Business Law False Advertising Claims by Jennifer Taylor

TurboTax Misuse of the word “Free”

jennifer_taylor8 — 2025-04-11 18:25:37 UTC

Turbo Tax ads seems to say that everyone can use it for free, but one users signed in, they discovered they were not eligible for the free version and were automatically upgraded to the paid Turbo Tax.

The were issued a cease and desist order and had to pay $141 million back to customers across the US

Activia yogurt

2028ericksonheath — 2025-04-15 14:40:16 UTC

Dannon falsely advertised its Activia yogurt as “clinically proven” to aid digestion, using a made-up probiotic name to boost credibility. However, the scientific evidence didn’t support their claims. In 2010, the FTC fined them $21 million, and they had to change their advertising. They also faced a class-action lawsuit and refunded misled customers.

AT&T "unlimited plan"

2025barkenolen — 2025-04-15 15:49:35 UTC

AT&T made an unlimited plan that made it seem like you had unlimited data with no drawbacks. The drawbacks were that once you used a certain amount of data I would start to slow down. this shows that it was unlimited data, but with slow data. AT&T payed 60 Million by FTC.

Nolen Barke

H&M Greenwashing

2026moodytatiana — 2026-04-14 19:40:31 UTC

H&M was exposed for lying to customers through a scorecard system that falsely advertised the benefits of its products.

Monster sues rival energy drink, "Bang," for false advertising

2026veurinkaden — 2026-04-14 19:46:10 UTC

Bang energy drinks advertised that their drinks contained something called "super creatine," claiming that it provided many health benefits. Even claiming that it could cure Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. This compound was found to contain no actual creatine, and all the advertised benefits were false. Monster was awarded nearly 300 million dollars for the customers and sales that Bang stole from them with the false advertising.

2026-04-14 19:55:32 UTC

Qantas Airways misled consumers by offering tickets for flights that they were already planning to cancel, and by not telling the ticket holders of that decision. The Australian government ordered them to pay $100 million in penalties, in addition to this, they had to pay $20 million to consumers who purchased tickets that Qantas Airways had cancelled.

H&M

gr1f — 2026-04-14 19:59:20 UTC

H&M was sued multiple times for falsely claiming to have environmentally conscience clothing lines. A 2022 investigation discovered that over half of what they claimed to be sustainable was entirely false and were fined for misrepresenting the environmental impact of their goods.

Olly Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies

2026-04-15 02:31:44 UTC

The lawsuit claims that the gummies lack significant health benefits and are mostly sugar. The claim states that the product contains too little acetic acid (the ingredient to provide metabolism, weight loss, or blood sugar management) to even work. The lawsuit accuses Olly of violating California consumer protection laws, including the Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law, and Consumers' Legal Remedies Act.

Red Bull

2026-04-15 18:39:24 UTC

Red bull got sued because they were assumed to give you a large boost of energy from the slogan red bull gives you wings but they have less caffeine then a cup of coffee. They had to pay 13 million dollars.

Red Bull

2026-04-15 19:28:02 UTC

In 2014, Red Bull settled a lawsuit for $13 Million for false advertising claims that the drink "gives you wings" but also provides superior mental and physical performance. The lawsuit argued that the company misled many consumers, as the product did not provide a greater energy boost than a standard cup of coffee.

H&M Greenwashing

2026moodytatiana — 2026-04-15 19:29:34 UTC

H&M was exposed for lying to customers through a scorecard system that falsely advertised the benefits of its products.

Wesson Oil's $3 Million False Advertising Settlement

2026-04-15 19:30:27 UTC

The Wesson company is accused of falsely pitching oil made from genetically modified vegetables as "100% natural." Wesson's then-parent company falsely advertised the oil as "100% natural" even though it's now made from genetically modified vegetables. Class members who submit valid claims are eligible for 15 cents per unit of Wesson Oil products they purchased during the class period.

Skechers

2026-04-15 19:30:32 UTC

Skechers agreed to pay $40 Million to settle charges that the company faced for deceiving customers. They claimed the Shape-ups shoes would cause people to lose weight, strengthen and tone their buttocks, legs, and abdominal muscles.

Kroger Supermarket

2026-04-15 19:32:34 UTC

The lawsuit alleges Kroger and Ralphs violated California Business and Professions Code sections 17200 and 17500 by making false and misleading statements about their products. Bryan Pease, attorney for Animal Outlook, emphasized the legal implications. Animal Outlook is seeking injunctive relief requiring Kroger and Ralphs to either stock products that meet the claims made by their signage or remove the misleading signs entirely. The organization is also requesting corrective advertising to inform consumers that the products in question may not be antibiotic-free or well-raised, along with attorneys’ fees and costs.

Volkswagen's Dieselgate

2026-04-15 19:34:17 UTC

The German car company Volkswagen was found guilty of violating the Clean Air Act. The company advertised their new diesel engines as "Clean Diesel", as well as having a high resale value and being compliant in all 50 states. The FTC then sued Volkswagen and won for $14.7 billion dollars.

Reebok False Claim

2026-04-15 19:34:30 UTC

Reebok was charged with false and deceptive advertising which regarded their EasyTone & RunTone shoes. Reebok ads claimed that the shoes strengthened and buttock muscles more than the average shoes, which lacked scientific evidence. Reebok agreed to a $25 million settlement with the FTC to resolve the charges.

BURGER KING

2026-04-15 19:37:48 UTC

Burger King was sued by 13 people across the US for their burgers being allegedly 35% bigger in their ads rather than in person, as well as the ads containing double the meat. They were suing about their stock size on the ad versus real life. Burger King claimed that these allegations were false while in court. The case moved on and the case was dismissed.

Viceroy cigarettes

2029vangalyssa — 2026-04-15 19:43:10 UTC

The ad claims that even "dentist" recommends you to take these types of cigarettes, since it's considered "safer" than other cigarettes. This ad is for people who want to smoke, but are worried about their health.

Volkswagen Emissions Scandal

2026sunderkaitlyn — 2026-04-16 00:48:48 UTC

In 2015, Volkswagen falsely advertised its diesel vehicles as environmentally friendly, claiming that they met strict emissions standards. The affected vehicles were actually equipped with software that manipulated emissions tests, making them appear cleaner than they actually were. This scandal led to a massive class action lawsuit and significant financial penalties for Volkswagen.

2026-04-16 19:56:55 UTC

Link: https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/4156-nike-fuelband-false-advertising-class-action-lawsuit/

Summary:

Nike was accused in a class action lawsuit of falsely advertising its Nike+ FuelBand fitness tracker. The product was promoted as being able to accurately track calories burned and physical activity levels. However, consumers claimed the device often gave inaccurate or inconsistent readings and did not perform as advertised. The lawsuit said Nike and Apple misled customers into believing the device had more advanced tracking abilities than it actually did. The case resulted in legal action seeking compensation for affected buyers.

Vitamin Water

2026-04-17 02:41:08 UTC

Vitaminwater

The ads claim that Vitaminwater may give you healthy joints, along with lowering the risk of eye disease and other benefits to your overall health. Lawsuits claim that with 32 grams of sugar per bottle that the sugar took away any health benefits coming from the vitamins in the water. After investigation, the Coca-Cola company agreed to change Vitaminwater labels to not make these claims and Coca-Cola admitted that they falsely advertised this product.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/12/16/39-most-outrageous-product-claims-of-all-time/115127274/

https://time.com/4289203/coca-cola-vitamin-water-labels/

Red Bull ($13M settlement for "gives you wings")

2026-04-19 23:22:44 UTC

In 2014 Red Bull agreed to a $13 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging false advertisement regarding its " red bull gives you wings " slogan and marketing claims. Plaintiffs argued the drink did not provide superior energy benefits compared to coffee. consumers who purchased Red Bull between 2002 and 2014 could claim $10 cash or $15 in products, although the company denied wrongdoing.

Volkswagen "clean diesel"

2026-04-27 16:32:19 UTC

Volkswagen advertised their diesel cars as “clean” and environmentally friendly, saying they had low emissions. However, it was discovered that the company installed software in the cars to cheat emissions tests. In real driving conditions, the cars actually produced way more pollution than allowed. Because of this false advertising, Volkswagen got in serious trouble, had to pay billions of dollars in fines, and compensate customers.