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Product Scams: False Advertising, Misrepresentation,
Exaggerated Claims and Products that are not "fit for purpose"
Hoodia Slim Coffee
You may have seen an advertisement for "Hoodia Slim Coffee" on tv, radio or in
a newspaper or magazine? You may have thought that the advertising claims seemed
patently false and exaggerated and wondered why the government was allowing them
to get away with it.
In this case, Diet Coffee, Inc., the makers of Hoodia Slim Coffee, didn't! Below is the text
of the FTC's (Federal Trade Commission) action against Diet Coffee, Inc. and Hoodia Slim Coffee.
FTC announcement of the action against Diet Coffee, Inc. Hoodia Slim Coffee, presented
verbatim, in its entirety.
See this page for the original source.
Sellers of Hoodia Coffee Settle with FTC for Bogus Weight-Loss Claims
The marketers of “Slim Coffee” – an instant coffee product purportedly
containing hoodia – have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges
that their advertising falsely claimed that their product would enable its
users to lose significant amounts of weight without diet or exercise. The
defendants ran television ads claiming that drinking Slim Coffee had been
“clinically proven” to cause weight loss of “up to 5 pounds a week and up to
20 pounds a month.” “There’s no need to change your eating habits or what
you eat,” the defendants claimed. “Just replace your coffee with Slim Coffee
and you will start to see results. It’s that easy and all-natural.”
According to a complaint filed by the FTC in federal district court, the
defendants’ weight-loss claims for Slim Coffee were false and unsupported by
any reliable scientific studies, in violation of the FTC Act. Among other
things, the Commission’s complaint alleged that neither Slim Coffee nor any
of its individual ingredients, including hoodia, would enable its users to
lose as much as two to five pounds per week, without reducing caloric intake
or increasing physical activity.
Under the proposed settlement, Diet Coffee, Inc. and its principals,
David Stocknoff and David Attarian, based in New York City, are prohibited
from claiming that any product enables users to lose substantial weight
without reducing caloric intake or increasing physical activity. The order
also prohibits them from representing that any product or service causes
weight loss, causes users to lose any specified amount of weight, reduces or
eliminates fat, reduces or curbs appetite, or increases metabolism, or
making any other health-related benefit or efficacy representation unless it
is true, not misleading, and substantiated by reliable scientific evidence.
In addition, the defendants are prohibited from misrepresenting the
existence, contents, validity, results, conclusions, or interpretations of
any test or study concerning such products.
The settlement contains a monetary judgment of $923,910, which is
suspended based on the defendants’ inability to pay. The full judgment will
be imposed if they are found to have misrepresented their financial
condition.
The defendants advertised Slim Coffee on the Internet, radio, and
television, including on Oxygen, Fox Reality Channel, A&E Television, The CW,
WE, and Bravo. Advertisements also have appeared in magazines and Sunday
newspaper supplements, including SmartSource by News America Marketing FSI,
Inc.
The Commission vote to authorize staff to file the complaint and
stipulated final orders was 5-0. The complaint and stipulated final orders
were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
NOTE: These stipulated final orders are for settlement purposes only and
do not constitute an admission by the defendant of a law violation. A
stipulated final order requires approval by the court and has the force of
law when signed by the judge.
(FTC File No. 0723052)
Further Information
Copies of the documents mentioned in this news release are available from
the FTC’s Web site
and from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania
Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to
prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide
information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in
English or Spanish, click
here or call 1-877-382-4357. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing,
identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a
secure, online database available to more than 1,600 civil and criminal law
enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
- MEDIA CONTACT:
- Frank Dorman,
Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2674
- STAFF CONTACT:
- Karen Jagielski,
Bureau of Consumer Protection
202-326-2509
Consumer Information:
To see a list of other product
cases click here.
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