A significant number of those administrative actions have been tested in court. By and large, courts have upheld even the most stringent FTC policies. For the most part, the FTC relies on consumers and competitors to report unlawful advertising. If FTC investigators are convinced that an ad violates the law, they usually try to bring the violator into voluntary compliance through informal means. Under these laws, state or local officials can seek injunctions against unlawful ads and take legal action to get restitution to consumers.
Consumers often have the right to sue advertisers under state consumer protection laws.
The following rules will help keep your ads within safe, legal limits. Accurate Make sure your ads are factually correct and that they don't tend to deceive or mislead the buying public. Don't show a picture of this year's model of a product if what you're selling is last year's model, even if they look almost the same. Be truthful about what consumers can expect from your product. Don't say ABC pills will cure headaches if the pills offer only temporary pain relief.