Enforma Natural Products Inc. agreed to a ban on advertising weight-loss products to settle a civil contempt charge of violating the terms of an agreement that ended a previous fraud case, the Federal Trade Commission said yesterday.
Enforma also must pay $300,000 to compensate consumers, the FTC said.
Enforma was charged with breaking its promise not to commit false advertising as part of a 2000 settlement with the FTC over DRTV ads that featured Steve Garvey, former first baseman with the Los Angeles Dodgers, as a celebrity endorser.
The FTC also charged Garvey in the case, but a federal judge cleared him in 2002. An appeals court upheld the ruling in September 2004.
In the 2000 settlement, Enforma agreed to pay $10 million in consumer compensation to customers of its Fat Trapper and Exercise in a Bottle products, in addition to its pledge not to commit further violations. However, in 2002, the FTC sued Enforma again, saying the company continued to make false claims about Fat Trapper and Exercise in a Bottle as well as two other products, Chitozyme and Acceleron.
Scott Hovanyetz covers telemarketing, production and printing and direct response TV marketing for DM News and DMNews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
