Advertisement is necessary to promote the product or service and to expand the business. But is it right to promote them by exaggerating the benifits of the product or service and by misleading customers? So this article is all about misleading advertisements and how a consumer can save himself/herself from getting trapped by them.
What, Why, and How
What Are Misleading Advertisements?
Misleading advertisements are advertisements that show wrong information about the product or service through TV, radio, newspapers, posters, banners, social media, etc to misinterpret the nature, characteristics, quality and give a false picture to the consumers.
Why Do Companies Make Misleading Advertisements?
The companies create this advertising to raise the demand artificially because consumers are not going to buy their product on their own so they mislead them to increase their sales.
How Can Advertisements Mislead Consumers?
The advertisements mislead by creating a false belief about the expected performance product or after-effects of service. They show such advantages of the product which actually does not work so that is a false belief and that is how they mislead the consumers.
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Some Known Example of Misleading Advertisements
Volkswagen
Volkswagen claimed in their advertisements that their cars are “clean diesel” vehicles with low emission and are environment friendly. But the truth was they had fitted illegal emissions defeat devices in their cars, which showed the wrong result abouth the emission. Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against them. The Volkswagen had already sold around 500,000 falsly claimed cars and then to recover the case they gave two options to the car owners –
- Buyback or early lease termination that factors in an additional cash payment.
- A modification to their car to improve emissions and cash payment.
Nivea, Bio Slim
Nivea company introduced a cream named My Silhouette and claimed in an advertisement that the regular use of this bio slim cream will reduce the body size. It claimed that the cream will show noticeable results in 4 weeks. Obviously, a cream can’t reduce the body size, and the company was sued and had to pay $900,000 for settlement and had to stop the production of that cream.
Red Bull
Red Bull claimed that the drink could give you wings. Benjamin Caraethers brought the case and said that he was drinking Redbull for the last 7 years and didn’t get any wings. The company had to pay $13 million for the settlement and also paid $10 to every US Customer.
How Can A Consumer Save Himself/Herself To Get Trapped By These Advertisements?
So here are some tips that consumer can use-
1. Proper Research About The Product
Before considering buying any new product by seeing that on an advertisement you should do proper research about the product and then buy the product or service.
2. Understand The Quality Issue
Whenever you are willing to buy the product after watching an advertisement firstly see the product quality and see whether it has the capacity to meet your needs or satisfy your wants.
3. Know What The Pricing Range Is
Consumers should search the price range in the market and compare that product with another product and then decide to purchase the product.
4. Don’t Take Ads For Granted
Advertisements are designed to make you buy something, that’s why you should never take them at their face value and be mindful not to fall for an advertisement. Always think before you act.
5. See Whether The Item Is Available For Purchase
After watching the advertisement search where the product is available in the market, see various products in the market, and then purchase. If you feel the price is high than the price of another seller, try negotiating with a retailer. You might be able to get a deal that’s as good as or at least close to the one being offered by another store.
6. If You Become A Victim, File A Compaint
Even if you don’t have the means to take a full-fledged action. Filling a complaint is often enough. The worst thing you can do is stay silent, be vocal on social media and review sites.
There are various laws for the protection of consumers from Misleading Advertisements such as Advertisement Standard Council of India, Consumer Protection Act, 2019, etc. You can file a complaint there if you face any fraud by misleading advertisements.
