Business ProfileforGabriel’s Food Co (Muscle Blend)

“BBB promotes truth in advertising by contacting advertisers whose claims conflict with the BBB Code of Advertising. These claims may come to our attention from our internal review of advertising, consumer complaints and competitor challenges. BBB asks advertisers to prove their claims, change ads to make offers more clear to consumers, and remove misleading or deceptive statements.”

On 2/10/2022, BBB contacted the business regarding their advertised products on their website. The business advertised a price comparison with slashed pricing without disclosing what the comparison is based on.  The business must substantiate the claim that products are made in the U.S.A. In addition, BBB asked the business to substantiate health claims as advertised for the product. The business failed to disclose the basis for price comparison as required by BBB’s Code of Advertising.

The business advertised the following product on their website:

• Athletes Hand and Foot Organic Therapeutic Balm

  $21.95   $15.95

• - the slash on the price indicates that there is a price comparison being made without disclosing the basis for the comparison.
• -Please substantiate that all products are made and produced in the U.S.A
• -Please modify, substantiate, or remove the health claims made in your advertising to comply with the BBB Code of Advertising.
•  

The BBB Code of Advertising States:

2. Comparative Price, Value and Savings Claims

BBB recognizes that truthful price information helps consumers make informed purchasing decisions and that comparative price advertising¹ plays an important role in promoting vigorous competition among retailers. At the same time, misleading or unsubstantiated pricing claims injure both consumers and competitors. The following examples offer guidance on ensuring that pricing claims are truthful and not misleading.

2.1 Advertisers may offer a price reduction or savings by comparing their selling price with:

2.1.1 Their own former selling price;

2.1.2 The current selling price of identical products or services sold by others in the trade area (the area in which the company does business or where the advertisement appears) (e.g., “selling elsewhere at $_______.”); or

2.1.3 The current selling price of a comparable product or service sold by the advertiser or by others in the trade area (e.g., “comparable value,” “compares with products or services selling at $_____,” “equal to products or services selling for $_____”).

2.2 In each case, the advertisement must clearly and conspicuously disclose which basis of comparison is being used.

2.3 When these comparisons are made in advertising, the claims must be based on the provisions in Sections 3 - 7.

34. Claimed Results

Claims relating to performance, energy savings, safety, efficacy or results for a product or service should be based on recent and competent testing or other objective data. 

37. “Made in USA” Claims

37.1 “Made in USA” and similar terms used to describe the origin of a product must be truthful and substantiated.

37.2 An advertiser must not express or imply that a product or product line is exclusively “Made in USA” unless all or virtually all of the product is made in the U.S. All significant parts and processing that go into the product must be of U.S. origin. That is, the product should contain no — or negligible — foreign content.

37.3 Advertisers can refer to products that are manufactured with foreign components as “Assembled in USA,” if the product's principal assembly and last substantial transformation was completed in the U.S.

37.4 Qualified “Made in USA” claims, for example, “60% U.S. content,” “Made in U.S. of U.S. and imported parts,” are appropriate for products that are manufactured or have been substantially assembled domestically. However, advertisers must avoid making these claims if a significant amount of assembly or material of the product was not completed in the U.S. Qualified “Made in USA” claims, like unqualified claims, must be truthful and substantiated.

As of 3/11/2022, business has not responded to BBB emails or substantiated claims.