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From Food Additives to Skin Cream to Dietary Supplements, FTC Cracks Down

by The Copy Nazi Banned
11 replies
FTC Announces Initiative Against Deceptive Claims Made by National Marketers of Fad Weight Loss Products | Federal Trade Commission

And the result? Sensa and Three Other Marketers of Fad Weight-Loss Products Settle FTC Charges in Crackdown on Deceptive Advertising | Federal Trade Commission
#additives #cracks #cream #dietary #food #ftc #skin #supplements
  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    This happens every so often...

    I have a company that has a product in the cosmetic anti-aging, diet, and fitness markets.

    Only difference with my products and most on the net...is mine are sold in retail outlets across the U.S.

    I have a legal department that keeps things legal...yet allows us to push the limit on claims.

    You have posted before about me not being a real copywriter...once you said I could just be someone that lived under a bridge...or something to that effect.

    Don't have a winning record on clickwank, or long "cool" sales letters or VSL's...haven't done WSO's for 7 bucks to show someone how to make $489,213.00 in 30 days. Don't advertise to write a sales letter for $197.00...

    but I'll put my Citation X up against yours any day of the week...lol. The best WSO wouldn't buy my jet fuel for a week.

    Here's the thing...

    These FTC "we're gonna start doing something" things aren't brought about by the consumers who feel they've been ripped off...

    you can go on the net and look at sites that do reviews and find comment after comment about how someone was scammed. These have little effect on the FTC's actions.

    What most don't know is that the FTC can be forced into action by companies that already have products on the market. The companies with the big bucks can force the little people who advertise on clickbank, etc. out of the market by getting the FTC to crack down.

    You'll still have the uncontrolled countries that advertise everything from Viagra to Payday loans.

    Oh well, thanks for the post...hopefully this won't get me another infraction from you.
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    • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
      Banned
      Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

      What most don't know is that the FTC can be forced into action by companies that already have products on the market. The companies with the big bucks can force the little people who advertise on clickbank, etc. out of the market by getting the FTC to crack down.
      LOL. Dude - why would they even bother?
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      • Profile picture of the author max5ty
        Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi View Post

        LOL. Dude - why would they even bother?
        Whole host of reasons which I don't have time to go into today.

        For a few years now I've been toying with the idea of writing a book on the subject of marketing wars.

        There's some stuff that goes on in the marketing world between the big players that would shock most people.

        Thanks for the response.
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        • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
          Banned
          Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

          For a few years now I've been toying with the idea of writing a book on the subject of marketing wars.
          You're a bit late.

          Marketing Warfare: Al Ries, Jack Trout:...Marketing Warfare: Al Ries, Jack Trout:...

          Marketing is war. To triumph over the competition, it's not enough to target customers. Marketers must take aim at their competitors and be prepared to defend their own turf from would-be attackers at all times. This indispensable guide gives smart fighters the best tactics defensive, offensive, flanking, and guerrilla. It's the book that wrote the new rules!
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    From today -
    The Federal Trade Commission today announced a law enforcement initiative stopping national marketers that used deceptive advertising claims to peddle fad weight-loss products, from food additives and skin cream to dietary supplements.



    “Operation Failed Resolution” is part of the FTC’s ongoing effort to stop misleading claims for products promoting easy weight loss and slimmer bodies. The marketers of Sensa, who exhorted consumers to “sprinkle, eat, and lose weight” – will pay $26.5 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they deceived consumers with unfounded weight-loss claims and misleading endorsements. The FTC will make these funds available for refunds to consumers who bought Sensa.
    The agency also announced charges against the marketers of two other products that made unfounded promises:
    • L’Occitane, which claimed that its skin cream would slim users’ bodies but had no science to back up that claim, and
    • HCG Diet Direct, which marketed an unproven human hormone that has been touted by hucksters for more than half a century as a weight-loss treatment.
    More - Sensa and Three Other Marketers of Fad Weight-Loss Products Settle FTC Charges in Crackdown on Deceptive Advertising | Federal Trade Commission
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  • Profile picture of the author shawnlebrun
    I'll have to dig up the article that was in my local paper this weekend... it talked about the FTC and how how they can only go after a tiny fraction of the marketers they'd like to, because of staffing and funding.

    It was crazy, it was like they were able to go after 1 out every 1000 cases or something like this... basically couldn't make a dent in the number.

    I'll have to find it, because it was fascinating how many marketers on their radar, but how few they had the manpower to go after.
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    MILLION Dollar Copywriter Offering Written Sales Letter or VSL Script Worth $5,000 - Just $500!
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  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    The marketers of Sensa, who exhorted consumers to “sprinkle, eat, and lose weight” – will pay $26.5 million to settle
    Of course, I CAN believe it, but I can't believe it, because...

    Sensa is the exact DRTV spot I used to teach my 13 year old son the "power of three" and about using consumers' own internal "outrageous promise"...

    ...and as an example of advertising completely devoid of even the slightest whiff of ethics and inevitable disgorgement of profits.

    "Sprinkle, eat, and lose weight" is literally a laugh out loud line at Casa McLeod, no shit.

    I hate loving being right all the time.
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    Brian McLeod
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  • Profile picture of the author davemiz
    no no no. i sprinkled it, ate like a friggin' horse... and lost 197 lbs.... in 6 months.

    it really works.

    photos coming...

    inside my weight loss infoproduct.

    its only $29.95

    url coming soon.
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    “Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.”
    ― Dalai Lama XIV

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  • Profile picture of the author davemiz
    haha. nice.

    btw. the FTC crack down was mostly on the CPA type marketers and offers.

    sensa was running a lot of cpa type stuff, same for the skin cream.
    Signature

    “Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.”
    ― Dalai Lama XIV

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