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Federal Trade Comission jolts “brain training” marketers

Posted 6 June 2016

During the past two years, three marketers of questionable “brain training” programs have settled USA Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges by agreeing to discontinue various claims.

  • The developers and marketers of LearningRx “brain training” agreed to stop claiming that their programs were clinically proven to permanently improve serious health conditions like ADHD, autism, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, and concussions and that the training substantially improved school grades, college admission test scores, career earnings, and job and athletic performance. They also claimed that their program was 10 times more cost-effective than tutoring.
    [Marketers of one-on-one ‘brain training’ programs settle FTC charges that claims about ability to treat severe cognitive impairments are unsupported. FTC press release, May 18, 2016]
  • Earlier this year, marketers of the Lumosity program settled charges that they deceived consumers with unfounded claims that their games can help users perform better at work
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June 6th, 2016 | Tags: , | Category: FTC Ruling | Leave a comment

Weight-Loss Companies Charged With Fraud

Posted  09 January 2014

On Tuesday, the USA Federal Trade Commission charged four companies with deceptively marketing weight-loss products, asserting they made “unfounded promises” that consumers could shed pounds simply by using their food additives, skin creams and other dietary supplements. 

One of the companies targeted by the Federal Trade Commission, L’Occitane, have retail outlets in South Africa.

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January 9th, 2014 | Tags: , | Category: FTC Ruling, L'Occitane | Leave a comment

FDA launches new anti-fraud site.

Posted: 23 November 2011

FDA launches new anti-fraud site. 

FDA's Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) has launched a Health Fraud Scams Web site designed to educate the public and regulated industry about health-fraud scams.

http://www.fda.gov/healthfraud 

The site includes newly developed videos, a brochure in English and Spanish, information on compliance actions, press releases, and how to report a problem with an FDA regulated product.

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November 23rd, 2011 | Tags: | Category: FTC Ruling | One comment

Reebok baloney

Posted 10 October 2011

We previously highlighted that Reebok's claims that Reebok Easy Tone Shoes can tone your legs and buttocks while walking around and wearing them were baloney and that consumers should ask for their  money back. 

Seems like we were not alone in recognising this rubbish: Reebok, has to shell out $25-million as a settlement.

However, this is where it is interesting . . . 

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October 10th, 2011 | Tags: | Category: ASA (SA) Rulings, FTC Ruling, Reebok | Leave a comment