BBB National Programs Decision Summaries

BBB National Programs provides summaries of all case decisions from the National Advertising Division (NAD), National Advertising Review Board (NARB), Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC), and Digital Advertising Accountability Program (DAAP). Subscribe to receive a weekly wrap-up of published case decisions in your inbox.

 

For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the Online Archive. Other case decisions are available publicly: DSSRC and DAAP. For members of the press, the full text of any BBB National Programs decision is available by emailing the request to press@bbbnp.org.
  • 6/10/2021 - DSSRC Recommends Direct Selling Company Aihu Discontinue Certain Health-Related Product Performance Claims

    McLean, VA – June 10, 2021 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) opened an inquiry into several health-related product performance claims made on the company website and on social media by Aihu, Inc, a direct selling company that sells biodegradable, organic essential oil skincare products, and its salesforce members. The inquiry commenced through DSSRC’s ongoing independent monitoring of advertising and marketing claims in the direct selling industry. DSSRC was concerned that the representative claims communicated that Aihu’s products could protect against serious health-related conditions. 

  • 4/21/2021 - DSSRC Refers Health-Related Product and Earnings Claims for Bulavita to FTC

    McLean, VA – April 20, 2021 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) of BBB National Programs referred certain representative product performance and earnings claims to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for possible enforcement action after Bulavita failed to respond to DSSRC’s inquiry. At issue in DSSRC’s inquiry are earnings and health-related product performance claims disseminated on the company website and by salesforce members implying that Bulavita products can prevent and/or treat several serious health-related conditions, including COVID-19. In addition, Bulavita salesforce members have made misleading representations in social media posts about income that can be earned as a member of the Bulavita salesforce. 

  • 3/24/2021 - Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council Refers Health-Related Product Performance Claims for UWell Life’s Primocyn Products to FTC

    McLean, VA – March 24, 2021 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) referred certain product performance claims for the Primocyn product line, made by UWell Life, Inc. and its salesforce members, to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for possible enforcement action after UWell Life failed to provide substantiation for the claims. At issue in DSSRC’s inquiry are product performance claims made on the Primocyn product website and disseminated by salesforce members on social media implying that Primocyn products can prevent and/or treat several serious health-related conditions, including COVID-19. In addition, UWell Life salesforce members implied that Primocyn products have been approved by the FDA. 

  • 3/08/2021 - DSSRC Recommends Direct Selling Company ONEHOPE Modify and Discontinue Certain Earnings Claims

    McLean, VA – March 8, 2021 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) opened an inquiry into several earnings claims made by ONEHOPE, a California-based direct selling company that sells wine, coffee, and other comfort beverages, including claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The inquiry was commenced through DSSRC’s ongoing independent monitoring of advertising and marketing claims in the direct selling industry. The claims that were the subject of the inquiry were disseminated on ONEHOPE’s website and the social media accounts of salesforce members.

    • 3/04/2021 - DSSRC Refers Health-Related Product and Earnings Claims for RBC Life Sciences to FTC

      McLean, VA – March 4, 2021 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) referred certain product performance and earnings claims made by RBC Life Sciences to the FTC for possible enforcement action after RBC Life Sciences failed to provide substantiation for the claims. At issue in DSSRC’s inquiry are earnings and health-related product performance claims disseminated by salesforce members implying that RBC Life Sciences products can prevent and/or treat several serious health-related conditions, including COVID-19. In addition, RBC Life Sciences’ salesforce members have made egregious representations in social media posts about income that can be earned as a member of the RBC Life Sciences salesforce. In addition, on its website, RBC Life Sciences falsely represented that it is an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau and a member of the Direct Selling Association. 

    • 1/22/2021 - DSSRC Recommends Direct Selling Company Magnetude Jewelry Modify and Discontinue Certain Earnings and Product Claims

      McLean, VA – January 22, 2021 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) opened an inquiry into several product claims made by Magnetude Jewelry, a multi-level direct selling company that sells bio-magnetic interchangeable jewelry to consumers, as well as a “replace your income” earnings claim. The inquiry commenced through DSSRC’s ongoing independent monitoring of advertising and marketing claims in the direct selling industry. The claims that were the subject of the inquiry were disseminated on Magnetude’s website and the social media accounts of salesforce members.

    • 1/20/2021 - DSSRC Recommends Primerica Discontinue or Modify Certain Business Opportunity Claims

      McLean, VA – January 20, 2021 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) inquired about certain business opportunity claims made by Primerica, Inc., a financial services company. In response to DSSRC’s request for substantiation of the challenged claims, which primarily appeared on social media, Primerica removed or significantly modified the claims in question, took proactive steps to address all concerns raised, and acted in good faith throughout the inquiry process. The inquiry, which focused on core express and implied earnings and lifestyle benefits arising from participation in Primerica’s business opportunity, were brought to DSSRC by a non-profit, non-governmental advocacy group (NGO). 

    • 1/13/2021 - DSSRC Refers Health-Related Product and Earnings Claims for Gano Excel to FTC

      McLean, VA – January 13, 2021 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) referred certain product performance and income claims made by Gano Excel USA to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for possible enforcement action after Gano Excel failed to provide substantiation for the claims. At issue in DSSRC’s inquiry are earnings and health-related product performance claims disseminated by salesforce members implying that Gano Excel’s products can prevent and/or treat several serious health-related conditions, including COVID-19. In addition, Gano Excel salesforce members have made egregious representations in social media posts about income that can be earned as a member of the Gano Excel salesforce. 

    • 11/18/2020 - DSSRC Refers Health-Related Product and Earnings Claims for Flavon USA to FTC

      McLean, VA – November 18, 2020 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) of BBB National Programs today referred certain marketing claims made by Flavon USA, LLC (Flavon) to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for possible enforcement action after Flavon failed to participate in the self-regulatory process and provide substantiation for the claims. At issue in DSSRC’s inquiry earnings and health-related product claims implying that Flavon’s products, dietary vegetable, and fruit concentrate dietary supplements, can treat and prevent a number of health-related conditions.

    • 11/05/2020 - Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council Refers Business Opportunity Claims for Fortress Network, LLC to the FTC

      New York, NY – November 5, 2020 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) has referred certain marketing claims made by Fortress Network, LLC to the FTC for possible enforcement action after Fortress failed to participate in the self-regulatory process. At issue in DSSRC’s inquiry were income and business opportunity representations made by the peer-to-peer marketing platform concerning the amount of money that Fortress salesforce members could reasonably expect to earn from related business opportunities.