had thought about using the product to seal "box gutters" a common type of gutter on early 1900's houses. Your information basically told me that it would cost thousands using this spray. I'll try truck bed liner instead.
I would buy Flex Seal...but not getting ripped off paying the
$19.90 for shipping and handling...get real..would buy but not paying the rip off fee
I have a very good understanding of what flex seal is. If interested you can go to the local auto parts store and ask for a can of paintable rubberized undercoating. If you buy the big can 16-20 oz. it should run you around $7-$8. The material in the can of flex seal is made from a Chicago area company that has produced underbody coatings and rust preventives for a long time. The product really does work if used properly. Any exposure to UV will cause the rubber in the product to breakdown and crack which will require additional application.
I found the product works quite well, but it will cost you twice as much as they say it will. They promised me 1 for a price or I could have 1 more can for just shipping and handling. Then they proceeded to charge me for the "free" ca.
May I suggest buying it from Ruralking.com. Their prices are the same, but they don't lie so they end up costing half as much
Again we should always review all products befor buying. I spent 150 sprayed my aluminum roof to deal with a few small leaks. The roof still leaks and I was ripped off. No recourse as they are not in the business to do right but to rip off.
this company is a RIPOFF i called to ask about there isnt enough product in the can and you CANNOT talk to anyone no one not a damn person all you get is recorded messages to buy more , you could buy a yacht for what it would cost to spray the bottom of his little rowboat
RIPOFF
So glad i found your site first. I assumed this was a too good to be true commercial, but who knew it was such a rip off. Despicable these companies. Thank god the internet has many uses!
Thank you all for sharing your experiences, you are great!
Brian
I personally did NOT buy it on their website BUT I did buy it online from a catalog(Dr. Leonards) at $12.99 the can plus shipping just to try it out. It actually DOES work, well at least for me, it did work. TODAY, I found out that they are selling it in some of the Walgreens Pharmacies at the same price, so now I can get it for the same price with no shipping!! I find the price of $12.99 pretty fair for the 14 oz can. I'm a happy camper. I'm just saying...
I personally did NOT buy it on their website BUT I did buy it online from a catalog(Dr. Leonards) at $12.99 the can plus shipping just to try it out. It actually DOES work, well at least for me, it did work. TODAY, I found out that they are selling it in some of the Walgreens Pharmacies at the same price, so now I can get it for the same price with no shipping!! I find the price of $12.99 pretty fair for the 14 oz can. I'm a happy camper. I'm just saying...
What's at home depot that's similar I need it for some roof repair?
Glad I checked too. I needed this for the roof over my kitchen skylight. I was going to go around every shingle in the whole area, since repairmen can't even get the job done. Problem is that you don't know it until it rains again. I can't fix the plaster inside until I'm sure if the leak is fixed. I really could use some advice on what product to buy. I need to paint it gray after applying. Thanks to anyone who can help!
Thanks to you, Ray Hanania, for putting up this web post. And many thanks to the many who commented. My impoverished mother was smitten by the T.V. commercial last night. And we have a problem roof. And she thought we should get some.
But Black Knight All Season Roof Repair (brush grade) gets in all the right places for $21 per gallon! Worked last year after 3 years of leaks found the right places and material to patch it.
You can now buy this for $12.99 a can at CVS, Target and Ace Hardware. It worked for me on a rusted utlity sink I sealed up on a selling property.
I wish I had seen this forum before purchasing this product. The product works well but if anyone can get more than a square foot from a can please tell me how. My cans felt like they were less than half full and when I called the advertised number I was told that it is normal for the can to feel light as the sealant expands as it comes out and the coverage averages out to 16oz of product. I countered with shouldn't I have gotten 16oz as advertised. I was told that I didn't understand marketing. Well all who may read this understand, we may not know marketing but we know deceptive advertising and lowlife companies. Stay away from this product and save yourself a lot of grief and money
Art D.
i purchased it at walmart... coverd and entire speaker box with one can... There are also alot of other people who have tried it and it worked great.. perhaps the ones ordered are smaller?? The one i purchased from walmart says like 20 percent more... It works great though. I needed to coat the outside of my box to make it water proof for my boat.. did the trick.
Jon,
Same experience as above, I bought mine from Fleet Farm, also a bonus can for $9.99. Allot of product, and it worked. I never buy any of the promo's off TV, I wait for them to show up in the big stores, and you get much better pricing, and zero shipping & handling. It doesn't take long for the items to hit the stores, just wait them out, and turn the tables on who gets screwed over.
Avoid the hassle of on line ordering. Just go to Bed Bath & Beyond and buy it for $12.00 if you need to fix some small leaks.
So what I am hearing is buy the product if you have a small hole because, it will work, it just costs way to much and it makes more sense to buy it locally or buy that stuff from the auto repair store? Actually, virtually everything on an infomercial can be purchased more cheaply locally. If you stop the picture and read each frame, they meet the legal requirements but tough poopies if you have a problem. I always but this stuff from a store that will accept returns. I really appreciate the info - how about a chorus of yeas or nays so I can tell if I am reading this stuff correctly. I have CROC knock-offs and just need to stop a tiny leak since I can't find what I want. Thanks y'all.
Would any of the people posting here recommend it for a cracked toilet tank? Now that I see it's not recommended for sealing something that has pressure, I'm leery of taking a chance. I was planning to attach a tie-down strap to help it to not crack further after sealing as a temporary fix.
The very first time I saw this commercial I said to myself "That's nothing but truck bed liner!" You can find similar products described as that in any automotive supply store. If you're still leery because it doesn't sound like the same thing, check any hardware store for rubber leak sealers. No shipping cost, lower price, and probably larger quantities and much better prices and values.
I was about to order Flex Seal, and thought I would check out reviews before I did.. Glad I waited !! Thanks for your comments !! Saved me money and the hassles !!
Buy spray rubber used to seal under cars. I used Rust Oleum Undercoating.
$12.88 at Walmart for a 14 oz can. Its in the "as seen on tv" section.
flex seal is not rubber.....
I purchased Flex Seal several months ago. To date, I have not received the product, did not receive a refund on my 40+ dollars and the company has not had the courtesy to get back to me after three inquiries. If you go to their website, the order status section is currently not available for internet connection.
I paid my debit care and have very little change of receiving any satisfaction. CUSTOMER SERVICE IS TERRIBLE!!!
I bought a can from Walmart and I sprayed the can in like 4 minutes not 10 seconds and have enough to do my second coating tomorrow
Parker seals are exceptionally effective in making the seal highly efficient. The quality of the seal plays a pivotal role and the manufacturers must take extra care while choosing the raw materials and production techniques.
For those who want a similar product but not the hassles of buying it online through the manufacturer -- You can go to Home Depot online website and they have Rust-oleum Black Leak Seal Liquid Rubber. Read the comments on line for Rust-oleum Leak Seal which is much cheaper than Flex Seal Liquid Rubber.
I bought 1 can at the local hardware store for $14.99. I painted a strip 8" wide by 8' long, twice. And still had at least half of a can remaining.
I feel for you people. Thank you for putting the word out on these A--Holes.
2/28/13 Valley
If you look at the early boat commercial there was a screen door on the top AND bottom of the boat. Did you see a hole cut out in the boat? In the commercial sealing the pickup truck, even if you seal the bottom of the truck, the weight of the motor will cause the front of the truck to sink. These people think we are stupid. You can buy this stuff at walmart and the dollar store for 12.95. NO SHIPPING!!!!!!
Anytime a product comes out I wait to buy it when it comes out in stores. It will be cheaper and you don't pay shipping.
You say it works but is a rip off?
The reason why there is not allot in the can is if they filled it to the top then it wouldn't work. You need air in the can. They now sell it in 14 oz cans.
I do agree however that you do need use two coats instead of one. They shouldn't advertise it like that.
Anyone time u see an infomercial With products like this; take it with a grain of salt.
Dana
I was about to place an order & saw the rip-off heading, logged on, glad I did, gracias Ray. Chuck
I tried on basement wall where water was coming in, still have water coming in
Toilet tanks can be bought seperate & are not overly expensive, when is all said & done, if it doesn't work you are out double, the cost of sealant & a new tank. Tanks are porcelain, I'd check into expoxy for porcelain. Far cheaper, especially if it doesn't hold. Some checking could net u a new tank for only a few bucks more than what you'll shell out for enough of this stuff to do the fix. Smart shopping has gotten me whole toilet sets for under 60. Check the clearance areas of home improvement stores, u might surprise yourself.
I bought a gallon of flex seal at the hardware store because I had a leaky broken basement Wall. It covered it nicely and I bought the white so it's brighter. It covered the whole Wall and then some. Now the wall has stopped leaking and stopped from chips falling out of the concrete, and it was only 100.00 for the gallon. I was happy. I want to do my whole basement with this.
Okay...Is it out of the ordinary for a company to mislead people?? Its business flex seal is a great product for smaller projects but for your bigger project i would recommend leak seal flexible rubber. That is much cheaper in bulk and flex seal you have to shake extremely well before each use just like spray paint only flex seal is much thicker than spray pain so you will have a hell of a time getting it to actually work full potential but i do. I get probably 2 and a half minutes per can of use. Its not a research project there weren't years of research put into it its just a simple invention somebody just said hey this liquid rubber, why dont we stuff it in a can and call it flex seal. but anyway if you think its too expensive for what it is then just buy from a cheaper company keep in mind always look around for all alternatives before jumping on a buy can be a brainwashing bitch like advertising reaches so many more people than no advertising, i mean look at apple they suck and rip off everyone else but most people buy apple products anyway. Why is that because they advertise as a family friendly great innovative company HAHa, its just how business works you know. :/
Post a Comment