FTC Fines Amazon.com and Others
Amazon.com Inc.; Macy’s Inc.; Sears, Roebuck and Co.; and Leon Max agreed to pay penalties for purportedly falsely labeling rayon textiles as bamboo, it was announced by the Federal Trade Commission on Jan. 3. The penalties will total $1.26 million.
The retailers specifically broke the Textile Products Identification Act, said Charles Harwood, acting director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
“When attempting to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers, companies need to ensure they don’t cross the line into misleading labeling and advertising,” Harwood said. “If a textile is made of rayon, sellers need to say that, even if bamboo was used somewhere along the line in the production process.”—Andrew Asch
