The Federal Trade Commission charged Motor Up Corp., a DRTV marketer of automotive products in Philadelphia, with making unsubstantiated and deceptive advertising claims in violation of federal laws.
Among other allegations, the agency said infomercial claims that Motor Up Engine Treatment cut engine wear by 50 percent compared to motor oil alone could not be substantiated.
Motor Up’s infomercials were produced by E4L Corp., the publicly traded infomercial marketer in Los Angeles that used to be named National Media Corp. The FTC also forwarded a recommendation that the Department of Justice file a civil penalty complaint against National Media, for alleged violations of a 1993 commission order arising from allegations of deceptive infomercial advertising for other products.
Motor Up and its principal, Kyle Burns, face an administrative trial in which the commission will seek to bar the company from making unsubstantiated claims about the performance and efficacy of Motor Up. The FTC has previously halted allegedly deceptive ads for Valvoline Engine Treatment, Slick 50 Engine Treatment and STP Engine Treatment.
Burns and E4L were not available for comment at press time.
