What is false advertising?

False advertising is an illegal practice in which businesses make false claims about their products, services, or prices to try to gain customers or to harm their competitors. False advertising is a violation of Washington’s Unfair Competition Law. False advertising can take many forms. For example, a business could advertise a product at a lower price than what the customer actually ends up paying. It could also make too-good-to-be-true claims about a product or service, such as saying it can cure a disease or make a person look younger. Other types of false advertising are claims that a product is safer or more effective than it actually is, or claims that a business is the only one offering a certain service. False advertising is illegal because it misleads the public and gives companies an unfair advantage over their competitors. In Washington, companies found guilty of false advertising can be fined up to $2,000 or face other penalties. Consumers can also file a lawsuit against companies for false advertising. Under the Unfair Competition Law, consumers can seek damages from the business, including restitution, damages, and attorney’s fees.

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What is false advertising?

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