FTC Charges Another Company with Selling Products with False Label Claims

FTC Charges Another Company with Selling Products with False Label Claims

WASHINGTON--According to a July 11 press release, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charged Eden Prairie, Minn.-based ValueVision International Inc. with selling five health products with questionable health claims. Through an affiliation with the National Broadcasting Company Inc. (NBC), it also sells products through the ShopNBC site (www.ShopNBC.com).

The five investigated products included four dietary supplements: WeightPerfect Fat Loss Accelerators by Dallas-based WeightPerfect Products Inc. (www.weightperfect.com); Newport Beach, Calif.-based Television Marketing Group's Fight the Fat; and the two products produced by Toronto-based Isomers Laboratories--Internal Cleanser and Vitamin H. The fifth product was an anti-cellulite cream.

As part of the terms of the proposed consent agreement, ValueVision has been ordered to send a letter to anyone who bought these products since Feb. 1, 2000. Anthony Glombetti, the director of corporate communications at ValueVision, stated that these five products have been dropped from its lineup altogether rather than having the manufacturers change the labeled claims. "Our strategy is to have a clean slate and move forward with products that are not questionable by FTC," he said. "The FTC is stepping up on consumer advocacy, and we want to comply with FTC's guidelines."

Giombetti added that this experience will not affect the company from selling dietary supplements that have come from manufacturers who have practiced due diligence.

The proposed consent agreement will be published in the Federal Register and will be subject to public comment until Aug. 13. Comments can be addressed to FTC, Office of the Secretary, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.