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Business Blog

Dating advice from the FTC? Not really, but read on.

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How’s this for a profile on a dating site? “Enjoys travel, long walks on the beach, fake potential dates that really are subscription solicitations, and illegal negative option programs, in violation...
Business Blog

Full Disclosure

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If the disclosure of information is necessary to prevent an ad from being deceptive, the disclosure has to be clear and conspicuous. That shouldn’t be news to any advertiser and certainly not to the...
Business Blog

Acc-cen-tuate the negative?

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Acc-cen-tuate the positive. Eliminate the negative. Latch on to the affirmative. And don't mess with Mr. In-Between. That's how the catchy Bing Crosby-Andrews Sisters number went in the 40s. When it...
Business Blog

Less than meets the eye?

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When an ad purports to show a “right before your eyes†demonstration of a product in action, the visual must be a truthful representation of what it can do. If that’s not the case, both the advertiser...
Business Blog

8 advertising potholes auto dealers should avoid

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In a drive to encourage truth in auto advertising, the FTC has announced Operation Steer Clear – a coast-to-coast law enforcement sweep focusing on deceptive TV, newspaper, and online claims about...
Business Blog

Surely you Jesta: Jamster jammed for mobile cramming

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You thought Angry Birds get peeved at those annoying green pigs? That's nothing compared to consumers’ reaction when they found unauthorized charges “crammed†onto their cell phone bills for phony...
Business Blog

Calling all cards

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We’ve been saying it for years: “What the headline giveth, the footnote cannot taketh away.†The same holds true for the dense block of text, the hidden-away reverse side, the vague hyperlink, or any...
Business Blog

Court finds litany of violations in alcoholism "cure" case

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People who signed up with the Jacksonville-based Alcoholism Cure Corporation were promised a “scientifically proven†program that “cures alcoholism while allowing alcoholics to drink socially.†What...
Business Blog

Fineprint footnotes: Kryptonite for advertisers?

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Remember the character from the Superman comic books who was the exact opposite of the Man of Steel? He said no when he meant yes, his alter ego went by the name "Kent Clark," and was part of the...
Business Blog

Speaking of Spokeo: Part 1

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Like chicken and waffles or ham and pineapple on pizza, some combos don’t sound like they’d go together, but make sense once you find out more. Put the FTC’s settlement with Spokeo on that list...
Business Blog

FTC to auto dealers: Back up your ad claims

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If you have clients in the auto industry, you’ve seen the ads: “We’ll pay off your trade no matter what you owe . . . even if you’re upside down.†It’s an attractive claim to people struggling with...
Business Blog

Clearing out our IN box

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We’re glad you’re visiting the BCP Business Center and thanks for your questions. Here are answers to some of your AQs. (Calling them FAQs on a site devoted to truth in advertising doesn’t seem quite...
Business Blog

Dollars to donuts

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When consumers comparison shop, cost is crucial. That’s why it’s so important for companies to make sure what they say about their prices is accurate. If businesses need a timely reminder, the FTC’s...
Business Blog

Science, reliance, and compliance

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The FTC v. Lane Labs story started with shark cartilage and the latest chapter involves a contempt ruling from a federal judge. If the FTC’s advertising substantiation doctrine is relevant to your...
Business Blog

Quoth the Maven

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In celebration of Halloween — and with apologies to Edgar Allen Poe — here’s our take on what companies can do to make sure spooky business practices don’t come back to haunt them. Once upon a...
Business Blog

FTC 86s LOAN MOD TXTS

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FTC watchers will remember Phillip A. Flora. In the first case of its kind, the FTC alleged that Mr. Flora was a One-Man Message Machine, churning out a “mind-boggling†number of unsolicited...