It's not that it's a rip off, it's just marketed really well lol. Chances are if you watch an infomercial you'll want to buy the product by the time you realize you were watching it. I noticed this when I was little, I'd want to buy like shit that wasn't even useful at my age. But the aerogarden does what it's supposed to do, people who use it for other means have to educate themselves on how to make it work. Most people don't realize they could have built a cheaper setup until after the fact. So to keep the community growing don't flame everybody who's using (used) this thing, it's a learning experience! Hold their hands and make friends, they might smoke you out someday lol. Cheers