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.
- All
-
4/01/2019 - NARB Recommends Comcast Discontinue Implied Claims That AT&T “Deceives” Customers, But Can Continue Its “The Most Reliable Network” Claims
A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) has recommended that Comcast Cable Communications, Inc. modify its advertising to avoid conveying the message that AT&T does not deliver the speed tier to which its customers subscribe or that AT&T deceives its customers as to said speed tier, the speed or reliability of its Internet service and the availability of AT&T Fiber. However, NARB noted that Comcast could continue to comment in advertising on any limited availability of AT&T Fiber. NARB also found that Comcast could continue to advertise its “most reliable network” claim provided it remains substantiated by the most available data and it includes a clear and conspicuous disclosure as to the source of its substantiation. -
3/13/2019 - NARB Recommends Telebrands Modify “Double Offer” Claims for its Atomic Beam Lighting Products Following Energizer Challenge
A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) has recommended that Telebrands, Corp. modify its “double offer” and “Buy One Get One” claims to clearly and conspicuously disclose the discount or price offered for the second flashlight and any associated charges and fees. -
2/25/2019 - NARB Recommends Mahindra Modify and Discontinue Certain Claims Made for its Tractors Following Deere & Company Challenge
A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) has recommended that Mahindra modify its “#1 Selling Tractor” and “Over [2.1] million Mahindra tractors sold worldwide to date” claims. The panel also recommended that Mahindra discontinue its best warranty and superior oil protection claims. -
2/12/2019 - NARB Recommends Dyson Discontinue Certain Claims Made for its V8 Cordless Vacuums Following SharkNinja Challenge
A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) has recommended that Dyson clearly and conspicuously disclose that its “most powerful suction” claim for its V8 cordless vacuums is being made in comparison to other cordless vacuums but disagreed with NAD’s other proposed modifications to the claim. The panel also recommended that Dyson discontinue unqualified claims that its V8 cordless vacuums provide 40 minutes of runtime. The panel also recommended that Dyson modify (but not discontinue) claims that its V8 cordless vacuums provide “up to 40 minutes” of runtime. The panel further recommended that Dyson discontinue the challenged “new battery chemistry” claim. -
2/06/2019 - NARB Recommends Kimberly-Clark Discontinue Certain Claims Made for Huggies Following P&G Challenge
A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) has recommended that Kimberly-Clark discontinue its “fastest growing brand in hospitals” claim unless that claim is supported by recent data that includes Kimberly-Clark’s sales data in addition to reliable third-party sales or market share data for the hospital diaper market as a whole. The panel also recommended that any such claim be qualified to exclude smaller competitors that have grown at a faster rate (e.g., the “fastest growing brand” claim could indicate that it is being made against leading brands). -
9/13/2018 - NARB Recommends DirecTV Discontinue ‘Worry-Free’ Reliability Claim
A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) has recommended that DirecTV, LLC, discontinue the advertising claim that its service provides “worry-free” signal reliability. -
8/20/2018 - NARB Recommends Guardian Technologies Discontinue HEPA Filter Claims Based on LMS 2000 Testing for Germ Guardian Air Purifiers and Replacement Filters
A panel of the National Advertising Review Board has recommended that Guardian Technologies, LLC, the maker of GermGuardian Air Purifiers and Replacement Filters, discontinue certain advertising claims for the products, including claims that are based on the results of proprietary testing. -
8/08/2018 - NARB Refers Advertising Claims Made by Doskocil to Federal Trade Commission After Company Fails to Comply with NARB Recommendations
The National Advertising Review Board (NARB) has referred advertising claims made by Doskocil Manufacturing Company, Inc., doing business as Petmate, to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for review after the company failed to take good faith steps to comply with NARB’s recommendations regarding discontinuation of challenged antimicrobial protection claims. -
7/26/2018 - NARB Recommends Charter Drop ‘Again’ from Grim Reaper’s Complaint About DirecTV Satellite Television Service
A panel of the National Advertising Review Board has recommended that Charter Communications discontinue use of the word “again” in a commercial in which the Grim Reaper states that his family’s satellite dish “went out in the rain, again.” The panel also recommended that Charter discontinue claims that contrast satellite TV as unreliable and its Spectrum TV service as reliable. -
7/24/2018 - NARB Panel Recommends AT&T Modify Claims Regarding Availability of ‘AT&T Fiber
A panel of the National Advertising Review Board has recommended that AT&T Services, Inc., modify advertising to clarify for consumers the availability of AT&T Fiber, the company’s fiber-to-the-home product, but declined to recommend that AT&T refrain from market-wide advertising in markets where AT&T Fiber is available to less than 20% of the market.