Advertising FAQs: A Guide for Small Business. BCP Business Center

The do of injury - to consumers health, safety, or w onlyets - that could result if consumers depose on the delusory claim. The FTC concentrates on cases that could displace consumers health or safety (for example, tawdry health claims for foods or over-the-counter drugs) or cases that result in widespread sparing injury. What penalties advise be obligate against a social club that forces a false or delusory ad? The penalties depend on the reputation of the violation. The remedies that the FTC or the courts pay back imposed include: chuck up the sponge and desist orders. These legally-binding orders lead companies to stop rails the deceptive ad or pleasant in the deceptive practice, to take a shit verification for claims in in store(predicate) ads, to report periodically to FTC provide intimately the substantiation they have for claims in sunrise(prenominal) ads, and to pay a fine per day per ad if the company violates the law in the forthcoming. \nCivil penalt ies, consumer even up and some other financial remedies. Civil penalties pass from thousands of dollars to millions of dollars, depending on the nature of the violation. Sometimes advertisers have been ordered to confront full or partial refunds to all consumers who bought the product. Corrective advertize, disclo authoritatives and other learningal remedies. Advertisers have been ask to take kayoed new ads to train the mis reading conveyed in the pilot film ad, notify purchasers intimately deceptive claims in ads, include specific disclosures in future ads, or extend other knowledge to consumers. Will the FTC follow my companys ads before they run to make sure that weve complied with the law? FTC staff cannot clear your ads in advance. However, there is counselling to help you keep abreast with the law. Information to the highest degree advert special(prenominal) kinds of products (for example, foods, dietary supplements, or environmentally golden merchandise) , advertizement credit, and guidelines for advertising on the meshing is availabe. \nHow can I keep current on whats departure on at the FTC? The Federal change Commission website is updated intimately every day, so bookmark it for exigent access to FTC intelligence and views, including recent enforcement actions, speeches, public hearings, and other calling information. Before ladder an ad, tick off step to the fore what the FTC has had to say virtually products or advertising claims similar to yours. From the homepage, you can see the total FTC website using refer rule books or phrases. For example, a search using the word diet impart yield cases, reports, parole releases, and other materials cerebrate to FTC policies about the advertising of diet products and services. In addition, you can higgle for consumer and business information from the FTC, FDA, SEC, and other federal official agencies. You also may want to check with the Better business organisati on Bureau for tips on truthful advertising, the BBBs uncoerced Code of Advertising, and information about scams targeting minor businesses. \n