Deceptive Advertising

Deceptive Advertising

As a consumer in a world of constant advertising messages being flashed before my eyes, I am always wary of the truth of those messages that I see. It is terrible when consumers see an advertisement, whether it is in a magazine, television or any other medium, and they decide to make a purchase only to find out they are not getting what they originally planned or have to pay more than they had expected. Deceptive advertisements have been a problem since the early days of media and consumers have needed to keep an eye out for them. Yet, with so many advertisements that consumers are exposed to each day, worrying about the truth of every line and every sentence of an ad is quite inconvenient. Advertisers must follow strict guidelines to stay clear of lawsuits resulting from deceptive advertisements. I will be focusing on automobile advertisements and how consumers have been deceived through their ads.

Deceptive advertising can be described as "advertising which is misleading in a material aspect.'; (Simon 256) This definition would include all the false and misleading advertisements that would appear in print, television, radio, outdoor and direct mailings. As well as more non-traditional forms of advertising like transportation ads along with the use of pictures, trade names, display materials, labels, sales talks, sales letters, price lists and catalogs. As any consumer can see, advertisers have many means by which they can "trick'; or deceive us consumers into buying products not planned for.

Unlike most tort cases that are decided in the courtroom by a judge, most deceptive advertisement claims are turned over to governmental agencies like the Federal Trade Commission. Agencies like the FTC are better suited to handle these cases because they have the necessary expertise to make proper decisions.

So before an ad can be deemed deceptive, a complaint must be made to the FTC. From then an investigation can be made into the falseness and deceptiveness of the advertisement. The FTC tests to see the reaction from other consumers as to how misleading the ad is. These tests are done in the atmosphere and under the same circumstances as the actual consumer would be in. The test is based on the casual reaction of the consumer and the impression that they received from the ad. This public view of the "ordinary and truste...

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...at the consumers should have understood it. This settlement will help consumers feel more comfortable when they go through the leasing process. Hopefully, consumers won't have to worry about deceptive advertisements because advertising agencies and automobile companies will have to clearly state all the costs and conditions in a clear manner.

One day I plan on purchasing a new car and it is very likely that I will lease it. This settlement between Grey Advertising and the Federal Trade Commission will put some ease to the consumer because they know that the advertisements should be truthful and they should contain all of the information necessary to make an informed decision. It will still be necessary for the consumer to read through ads completely and carefully, not relying solely on the large, bold copy of the ad. Print ads, especially automobile ads, try to be visually pleasing to the eye but there is a need for the "negative'; information to be displayed. As a general rule to the consumer, always be as informed as possible before making a purchasing decisions. Buyers beware.

Works Cited Page

FTC DRIVES TO END THE BLUR IN CAR LEASING ADS, (August 28, 1998)