On infomercials, when the man with the deep, enthusiastic voice says, "Call within the next ten minutes and we'll ship it for free!", what does that really mean? How do they know what time you saw the commercial? And is that ten minutes from the beginning of the spot, the end, or from the time he says that sentence?

And more importantly, is there anyone in this country who sprints to the phone to make sure they qualify for free shipping?