State and federal laws are in place to protect consumers from false or misleading advertising. These laws make deceptive claims illegal. No business may make false, misleading, or deceptive claims about a product regarding its:
- Price
- Quality
- Purpose
Consumers who are victims of false or misleading advertising should contact an experienced lawyer to find out about his or her rights and actions that can be taken.
False advertising is any published claim that is deceptive or untruthful. Misleading advertising is any published claim that gives a consumer an incorrect understanding of the product they are interested in purchasing or using. The false and misleading advertising by companies of any product may result in the consumer suffering a financial loss, or another form of damage to the consumer.
The financial losses or damages acquired by a consumer due to the false or misleading advertising may not be significant. However, this is not a cost that any consumer should have to endure. Consumers who have suffered from financial losses or other damages may participate in a class action lawsuit to recover compensation for any losses incurred.
The Types of False and Misleading Advertising Tactics
There are several types of false and misleading advertising tactics used by companies to lure in unsuspecting consumers. Some of these tactics include:
- Bait & Switch Advertising
- High-Pressure Sales Tactics
- Deceptive Form Contracts
- Artificially Inflating Prices
- Failure to Disclose
Bait & switch advertising is the advertising of a product that the business does not provide or does not intend to sell. Businesses usually lure consumers into stores by promising to sell or provide an item or service at a certain cost. Once the consumer is in the store, the business tries to sell the consumer a more costly item or service.
High-pressure sales tactics are used to get consumers to purchase a service or product that he or she does not want or does not intend to purchase.
Deceptive form contracts have ambiguous promises or fine print in their contracts that are usually overlooked or misunderstood.
Artificially inflating prices is used by businesses to give the illusion that a great deal on a product or service is available.
Failure to disclose is a term used for when a business does not inform consumers when an item or service is currently unavailable, or when an offer has expired.
Consumers may be awarded a variety of remedies against any business that engages in false or misleading advertising. These remedies may include:
- Monetary damages
- Injunctions ordering the businesses to stop running the advertisements
- Injunctions ordering the businesses to stop engaging in deceptive practices
- Injunctions ordering the businesses to include disclosure statements in their advertising
There are many more tactics that you may become victim to in terms of advertising. If you believe you have become the victim of false or misleading advertising, please contact the experienced consumer fraud attorneys at the law office of Jacoby & Meyers. We serve clients nationwide.