FTC Attacks Kevin Trudeau for Alleged Misrepresentations
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has just accused marketer Kevin Trudeau of violating a court order because of claims he’s made about his book, “The Weight Loss Cure ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About.” The 2004 court order settled prior charges that Trudeau had made claims for cancer cures and other serious health problems.
Trudeau was banned from using infomercials to sell any product, service, or program. The ban contained a narrow exemption for infomercials for books and other publications, but specifically required that Trudeau not misrepresent the content of the books. The FTC is now charging that he violated that narrow exemption.
Given Trudeau’s long history of fighting with the FTC, my guess is that they’re playing for keeps this time with the contempt of court motion. Regardless of whether you think Trudeau’s stuff has merit or he’s a fraud, the moral of this story is to not make claims that repeatedly put you in the FTC’s consumer protection spotlight.
If you’re selling money-making or health-related products or services, the FTC and state attorneys general pay particular attention to what you sell in order to protect the public. Don’t make unsubstantiated claims. It just isn’t worth it.
Watch this video by John Stossel that covers Trudeau.
To obtain your free copy of “How the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Can Destroy Your Online Business,” just click this link now.
Brick and Mortar Businesses and the Internet: Expansion, Survival or Extinction?
I want to share with you what happened this week when speaking to a small group of brick-and-mortar business owners and employees at lunch.
As everyone talked about what they did, there was a feeling that this is what it must have been like at a meeting of blacksmiths right at the time cars were first making their appearance.
Denial for some. Business as usual.
Others exploring the options for changing their businesses to reflect that horses would no longer play a key role in transportation…
…and yet another subset knowing that changes needed to be made but not what to do.
The Internet is doing that to brick-and-mortar biz. As you’ve seen, competition is no longer the guy across the street. The entrepreneur in South Africa, Singapore, or India is just chomping at the bit to take your customers.
And where there is fear and uncertainty, con artists move in and pluck the money from the ignorant. For example, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) just nailed some hucksters who were selling web services franchises.
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Ten years ago, virtual mall scams were the rage. Some things don’t change. Business owners who don’t know their way around the Internet are easy prey.
On the other hand, technology opens up a global market of potential customers that you never had before, i.e. there’s greater opportunity too.
Whatever you do, don’t be the blacksmith who has the narrow focus on how to capture a larger share of the dwindling market of horses to shoe within trotting distance of your shop.
Get out there and compete. If there’s a way to do it online, then do it.
