After eight years of being on the air, the Shark Tank has seen it’s fair share of successes and failures. While we happily cheer for the winners, it’s equally entertaining to watch the losers. Here are seven of the worst Shark Tank fails.
1. The Candy Thief
The Switch Witch site claims this is a new magical Halloween tradition, but this lame idea can only be described as a new way to ruin childhood. Here’s how it “works.” The kids come back home from trick or treating with a big bucket of Halloween candy. The parents force read a cheap Switch Witch book and send the kiddos off to bed. While the trusting kids are asleep, dreaming of chocolate rivers and everlasting gobstoppers, the parents steal the candy and replace it with wrapped gifts. Kind of like the Grinch, but supposedly the “Switch Witch” is the one who pulled the ol’ switcheroo. What kid wouldn’t like that? The Sharks hated this idea and said so. Hopefully no one will buy into this mean concept.
2. The Shocker
The shocker, also known as Pavlok, is a wrist band that you can program to deliver a shock to your body when you engage in a bad habit you want to break. Theoretically, this causes your brain to associate pain with the behavior and you stop doing it. Although none of the sharks took the bait for a deal, it was really the presenter himself that the sharks disliked. Mark Cuban called him out for being a a scam artist, but it was Kevin O’Leary who really sent this guy packing. He lost his cool when the arrogant presenter snubbed O’Leary’s generous offer, yelling, “You’re an asshole! Get the fuck out of here!” Lori was scandalized, but viewers at home loved it.
3. The Wino
The guy behind Copa Di Vino was so obnoxious that he got no deal the first time he appeared on Shark Tank. His idea for a portable wine glass was clever enough to spark Kevin O’Leary’s interest. But his penchant for making the sharks wait while he casually sipped from his wine glass was enough to get him called out as someone who wasn’t truly interested in making a deal at all. The stalling technique made viewers at home want to smack the glass out of his hands. But he came back in another season, got a deal, and you can now find this product in your grocery’s wine department.
4. The Cry Baby
Ironically, in her pitch for eyelash extensions, Micki Bey broke down in tears. The schtick didn’t work. Micki was quickly reprimanded by Barbara Corcoran for crying in public. While the entrepreneur – who failed to get a deal – defended herself saying she felt it showed strength to be vulnerable, Barbara said, “…not in business. You have to cry in private.” So if Micki thought her tears were going to win the hearts and sympathy of the sharks, she was very mistaken.
5. The Baconator
You have to love the guy who came up with Wake ‘N’ Bacon. He had good intentions. This pitch was for a wooden box with a built in alarm clock that cooks your bacon before you wake up so it’s done when you rise and shine. Who doesn’t love waking up to the smell of the house burning down? Kevin O’Leary said, “”I’m going to put that in my Museum of Really Bad Ideas That Kill People.”
6. The Invisible Benefits Band
Ryan Naylor, the entrepreneur with the Esso Watches wrist band, claimed that simply wearing it would deliver invisible benefits. Supposedly the materials used would help restore the body’s balance and energy. Mark Cuban called bullshit on that. He refused to take a sample, saying he’s “allergic to scams.” It was hard for any other sharks to take the product seriously with Mark lambasting the entrepreneur and his magic rubber bracelet. A deal wasn’t made and the world now has one less gimmicky product. As of March 2017, Ryan is making money by giving talks about his experience in the tank.
7. The Rainy Day Box
When these two entrepreneurs pitched their idea for “Brella Box,” Kevin O’Leary had a conniption fit. The idea was to install small little vending machine boxes around cities where you can rent an umbrella for a few hours. Hopefully, you’d be standing near one of these boxes when the skies open up and rain comes pouring down. After all was said and done, none of the sharks thought the idea was a good one. But Kevin had fun spouting all his favorite lines, like “Are you mad!” He also asked for a moment of silence for the dead money. According to Kevin, the BrellaBox is the worst idea in Shark Tank history. We’re inclined to agree.
