Blog Posts Tagged with Advertising and Marketing

For consumers shopping for textiles for the home, products promoted as made from bamboo are a popular draw. But the FTC says some items advertised by global retailers Kohl’s and Walmart as “bamboo”...

As businesses know, “free” is a word that attracts consumers’ attention year-round. As Tax Time approaches, it’s a particular draw for people who want to file their taxes for free. Intuit – the...

Homeowners are looking for skilled home repair professionals. Service providers – plumbers, remodelers, landscapers, etc. – are looking for customers. That match used to happen through word of mouth...

Two years into the pandemic and you thought you’d seen it all? How about an herbal tea that claims to cure COVID in 24-48 hours? It’s a representation the FTC says is steeped in deception. So we’ve...

For many money-making ventures, the only people who seem to make money are the promoters pitching the venture. That’s the lesson of decades of FTC litigation challenging unsubstantiated earnings...

Protecting consumers from illegal robocalls is a battle the FTC is waging on all fronts. Two recent actions to enforce Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) issued to VoIP service providers demonstrate...

As a result of a $3.5 million FTC settlement , Vision Path – the online seller of Hubble contacts – must eye its legal responsibilities through a stronger lens. But even if your business isn’t covered...

Social media is a gold mine for scammers , and in the latest FTC Data Spotlight , we’re digging deeper into this deceptive trend happening across social media platforms. Why do we repeatedly ask...

Online customer reviews of products and services have become increasingly important in the marketplace. Many consumers rely on them to decide what to buy or where to buy it, and many companies rely on...

It’s the oldest trick in the book: Now you see it, now you don’t . This illusion is fine on a Las Vegas stage, but on an online retailer’s website, making negative reviews disappear is hardly magical...

The Omicron variant has consumers saying “Omigosh,” but even before the current surge, advertisers have been using questionable COVID-related claims to promote their products. FTC staff sent 25 more...

Small businesses, the FTC is on your side. According to a proposed FTC settlement with Dun & Bradstreet , D&B took big bucks from small businesses with the promise to improve their credit reports, but...

With more than a century of consumer protection experience under our belt, we at the FTC know that hard times for American families can be boom times for scammers. Today’s COVID-19 pandemic is the...

The FTC just sent almost $60 million in checks and PayPal payments to eligible drivers who had their tips illegally taken by Amazon. Our advice to Amazon Flex drivers: Watch your mailbox for a check...

If businesses make coronavirus prevention or treatment claims for their products, it’s time to get up to speed on the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act . The Department of Justice and the FTC just...

Money-making claims have been around for as long as there’s been money. They show up in promotions for gig work, multilevel marketing, “be your own boss” seminars, and work-from-home offers. But when...

The FTC has been warning consumers for years about impersonation scams – calls that falsely claim to come from the IRS, the Social Security Administration, or other offices or businesses. The messages...

Employing every available means to protect consumers from deceptive and misleading practices, the FTC recently announced the revitalized use of its statutory Penalty Offense Authority. More than 700...

When the financial future of millions of Americans is at stake, it’s important for the FTC to use every tool at its disposal to protect consumers from deceptive and unfair conduct. The FTC just...

According to the CDC, more than 34 million Americans have diabetes. To put a human face on that public health statistic, 1 in 10 people at your company, friends in your neighborhood, and members of...