Quebec Firm Settles FTC Charges
WASHINGTON--The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported
Canada-based Quebec Inc., dba in the United States as Bio Lab, settled with the
agency over charges the company deceived consumers through false and
unsubstantiated advertising of its weight-loss and cellulite products. This is
the latest action FTC has taken to curb the prevalence of weight-loss products
carrying and being promoted with misleading claims. Late last year, the agency
released guidelines for the media to help with deciding which weight-loss ads
are appropriate.
In this instance, FTC alleged Quebec Inc. promoted Quick Slim Fat Blocker as
a way to quickly lose substantial amounts of weight--as much as two pounds per
day--without diet or exercise, and that the weight loss would be permanent. FTC
(www.ftc.gov) also alleged the defendants,
which include president Jean-Francois Brochu, misrepresented Cellu-Fight as
clinically proven to eliminate cellulite from the stomach, hips, thighs and
derriere. The settlement prohibits the defendants from representing weight-loss
products as causing rapid or substantial weight loss without diet or exercise
and cellulite treatment products as reducing or eliminating cellulite.
The final order prohibits the defendants from selling or disclosing their
customer mailing lists for these two products to other marketers. The order also
allows FTC to collect thousands of consumer letters currently held for the
defendants at Mail Boxes Etc. nationwide--the estimated value of these orders is
more than $100,000. The order requires the defendants to pay $40,000 in consumer
redress.