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.
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  • 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. 

  • 11/04/2020 - DSSRC Recommends Direct Selling Company LurraLife Discontinue Certain Earnings and Health-Related Product Claims

    McLean, VA – November 4, 2020 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) challenged certain unsubstantiated earnings and health-related/wellness benefit product claims made by LurraLife, a multi-level direct selling company. In response to DSSRC’s request for substantiation of the challenged claims, LurraLife removed the videos and ads in question and requested the same action be taken by its corporate brand partners. The claims were challenged as a result of the DSSRC’s routine monitoring program.  

  • 4/07/2020 - Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council Refers Health-Related Product Claims by New U Life, Inc. to the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration

    The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (“DSSRC”) has referred certain health-related claims made by New U Life, Inc. (“New U Life” or the “Company”) for its Somaderm hGH transdermal gel to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for possible enforcement action after the Company failed to comply with DSSRC’s recommendations to modify or discontinue such claims. The health-related product claims at issue in DSSRC’s inquiry pertained to product efficacy as well as claims that Somaderm product was “FDA Registered” and that the product had clinical applications. In addition, the DSSRC inquiry also included a number of additional health-related claims (e.g., “Regrowth of heart, liver, spleen, kidney and other organs that shrink with age”; “14.4% loss of fat on average after six months without dieting”; “Superior immune function”; “Greater cardiac output”; “Superior immune function,” etc.) and a number of before-and-after depictions purportedly demonstrating the results received from using the product.

  • 2/07/2020 - Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council Refers Health-Related Product Claims Disseminated by Dose of Nature to the Federal Trade Commission

    February 7, 2020 – New York, NY – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (“DSSRC”) has referred certain marketing claims made by Dose of Nature (“Dose of Nature” or the “Company”) for its water-soluble CBD and nano CBD products for humans and animals to the Federal Trade Commission.

  • 10/21/2019 - Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council Refers Income and Incentive Trip Claims to the Federal Trade Commission

    New York, NY – October 21, 2019 –The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (“DSSRC”) has referred certain marketing claims made by MojiLife, LLC (“MojiLife” or the “Company”) for its home fragrance products to the Federal Trade Commission for possible enforcement action after the Company failed to fully participate in the self-regulatory process. At issue in DSSRC’s inquiry were income representations concerning the amount of money that MojiLife distributors could reasonably expect to earn from selling the Company’s products as well as claims regarding incentive trips that could be earned by distributors of the Company. 

  • 10/10/2019 - Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council Refers Health-Related Product Claims and Income Representations by Aloe Veritas, Inc. to the Federal Trade Commission

    The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (“DSSRC”) has referred certain marketing claims made by Aloe Veritas, Inc. (“Aloe Veritas” or the “Company”) for its wellness and skincare products to the Federal Trade Commission for possible enforcement action after the Company failed to provide a statement indicating whether it will comply with DSSRC’s recommendations to modify or discontinue such claims.