SPOT 5 SIGNS OF A BAD AD

By Elizabeth Nichols Article prepared and edited for inclusion by BBB of Northeast California

It is important to read the details of any advertised or implied guarantee

Most companies will place limitations on warranties or guarantees with an asterisk, such as "30-Day Money Back Guarantee!*" with the stipulation that the product is in the original packaging or that the guarantee only applies to specific products and not others You should check the advertisement or website for more information, even if you don't see an asterisk

You can also always ask for warranty details on purchases made in person

Negative-option plans.

A negative-option plan generally involves an advertisement for a free product or a "free trial" plus the cost of shipping

Most people see these advertisements while browsing social media or other websites online

The trick is that the unsuspecting consumer doesn't know that by accepting the free item and providing their credit card information to pay for shipping, they have signed themselves up for a very costly recurring subscription

The fine print usually requires the customer to return the free product or call to cancel the subscription within seven days to avoid being charged for the subscription However, this information is either not disclosed or is in a place that is not obvious to the consumer

Did you know that your Better Business Bureau (BBB) offers free advertising advice and reviews?

Here at the BBB, we think of ourselves as the bridge between ethical businesses and the communities they serve by promoting voluntary selfregulation. Our Accredited Businesses have committed to advertising honestly by abiding by BBB's own Code of Advertising, which we have modeled after similar federal advertising regulations.

In addition to celebrating and supporting Accredited Businesses as marketplace role models, local BBBs across North America look out for and challenge misleading advertising in their communities daily Last year, your local BBB serving Sacramento and Northeast California challenged the potentially misleading advertising claims of over 65 sellers We work with many companies to revise and discontinue misleading advertisements We call out the ones who don't cooperate on their public BBB Profiles We refer to our contacts at local, state, and federal consumer protection agencies for the most egregious cases