By Al Sunshine, SouthFloridaReporter.com, Consumer Investigator, Aug 21, 2015 – If it was only this easy: “Lights Out” for bogus UV sterilizers that claim they wipe out dangerous germs. Feds say it ain’t so…”You’re Busted”.
They were sold in a variety of retail and mail order outlets and can still be found online.
FTC: Lights Out for Falsely Advertised UV Disinfectant Devices
“shUVee” and “Nano-UV” Were Marketed Through Online Retailers Like Amazon and Catalogs Like SkyMall
Two marketers of ultraviolet light “disinfectant” devices have agreed to stop making claims that their devices can wipe out foot fungus and dangerous bacteria like MRSA, E. coli, and Salmonella in order to settle Federal Trade Commission charges alleging they engaged in false and unsubstantiated advertising.
The settlements impose judgments of $656,423 and $629,359, against Angel Sales, Inc. and its principals and Zadro Health Solutions, Inc., respectively. Based on their ability to pay, the Angel Sales judgment is suspended and the Zadro Health Solutions’ judgment is partially suspended upon payment of $222,029 for consumer refunds. In each case, the full judgment will become due immediately if defendants are found to have misrepresented their financial condition.
“The defendants said their devices’ UV rays would kill dangerous microorganisms, but they didn’t have scientific evidence to back that up,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “I’m pleased that the FTC’s action has put an end to these deceptive claims.”
The FTC alleged that Angel Sales, Inc. and its owners Robert and Laura Engel made false and baseless advertising claims about their shUVee devices. The Angel Sales defendants marketed their ultraviolet devices directly on their shuvee.com website and through national retailers, including on skymall.com, amazon.com, and walgreens.com websites and the SkyMall in-flight catalog.
In their ads, the Angel Sales defendants claimed that the shUVee devices could “keep your shoes odor-free and bacteria-free without the spray can,” and that, “the UV light reaches all the way into shoes to the toes where the bacteria live.” They claimed shUVee “kills over 95% of germs, bacteria, even the fungus responsible for the highly contagious MRSA bacteria – in less than one hour.” Prices for the shUVee devices ranged from $99.99 to $139.99, according to the complaint.
In a separate action, the FTC alleged that Zadro Health Solutions, Inc. and its owners Zlatko and Rebecca Zadro made similar false and baseless advertising claims about their Nano-UV devices. The Zadro Health Solutions defendants marketed their ultraviolet Nano-UV devices directly on their own zadrohs.com website and through national retailer websites, including skymall.com, amazon.com, drugstore.com,target.com, brookstone.com, and wayfair.com, and in catalogs such as SkyMall, Magellan’s, Hammacher Schlemmer, and Frontgate.
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