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Did you buy Airborne? I know I did. I thought is was supposed to prevent colds. I guess I am a sucker! I got this email from the Bureau of Consumer Protection with the Federal Trade Commission.
Here’s great news for consumers who bought Airborne, that tablet “created by a school teacher” advertised to prevent and treat colds. We hope you can spread the word to your readers that due to lawsuits alleging deceptive advertising, refunds are available for consumer who bought Airborne. But they have to act now because the deadline for the $30 million refund program is September 15, 2008.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, just settled a lawsuit with the company that sold Airborne. The FTC charged that they made deceptive claims that the product would reduce the severity or duration of colds. According to the FTC, there is no credible evidence that the product provided any tangible benefit for people who are exposed to germs in crowded places.
To settle the FTC’s case and a separate class action lawsuit, the company has agreed to refund up to $30 million to consumers who bought the product. Your readers can file an easy online refund claim at www.airbornehealthsettlement.com. For more information about the FTC’s lawsuit, visit http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/08/airborne.shtm.
For up to six purchases, consumers do not need to file proofs of purchase to get their money back. But they do have to request a refund by the September 15th deadline.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, just settled a lawsuit with the company that sold Airborne. The FTC charged that they made deceptive claims that the product would reduce the severity or duration of colds. According to the FTC, there is no credible evidence that the product provided any tangible benefit for people who are exposed to germs in crowded places.
To settle the FTC’s case and a separate class action lawsuit, the company has agreed to refund up to $30 million to consumers who bought the product. Your readers can file an easy online refund claim at www.airbornehealthsettlement.com. For more information about the FTC’s lawsuit, visit http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/08/airborne.shtm.
For up to six purchases, consumers do not need to file proofs of purchase to get their money back. But they do have to request a refund by the September 15th deadline.
You can count me in on this one. I still have some old Airborne bottles in the medicine cabinet, but no receipts. So I will be claiming the six bottles I can without a receipt.
I talked to Nat Wood with the FTC today briefly and he said the Airborne bottles retail for between 6-9 dollars. So consumers can expect to get back anywhere from $6.00 to $81.00 depending on how much they spent. Wood said, "It effects a lot of people. We regularly do this(get consumers their money back for faulty products), but this is a particularly well known product so it is a big deal." If you happen to have receipts showing you bought more than six bottles, you can get back your total purchase!
I know this product was advertised on Oprah and she talked about it. I wonder what her thoughts are on this ruling. Did you buy into the Airborne craze?
-NewsAnchorMom Jen
Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.
