The US Federal Trade commission has begun cracking down on ecolabels which they consider deceptive.
“Tested Green”, according to the FTC, advertised, marketed, and sold environmental certifications but never actually tested any of the companies it provided with environmental certifications, and would “certify” anyone willing pay a fee. After customers paid, Tested Green gave them its logo and the link to a “certification verification page” that could be used to advertise their “certified” status.
The agency charged that the respondents violated the FTC Act by providing the means to deceive consumers. The FTC also alleges that they also deceived consumers by citing its endorsements from the National Green Business Association and the National Association of Government Contractors – implying that these were independent organizations when, in fact, both are owned and operated by the same group.
The owner of tested green will be out of the green certifying business for at least 20 years, but won’t face a fine or jail time under the proposed settlement.
www.testedgreen.org is already wiped clean.
The FTC writes that it will continue to “weed out” deceptive green practices like this one.
