New York, NY – June 22, 2006 – The Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program (ERSP) has determined  that  Plymouth  Direct,  marketer  of Urine Gone Stain  and Odor Eliminator  (“Urine Gone”),  supported  safety  and odor removal  claims.  ERPS  recommended  the  modify specific performance  and  comparative  claims.  The  marketer’s  advertising  came  to  ERSP’s  attention through ERSP’s ongoing monitoring program.

ERSP, the electronic direct-response industry’s self-regulatory forum, is administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), with policy oversight by the National Advertising Review Council (NARC).

Claims at issue included:

• “Enzyme action gets to the source of the odor, eliminating it for good!”
• “Stains and odors disappear and keep pets from re-marking their territory.”
• “Works on almost any surface inside and out.”; “Works on: wood, tile concrete, linoleum, blood, feces, organic matter – indoors & out” “There’s nothing left to harm you, your household or your pets.” “Cleans and deodorizes at the same time.”

Following its review of the evidence, ERSP determined that Plymouth Direct’s laboratory testing supported efficacy claims related to the removal of odors. However, ERSP recommended claims related to stain removal should be modified to be more consistent with the testing. 

ERSP found that Plymouth Direct provided a reasonable basis to support its claim that the product “[C]leans and deodorizes at the same time,” as well as the claim that  “[E]nzyme action gets to the source of the odor eliminating it for good!” In addition, ERSP concluded that the marketer adequately supported the safety claim.

ERSP recommended that the marketer modify advertising to specify only those surfaces on which Urine Gone has been tested.  Finally, ERSP recommended that Plymouth Direct modify the comparative claims to more accurately reflect that testing was done against one competitive product.

“Plymouth Direct is confident in its product, its effectiveness and its enzyme action, as evidenced by test results,” the company stated in its Marketer’s Statement. “Plymouth Direct believes each of the claims in its advertising to be true and accurate and that adequate substantiation exists for the claims.  Nonetheless, Plymouth Direct is already in the process of producing a new replacement commercial for the product, which will take into account the observations made by ERSP and will address its recommendations in a manner Plymouth Direct believes will satisfy ERSP.”