BCEN wants crackdown on false advertising

The Barbados Consumer Empowerment Network (BCEN) is calling on the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) to be more strident in enforcing false advertising laws and it wants citizens to have the right to bring civil lawsuits against any business that falsely advertises or misleads consumers.

“False advertising or any kind of advertising that misrepresents the nature, characteristics and quality of a good or service is simply wrong,” the consumer group contends in a statement.

“In Barbados, there is a general tendency to exaggerate aspects of certain products or services by using phrases (words) like ‘we have the best,’ or ‘no other product in the world,’ or ‘no other provides a service like ours.’ Such advertising can actually be crossing the line, entering illegal territory by making claims that are outright misleading and could be disproven,” the organisation asserted.

BCEN said consumers need to be kept updated on what to look for to protect themselves from the harmful repercussions of false and misleading advertisements, especially those that promote the health, wellness and well-being of consumers, or that can reverse a serious health issue, even if a disclaimer is used to protect the media house.

“There is nothing protecting the consumer who may be misled to using the product to treat with the issue, and who may be otherwise placing their lives in jeopardy in anticipation that the product will actually reverse the health issue. The medical profession needs to say more on this issue.”

BCEN said that common forms of false advertising include deception or misleading product descriptions, particular claims that a product has certain features or benefits that it does not, or that product is of a higher quality than it actually is.

The consumer body said other forms of false advertising include misuse of terms such as “organic” or “natural,” making claims of scientific support or endorsement by scientific or medical authorities, making use of misleading illustrations or interviews and misrepresenting the quantity of an ingredient. (EJ/PR) ]]>