MilConsumer Blog Feed

Hard at work on your response to the FTC’s request for comments about the Green Guides? You can breathe easier because the public comment period has been extended to April 24, 2023. In December, the FTC announced it was taking a fresh look at its Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims. We’re asking for your feedback on the continued need for the Green Guides, their economic impact, and their interaction with other environmental regs...

It’s a match that should have been made in Home Improvement Heaven: consumers looking for service providers and service providers looking for new clients. But the FTC alleged in a 2022 complaint that Denver-based HomeAdvisor, Inc. – a company affiliated with Angi, formerly known as “Angie’s List” – used misleading tactics to sell home improvement project leads to many small businesses operating in the gig economy. A proposed settlement in the...

The workplace is in transition, with people considering career changes or dealing with layoffs. But as the FTC has warned for years, scammers find a way to exploit every trend – and this time they have job seekers in their sights. Have you come across one of these placement pretenders? The FTC wants to hear about your experience. We’ll say this much about the new breed of crook: They can be very convincing. Sometimes they cast a wide net...

When home cooks bake an apple pie, many of them use Pyrex glass measuring cups – products promoted as, well, “American as apple pie.” But despite prominent claims that certain of their measuring cups were “proudly made in the USA,” the FTC says that between May 2021 and March 2022, some consumers shopping on Amazon actually received products made in China. Illinois-based Instant Brands manufactures and sells housewares under the Pyrex brand name...

“If you’re nearsighted, farsighted, or have an astigmatism, LasikPlus can help fix your vision for only $250.” That’s just one example of how LCA-Vision – consumers may know the company as LasikPlus or Joffe MediCenter – promoted its services to prospective customers. But according to a $1.25 million proposed settlement with the FTC, the company was eying its pricing through rose-colored glasses, given that only 6.5% of consumers who receive a...

“I’ll show you how you can potentially make $24,840 dollars – or more – every single week. With … quick simple … trades that require zero market knowledge or trading experience.” A peek at a weekly paystub may explain why people were intrigued by Florida-based WealthPress’ promise that subscribing to one of the company’s services would let them in on a “system” for making big money trading in the financial markets. But according to the FTC...

It’s right up there with eating more vegetables and hitting the gym. A top New Year’s resolution for many Americans is keeping a closer eye on their personal finances – a goal more important than ever, given the economic impact of the pandemic. Chances are you know someone who is searching for a job, looking for a place to live, applying for a loan, or facing another consequential dollars-and-cents decision. Help them spot, avoid, and report...

Weather emergencies don’t take a winter vacation. Scammers don’t either. Just like you, they’re watching the weather reports and preparing for storms – and they’re counting on catching you unawares. Winter Storm Elliott affected the U.S. from coast to coast. The storm’s chilling effects from record cold and snow to the loss of electricity from high winds downing trees and power lines, were felt across much of the nation. If your business has been...

For a substantial segment of the buying public, environmental claims are highly material. That’s why green consumers see red when companies use misleading representations to pitch their products and services. To protect consumers from deception in the marketplace – and to protect honest businesses from shady claims by competitors – the FTC has taken law enforcement action against false or unsubstantiated environmental promise s. For companies...

The FTC’s $275 million proposed settlement with Epic Games, owner of Fortnite, alleges the company violated the law by collecting personal information from kids under 13 without parental consent and by enabling voice and text chat by default – an unfair practice that put kids and teens in risky contact with strangers. But to borrow a phrase from advertisers, “But wait! There’s more!” Much, much more in the form of a separate $245 million proposed...