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Business Blog

Don’t let crowdfunding be your “doom”

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Thinking about crowdfunding to raise money for your latest project? If so, you’ll want to pay attention to the FTC’s first crowdfunding case . The lesson: If you launch a crowdfunding campaign, keep...
Business Blog

3 dos, 3 don’ts, and 1 don’t-even-think-about-it

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It’s a text that would make most people take notice: ALERT ALERT ALERT .. YOUR PAYMENT WAS DECLINED DUE TO AN INSUFFICIENT ACH TRANSACTION…CALL 866.597.3075 . But it wasn’t really an alert. There wasn...
Business Blog

Lifestyles of the pitchin’ shameless

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Caribbean cruises, jet ski outings, trips to Disneyworld, tickets to sporting events and concerts, and even dating service subscriptions. You’d expect to see that on reruns of “Lifestyles of the Rich...
Business Blog

Shifty shades of gray

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Everyone harbors a dark secret – a forbidden mystery concealed behind closed doors. Three cases just filed by the FTC pull back the curtain on one of those taboos: The efforts people make to hide the...
Business Blog

Double spammy

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By now, it shouldn’t be news. Using illegal spam and bogus news sites to convey false claims for diet products is bound to attract FTC attention. Oh, and did we mention the phony representation that...
Business Blog

Affiliation explication

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If you’re active in affiliate marketing, a summary judgment ruling by a United States District Court offers additional support for the conclusion that “Who, me?” isn’t likely to be a persuasive...
Business Blog

Hide and sneak

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When playing hide and seek as a child, remember those kids who always seemed to find that hidden crawl space or cranny? Whatever happened to them? Let’s hope they didn’t grow up to go into advertising...
Business Blog

Operation Ruse Control: 6 tips if cars are up your alley

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When it comes to car advertising, truth should be standard equipment. That’s the message of Operation Ruse Control, a coast-to-coast and cross-border sweep by the FTC and state, federal, and...
Business Blog

FTC to BMW: Don’t MINImize Mag-Moss warranty compliance

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If your company offers warranties, a proposed FTC settlement with BMW of North America’s MINI Division suggests that a compliance check-up could be warranted. Section 2302(c) of the Magnuson-Moss...
Business Blog

When BOGO is a no-go

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If you watch as much TV as we do, you may have been tempted to reach for the phone to order the Snuggie, that blanket with sleeves for couch potatoes; Forever Comfy, the answer to rump-sprung chairs...
Business Blog

The Shipping News and Reviews

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Consumers often first go to online review sites when they are thinking about buying a product or hiring a service provider. As a result, most businesses are concerned about managing their online...
Business Blog

Mess ipsa loquitor? Letting the facts speak for themselves

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This post about the FTC’s law enforcement action against Craig Brittain will be a little different. No bullet points parsing the nuances of complaint allegations. No tips and takeaways for savvy...
Business Blog

Spilling the beans: The anatomy of a diet craze

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Some people call it the “Oz Effect” – the bump in consumer demand after a product or ingredient is featured on the The Dr. Oz Show. In a just-announced settlement, the FTC says defendants Lindsey...
Business Blog

Testing, testing: A review session on COPPA and schools

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We often get questions about how the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act applies in the school setting. The COPPA Rule gives parents control over what information “an operator of a Web site or...