TRUTHFUL ADVERTISING......AN OXYMORON?

By Elaine Smith, Branch Manager
Upper Cumberland Area Better Business Bureau
June 15, 2005

July 4th always calls forth a blitz of advertising. So we wanted to take this opportunity to talk about your Fourth of July Sale Ads. Author and Business Guru, Steve Denning said, "Misleading stories are the staple diet of advertising and account for the low regard in which that medium is held," If that is so for the Upper cumberland, then we want change.

We want the Upper Cumberland Area consumers to be so confident in local advertisements that they do not hesitate to make purchases from your store because they know they can rely on you to stand by your claims. The first responsibility for clean advertising rests with the advertiser. But you're not alone. Your Better Business Bureau has given high priority to truth in advertising since its foundation in 1921. Challenging misleading ads on our own by monitoring the marketplace and also when competitors or consumers bring ads to our attention is an integral part of our ad review program.

Truthful advertising is everyone's business. It takes a commitment from the business community, the BBB, the government and the media to keep just some of the many ads appearing every day honest and believable. As a business, you must take an active part in protecting yourself. Test the truthfulness of an ad by checking it against any of the examples below:

BAIT AND SWITCH
Offering a product or service at a very low price with no intention of selling the product or service as advertised is known as bait and switch. Consumers are lured into a business by attractive offers. The intent is to sell a different, more expensive product. The pitch includes disparaging the quality of the advertised "specials" or belittling the guarantee or denying the availability of the advertised product.

FALSE PRICE COMPARISON
Ads often compare a sale price to a "regular" price. They become false and misleading when the advertiser uses inflated "regular" prices in order to deceive consumers into thinking they are getting a bargain.

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE
The work "free" means no cost. However, in many cases when this offer is made in an advertisement, the price of the product offered is inflated to cover the cost of the "free" product. A popular radio and magazine ad offered a free bottle of a supplement by calling a toll-free number. Only after consumers call are they told that in order to receive the "free" bottle they must agree to order a 90 day supply at $49.00 per bottle and receive a fourth bottle "free".

PUSH, PULL, DRAG IT IN, GUARANTEED TRADE-IN
Auto dealers, can you really pay money for a trade-in regardless of tis actual worth? It doesn't seem reasonable to expect you to lose money to give the consumer such a good deal. Some auto dealers raise the prices of the cars on their lots prior to this special sale. Be aware that we advise consumers to confirm the value of any vehicle which they are considering purchasing by checking the Kelly Blue Book, www.kbb.com or another trusted appraisal source.

As always we appreciate your efforts to create honest and accurate advertisements. Your commitment to fair advertsing will pay off as consumers learn they can buy with confidence from your firm as your ads are free from deception and fraud. If you have a question about your ad, you can view our Code of Advertising online from our website or feel free to give us a call 931-520-0008 or www.gobbb.org.

Elaine Smith, Branch Manager
Upper Cumberland Area Better Business Bureau
18 N Jefferson Ave.
Cookeville, TN. 38501