Business Blog

There’s not much talk anymore about the Generation Gap – at least not in terms of crazy teens and their rock ‘n’ roll music.  But there’s another kind of Generation Gap that has the FTC concerned:  the compliance gap between the established standards of the National Do Not Call Registry and the way some companies are using lists from lead generators without careful consideration of how those lists were compiled.  An FTC settlement with Versatile Marketing Solutio

When someone mentions the FTC, the EEOC, and the FCRA in the same sentence, it may sound like a ladle of alphabet soup.  What’s really being served up is a new joint publication by the Federal Trade Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that talks about how the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the mandate to comply with anti-discrimination laws intersect when employers use background checks in personnel decisions.

Consumers who tuned in to programs like the Today Show, Daybreak USA, and local newscasts may have caught interviews with guests billed as “The Safety Mom,” a home security expert, or a tech expert.  Among the products they reviewed was ADT’s Pulse Home Monitoring System.  Describing it as “amazing” or “incredible,” they offered glowing details about its capabilities, safety benefits, and cost.  But according to the FTC, here's one material fact that wasn’t discussed:  ADT had paid the three spokespersons a total of more than $300,000 and provided two of them with free systems valued at $4,

The awards season may be over for the entertainment industry, but it’s time for consumer protection to take its turn on the red carpet. (Of course, no one should ever have to ask “Who are you wearing?”  A quick look at the label and a search in the FTC’s RN Database will provide that information instantly.)   If we were giving out the statuettes, here are some of the winners from movies and TV.

The “Inc.” after a company’s name can provide certain legal protections, but let’s get one thing clear:  It’s not a shield that corporate officers can hide behind to avoid personal liability for violations of the FTC Act.  A decision by the U.S.

When did a light bulb become the symbol of a good idea?  We don’t know, but a ruling in the FTC’s lawsuit against Lights of America – including a $21 million order mandating refunds for consumers and some bookmark-worthy notable quotes from the Court – should serve as a light bulb moment for marketers.

Usually when someone says “keep it under your hat,” they’re asking you to keep information confidential.  But when the FTC staff says “keep it under your hat” – and the hat in question is made of wool – we mean the exact opposite.  To us, it’s a reminder to marketers that hats containing wool must have labels that clearly disclose what the product is made of.

Consumers may not know it, but there are technologies out there that let retailers and others track their movements within and around stores and other attractions through their mobile devices.  Businesses can use the information to identify trends in consumer behavior, plan sales and promotions, and more efficiently staff their stores and structure check-out (although no matter how sophisticated the technology, we always manage to choose the slow-moving line).