The Better Business Bureau in the US has long served as an outlet for consumers to voice their concerns about poor or shady business practices and questionable advertising claims.
Today (28 November) the Better Business Bureau has announced its latest online consumer reporting tool: BBB AdTruth. BBB.org/AdTruthThe service enables consumers to easily report advertisements that make what appear to be questionable claims and lack supporting evidence of those claims. BBB ad review specialists will follow up by investing dubious ads to assess their validity.
Melissa Trumpower, executive director of the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, said in a statement: “Misleading advertising is a huge source of frustration for both consumers and honest businesses in today’s marketplace.
“Although BBB has always called out fraudulent, confusing or unsubstantiated advertising, this new reporting function provides another way for consumers to be our allies in the fight for truth-in-advertising.”
The BBB AdTruth service aims to simplify the complaint process by walking consumers through a series of questions that provide information the BBB needs for its investigations. These include where and when the cosnumer saw or heard the advertisement, what claims it made that the consumer considers to be questionable, and why he or she believes the ad to be untruthful. Consumers can upload photos and screen shots of the ads in question, which helps to facilitate BBB reviewers’ investigations.
The original BBB AdTruth program, created in 2013, was designed to teach consumers how to identify and report suspicious or misleading advertisements. The educational program includes online content such as articles, infographics, quizzes and videos that aim to teach consumers how to identify false claims in ads and what to do if they have.