Misleading or false advertising on your websites may drive disputes from unhappy customers. Clear communication helps prevent disputes, reduces chargeback rates, and builds long-term trust with your subscribers.
A claim is considered misleading if it creates a false impression, omits key information, or cannot be substantiated with credible evidence, including:
- Unverified or exaggerated claims: Statements about product effectiveness, performance, or benefits that lack factual support (e.g., "Guaranteed results in 7 days" without clinical proof). Scientific and medical claims must be backed by peer-reviewed research or expert consensus.
- Guarantees and numeric claims: Claims such as “100% success” or “Lose 15 pounds in 4 weeks” are prohibited as they imply a guaranteed outcome. Numeric claims must include disclaimers clarifying that individual results may vary and cannot promise specific results within a fixed timeframe.
- Deceptive pricing and promotions: False discounts, hidden fees, or misleading urgency tactics. Pricing must reflect the true cost to your customer, including surcharges such as payment handling fees, shipping, and import duties.
- Fabricated or manipulated endorsements: Fake reviews, undisclosed paid testimonials, or awards that are not legitimate. Customer reviews must be from genuine customers or independent reviewers, and paid endorsements must be clearly disclosed.
- False product origin or business identity: Misrepresenting where a product is made, using misleading location-based branding, or falsely implying official endorsements. Your business must use their actual registered name and location, and cannot use flags, maps, or symbols unrelated to their actual operations.
- Manipulative before-and-after visuals: Avoid edited images that create unrealistic expectations or misleading transformation claims.
- Omissions that alter consumer perception: Do not withhold material details such as required additional purchases, significant product limitations, or misleading statements about availability and shipping times.
- Misleading availability, lead time, and shipping claims: The products that you sell which are advertised as "in stock" must be available as described, and estimated shipping times must be reasonably accurate. Foreseeable delays must be clearly communicated.
- Free trials or subscriptions: You should be transparent with the pricing of free trials. More detail may be found in the subscription services page.